A Journey With Kambo
The mind is one of the universe’s most beautifully complex structures. As the gateway to self awareness and overall wellbeing, it's often the starting point for one’s own journey into mental, emotional, and spiritual clarity. With ancient wellness practices gaining traction in the West, the ever-evolving landscape of alternative medicine continues to open new doors into such connectedness. Kambo, a resin secreted from the back of the Phyllomedusa bicolor frog, is finding itself at the forefront of this new age wellness movement. Found in the Southern part of the Amazon, among indigenous tribes in Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and French Guiana, the medicine has been harnessed for centuries to treat sadness, bad luck, irritation, and negative energies. Rich in 20 different bioavailable peptides, the secretion supports a person’s healing process and scientifically makes us feel better psychologically, mentally, and emotionally. Taylor Eyewalker, Kundalini and Tantric yoga teacher and creator of the UNCOIL Method, found Kambo five years ago and has since become a Kambo practitioner. She views the spirit medicine as a game changer in health, vitality, and radiance and works with clients to administer sustainably and ethically harvested Kambo as a means of healing. For each individual this may mean something entirely different. “I believe very deep therapy can be done in the Kambo space,” Eyewalker states. Whether creating protocols to get off of anti-anxiety medications and antidepressants or working with someone on self mastery, Eyewalker develops strategy to use the medicine to get clear and grounded within her client’s individual purposes.A two-to-three hour experience begins with an extensive consultation. “Sometimes I’ll do a shamanic healing before clients receive the medicine,” she explains. “Other times I’ll work with energies and prime a client’s body.” Everyone is different and will receive a tailored experience for whatever it is they’re going through. To open up the circle, she’ll use sage and smoke to clear the space and energies, creating a safe and comfortable environment. After burning gates into the skin, which are then opened and prepared to have the medicine applied, Kambo is able to travel through the body’s lymphatic system and begin its work.
What is perhaps most interesting about Kambo is its ability to enter into weak zones within the mind to create balance and harmony alongside physical benefits. By crossing the protective blood-brain barrier and binding to the brain’s receptor sites, the medicine acts as an adaptogen to balance the mind, emotions, and overall connection within ourselves.
The longer you work with the medicine and all of its layers, the more your exterior reality will begin to look different. “It starts to unwind those subconscious patterns and karmic knots that keep us stuck living a life we’re not satisfied with,” says Eyewalker. “It requires you to show up and requires you to open up.” Governed by the water element of cleansing, purification, and prosperity, Kambo supports in finding what your own innate gifts are. “What I love about ‘the frog’ is that its work with you is totally benevolent,” she shares. “It strips away the parts of you that are clouded so that you can see what it is you are here to do. It becomes a practice — you can get to the patterns that have kept you in the same place your whole life.”An essential part to mental and emotional clarity is seeing ourselves so that we can determine a way of life that is most honest and innate to us. And Eyewalker agrees, “When we feel a greater connectedness inside ourselves, we can feel a greater connectedness with the world. It allows us to see our truth more clearly.”Ariana Dickson is a freelance writer, creative, and Influencer Relations Manager. After living in Mumbai, India for two years, she’s now tapping into the nomadic lifestyle and working remotely — staying true to her love for traveling, near and far. Connect with her on Instagram at @arianadickson to follow her perpetual wanderings or talk all-things travel, food, and wellness.