If you are called to work with this  transformative sacrament, you are in for a incredibly deep and effective cleanse of your system, both physically and emotionally. Kambo has helped me in so many ways, from the beginning of my expereince, when I was seeking alternative answers to what “just did not feel right” during the pandemic, to supporting my body during a critical illness and then again after two major surgeries. I have been fortunate to be trained by my teacher who has worked with this sacrament for over 20 years and has lived in the Amazon with many of the tribes connected. She gave me the ability to “shadow” her for the next three years, during which time I worked beside her, learning how to create the “burn” correctly, mix and apply the Kambo, and watch and connect with the person. Receiving deeply, trusting in my guides and witnessing the reactions. She taught me the intricacies of “the purge” and what the color and contents mean in regards to the patients health. These “studies” came after she herself witnessed commonalities between people who had the same reactions and symptoms.  She taught me the different placements and energy points, and why to use them. It was an incredible opportunity to work with a woman with so much knowledge I will be forever grateful.  

Through this connection, I have developed a keen sense of insight, and therefore coined the phrase, TIKA, or Trauma Informed Kambo Application. Allowing the person receiving to be in charge, to connect and feel the peptides coursing through the body, and therefore have a much greater experience as opposed to shocking the system into a purge quickly. Letting these incredible peptides which have so many beneficial properties absorb into the system, traveling to the very center of what is in need, and gently and effectively creating the purge, to release once and for all the very issue causing the malady.

Kambo, also known as Sapo, Dow Kiet, and Acate, is the secretion of Phyllomedusa bicolor (the giant leaf or monkey frog), a bright green tree frog native to the Amazon basin. It can be found in the rainforest regions of northern Brazil, eastern Peru, southeastern Colombia, and parts of Venezuela, Bolivia, and the Guianas.

Giant monkey frogs have a distinctive “song”; when harvesting the medicine, collectors call and listen for a response to locate the frog. The frogs are very docile and allow themselves to be taken. Depending on the tradition harvesting the medicine, the frogs may be tied by the legs or held. They are then sung to and stroked to induce the secretion of the waxy substance(which is actually sunscreen for the frog). The Kambo is scraped from the back and legs of the frog onto wooden sticks. Once dried, Kambo can be stored for long periods without losing its potency. For use, it is mixed with saliva or water and is directly applied to specially-made burns in the skin.

Kambo has a range of traditional and potential therapeutic applications, both medical and psycho-spiritual. Commonly described as purge medicine, the secretion is known for its powerful emetic effects. Despite its initial unpleasantness, Kambo is widely sought out to revitalize body and mind.