Transformative New Moon Kambo Ceremonies
Guided Healing in York with a Certified IAKP Practitioner
The Kambo Triangle
There are three important parts to a kambo treatment: the person sitting with the medicine, the practitioner and the kambo. The sitter comes with their intention and condition, the practitioner with their care and attention, and the kambo with its power and ability to heal. Together and synergistically, the healing can be amplified.
What is Kambo?
I assume this is not the first time you're reading about kambo, and that you're at the stage of figuring out if kambo could be for you. I do not aim or intend to convert anyone to wanting to do Kambo as it can be an intense experience, and a decision everyone should be empowered to make for themselves. Instead I want to reach those that have felt the pull in their lives, and support them through their journey with kambo.
That pull could be due to mental or physical health reasons, stagnation, grief or a desire to let go. Kambo has even been used as a performance enhancer, though I certainly do not feel like running a marathon after every ceremony.
Tribal Uses of Kambo
Getting rid of panama (heavy energy)
What we in the West consider depression or anxiety
Hunting
As well as heightening the senses, kambo is supposed to remove the body odor of the hunter, so they become invisible to animals
Physical health conditions
For treatment of autoimmune conditions and infections like malaria, or for 'vaccination' against them
The kambo frog is very passive and shows no fear of humans, with frogs climbing into the hands of those who are gathering the secretion.
Kambo Frog 🐸
What we think of as kambo is a secretion from the kambo frog, or the phyllomedusa (forest guardian) bicolor. It lives in abundance in the Amazon rain forest. The kambo we work with at the IAKP is gathered through co-operation with the Matses tribe and the kambo frog.
The kambo frog is very passive and shows no fear of humans, with frogs climbing into the hands of those who are gathering the secretion. Afterwards, a small rope is attached to each leg, while the gatherer gently collects the secretion from the frog's back, afterwards, the frog returns back to the trees unharmed.
Kambo frogs that have been taken out of the Amazon rainforest do not make the secretions, so it is thought there is something in their Amazonian diet that enables the secretion.
Frog Science
Kambo has been studied to understand why it can be so effective: so far 12 peptides have been identified. Including powerful painkillers, inflammatories, blood pressure reducers, and purgatives.
The effects of kambo are non-hallucinogenic.
It is legal throughout the UK, Europe, Asia and the Americas.
The IAKP – International Association of Kambo Practitioners – advocates for safe, responsible, ethical, and sustainable use of Kambo. As one of their members, I operate under their guidelines and codes of practice.
Kambo can be taken at any point during the moon cycle, but the new moon is powerful moment for new beginnings. It puts the focus not on what has been before, but what comes after.
Why the New Moon?
Kambo can be taken at any point during the moon cycle, but the new moon is powerful moment for new beginnings. It also puts the focus not on what has been before, but what comes after. Traditionally, the tribes would harness this powerful moment in the lunar cycle to enhance the power of kambo.
During my kambo practitioner training, I realised that I was mentally and physically well, and I usually only did kambo when I had a flare up of my condition. This led me to realise the importance of having an intention on what comes after, for the transition period between surviving and thriving.
Client Experiences
"I felt very held during my kambo ceremony. Nick has a calming energy that allowed me to go deep with my treatment. The space felt safe and sacred throughout the entire process."
Clair
York, North Yorkshire
"Nick worked with me to build a personalised kambo treatment plan and supported me closely throughout. His guidance helped me trust the process and find relief through the medicine."
Alex
Leeds, West Yorkshire
About Me
Nick Howden
I was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition in 2019 called Behcet's Disease. A complex syndrome that involves several organs and senses, and impacts both the physical and mental health of those affected. I was put on immunosuppressants and anti-inflammatories - indeed I had to shield during the Covid-19 pandemic as my immune system was compromised by taking these medications. The condition, the medications and the grief that struck during the early years of the pandemic, led me to the start of my journey with healing, and kambo.
I undertook a common ritual: three kambo ceremonies in one moon cycle. After a symptoms flush, my health drastically improved. I am not cured, but with the help of kambo and Traditional Chinese Medicine herbs as preventative or first response treatments, the condition is managed without immunosuppresents or pharmalogical anti-inflammatories.
Outside of kambo, I have been a participant in Group Therapy for six years and have run mental health and creativity workshops and retreats. I studied Acting, Performance and Storytelling for my BA and my Masters is in Creative Arts & Mental Health.
Though my experience with kambo being an effective treatment is not rare, it is important to remember that my experience is unique to me, just as yours is unique to you. Kambo is not a miracle drug and should not be promised as such. It is however a powerful medicine that can provide powerful healing, but it may not work for everyone, or in every situation. What I aim to do as your practitioner is to provide the best space for potential healing.
The Ceremony
Ceremony can be a daunting word, but in this context it means mindful process with multiple steps. It can be a one to one ceremony, or a group ceremony. The steps are these: A welcome will be said at the beginning, and the space and participants will be cleansed with sage. You'll need to fast for 8 hours before the ceremony and avoid drinking water for 2 hours prior. Though kambo is a safe medicine, we ensure its safety by using drinking guidelines.
Small burns are made using an unscented incense stick to create "gates" where the medicine will be applied. In the tribal tradition, for a man these are on the shoulder and for a woman this is on the lower leg, near the ankle. Clients' preference and expression will always be taken into consideration when selecting gates. I've found working with meridian lines particularly effective, and we can also work with chakras or other points that resonate with you.
You'll drink about a litre and a half of water before receiving the medicine (for some, this is the hardest part). For first-timers or those returning after a break, a test point will be used. Then we apply the full medicine and begin the journey.
Everyone experiences kambo differently. You might feel heat spread through your body and your heart beat stronger. After which, you may purge. The purge can be emotional - tears, sighing, shouting - or physical, into the buckets we provide.
After twenty to forty minutes, I'll remove the medicine and you'll rest deeply while gentle music plays. When you're ready, I'll offer you a light vegetable soup and cup of tea. Then like the frog itself, you'll then return to the world.
Together and synergistically, the healing can be amplified. I do not charge for the kambo but rather for my holding space and facilitating space for healing.
Pricing
The group treatments are offered on a sliding scale from £77 to £144, based on what you feel you can afford. These numbers are chosen for their spiritual significance:
- £77 represents spiritual awakening and divine guidance
- £144 symbolizes completion and perfection
- £108 is a suggested middle option, a number sacred in many traditions
Please choose the amount that feels right for you, considering your financial situation and the value you place on the treatment.