What is Kambo?
Kambo, or “Akate" in the Matsés language, is a traditional medicine derived from the secretions of the Phyllomedusa bicolour frog native to the Amazon rainforest. Kambo is renowned for its potent healing properties and spiritual benefits. Many report feelings of increased energy, mental clarity, and emotional release following the ceremony. Kambo is used to address a range of physical and mental health issues, including chronic pain, depression, addiction, and fatigue.
Kambo
the benefits of kambo
Kambo offers a myriad of potential benefits for both physical and mental well-being:
Detoxification
Kambo is believed to purify the body by stimulating the release of toxins in the gallbladder, liver and pancreas through vomiting and sweating, helping to cleanse the system at a deep level.
Pain Relief
The analgesic properties of Kambo can provide relief from chronic pain conditions such as arthritis, migraines, and back pain.
Immune Support
Research suggests that Kambo may boost the immune system by increasing the production of white blood cells, enhancing the body's ability to fight off infections and illness.
Emotional Healing
Many individuals report profound emotional healing and release during and after Kambo ceremonies, with reductions in anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptoms.
Increased Energy and Vitality
Kambo is often described as providing a surge of energy and vitality, leaving participants feeling rejuvenated and revitalized.
Clarity and Focus
The mental clarity and heightened awareness experienced after a Kambo ceremony can lead to greater focus, concentration, and overall cognitive function.
Spiritual Growth
For many, Kambo serves as a catalyst for spiritual growth and personal transformation, offering insights, guidance, and a deeper connection to oneself and the natural world.
Ethics of Practice
I completed my training in the Amazon Jungle, outside the area of Iquitos, Peru.
I am a registered practitioner with Kambo Naturista. You can find me on their website here.
The medicine I receive comes directly from indigenous Matsés tribesmen. There is no middleman, and I pay above market rates to ensure best practice and fair trade. I have personally gone with them to find the frogs and gather the medicine. Our practice supports their way of life.
The best way we can ensure sustainability is to protect and restore the frogs habitat and only acquire medicine where we can trace the source to ensure we are not engaging in exploitation.
In New Zealand, for every Kambo session served, I plant a native tree. Currently these are helping restore a wetland in the Wairarapa.
the Science behind Kambo
The frog secretion contains a complex cocktail of bioactive peptides that have a synergy of physiological effects on the bodies internal systems. These peptides include antimicrobial, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory properties. Research suggests that Kambo may also stimulate the immune system and promote detoxification.
Many of the individual peptides are being patented for syntheses by pharmaceutical companies (which is biopiracy of indigenous medicine knowledge). But science can not yet explain how nature has brought the combination of these peptides together to create the profound healing effects of Kambo.
Information from the scientific literature is fascinating! If interested, here’s something recent to get you started:
What happens in a kambo session?
The sessions I offer are private 1-1. This time and space is dedicated just for you and your healing with my full, focussed support.
The session begins with a round of Hapé (optional) and personal intention setting.
Kambo is taken on an empty stomach, and at the beginning of the session 1.5-2L of water is consumed to ease the purging of bile and other toxins.
Kambo is administered through small burns on the skin, allowing the peptides to enter the body.
The experience of Kambo ceremony varies from person to person but often involves intense physical and emotional purging.
The process is accompanied by traditional songs, chants, prayers, energy clearing and protection rituals, enhancing the spiritual aspect of the experience.
In total, the experience will last an hour, with the peak occurring at around 20 minutes, then gradually subsiding into a space of deep rest.
