Rooted. Earthy. Sacred. Warm. Safe. Human.
Kambo is the secretion of the giant monkey frog, Phyllomedusa bicolor, native to the Amazon rainforest. It has a long history of traditional use among Indigenous peoples of the Amazon and today is used in a variety of ceremonial and wellness settings around the world. Kambo is not a psychedelic. It produces a short but physically intense cleansing response rather than a visionary experience. At Iboga Journey in Alberta, Treenz offers facilitated Kambo sessions and Level 1 Kambo Self-Application Training. Every session begins with a conversation and a health screening, because Kambo is physically demanding and is not appropriate for everyone.
My relationship with Kambo is rooted in respect, for the frog, for the traditions from which this practice comes, and for the responsibility involved in working with such a powerful substance.
Before receiving Kambo, each person is carefully screened and prepared for the experience. Small superficial points, traditionally called gates, are made on the surface of the skin, and a small amount of Kambo secretion is applied.
The physical response can begin quickly and may include warmth, flushing, increased heart rate, nausea, facial swelling and vomiting. The acute portion of the experience is generally short but can be physically intense.
Kambo can produce significant physiological effects and is not appropriate for everyone.
Every participant is screened before a session, including discussion of health history, medications and potential contraindications.
Responsible practice includes:
Kambo is not a substitute for medical care, diagnosis or treatment.
My first experience with Kambo came during a plant medicine retreat where we sat with Ayahuasca in the evening, received Kambo the following morning, and repeated the cycle once more.
Something about Kambo spoke to me immediately. There was no looking back.
Shortly afterward, I connected with Peter Gorman and read his book, which inspired me to explore Kambo more deeply and introduced me to Nunu, a traditional Amazonian snuff, for the first time.
As my relationship with Kambo continued to grow, my path eventually led me to Giovanni Lattanzi and Kambo International, where I deepened my education through direct experience, training and continued mentorship. Working alongside this community has allowed my understanding of Kambo to continue evolving, not only in how the medicine is worked with, but in the responsibility, awareness and respect that come with serving it.
For me, Kambo has also become a powerful mirror. I have experienced it as a revealer of patterns and beliefs, bringing awareness to ways of thinking, protecting and moving through the world that may no longer serve us or may stand in the way of authentic expression.
Since 2022, Ginny of Kambo International has also been an important part of my journey through her Pattern and Belief Coaching. This work has helped me recognize that what arises around medicine can be just as meaningful as the medicine experience itself. Awareness creates an opportunity to meet our patterns differently.
My relationship with Kambo continues to be one of learning, humility and respect. I don’t believe we ever arrive at a place where there is nothing more to learn.
-Treenz
Advanced Kambo Practitioner Certification, Kambo International | Master Kambo Teacher Level 1, Kambo International | Teacher of Self-Application Kambo
For those who feel called to experience Kambo, I offer facilitated sessions in a supportive and intentional setting.
Every experience begins with conversation and screening. Kambo is physically demanding and is not appropriate for everyone, so understanding your health history, medications and individual circumstances is an important part of determining whether a session is appropriate.
The experience itself can be intense, yet relatively short. My role is not to tell you what your experience should mean, but to create a grounded space, carefully observe your physical response and support you through what arises.
For some people, Kambo is a single experience. For others, it becomes an ongoing relationship.
There is no expectation to make it anything more than what it is for you.
For those who feel called to develop a deeper and more independent relationship with Kambo, I offer Level 1 Kambo Self-Application Training.
Learning self-application is about much more than learning where and how to place Kambo. It is about developing the knowledge, discernment and responsibility necessary to work with this medicine with greater awareness.
Self-application can offer a different kind of relationship with the medicine. Rather than always depending upon someone else to facilitate the experience, you begin learning how to listen to your own body, respect your limits and take responsibility for your practice.
Experience a personally facilitated Kambo session with Treenz.
