Kambo is the name given to the waxy secretion of a tree frog used by indigenous tribes to strengthen body, mind, and spirit. The scientific name is Phyllomedusa bicolor, sometimes called the “Two-Colored Leaf Guardian” or “Giant Green Monkey Tree Frog.” It lives in the northwestern Amazon, where it is traditionally used to build strength, sharpen focus, support endurance, and lift Panema, a state of heaviness or stagnation.
Kambo is not hallucinogenic and it is legal in United States. In modern settings, people work with it for cleansing, clarity, and resilience.
In traditional use, hunters receive Kambo to enhance perception, intention, and endurance. It is also used to lift heaviness, restore focus, and bring the person back into harmony with nature. Within the Amazon, it is known for clearing stagnation and inviting a lighter, more aligned state.
Today, beyond its origins, Kambo has become a tool for those seeking to reset their body, sharpen their mind, and reconnect with their inner strength.
Carlos Guzman, Kambo practitioner
Kambo’s power lies in its natural bioactive compounds, the peptides found in the secretion of Phyllomedusa bicolor. These peptides are what make Kambo unique. When applied to the skin, they enter through the lymphatic system and begin communicating directly with the body, helping it restore balance and reset from within.
Scientific studies have shown that these peptides interact with the brain, immune system, and cells on multiple levels. Some cross the blood–brain barrier and influence the brain’s endocrine glands, supporting the release of hormones that regulate mood, focus, and energy. Others assist the immune and lymphatic systems, helping the body cleanse, repair, and return to its natural rhythm.
The experience may feel physical, but what happens goes deeper than that. Kambo activates the body’s own intelligence, reminding it how to recover, realign, and grow stronger through challenge.
What are Peptides? Peptides are like shorter cousins of proteins, made up of amino acids. They stick to cell surfaces and act like messengers, telling the cells to do things like release hormones or change their behavior, affecting everything from your mood and thoughts to muscle movements and digestion.
Phyllomedusin
A peptide that has a strong impact on your digestive system. It makes your intestines, bowels, salivary glands, and tear ducts go into action, helping to clean out your digestive system. It's also part of what makes you purge during your Kambo process, and also increases heart rate, heat flushing, and inflammation at location of burns.
Phyllokinin
It does some similar things like Phyllomedusin. It's good at opening up blood vessels and making your gut muscles contract. Plus, it helps lower blood pressure and increase blood vessel permeability. Some folks think it might also help other Kambo peptides get into the brain faster, but there's no scientific proof of that yet.
Phyllocaerulein
Found in the highest concentration, Phyllocaerulein is a key player in Kambo's main effects. It significantly impacts the smooth muscles in the gut, making them work harder, while also influencing bile flow and the release of pancreatic and gastric juices. Additionally, it contributes to pain relief in the central nervous system.
Sauvagine
It leads to a drop in blood pressure by widening the mesenteric vascular area ( Pancreas) and triggers strong tachycardia. In the central nervous system, it appears to activate the pituitary-adrenal axis, elevating levels of corticosterone, catecholamines (like adrenaline), and plasma glucose.
Phyllolitorins
Small bioactive peptides that stimulate gastric acid, pancreatic secretion, and smooth muscle contraction. In a study by Caitlin Thompson and Martin L. Williams, it was noted that Litorin can cause a short-term decrease in rats' body temperature by 0.9 °C, which might contribute to shivering and appetite suppression during the later stages of the Kambo experience.
Deltorpin and other Bioactive Peptide
It relieves pain and induces a sense of calm by interacting with brain receptors, potentially aiding individuals with drug dependence.
Dermaseptin
Including Adenoregulin, are part of a family of antimicrobial peptides that help defend the frogs' skin against microbial invaders. In laboratory studies, Adenoregulin has demonstrated the ability to not only inhibit various forms of cancer but also promote the healthy growth of blood vessels.Dermaseptin is also an antiviral for herpes simplex virus.
Peptide Research and Protection
Many peptides in Kambo help protect the frog’s skin in the wild. Researchers continue to study these compounds for potential activity against challenging microbes. This area of research is ongoing.
All of these peptides work together like a symphony, each one playing its part to help the body regain balance and strength. What makes Kambo unique is this combination of natural intelligence that interacts with your system and supports its ability to adapt, recover, and rebuild from within.
The effects vary for each person, but many describe a renewed sense of focus, clarity, and vitality in the days that follow. This is where the true potential of Kambo begins to show, not only in what it clears but in how it helps you reconnect with your body’s capacity to reset and grow stronger.
From traditional use to modern observation, many describe how Kambo helps manage fatigue, support circulation, and enhance vitality. Some people notice clearer focus, steadier energy, and a renewed sense of strength in the days after sitting with it.
Experiences vary, yet the body’s capacity to adapt often becomes more apparent as balance returns. Kambo can serve as a reminder that the body knows how to restore itself when given the right conditions and attention.
This work often reaches beyond the physical. Sitting with Kambo can reveal how awareness and discomfort coexist, how presence grows when we stop running from intensity, and how emotional steadiness begins to take root.
Resilience starts there, in meeting what comes, staying aware, and allowing the process to unfold with patience and trust. Kambo invites you to meet yourself through experience.
Each session is a reminder that strength, clarity, and balance are already within reach when you are willing to meet the frog halfway.
Kambo DNA Phyllomedusa bicolor
The Kambo I use is ethically harvested by the Matses tribe, who live along the Javari River in the Upper Amazon, near the border of Brazil and Peru, where the frogs are abundant.
The process is done with great care and respect. The frogs are found high in the trees near the small rainforest waterways where they gather to sing before the rain. The Matses locate them at dawn by imitating their calls. The frogs are calm and passive, allowing the process to unfold gently.
Each frog is tied loosely by its legs with palia (straw) strips in the shape of an “X.” A shaman may gently massage the frog’s toes to encourage the secretion, which is then carefully collected and spread to dry on small wooden sticks. The frogs are never harmed, smoked, or prodded.
Once collected, they are released immediately and return safely to their habitat.
The Matses hold deep reverence for these frogs, seeing them as teachers and healers. They believe that treating the frogs with respect keeps balance with the spirits of the jungle. The harvesting is done at healthy intervals, allowing the frogs to replenish their natural defenses and continue to thrive in their environment.
The Kambo collected in this way is considered 100 percent ethical. The funds raised are shared among the fourteen Matses communities, home to about 3,200 people, supporting their sustainable way of life and continued stewardship of the rainforest.
Every stick of Kambo is properly wrapped, stored, and handled with care. Only the first secretions, known to be the strongest, are used. You can trust that the Kambo I serve is clean, fresh, and harvested with integrity and respect for both the frog and the people who protect it.
Carlos extracting the secretion from the phyllomedusa bicolor in Peru
The story about Kambo probably goes back a thousand years in the Kaxinawa tribe in Brazil. It has been told in many ways.
According to the legend, there was a shaman named Kampu and he had an entire village to his care. One day people in the village started to fall ill and soon the entire village fell ill. Frustrated for not being able to help his tribe, Kampu went on an Ayahuasca solo journey in the middle of the jungle. Through his visions, he came upon how he was to call the frog, how he was going to extract the secretion from the frog and how he was going to apply it to his people. Returning to the tribe and following the guidelines that he had received Kampu was able to cure his people.
It is believed after Kampu’s death, that his spirit went to live in the frog. So, Kambo is also known as the spirit of the shaman; ready to serve those seeking the healing power of Kambo also teaching us that we have the power to heal our selves when our bodies are in balance.
Kambo as a Heart Opener
“Kambo circulates in the heart. Our shaman said that when we take Kambo it makes the heart move accurately, so that things flow, bringing good things to the person. It is as if there was a cloud on the person, preventing the good things to come, then, when it takes the Kambo; it comes a ‘green light’ which opens its ways, making things easier” Kaxinawa, Kambo Shaman
Kambo, the spirit of the shaman holding the frog
On a spiritual level, Kambo helps bring the mind and heart into alignment. It opens space for balance and connection, allowing energy to flow more freely through the body. Many describe it as a bridge between the physical and the unseen, a way to raise their prayers and intentions with greater clarity and strength.
In the shamanic view, everything in nature has spirit and intelligence. We receive guidance and support from both plant and animal allies. Kambo connects us with the spirit of the frog, known for its strong natural immunity and resilience.
Through this connection, many believe we are reminded of our own ability to cleanse and protect our energy, to release what no longer serves, and to strengthen what sustains us.
As the essence of Phyllomedusa bicolor enters the body, it interacts not only on a physical level but also through energy and awareness. It invites us to let go of what feels heavy and to return to our natural state of clarity and flow. Some notice small synchronicities or meaningful signs, such as a visit from a frog, a shift in timing, or a sense of alignment, as gentle reminders of this connection.
Each experience is personal. Kambo works with your intention and meets you where you are. It has its own intelligence, responding to what is needed most in that moment. This relationship deepens with time, trust, and presence, revealing something new with each sit.
Kambo Warrior Shaman, Peru
Kambo is often used to prepare the mind and body before sitting with Ayahuasca. The cleansing process that takes place through Kambo helps clear the body, allowing Ayahuasca to be received with greater ease and openness. It also helps release stagnant energy and prepares the mind for the deeper psychological and emotional work that follows.
The connection between Kambo and Ayahuasca runs deep. According to legend, it was the spirit of Ayahuasca that revealed the knowledge of Kambo to the people, teaching them how to use it for strength, clarity, and healing. Because of this link, many see the two as complementary allies, each supporting the other in its purpose.
Receiving Kambo before Ayahuasca helps the body ground and align, creating a clear internal space for the ceremony. Receiving it afterward can help integrate the experience, clearing any emotional residue and restoring balance to the body and mind. Many describe feeling renewed energy and emotional stability once they have fully recovered from the process.
Pre-Kambo sessions are offered on Thursday evenings before the weekend ceremony begins. If you have any questions or wish to schedule your pre-Kambo session, feel free to contact me.
Rapé, also known as Hapé and pronounced “ha-pay,” is a shamanic snuff used by the indigenous tribes of the Amazon for thousands of years. It is prepared with great care and used to heighten awareness, sharpen the senses, and cleanse both body and spirit.
Its main ingredient is mapacho (nicotiana rustica), a powerful jungle tobacco much stronger than common tobacco and free from the harmful chemicals found in commercial products.
The blend is created by mixing mapacho with ashes, seeds, or leaves from sacred trees unique to each tribe. The process of making it is long and detailed, and the recipe is kept secret by those who carry the tradition.
Hapé is valued for its grounding effect and the clarity it brings to the mind, helping to quiet thoughts and open awareness.
It is known for its natural cleansing properties and is often described as both grounding and uplifting.
Many experience it as a way to clear the mind, ease mental fog, and release emotional heaviness. It is also used to bring focus and restore balance to the nervous system.
Hapé is traditionally shared in ceremony, always with intention and respect. Gratitude is offered to the men and women who prepare it, to the ancestors who have passed down the knowledge, and to the spirit of the plants for their guidance and protection.
During Kambo, Hapé is often used to help center and ground the participant. It supports the release process by helping the body relax and align with the work being done.
Mapacho smoke may also be used to cleanse the space and the Kambo points, creating a grounded and focused environment for the ceremony.
Sananga is a powerful plant preparation known for its ability to clear the mind, sharpen perception, and cleanse energetic blockages often referred to as Panema.
It is made from the juice extracted from the roots and bark of the Tabernaemontana undulata shrub, native to the Amazon.
For many tribes, Sananga is an all-purpose remedy used for both physical and energetic alignment.
Traditionally, hunters use Sananga to enhance night vision and heighten awareness during their journeys through the forest. Its effects go beyond sight, bringing greater clarity, focus, and intention. The medicine is also used to align energy, strengthen intuition, and clear stagnant emotions.
Before a Kambo session, Sananga can help prepare both the mind and body. One small drop in each eye is enough to begin the process. The initial burning or stinging sensation may feel intense, but it passes within minutes. Focusing on deep, steady breathing helps ease the intensity and brings awareness to how energy begins to move and release.
Many describe Sananga as a grounding yet expansive experience. It clears inner vision, connects you to presence, and opens space for deeper awareness before receiving Kambo.
The secretion is applied to the skin after small, superficial burns are made with the tip of a red-hot incense stick. Only the outermost layer of skin is gently opened to create what are known as “gates.” Through these points, Kambo enters the lymphatic system and begins its work throughout the body.
Traditionally, the points for both men and women are placed on the upper left arm, closest to the heart. This placement allows Kambo to circulate through the bloodstream, clearing stagnant energy and releasing Panema, the mental, emotional, and energetic blockages that weigh the body down. The left side of the body is often associated with emotional energy, while the right side represents the physical.
If you feel called to receive the points in another area, that can be discussed. There are no strict rules about placement, only what feels most aligned for the person receiving. For those more sensitive to pain, the lower right leg is often used, as it is farther from the heart and produces a gentler sensation. During the session, the gates must remain undisturbed so the secretion can be fully absorbed and effective.
The number of points varies depending on your physical condition, experience, and intention. For a first session, three to five points are common and effective.
More points do not necessarily make the session stronger or better. It is about the connection and response of your body. Before the session, we will talk in detail about the number of points and what feels right for you.
For those familiar with Kambo, Sapo is a similar application with a few key differences.
Sapo uses saliva to mix with the frog’s secretion, which many find creates a more concentrated effect. It is applied using a Tamishi vine or a larger incense stick. This usually results in fewer gates, often two or three, rather than several small ones.
Traditionally, Sapo is placed on the shoulder or upper arm for more direct access to the bloodstream. It is often done on an empty stomach, with reduced water intake compared to a traditional Kambo session. The intention is to stay hydrated without overdrinking so the experience remains focused and manageable.
A Sapo session typically lasts about ten to fifteen minutes, which is slightly shorter than a standard Kambo session. Although it can feel more intense, the purpose remains the same: to clear, strengthen, and awaken the body’s natural intelligence.
Key differences at a glance
Before any session, we will discuss your intentions, placement, the number of gates, and water guidance to ensure the approach fits your body and your goals.
Carlos Applying Kambo to a warrior participant
KAMBO IS NOT A MEDICINE.
PRACTITIONERS ARE NOT DOCTORS NOT ANY OTHER FORM OF MEDICAL PROVIDER.
KAMBO PRACTITIONERS DO NOT DIAGNOSE DISEASE, OFFER HEALTH ADVICE, TREAT PHYSICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES OR PRESCRIBE MEDICINES.
PARTICIPANTS ARE ADVISED TO DO THEIR OWN RESEARCH TO THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF TAKING KAMBO. NONE ARE OFFERED OR IMPLIED HERE.
Kambo is a shamanic ritual that comes from the indigenous traditions of the Amazon Rainforest. It is not a medical treatment and should not be seen as a substitute for professional medical care. The experience is sacred and intentional, rooted in practices that have been passed down through generations.
By choosing to participate in a Kambo ceremony, you acknowledge that you are doing so of your own free will and personal choice. You understand that this process involves physical and emotional intensity and that every experience is unique.
Participation is a conscious decision to engage in deep personal work, guided by respect for Kambo, the traditions it comes from, and your own personal readiness.
Proud member of the Passionate Warrior