What is Kambo?

Kambo is the secretion of Phyllomedusa bicolor, the Giant Monkey Frog or Giant Leaf Frog of the Amazon basin. Traditionally, Kambo is considered to be a medicine and used by many indigenous groups. These include the: Amahuaca, Kaxinawá, Katukina, Kulina, Yawanawá, Matses, Marubo and Mayoruna.

These same groups provide us with Kambo sticks. Frogs are caught, tied, and released without harm. Ethically-harvested frogs are unhurt and released with enough secretion to protect themselves. They are not harvested again for 2-3 months. It is up to the individual practitioner to know from where they are buying Kambo sticks.

Its secretion (sometimes called “venom”) is a powerful mix of bioactive peptides: phyllomedusin, phyllocaerulein, phyllokinin, phyllolitorin, dermaseptin, adenoregulin, deltorphin, and dermorphin.

When our body encounters these peptides, our cell receptors open and allow them into the cell. It is as if our body is designed to receive Kambo. The peptides have pain-relieving analgesic effects, vasodilation effects which affect our blood pressure and bring on physical purging, and provide antimicrobial defenses against bacteria, fungi, protozoa, parasites and viruses.

What to Expect

The immediate effects of Kambo medicine are intense and challenging. However, they are also short-lived, usually lasting no more than 30-40 minutes. After Kambo is applied to small “gates” blistered into the top layer of the skin with a smoldering vine, you can expect to feel any of the following: a rise in temperature, fluctuations in blood pressure, a pounding sensation in your head, sweating, shivering, dizziness, tingling of the extremities, nausea, blurred vision, minor swelling of the lips, and purging either as vomiting, defecating, or both. Just as we are different, the Kambo experience varies slightly from person to person. Not everyone experiences all of these things.

After the initial effects have worn off, the beauty of the Kambo experience often reveals itself. This can be felt as an immediate or delayed sense of calmness, clarity, peace, inner-strength, and certainty about life and our decisions. More about that below.

Who Cannot Use Kambo

Kambo is very safe when given by a properly trained practitioner. However there are some conditions for which Kambo is contraindicated. Kambo cannot be given to people who:

• Have serious heart problems or who have had heart surgery. This includes a Pacemaker but excludes Stents
• Have had a stroke or a brain hemorrhage
• Have an aneurysm or blood clot
• Are recovering from a major surgical procedure with internal stitches
• Lack the mental capacity to make the decision to take Kambo
• Are on medication for low blood pressure (High Blood Pressure is usually fine)
• Are taking certain other medications (discussed during consultation)
• Have serious mental health problems, excluding depression, PTSD and anxiety
• Are undergoing chemotherapy, radiotherapy or have done so within the last 4 weeks
• Take immune-suppressants after organ transplant
• Have Addison’s Disease
• Have current and severe epilepsy
• Are under 18 years old
• Have certain types of EDS
• Are pregnant or maybe so or are breast-feeding a child under 6 months old.

What Can it do for You?

It’s possible you already hold the answer to this. Kambo can improve much of what affects our lives and bodies. From my own experiences and those of others, below are some reasons people turn to healing with Kambo.

Physical

Kambo is one of the strongest natural anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, antimicrobial and anesthetic substances found in the world. It happens to be one of the strongest, natural ways to strengthen the immune system. People have turned to Kambo for numerous physical ailments and diseases including: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Hepatitis, HIV, Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s, Diabetes, Rheumatism, Arthritis, chronic pain, depression, vascular problems, cancer, addictions, and more. As Kambo moves through our body and cells, it pulls mucus and toxins from our lymphatic system and organs, which then leave our body during the purging process.

Mental/Emotional

People have long used Kambo to treat anxiety, addictions, and depression. Things like abuse and trauma often end up living for years in our mental and emotional bodies. Our emotions are our guidance system for navigating our lives. They tell us what feels good, what does not, and why we feel this way. When we’re disconnected from this information, our guidance system steers us in different directions, and sometimes away from our path and purpose in life. Every Kambo treatment takes us through a physical and emotional journey into ourselves. It tests our strength and ability to overcome. It helps us to find the warrior spirit that lives within us all. Often what follows the physical experience are profound insights about ourselves and deep and lasting emotional release.

Spiritual

Kambo has long been used by indigenous people’s to clear “Panema”, a name for dark or negative energy. We also use Kambo to clear energetic blocks, so life can flow freely through us. This can appear as a deep emotional release during treatment or a profound insight about you or your life. Sometimes it’s not what we want to hear, but exactly what we need to hear. Kambo may continue to “speak” to you for days or weeks following treatment. Whether this is the Spirit of Kambo or your own intuition and spiritual connection, is for you to decide. So long as you embrace these gifts and insights as you walk your path.

Treatment Details and Cost

After completing the form below, I will reach out about scheduling a phone consultation. This ensures you’re well-informed and everyone involved feels comfortable moving forward with treatment. Treatments consist of:

• Smudging and opening our ceremony space
• Clarify your purpose and intentions
• Plant medicine work (Sananga, Rapé (“ha-pay”))
• Kambo ceremony

Treatment cost will depend on client needs, location of treatment, and number of Kambo sessions that are desired. Please contact us using the form or email directly at connect@earthretrievals.com