Kambo
'The Vaccine of the Jungle'
Kambo is a sacred secretion from the Giant Monkey Frog, traditionally used by Indigenous tribes of the Amazon for its powerful purifying properties. Far more than a physical cleanse, Kambo supports energetic alignment, clarity of mind, and activation of the body’s innate intelligence.
Before sitting with this potent ally, we invite you to explore the information below to help you prepare—physically, emotionally, and spiritually—for the journey ahead.
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What happens during a Reiki treatment?During a Reiki treatment, you will lay comfortably & fully clothed on a massage table. All you have to do is close your eyes, relax, and be open to receive, as I use a series of hand positions to deliver Reiki energy. If you are not comfortable with hands-on touch, I can also use a floating hands technique, where I don't need to make physical contact with your body. We will have time at the beginning of the session to talk through your intention and address any questions you might have. We will also sit down together at the end to share anything that might come up during the treatment.
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What does Reiki feel like?There is no expected experience or outcome to a Reiki treatment, as it is a unique experience for each individual who receives it (see below for testimonials), from experiencing physical sensations or a variety of emotions to having visions, seeing certain colors, animal guides, and everything in between. The most commonly reported feelings after a Reiki treatment are increased relaxation, a feeling of wholeness, calmness, love, and a perceived reduction in stress. The true and important thing is that you will receive exactly what you need.
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What if the session is long-distance?Confused about how a remote Reiki session is even possible? Let's compare it to something we are all more familiar with - Prayer. To pray for someone, you don't necessarily need to be in the same room with them. Energy is like prayer in that it is not limited by distance or time. Long-distance Reiki sessions will be a remote experience, as I will not be on the phone with you. We will schedule an hour for the session, and it will look something like this: Minutes 1-15:Find a quiet space in your home where you can lie comfortably for an hour without interruptions. While you are there, begin to deepen your breath, relax your physical body, and slow down your mind. Minutes 15-45:Reiki begins/ends Minutes 45-50: still relaxed; allow time for the body to process the session. Minutes 50-60: you can use this time to message/call me with any questions! You're also free to share your experience/feelings too. If I receive any messages during the session, I will share those with you after the hour-long session has concluded.
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Other things to consider:Remember, Reiki is a complementary healing practice and not a replacement for traditional medical treatments. It works in harmony with any other treatments you may be receiving to support your overall well-being. Reiki practitioners do not diagnose.
Foreword to the Book
Sapo in My Soul
“If ayahuasca is swimming in the rivers, lakes, dreams and streams of contemporary culture, then the frog is perched on a branch overhanging the water’s edge. Waiting and watching, its tadpoles dropping from a jelly-leaf-nest, into the current below, into our bloodstream.
And it’s come on rapidly.
Sapo. Kambo. Dow-kiet!
Call it what you will.
Deeper still, beneath the surface, above and beyond it, is the amphibian spirit, archetype, and energy—a force of nature that teaches how to move, thrive, and communicate through and across different modes of existence, different worlds, with grace, ease, stealth, and song.
The word Amphibian comes from the Greek amphibios—amphi “of both kinds” + bios “life” or “having a double life.” The frog is shamanism embodied, traversing vantage points both material and ethereal for purposes of survival, action, health and healing.
And frogs are amazing. They eat with their eyes, breathe through their skin, and are considered the ultimate bio-indicators: species that can be used to monitor the health of an ecosystem. Interesting then that sapo/kambo emerges and spreads in this planetary moment with such powerful medicine, one well regarded for, among many other things, strengthening and upgrading the fight-or-flight response—encouraging grace under pressure. Yet another example of the frog’s ability to bring calm and balance opposites. A quality of particular significance and advantage now, in this era of ecological crisis.
Dissecting the frog further: Cut open Phyllomedusa and you’ll see phyllo means leaf, while medusa means guardian, and is of course the snake-haired Gorgon of Greek myth (rather than turning you to stone, Phyllomedusa animates you). Bicolor of course means “two colors,” a nod to the inherent “double life” of the frog.
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So here we have with us, alongside us, and inside us, a leaf-loving guardian with snakes (ayahuasca) for hair, that guides, protects, clarifies, strengthens and sharpens health and senses, and by extension, one’s environment.
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Everything about dow-kiet! illustrates duality into multiplicity, in resounding chorus, from all directions —and beyond. It is quick, clever and slippery, not easily pinned down. Grab at it, and you might get shocked. Relate with it, and you’ll get further, faster.
It is venom and it is medicine. It is frog, “toad,” and snake. It is saliva and it is water. It is well researched and completely mysterious. It is magic and it is science.
The human body recognizes it instantly, while our culture often mistakes it for something else. In water, in trees, on land—it is fluidity and unity. It is the sacred secretion of the Matsés, the cat people, now spread eagle. Happens fast, feels like forever.
It is sapo, and it is kambo.
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It is the Amphibian, in our bodies, souls and worlds.”
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Morgan Maher, 2015