What is Kambo?
The healer you have been looking for is your own courage to know and love yourself completely. ~ Yung Pueblo
Kambo, also known as Kampuc, Dow-kiet, and Acaté, is an ancient indigenous healing practice derived from the Giant Phylomedusa bicolor, a species of giant tree frog found primarily in the Amazon regions of Brazil, Colombia, and Peru. The Kambo tradition is predominantly used by the Matsés, Yanawana, and Katukina tribes, who have inherited the knowledge and rituals associated with this modality across generations. It holds deep cultural significance within these communities.
The secretion of Kambo is a liquid that contains more than 100 different chemical constituents. Research indicates that the peptides present in Kambo interact with receptors in the body, influencing the cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and immune systems. Kambo is considered one of the most potent natural substances, possessing anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, anti-fungal, antimicrobial, and anesthetic properties.
Moreover, the substances within the frog secretion exhibit antibiotic properties and aid in strengthening the immune system by stimulating the production of antibodies against toxins. This has shown promising potential in the treatment of various ailments such as auto-immune diseases, AIDS, cancer, depression, and other chronic illnesses.
Additionally, Kambo's purgative effects contribute to the detoxification of the liver and digestive system hence harmonizing the endocrine, lymphatic, and nervous system.
However, for indigenous communities, the primary motive for using Kambo is used as a cleansing ritual to enhance the recipient´s hunting capacities & to combat "panema," a term encompassing feelings of sadness, lack of luck, irritability, and negative energy. Through colonial imprints, Kambo has been transformed from a hunting ritual into therapeutic approaches and a neo-shamanic healing ritual, a process which has been labeled as “shamanization of Kambo.
Within my practice, the Kambo I utilize is ethically and sustainably harvested by myself with a Matses family in Iquitos, Peru. The extraction process involves following traditional practices of utmost respect and care for the frog and honor for its cultural heritage to ensure the preservation of this sacred medicine and its connection to indigenous traditions.
How is Kambo administered?
The application of the kambo frog secretion begins by making superficial third-degree burns to the skin by the tip of a small glowing vine, that are only deep enough to remove the epidermis. The dry kambo is then mixed with water, dividing the paste into small dots, roughly an eighth of an inch in diameter.
Kambo is then applied onto the burns or “gates” and thus absorbed into the body subcutaneously, moving through the lymphatic & endocrine systems.
Once Kambo is applied to the skin most people experience warmth of the upper body and face, along with an increased heart rate. Some will have swelling of the face, ears, and slight swelling of the throat. Blood pressure will rise and then fall, at which point one can experience nausea and purge.
Purging can also include sweating, yawning, crying, laughing, and sometimes even fainting.
The unpleasant effects are strong and last about 20 minutes. It is helpful to relax into these sensations and focus on one's breath. Most people feel back to normal after an hour or so.
Following treatment, many people report feeling an increase in their vital energy, a sense of peace, and euphoria.
Kambo is an embodied process to the inside and learning to be present and aware of yourself. It also serves as a somatic tool that teaches us to be in an active relationship and participate with our bodies' wisdom. It builds our capacity to feel sensation and emotion, regulates our nervous system, and supports us to develop resilience to the intensity of life.
Kambo Experience
