Kambo treatment
At El Sol Healing Retreat Center we also offer Kambo/Sapo treatments for those that wish to go deeper with their healing process during their stay with us.
Following the advice of our resident curanderos, Kambo/ Sapo treatments are not administered if the person is partaking in a medicinal plant ‘dieta’ as the energies involved can clash somewhat. However, once we have ‘closed’ the said ‘dieta’ our guests are free to receive kambo and we usually start with just 2-3 ‘points’ as a beginner dose, most often first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, after an Ayahausca ceremony.
Kambo or Sapo, as it also known, is the venomous secretion of Phyllomedusa bicolor (the giant leaf or monkey frog), a bright green tree frog native to the Amazon basin. The secretion of the Kambo frog has been used as a medicine amongst the Upper Amazonian peoples for millennia.
We obtain fresh Kambo ‘sticks’ directly from the ‘Matses’ tribe, famous throughout the region as master practitioners of this very powerful medicine.
Sauna/Sweat Lodge
The tradition of using heat and steam for deep, physical cleansing and even as a spiritual practice can be found in scores of cultures on every continent, stretching back for millennia. Though more commonly associated with the Scandinavian or Native North American regions, it’s use can also be found in most other Northern European countries as well as in Turkey, Morocco, Russia, Japan, Australia and Korea to name just a few.
The health benefits of a good sweat are numerous, including better blood circulation and oxygenation, stress relief, release of toxins, improved flexibility through relaxation of the muscles, healthier skin, improved mood and sleep patterns, clearing of sinus congestion as well as producing ‘heat shock proteins’ which can prevent damage caused by free radicals and support antioxidant capacity. The list is literally endless !!
The sweatlodge that we have created at El Sol Healing Retreat Center is based upon a simple but ingenious design that I encountered whilst travelling through Guatemala in 2006. The heat source is an old, converted oil drum, laid down horizontally, the main part of it being inside the sauna space but with one end on the outside of the structure with an opening that allows you to build a fire inside the drum. Depending on the size of the fire, you can adjust the level of heat in the sauna. There is also a wooden walkway connecting the Sweat Lodge with the lake so that you can run down and jump straight into the water to cool off.
As well as the aforementioned benefits of using a Sweat Lodge, we also add some of the local medicinal plants into the mix, enhancing the experience with powerful, energetic healing which allies beautifully with the work that we do with ayahuasca and also the medicinal plant ‘dietas‘ that we often provide for our guests. The plants also help significantly with ‘opening up’ those that have been struggling to connect with ayahuascaca.
The Sauna/Sweat Lodge has ample space for around 8-10 people and we generally use it at least 2 -3 times a week, usually just before the Ayahuasca ceremonies begin and all guests are invited to partake though it is by no means compulsory.
Since its inception, we have found that it has become an invaluable addition to the healing work that we carry out at El Sol Healing Retreat Center.
El Sol Healing Retreat Center Sauna/Sweat Lodge