How does a Kambo ceremony look like?
Kambo ceremony is a cleansing ritual which involves the use of a secretion of the Phyllomedusa bicolor frog, indigenous to the Amazon rainforests of South America. This secretion contains a number of helpful peptides and neuropeptides that help cleansing the body and mind. We'll look at the detailed process of a kambo ceremony in the points below:
Prior to every Kambo ceremony is a phone consultation to learn what you need to know about working with Kambo, how to prepare and what to expect during the ceremony. Each client receives a list of contraindications and we consult on the suitability of working with Kambo on an individual basis. When working with Kambo, safety is a top priority.
Before a Kambo ceremony, you fast (no food)for at least 8 hours. At the beginning of the ceremony, there is usually an opportunity to receive Sananga, which helps to release nervousness, tension and ground one's body. We consult the placement of Kambo 'gates' on the body, and the intentions. Everyone shares why they came to the ceremony and what they want to work with, if they are willing to share. We open the ceremonial space with a short prayer.
Before applying Kambo, you should drink 1.5 - 2.0 litres of clean water and several fresh superficial burns ( also called 'gates') are applied on the body.
Kambo is then applied to these 'gates'. If you are working with Kambo for the first time, or if it has been more than a year, only one 'test' point is applied first to check for any allergic reaction. If all goes well, we add the remaining points and the Kambo ceremony process begins.
The whole process of having Kambo on the skin is only 25-40 minutes. Within minutes of applying Kambo, you may experience several physical and psychological symptoms such as heat spreading throughout the body, rapid heartbeat and intense sensations in the body including slight swelling of the face, feelings of nausea, etc. Such effects are usually short-lived and subside within minutes, and a trained Kambo practitioner is very familiar with them and monitors them for safe progression during the Kambo ceremony. Swelling may remain for a few hours after the ceremony, and this is common and completely okay.
The initial sensations are followed by nausea, purgative vomiting and then great feelings relief of lightness, and often catharsis and release of emotional blockages. For some this may be accompanied by tears, somatic releasing, dissolution of thought patterns and onset of deeper awareness. This process may be repeated several times, then we take the Kambo off the skin and it's time for relaxation.
In the last stage of Kambo ceremony, you are encouraged to lay down, and take deep rest for 20 - 30 minutes where you can rest undisturbed, the body can continue to process energy and nervous system continues to rid itself of residual stress and emotional buildup.
After relaxation, you'll eat some fruit, have a delicious tea with honey to replenish your electrolytes and blood sugar and get home safely.
We close the ceremonial space with a short blessings and gratitude. We conclude with a brief sharing circle. Then everyone is ready to depart home to enjoy a deep relaxation and integrate their experience with Kambo. It is crucial to stay well-hydrated and avoid consuming heavy foods.
It's possible to feel weak after the kambo ceremony, however this is more common for Kambo 'beginners' or people with chronic illness and a heavier toxin load. In contrast, for many, after a Kambo ceremony there is a surge of energy and they feel 'renewed'. For everyone the process is individual and also depends on how they eat, how much stress they have in their life and what their body deals with on a daily basis.
I hope this was helpful! If you have any other questions about the process of a Kambo ceremony or anything else, feel free to contact me at berenika@kamboinresonance.com.
For a more in depth understanding of where Kambo comes from, and its context within the indigenous Amazonian tribes, you can read the article here zde.
Photos are from a Kambo ceremony on Big Island Hawaii, 2022. :)