When one begins their epic journey to becoming a skilled Kambo practitioner it’s important that that person receives Kambo regularly. It makes logical sense that if you're going to be applying the medicine to other people then you need to be fully in tune with it yourself.
There are 3 main reasons for the need of a regular Kambo application routine -
To connect with the spirit of the medicine and to allow it to flow through you. This will be felt as “intuition” when treating others. This is one of the many wonderful things that will happen as you progress on your kambo journey.
To gain extensive experience of the Kambo process so you can properly guide those you are treating and asses them as they go through the process. Knowing how it feels, in detail, to go through a Kambo process yourself, you can be more in tune with your clients as they go through their own process.
To make sure we ourselves are cleansed of any “panema”. Panema is negative energy that we hold in our bodies and in our energy fields. In order to genuinely help others we have to make sure that we are cleansed ourselves. When one applies Kambo to others it’s possible that there can be some energetic transference. Negative energies can be absorbed by the practitioner as they are released by the patient. Regular use of Kambo will help to keep the practitioner in tip-top energetic shape.
So now we’ve established that regular application of Kambo is necessary in order to really connect with the medicine and to be proficient in serving others, how can we go about this?
Unless in very specific situations we won’t always have a skilled practitioner on hand to apply it for us, therefore being able to self apply is a must.
Self application is a skill in itself and is not to be taken lightly. Whilst one is still relatively new to working with Kambo there are certain precautions that must be taken into account. With this in mind I’ve compiled a list of my 5 top tips for safe Kambo self application to make sure things go according to plan and as smooth as possible.
1. Have someone else present
Until you are more experienced and confident in knowing your own reaction to Kambo you should have someone else present to assist in case of emergencies. This person doesn’t need to be a Kambo practitioner, their presence is needed in case you faint or need some assistance in getting to the toilet. If you faint, then all the assistant needs to do is to remove the medicine and make sure you are in a safe and comfortable position in case you purge. As one progresses on their Kambo journey and gains more experience, fainting becomes much less likely. It’s very reassuring to know that someone is there for you if you need them. They don’t need to be active in your process, you can still do the whole thing yourself but you have the reassurance of knowing that if you really need help, someone is there to assist you.
2. Use a 'progressive method' of application
There are different ways to apply Kambo and by far the safest method is applying it gradually. Progressively adding the points cumulatively and slowly will greatly reduce the risk of fainting and allows one to have much more control over their own process. When the medicine is applied in the traditional way, which is all at once, the process is much more intense and one will have less control over the situation. Kambo can be overwhelming at the best of times so as mentioned above, until one is more experienced and confident in knowing their own reaction to Kambo it’s best to take things slowly and avoid any potential pitfalls of applying a lot of medicine all at once. Using finer incense sticks than normal to make the burns so they are very small and applying “micro” points of Kambo (⅓ the size of regular points) is the very safest way to go and would be advisable for at least the first few times you attempt self application.
3. Set up properly and have everything you need at hand
Before applying the Kambo it’s important that you have set up your kit and the tools you will need before you start your ceremony. Kambo is a powerful medicine and being incapacitated and then needing to go to another room to get something is an unnecessary risk. Set up your ceremony space fully beforehand with enough water, a bucket and all of your shamanic tools laid out and easily accessible. Remember that Kambo can bring on intense dizziness and sometimes just making small movements can be challenging.
4. Be close to the toilet
Kambo can be unpredictable and sometimes when we take it we will urgently need to use the toilet. The best place to set up is somewhere very close to the toilet. You don’t want to be traversing flights of stairs in the midst of a Kambo process in order to get to the toilet. If possible set up in the room closest to the toilet or if the space you are working in is not ideal, then set yourself up in the bathroom and apply the medicine there. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
5. Use a timer
Have a timer next to you and start it when you apply the Kambo. The clock on your mobile phone will suffice. I find this to be an invaluable tool for self application. The timer will help you to keep track of where you are in the process and also acts as a measure for when to apply more medicine when you are using a progressive method of application. It’s really good to know how much time has elapsed because once you know your own process like clockwork it can be reassuring to know that you don’t have long left before finishing. I know in my own process that it takes 20-25 mins for me to reach my purge point, therefore if I am really suffering, all I need to do is look over at the clock and see how much time I have left which will be no more than 10-15 mins. Kambo can be disorienting and having no idea of the time elapsed can create some confusion.
Conclusion
So there you have it; my 5 top tips to make your Kambo self application a success. Safety always needs to come first when working with Kambo so one must keep their ego in check and not take any unnecessary risks. If you follow the advice above and start a regular practice of self application you will find that the process begins to run like clockwork and each time you do it it becomes less of a “big deal”.
Aho!
Jon
P.S If Kambo self application interests you & you’d like to find out more, click the link below & stay updated for our next Kambo practitioner training course.