Many indigenous tribes and urban populations use the cleanse for a number of reasons. Traditionally, hunters would participate in the ritual to heighten their senses and stamina before a hunt. Bedside Stories highlights captivating personal stories that take place behind the scenes in health care. I charge by ceremony—in the past, I facilitated Kambo in small groups and one-on-one. Maybe you know this involves frogs and some ceremony, but you’re a little fuzzy on the rest of the details. Ceremonies last from 2 to 4 hours depending on the number of people and setting. “My mind is in a really great place this morning. So much energy. The end result is what I was looking for.”
I do recommend eating clean, no processed or fried foods, 3 days before and after. Cristina’s journey with Kambo began when she followed her curiosity to Peru to work more deeply with ayahuasca. Once in Iquitos, Cristina met Peter Gorman, author of Sapo in My Soul, who was the first to tell her about Kambo medicine. Peter introduced Cristina to his guide and good friend, Juan, who is a friend of the Matsés indians and able to take her to learn directly from the masters of Kambo medicine. I reached out to the Rebecca as I had done Kambo before in Peru in 2016 and was looking for a local practitioner. Although I was at first nervous about doing this again, Rebecca made me feel comfortable and confident in her abilities plus as a bonus she’s also a Nurse!. She was super warm, friendly and comforting during the entire process and completely present to me that day.
What is kambo?
Kambo provides a traditional method of healing that can reverse and prevent ill health and remove trauma on a cellular level. Kambo is known to heal on a physical, emotional, mental and spiritual level. Kambo is powerful substance and shouldn’t be administered except under the care of an experienced practitioner. A practitioner can help guide you to gain the maximum benefits from a kambo application, helping you to set an intention before the ceremony, ensure proper set and setting during the ceremony, and integrate the experience afterward. Experts have studied kambo for years and documented a few of its effects, such as brain cell stimulation and the dilation of blood vessels. But none of the existing research supports the health claims surrounding kambo.
Matsés Kambo Sticks
When the symptoms begin to decrease, a shaman may encourage the person to rehydrate by drinking water. Though there are plenty of first-hand accounts from people who have taken part in the cleanse, none of the potential benefits described above are scientifically proven. Dr. Kuhn points to one woman who had nausea and vomiting for a prolonged timeframe after a Kambo cleanse and went to an emergency department. Read more about Kambo Training here. There’s also an unexpected risk to Kambo cleanses—overhydration.
There are people who’ve taken Kambo with almost none of the purgative effects, with nausea and vomiting being the most frequently experienced. The shaman will burn tiny holes into the top layer of your skin using a vine or sometimes an incense stick, then gently scrape the area before applying the Kambo dots. Sometimes referred to as gates, the burns help the Kambo enter the bloodstream faster. Modern practitioners often administer it on chakras, which are energy points throughout the body. Next, a practitioner will use a burning stick to create a number of small burns on the skin, resulting in blisters. The blistered skin is then scraped off, and the kambo is applied to the wounds.