Kambo is the name given to the secretion of the Giant Monkey Frog or Phyllomedusa bicolor. Native to parts of the Amazon Rainforest, particularly in Peru and Brazil, it has been used traditionally by many tribes for healing purposes. Kambo, also known as Sapo or Kampu emits a defensive, yet healing secretion filled with bioactive peptides. This secretion has been known to help aid in detoxifying and healing the mind, body and spirit for many years.
Kambo is used for purifying purposes and is characterized by a strong spiritual component. Kambo is not only a living, breathing amphibian on this planet, it is a spirit. This reigns true for all beings and it is our purpose to respect and hold that in constant reverence. The Kambo spirit is a strong ally to behold and will effortlessly (yet powerfully) initiate your path to health and well-being.
Kambo is a powerful anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antimicrobial and antifungal. The peptides in the Kambo secretion are rich with biochemical compounds, helping to influence biological responses in your brain and body. It is a strong vasodilator and is believed to increase the permeability of the blood brain barrier, allowing peptides to enter the brain safely.
Above all, Kambo is a non psychoactive, purgative medicine, helping expel toxins rapidly from the body through the ceremonial process.
So yes, you will quite possibly purge in your session, we consider this a celebration!
With that being said, Kambo is a very forgiving and loving medicine that is inevitably fast acting in comparison to other indigenous medicines. I consider myself very lucky to witness this medicine weave wonders into people's lives.
Kambo has a wide range of benefits. Traditionally, it is known for helping improve clarity for hunting, enhancing intuition and is also used in rituals of ‘rites of passage’. Modern benefits prove Kambo helps aid in pain relief, emotional imbalances manifesting in the body and even infertility. From autoimmune disorders, thyroid conditions and inflammation, Kambo can be a powerful initiator for overall wellness.
Within a Kambo session, you will have several healing peptides coursing through your body, influencing a variety of biological processes. The influence of these peptides contributes to a deep cleansing of the whole digestive system, working with the intestines, bowels and salivary glands. The vasodilation caused by the peptides also contribute to a drop in blood pressure and increase in heart rate which stimulates the adrenal cortex and pituitary gland. This inevitably helps to increase sensory perception and increase physical endurance.
Now, although further studies of Kambo are ongoing, preliminary studies also suggest analgesic or pain-relieving properties associated with Kambo. The interaction of peptides with the body's endorphin system is thought to contribute to its reported ability to alleviate pain. While research in this area is in its early stages, the potential for Kambo to offer natural pain relief has implications for those seeking alternative options, especially for chronic pain conditions and inflammation.
Kambo can also help with:
I am not a medical professional and my offerings do not replicate any form of a medical practice. Kambo is not a medical treatment and does not reflect upon western ‘medicine’. I do not diagnose diseases, mental disorders or severe illnesses. Kambo is not a cure all and should be coupled with healthy habits to support your life so you and this ally can work together in your health and healing process. I have the right to refuse treatment upon further review of a confidential and informed intake.
I consider each session a ceremony, connecting you deeper with Kambo and all parts of yourself. This is about you and the medicine and I use the method of non-interference with pure presence. I am here to keep you safe and guide you through any and all possible discomforts that Kambo can bring on. You can expect to feel seen, accepted and fully supported before, during and after your process. The goal in each session is for you and Kambo to activate and pull forward your own liberation. Liberating you to rise from any and all blockages you may be facing.
Before your session as a first time participant, you will be required to fill out a confidential intake form and schedule a preparatory phone call to go over any further details. If you would like a one on one consultation for a more informed and intimate introduction.
Length: Sessions are about 2 to 3 hours long, with the most turbulent part lasting roughly 30 to 40 minutes.
Setting: Whether I travel to you or you travel to me, there will be a space set up for you with plenty of room and comfort. The space will be prepped energetically, there will be a bathroom and you will have plenty of room. This also applies for group ceremonies.
Application: Using a tamishi (burn stick) I will make surface level, circular burns on your skin (usually 5) where the waxy secretion will be placed when it is time. This allows the secretion to get into your system safely and effectively.
Water: I will have you drink about 1 ½ to 2 liters of water prior to the medicine application (this is to ensure proper hydration to the gut and cells in preparation for rapid detoxification).
Methods: I use both the layered method and the all at once method when applying Kambo because I was taught both and they both serve a purpose. This solely depends on your sessions with me and how many times you have done Kambo or how well you take to Kambo.
Layered method: (Used in most cases for first timers or someone very sensitive to kambo) I will apply one dot of secretion to see how your body reacts and upon further assessment, I will add more to your open burn points.
All at once method: (used for long time participants and people who can handle/prefer this method) Please note, I will never do more than 5 dots for this method unless it is a specific request or situation. I believe less is more; however, everyone is different! This method is when I put all your dots on at once, assess, let you ride it out and remove your dots once your purge is at its peak. This ensures that this method won't tire you out completely.
Onset: Kambo can bring on warmth, nausea, sweats and sometimes visions. No Kambo session is the same and everyone experiences Kambo differently. Presence, breath and levity are key for the session.
Landing: When your dots are off and you are landing from your experience, you will be rushed with oxytocin and prolactin. Oxytocin is considered the love hormone and prolactin is released to babies from their mother when they are breastfeeding. As you can imagine, this will be a very relaxing time and it is a moment for rest after the experience. Take all the time you need.
Contraindications will be reviewed thoroughly within an initial intake form and can fall under a “case by case” basis.
Kambo will not be beneficial or safe in the case of past or present conditions such as:
How do I conduct group Kambô ceremonies?
Open & Closing Prayers: There will be an opening and closing to this experience. Rallying together the energy both when we start and when we end.
Hapé and Sananga: are offered before or after the ceremony and included in the overall experience. This helps to calm the nerves and get everyone grounded before or after Kambô
Sharing Circle: People come to Kambô for many different reasons, we want to hear your heart!
Slow & Steady: A full group of 7 will get one dot of kambo together first, wait a few minutes, then apply the rest of the kambo according to each person's reaction and prior sessions with kambo.
Healing Songs: You will receive healing songs in ceremony…some that have been gifted to me or have just come through me and decided to stick with me throughout the years.
Care & Safety: You will be held and supported in any challenging moments that may come up. You will have support to and from the bathroom. Your safety is the number one priority and have protocols in case of emergency.
Time to Rest: As the Kambô wears off you will get flooded with hormones like oxytocin and prolactin. In this moment we invite relaxation, you’ve done good/hard work and now it’s time to rest.
We celebrate! Your purge is a celebration and we treat it as such. Viva Kambo
What to Bring
Blankets, Bolsters, Yoga Mats, Buckets & Extra Water will be provided.
Groups Held Monthly in Manchester NH at Sacred Moon Healing Center
I experienced my first Kambo session in 2019 when I started dipping my feet into plant medicines. I was 2 years sober at the time and was transitioning out of AA and the recovery community. Recovery and AA saved my life, I was just simply growing out of it and knew there were many more layers to peel back in this mind and body. My first Kambo session was actually pretty graceful and easy for me. Even in private and group sessions after that, I remember thinking I must not have a connection if it is this graceful and smooth for me. There were discomforts and life altering purges don’t get me wrong but I always felt so much warmth and grace from Kambo. I realize now my own ideologies of thinking I wasn’t “experiencing it right” were just blocking me in many ways. Oh the growth!
Soon on my journey with Ayahuasca, I started helping out in dozens of ceremonies in the New England area. Unfortunately, that path led to witnessing many malpractice situations with medicine carriers and have since dove directly into indigenous ethics, traveling to Peru, going deeper into the teachings, tapping into the importance of dietas and having strong teachers. Overall I am grateful for every experience for it has brought me immense wisdom involving integrity.
While experiencing drastic life transitions within this time, I leaned hard on Kambo. I was dealing with severe mold toxicity, coming out of a challenging and pivotal plant medicine ceremony (both from Peru and The States) and unlocking potent ancestral wounds all at once, leaving me in a state of confusion when I looked at the world. Those feelings I used to have as a kid when I would look up at the sky and want to scream, cry, puke……those all came back with the agency and emotional capacity of an adult. I didn’t know what to do with that. I felt the presence of death in a more cultural way, the land felt haunted and the unrest of our collective ancestry was screaming at me. All the western views and concepts placed upon me fell away with a vengeance and I felt like I was left with just blood and bone. How have we become so disconnected? Why has this earth never lived without war placed upon it? Why are we so blind to what is right in front of us? Will my life be wasted on worry and stress? Will my life be wasted?.......Fear. My true face was coming through and it was a painfully beautiful shedding. My faith was tested and My Gods am I grateful to have my eyes peeled open in that way.
I share this because I am a raw, authentic human with a desire to spark liberation in a world designed for greed, war and sickness.
I share this because plant, amphibian and fungi medicines spark drastic growth and clarity among ourselves and the collective.
I share this because that clarity comes with great responsibility and heartbreak.
I share this because it is the truth.
I was having BIG FEELINGS so I started doing back to back sessions and self serving with Kambo at this time and it was an absolute life saver. I wasn’t having plaguing mold symptoms and I reclaimed my ever present connection to myself. I was releasing emotional wounds from a place I didn’t even know existed. My purges were raw, emotional and beautiful…..I couldn’t have gone that deep in my cleansing if it wasn’t for Kambo.
Shortly after, I started training with Stephen Goterch of Indigo Health Voyages in the beginning of 2023 and went on to train further with Kyle Kendall of Kaio Healing in March 2024. Totaling 3 months of training and 2 initiations. Within this time I also received one on one counsel in Peru from Curandero Jose Rios. Developing a stronger connection to these medicines through integrity in the dieta work. Whether you are in or out of the jungle, you must live the path no matter which way you walk it. My life must reflect through my work, right relations with nature and culture, my own emotional management, my actions, my word…..I have responsibilities to uphold for myself. Always.
With that being said, I also know how to have fun and not take life too seriously!
I take pride in the altar I carry and will forever bow in humility to our Earth mother and all that she provides for us.
1-on-1 and Group Sessions available. I also offer a monthly Kambo group event in Manchester NH.
Pricing:
Single Session - sliding scale of affordability - $165 - $300
Group Price - $165 a person
$45 Cancellation fee is implemented with less than 32 hr notice of cancellation
