In our fast paced, high tech society we're all too inclined to find ourselves trapped in a cultural web of over-connectivity to social, and other, media. Disconnecting from technology to reconnect with yourself through nature is beneficial on every level: physical mental and spiritual. It was on one of these recent excursions I was blessed with the gift of experiencing my first Sapo Ceremony with some of my closest friends, in one of my favorite locations in the world.

The Canadian Rocky Mountains have always called to me. Some of the best experiences of my life have been manifested among the jagged boulders and monumental white peaks of The Great White North. I never would have imagined my first meeting with a jungle frog would happen in my own backyard, but it did and I am glad to have experienced the healing power of this medicine in such a familiar and tranquil location with people I love.

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What Is Sapo?

Sapo, more commonly known as Kambo, is a resin excreted, and collected from the backs of the Phyllomedusa bicolor, or Giant Monkey Tree Frog of the southern Amazon. This medicine has been used traditionally for thousands of years by various Amazonian Tribes, more than one claiming to be the discoverer of this natural cure-all. As the legend goes, a Shaman who's people were plagued with disease and misfortune appealed to the spirits for a solution to the infirmities of his brothers and sisters during an Ayahuasca Ceremony. It was in this DMT induced state of consciousness that The Frog appeared to him in a vision showing the Shaman itself, the medicine, how to collect it and how to apply it to his people.

Sapo has reportedly been shown to contain many beneficial peptides and antimicrobial properties. Boasting the ability to heal infections and kill viruses, treat all sorts of disease and addiction and contribute to an overall better state-of-being. Kambo can reduce apathy and elevate emotional states, heighten senses and increase awareness. It is said to remove energy blocks and increase good luck and decrease bad luck. I don't "believe" in luck.

"Chance is but a name for a Law not yet recognized" - the Three initiates

Would not dealing with all of the other ailments put you in a better position to attract the positive and shun the negative? Especially an increase in awareness and improved senses?

Recently gaining popularity in the west, Kambo has reportedly been used to treat, and in some cases cure, the following;

• Depression and other negative emotional states related to anything from sexual abuse to poisoned world view
• Addiction to hard drugs such as cocaine, heroin and alchohol
• High/low blood pressure
• HIV/AIDS
• Auto immune disorders such as lupus and guillain-barre syndrome
• Cardio vascular issues
• Viruses
  ...The list goes on and on.

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How Is Sapo Collected?

Sapo/Kambo is traditionally collected in a ceremonial fashion by a tribesman qualified to work with the frog. The frogs are caught in the wild using their distinct call to locate them. Upon capturing the frog, strings are tied to each of its four legs and the frog is stimulated to secrete it's Sapo. Sapo is actually the frog's defense mechanism from predators in the jungle. This mucus is collected with a small stick and smeared on a small flat stick to which it is dried for storage. The kambo becomes very hard and clear, similar to dried white glue you used back in school.

There is some debate over whether or not this practice is considered cruelty to animals. In these situations, we must realize that a western approach is not taken when collecting Kambo from these beautiful frogs. These people respect the frog with a reverence that predates modern culture and every effort is made to prevent harm or pain to the frogs. The tribesman also put a dye on the string that will leave a mark on the frogs leg that lasts for weeks. This prevents the same frog from being repeatedly harvested of it's Sapo and ensures they have ample time to recuperate from the ordeal. It is for these reasons it is important to do your research into the source of any Kambo/Sapo you may think of acquiring or using. If you are seeing a practitioner, check with them and verify their source.

Sapo Tutorial

If you've made it this far, chances are you are interested in pursuing further detail of the application of Sapo. Provided below is how I went about my own personal Sapo Ceremony. This is how I chose to administer Sapo to myself based on the research I have done. I did my best to keep to tradition, how others may go about this ceremony is between them and themselves. I am not advocating uneducated use of Sapo nor am I recommending it to you. Nature, and the universe, bring us what we need in our various stages of development. If you decide to work with Sapo/Kambo it is your own choice.

What You Will Need

• Ethically sourced Sapo/Kambo
• Small diameter stick(s) and/or incense stick(s)
• Lighter or matches
• A blade
• Clean water
• Dragons Blood (optional but advised)
• Fresh fruit and vegetable juice (optional but advised)
• Sage (optional)
• Jungle Tobacco (optional)

Step 1 - Preparing Your Body

Preparation for Sapo takes 7 days. One of the dominating characteristics of Sapo is its cleansing and purging effect. This may be expressed by your body through sweating, vomiting or, in extreme cases, evacuating your bowels. For this reason it is highly advisable that you follow the traditionally accepted diet restrictions in the week leading up to your Sapo Ceremony known as "the Shaman's Diet". It is your choice whether or not to follow this unsolicited advice, but know this: The one person out of the 4 of us who did not follow the 12 hour fast prior to the Kambo Ceremony was the only one to vomit - and he had the smallest dose. Everyone reacts differently to the medicine and this could be related to what he needed to purge/heal as well, so don't read too much into it. Vomiting is one of the most common effects of Sapo.

The "Shaman's Diet" consists of the following;

• Fresh & Cooked Vegetables
• Legumes / lentils
• Whole grains such as rice
• Fish / eggs (if you choose)

While avoiding;

• High amounts of salt and spicy
• Deep fried and oily
• Alcohol & other drugs (except in the case of addiction)

Basically a plain vegetarian or vegan diet with no processed foods whatsoever - in other words, what we all should be eating all of the time. For those of us already choosing to consume healthy foods, this may take minor, or no adjusting at all.

For a minimum of 12 hours prior to the Sapo Ceremony it is recommended to only consume water. It is also recommended that you consume 1 - 2 liters of water near your application to assist with the purge. We are now ready to begin the Sapo Ceremony.

^{The view to my right from where I chose to work with Sapo}

Step 2 - Clearing The Air

For some practitioners it is traditional to perform a cleansing ritual as preparation for administering Kambo. Typically sage and/or jungle tobacco is burned and the smoke used to purify the Sapo, the tools, and the practitioner and patient. I chose to follow this cleansing ritual for several reasons, some of which will remain my own. Without getting metaphysical about it, performing this ritual with specific intent in mind prepares you mentally for the energies you are about to work with and helps to put you in the right state of mind to best receive the benefits from your treatment. It is possible to direct your Kambo with focused intent to heal yourself in ways specifically targeted by yourself. This is a good time to focus your intent and prepare your consciousness.

All we are doing here is lighting our sage and/or tobacco and smudging everything with the smoke to cleanse them. Some Shamans will recite incantations while doing this. I chose to use a focused mental intent, but I can definitely see the importance of vocalization and will be incorporating this in the next Ceremony.

^{My view to the left}

Step 3 - Preparing The Sapo

After choosing your desired sitting position and location based on your own research and health condition etc, rest your body in this position and desired location. We are now ready to prepare our medicine. It is traditional to use the saliva of the person receiving the treatment to re-liquefy and activate the Kambo. It is believed that using your saliva, which contains genetic information about you, tailors the medicine to your specific needs and will allow the medicine to benefit you to it's full potential. You may also use clean water if you prefer.

Please note: When I refer to clean water I am not referring to tap water.

• Place a small amount of saliva on your blade, about 1/4 - 1/2 the size of a dime to start with
• Use your blade to apply the saliva to your Sapo stick, smearing, working and scraping the Sapo back into a sludgy mucus and off of the stick into a pile grouped together to stay moist (still on the stick just piled to a small area, don't scrape it onto the blade yet).
• Set aside

Step 4 - The Burn

Kambo is applied through small burns in the flesh referred to as "dots". The number of dots you choose to receive will need to be based off of your own personal research and intuition. Some things to keep in mind are;

• Different practitioners may use different diameter sticks to burn
• Some Sapo/Kambo may be stronger than others
• Practitioners may apply varying amounts of Sapo to each dot (One practitioner's 3 dots could be stronger than an other's 6 dots)

I would go with your gut. For this reason I will not bring up the number of dots I choose to receive.

• Take your fire source and burn the end of your application stick until red hot.
• Just before pressing to your skin, blow the ember to get it glowing good and immediately press to the skin. A quick "one-one-thousand" is sufficient time for contact. Do not push excessively hard or twist the stick to induce more trauma, this is unnecessary.
• After receiving your desired number of dots, rinse immediately with clean water.
• The skin will begin to form a small blister pretty much immediately. Use your finger nail to lightly scrape this first layer of skin off of your burn.
• Rinse with clean water and pat dry

Try to preform this step quickly, but safely, to ensure your prepared Sapo does not dry out.

^{Sorry my only photo of this is out of focus. Notice the white globs of Sapo covering the out-of-focus dots}

Step 5 - Applying The Sapo

You will now take your blade and collect a small sticky ball of Kambo about the size of the dot it will be applied to and apply it directly to the burn.

• Collect the Sapo with the blade
• Use the blade to smear the Sapo onto the burn, then press the Sapo onto the burn to ensure full contact

Your application process is now complete and your effects will begin to be felt almost immediately.

During The Experience

The side effects of the medicine are intense and short-lived, lasting all of about 10 - 20 minutes. Some of the things you can expect are;

• Extreme heat sensations
• A sense of being overwhelmed
• Energetic tingling sensations
• Sweating
• Increased heart rate
• Swelling
• Purging of stomach and/or possibly bowels

...And many more not listed here.

It is advisable to have someone around to assist you should you have effects that seem too intense or if vomiting is excessive. If it becomes unbearable, immediately wash the medicine off to prevent more from entering the bloodstream. At this point you will have to ride it out. Traditionally water is poured over the recipient's head to combat the extreme heat. Anything for comfort is all personal preference.

Step 6 - Cleaning Up

Remeber that you are dealing with fresh wounds and take the time to ensure you clean them well directly after your Sapo Ceremony and daily afterwords. Inflammation (redness and/or swelling) around the burns should consistently decrease. If you see an increase in inflammation scrub your scabs off and clean with food grade hydrogen peroxide or, in a pinch, alcohol. Rinse with clean water twice daily regardless.

• Use water to rinse the Sapo out of the burns and ensure the burns are clean.
• Pat dry with a clean towel or cloth
• Drip a small amount of dragons blood onto each dot. Do not wash off the Dragon's Blood. Allow to dry over your wounds. The antiseptic properties will clean your wound and the sap will dry into a thin protective bandage over your burn, assisting in quick healing with minimal scarring.
• Rinse twice daily with clean water, pat dry

Drink your fresh juice if you have available to replenish your body after the fast and purge. You will most likely not feel like eating after, none of us did. Forcing yourself to begin to consume some sustenance an hour or two after will help to reduce this feeling and improve the queasiness in your guts.

Be Healthy

Many people who interact with natural medicines become jaded when they do not see miraculous instant results. We need to remember that natural medicines are most effective when used with each other in conjunction with an overall healthy lifestyle. Don't expect that you can follow the Shaman's Diet for 1 week, do a session of Kambo and all of your problems will be solved. This is but one step on the staircase to improvement, one tooth on the key to unlocking our physical potential. There is no arrival point and what works for one may not work for another.

That aside, did I see instant miraculous results? Yes I did. I seemed to have improve cardio functions and an improved state. My guts did a bunch of rumbling and seemed to be a little better after the next morning. 3 days later my shoulder injury that has been bothering me for years had next to no noticeable pain. They say that Sapo keeps working within you for even weeks after applying, so we'll see what happens. Will I be preforming another Sapo Ceremony and do I see noticeable benefits of such? Definitely and yes.

Keep in mind, Sapo is not fun and is not psychoactive or in any way pleasurable like some other natural medicines I will be discussing in the following posts in my Natural Medicine Series. It has been proven to be very beneficial and has a positive track record dating back thousands of years. 10 - 20 minutes of intense discomfort is well worth it.

^{All information provided within this post is shared out of love for truth and freedom to promote awareness and active solutions. I hope you have found this informative as finding tutorials on Kambo/Sapo application was challenging based on the limited information currently on the web. If you appreciated this post check out my blog @jayanarchon for many more Freedom, Health and Cannabis related posts!}

Peace Everyone