Today we’d like to introduce you to Lumen Riyah.
Hi Lumen, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
It all started around 2014-15 when I had had enough of the limitations of my existence. I had taken ill my Sophomore year of college, and had become emotionally/spiritually dormant for nearly a decade. Swarmed with autoimmune issues, depression, anxiety, insomnia, adrenal blowout, etc., I had become a ghost of my prior self and a pharmaceutical zombie. Every day was a haze of medications and supplements just to function, go to work, pay bills, eat, sleep, repeat. Don’t get me wrong – there were times of joy, and I was blessed with an amazing job that I loved. I had a very loving partner and amazing family and friends, but the medical haze and overwhelming fatigue clouded it all, and prevented me from being fully present and living in any form of vibrancy.
On a late drive home one night, the radio scan randomly landed on an interview with an energy healer. I resonated so deeply with what they were saying, that I dove in headfirst! Using the energy work and meditation techniques I learned, I was able to wean off of my pharmaceutical crutches. Then came plant medicine…it was my first time trying anything like this, and I accidentally megadosed on my first attempt. It was world-shattering. All of my prior constructs regarding perceptions of life and self were completely dissolved. I was left with a heart wide open and able to feel again, and the knowledge that I chose to come into this life with a purpose! As my healing journey continued, I realized that I was no longer in alignment with my profession, and when an appropriate opportunity to exit arose, I took it.
I had been feeling the call to work with Ayahuasca for some time, and as soon as I released my job, I was off to the jungles of Costa Rica to meet my Grandmother. The first night was horrific – my ego tried to control the journey, and the medicine proceeded to show me just how much I created my own suffering from my own attachments and expectations. For a full 24-hour period, my consciousness was a constant swirl of negativity and dissatisfaction. Even while swimming in the ocean and playing with monkeys at one of the most beautiful beaches I had ever experienced, I was still absolutely miserable! Kambo was being offered that day after our first Aya journey, and a wonderful woman named Amy, that I had deeply connected with at the retreat, had to leave early and gifted me her prepaid Kambo treatment. I said yes and thank you. There was no prep – just told not to eat and that I’d likely vomit – no big deal, so I thought… As soon as the medicine was applied, I immediately regretted the decision to participate. It feels like when you are strapped into a roller coaster, slowly ascending the peak and realizing just how steep that drop is and knowing there is no escape. The only option is to endure. Every cell and nerve in my body was pulsing and pounding as the frog worked to clean me, rearranging my patterns and setting fire to my vessel. I vomited so hard I thought I had torn my abdomen. It was a full-blown exorcism of physical, mental, and emotional toxicity that I had been accumulating throughout my entire life. As soon as the process was complete, I lay on the hillside, gasping for air. I opened my eyes, and it was as if a shroud of darkness had been lifted from my entire consciousness! I could taste the clean air. I could feel the love of the Sun on my skin. I could feel enormous gratitude and love for every soul present that day, for the medicine, and for the entire experience. My body felt vibrant and alive as it had not in many years. Most importantly, I was free from the toxic prison I had trapped myself in through my own thoughts, attachments, and expectations! I was absolutely blown away by the power of the Frog, and joyfully and humbly met with the Grandmother once again the following night. With myself out of the way, Aya was able to enter deep into my soul that night and continue the astonishingly profound process of healing my mind, body, and spirit. She provided healing for everything I had requested and so much more! Gracias Medicina!!
I left the retreat to spend a few days integrating into my favorite beach town. Shortly after arriving, I encountered a woman with about 30 Kambo scars on her arm. I excitedly showed her mine, and asked her for her story. She had come down to Costa Rica from the US because she had an antibiotic-resistant bacterial infection. The doctors had tried every pharmaceutical available and she was still dying. In desperation, she came down to the jungle to undergo a series of Kambo treatments, and it saved her life! She continued to stay down there to help facilitate this healing medicine for others. While I had made great strides in recovering my health over the past couple of years, I knew the process was not complete, and felt deeply in my soul that this was a medicine I needed to continue to work with. I brought a stick of medicine back with me to Texas and started experimenting and self-administering, forming an intuitive relationship with Kambo over 2 years as it continued to heal me. DO NOT DO WHAT I DID!! I now know how reckless and dangerous this was and absolutely do not recommend it. Luckily I was protected and endured unharmed, but please do not take the risks that I took with my safety!
During those three years after the retreat, many major life shifts took place. My partner and I amicably ceased relating with each other romantically – we are still close friends, consider each other family, and I always hold so much gratitude for his compassionate heart!. I explored many facets of life, spirituality, and healing. What began as a one-year sabbatical from the corporate business world quickly expanded to eternity. My path led me to meet a man that would forever change my life. I believed he was a healer and a medicine man, and I naively and wholeheartedly devoted myself to him. I learned the very hard way that not every “healer” or “medicine carrier” is what they appear to be. While this was the most trying experience of my life, I am so grateful as it opened me up to simultaneous depths of rapturous joy and immense suffering that I did not know was possible. I stayed with him for nearly a year, and received a first-hand crash course in manipulation, toxic relationship patterns, and loving someone experiencing drug addiction – it completely destroyed my soul. During this time, Kambo asked me to set it down as I completed the period of transformation, and I did for nearly a year.
As I was experiencing this process, my dear soul sister, Rebecca, was pursuing her Kambo practitioner training through IAKP. She asked me to assist her in a Kambo retreat she was hosting in South Austin and I eagerly accepted. The power in that room throughout the entire weekend was incredible, and there I encountered another man that would change my life. There were two veterans at the retreat who were being sponsored and receiving medicine pro bono. I distinctly remember one of them arriving with the most palpable cloud of density over him – whatever he was carrying, it was immensely heavy. As the ceremony began, the purge party commenced! I was standing at the edge of the room, ready to jump in and assist any participants that required additional help. Suddenly, this massive blast of energy collided with my chest, and I stumbled in confusion. Looking up, I saw the veteran deep in his experience and purging his pain directly across from me. I left the room briefly to release this man’s energetic purge, and came back later to find that his bucket was filled with black sludge! Nobody in the room had ever seen a bucket release like that! As we departed the location, I distinctly remember this man turning toward us with the sun glowing in his eyes, and smiling for the first time since our first encounter. He was so full of vitality and vibrancy, and one could readily see that he had been absolutely set free of whatever pain he had been harboring. His heart was filled with gratitude and excitement for life again! I never received his name or had any contact with him beyond that day, but I think of him often, and in that moment of witnessing his transformation, Kambo whispered, “It’s time to reconnect – begin your training.”
After receiving the message, I will readily admit that there was significant resistance within myself. Even though I knew this was my path, I kept asking, “How about something gentler like cacao? Or maybe I could go to Mexico and get a massage license? Why does it have to be the PUKEY one???” The answer was always, “Hush. Heal. Trust.” So I continued to heal from the previously mentioned relationship that had caused so much destruction. While that time was the most traumatizing of my life, I am so deeply grateful for it – this ambassador of Shiva had broken me down so deeply that I had no choice but to rebuild myself. In this process, I was able to choose which pieces to keep and what to transmute or release, and reconstructed the self I should have been from the beginning before life happened! I was willingly in therapy for the first time in my life and this, along with additional medicine work, and the blessed support of family and friends, led to a profound understanding of self and healing of relationships within my family, for which I am eternally grateful! As the call grew louder, I started investigating the two big Kambo training programs here in the US. While they are both excellent and reputable programs, I didn’t feel entirely aligned with either one for this part of the journey. Also, I was secretly hoping the Universe would change its mind and tell me to run off to that Mexican beach for massage school. Lacking clarity on the path moving forward, I decided to consult Ayahuasca…
I arrived at the retreat with a laser focus on receiving the message of which path to take. Nothing else interested me. There was a beautiful woman named Lindsey White at this medicine retreat who also happened to be a Kambo practitioner. She ran an amazing program called Root Recovery that focused on post-Ibogaine integration and providing support to people releasing addiction from their lives. While she was so kind to me, and I was extremely interested in her work (particularly after my experience loving someone struggling with addiction), I admit that I actively avoided her. I was set on receiving my direction only from the medicine and was fearful that she would influence my decision. During the process that weekend, massive shifts took place, and both Ayahuasca and Kambo showed up in dramatically powerful ways! However, the last night of the retreat, I was still unclear on what exactly it was telling me. After the final ceremony, I prayed silently under the moon and asked for direct clarity on the path moving forward. Without any prompt, Lindsey walked right up, stared me in the eyes, and said, “You were made to serve Kambo. I am going to train you, and I’m not going to charge you. Will you say yes?” I was dumbstruck – the medicine had spoken! I agreed on the condition that she allow me to volunteer at her recovery center. All of the resistance I had felt with other training options (as wonderful as they are – no shade at all!!) were not present here – we were in perfect harmony with each other and our values and beliefs around serving medicine. I completed my training and ended up working at Root Recovery for many months, serving the residents as well as the local community.
Over the past two years of holding ceremonies as Pura Vida Kambo and providing various medicines and community offerings around Central Texas, so much has evolved and expanded. Lindsey has since birthed Caligo Integration, which focuses on helping veterans release trauma, integrate their healing Ibogaine experiences, and provide family harmony services. My dear medicine brother, David Naylor, has opened Within Center – Austin’s first therapeutic ketamine clinic – and has provided a residency for me and my medicine offerings. They provide legal, guided psychedelic journeys to heal the heart and soul, and are actively creating a loving vortex of healing and light right here in the center of the city! I feel beyond blessed for the opportunity to assist the participants of their program in their journey, and to receive so much support from Within and their amazing staff in return. Through their partnership, I am able to provide Kambo ceremonies every other weekend to the local community, as well as continue holding private in-home work to beautiful souls all over the Austin and Waco areas. Being able to witness these incredible clearings and transformations brings me rapturous joy, and I can’t imagine a more rewarding life.
My mission here on this planet is to help people release themselves from whatever form of prison they are inhabiting. Whether it is enslavement to physical illness, addiction, trauma, depression, anxiety, etc. – just know that there is a way out! Kambo has completely changed my life, and I could not be more grateful. And no, it is not a silver bullet cure-all, but it is an incredible tool to boost the process! This medicine has been used for thousands of years by the tribes in the Amazon and is known as the “Vaccine of the Forest”. It is used indigenously to boost the immune system, clearing fevers and infections and snake bites, to remove heavy or stuck energy (usually manifesting as depression or anxiety here in our society), and as a hunting medicine to boost the minds and bodies of the tribal warriors. Healing is a journey back to ourselves. It’s the road to our original pure essences before cultural domestication, societal expectations, and programming that has caused us the pain of forgetting what we are. Healing is freedom! Kambo is a mind/body/spirit detox that heals the body and clears the path, and then provides the strength and courage to walk it. The medicine does some of the excavation work for you, but it’s also your job to continue this clearing and use these gifts for the best and highest good – this is a partnership!
I will never try to sell anybody on anything, as not every medicine or modality is appropriate for every person or situation. If what I have to offer is not an optimal fit for someone, I will do my absolute best to offer alternative solutions to assist in their healing journey. There are multiple paths to wholeness! It is a core tenet of my ethics for these medicines to be available to everyone who feels called to work with them. This is why I work so hard to keep my prices accessible (nobody is refused help over a lack of funds), and provide legal healing plant medicines such as Hape (Amazonian clearing snuff) and Sanaga (healing eye drops) to the community at cost and/or a steep discount. Donations received for the medicine pipes that I hand create (available at Within or directly through me) help keep these monetary exchanges as low as possible and keep the medicine flowing in the community. Some of these donations are additionally used to cover costs associated with holding healing gatherings with my beloved partner (the spectacular Lucas Turner) in Waco. We host drum circles, potlucks, water blessings to anchor peace to the city, musical and medicinal healing opportunities, and general fun community networking events for local residents to find their tribes. The community there is rapidly expanding, and so many leaders and healers are rising to the call and bringing their own forms of medicine and healing to the area. I feel so humbled and grateful to provide support in the ways that I can, and to bear witness to the rapidly expanding shifts in the area.
Viva!
So much gratitude: Steve, Melinda, Lauren, Paul, Robin, Stina, Jeanae, Matt, Amy, Luminoso, Rebecca, Carol, Kevin, Lindsey, Jess, Jeremy, David, Lucas, Julie, Cassie, Kara, Cory, Mark, Heather, Rosell, and all who have shared love and walked this path with me, even if just for a short time – It takes a village, and I am eternally grateful for mine!
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Has it been a smooth road? Yes, and no. The path leading to service was certainly a beautiful mess. It was a soul initiation, and that involved a metaphorical trial by fire. Even now, being in service is a constant process of temperance – clearing out doubts, resistance, and ego, honing my skills, and deepening the relationship of trust with this medicine. While there is always ebb and flow, at the end of the day, I am the one who chooses whether or not to suffer in times of uncertainty. I can hold myself in fear and anxiety over my attachments and what may or may not be, or I can hold myself in trust and knowing that the way will be made known. It is a choice we all have the opportunity to make every day.
One of my big physical challenges was procuring a consistent home base to hold ceremonies that was also economically viable so that I could continue providing services at a price point that is in alignment with my values. I originally started working out of a local crystal shop, and then shifted services to Root Recovery. When Lindsey made the decision to sell the Root house and move in a different direction, I was of course, supportive, but also held vibrations of fear as my Kambo space would no longer be available. I knew I had to trust the process, but I would be lying if I were to say this phase of uncertainty had no effect on me. While I and others like me are here to be of service, the reality is that we live in a capitalist society, and we have bills to pay and our bodies have to eat. There were slow periods during this time of transition, and I would start to question whether or not this path would continue to be mine, and whether I should start looking for a regular job to provide consistent income. Each time, the medicine would bring people to me so that we could mutually support each other. I remember one weekend, I left the house for the 2-hour trek to the ceremony space. I had only one client confirmed, and I was barely going to break even for the event. I told Spirit that while this is challenging, I am here to act on faith, to serve and to honor my agreements – if I am meant to be here for this single individual, so be it, regardless of the cost. Within the hour as I was driving to the event, calls poured in and every spot was filled. By the end of the day, the entire next day was booked up as well! One of my biggest lessons is to always trust and walk in integrity, knowing that I will always be supported on the way.
Out of necessity during this time, I started focusing more on in-home private sessions, and I am so grateful that I was forced to explore in this way! I have met so many amazing people and forged deep soul friendships through this process. After doing some in-home ceremonies for my brother, David, he invited me to join the team at Within Center and provide Kambo support to the participants in his program. It has been a beautiful transition, and I am so deeply grateful for this partnership! It is such an honor to witness the transformations of these people as they continue to deepen their understanding of self, release old ways of existing, and step forth in new life! This relationship allows me to provide ongoing care to those in the program, and has provided that home base I have needed to hold open ceremonies to the community. I could not be more grateful for this opportunity! We now hold open groups there every other weekend, and I still am able to continue in-home private work for individuals and groups on the off weekends.
There have been many things to learn along the way operating in these healing spaces. Learning to trust my intuition as well as the medicine regarding the right course of treatment for someone, recognizing when this medicine is not a good fit for an individual, and holding strong personal boundaries has been key. I don’t want to inject energies of fear or negativity, but I also want to express something that has been on my heart to those who are reading and are new to these spaces: Ask a lot of questions of your practitioner (regardless of the healing modality) and listen to your gut instincts. There is beauty in that these offerings are generally unregulated that it lowers the barrier to entry and allows broader access to medicines. However, this lack of barriers also means that there is an increased capacity for irresponsible and/or predatory behavior. Literally, anybody can theoretically buy a stick of Kambo or concentrated Ayahuasca online and share it with people without any training – be careful of these “Craigslist Curanderos”! Kambo and many other medicines are extremely safe when delivered by a trained practitioner, but can be deadly in the wrong hands. Additionally, the fact that someone holds a certificate does not mean that they are energetically qualified to hold space for healing – it just means that you are unlikely to be physically injured while working with them. Austin has an abundance of incredibly powerful heart-centered healers, and it has been an incredible experience connecting with them and witnessing the evolution of this city! However, I have witnessed some folks (here and in other places) who have been “certified” but have not done their internal work, and are operating from a space of ego and financial gain, claiming to be coaches, light healers, medicine carriers, etc. selling snake oil and charging exorbitant prices because people are desperate to find relief for their suffering and don’t know any better. I invite everyone reading this to take the time to get to know your practitioner, ask as many questions as you can, and really listen to your gut before allowing someone to serve you. If they are not receptive to your questions or something feels off, walk away. I say all of this also with solid recognition that we healers and medicine carriers are very much human! We are flawed and we are messy sometimes and it is unreasonable and unfair to hold anybody on a pillar of perfection. So, it is also appropriate to have grace if your healer or coach is just having an “off” day and dealing with the realities of human existence. It is all of our collective responsibility to hold ourselves in agreement to do our best every day, and show up with honesty and integrity – I encourage everybody to choose people who embody these ideals to hold space for your healing process.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
In the Kambo field, I am most known for creating highly individualized treatments for participants, even in group ceremonies. I spend a lot of time prior to the day of the work discussing each individual’s needs and healing goals, and proposing a specialized plan for each one. I also balance that with trusting each participant’s intuition and encouraging them to take ownership of their own process. I offer ideas and suggestions for the treatment plan, but at the end of the day, they make their own decisions for their healing – within the realms of safety, of course.
Additionally, I have been developing my own protocols for gentler Kambo experiences. This medicine is famous for the overwhelming discomfort and the bucket purge. And in many cases, this is the most beneficial course of action (deeply held trauma, resistant health conditions, etc.) However, there are many cases where the full freight train is not necessary, and we can find healing in a gentler experience. There is a cultural narrative that healing has to be this difficult, messy process. Sometimes it is – sometimes it doesn’t have to be! I am working to shift that narrative and create spaces that allow for a smoother release of what no longer serves and a gentle entry to higher vibrational modes of existence. I do not push either route on anybody, but present all options to each participant and help guide them to choose the path that will provide them the greatest good.
I also love creating my hape pipes! Hape (hapeh/rapeh) is an Amazonian plant-based snuff used as a tool for cleansing, grounding, and meditative practices. Shortly after I completed my Kambo training, I had the opportunity to attend a clay workshop. I learned a lot of beginner techniques for creating artful designs, and utilized those skills to begin making my own medicine pipes. I harvest all the bamboo locally, cure it, cut it down and design each piece by hand. It’s a beautifully meditative process, and I have created some gorgeous kuripes and tepis that I am immensely proud of! What started out as a small hobby has become key in allowing me to keep my ceremony prices affordable while maintaining financial security. I provide hape basically at cost (small markup to cover packaging and transportation expenses) to the community, and release pipes by sliding scale donation to those who wish to receive them and support my work. If one is feeling called to check out my creations, they are often posted on my personal social media pages, and on IG @puravidakuripes. The receipt of these donations provides me with some additional financial abundance so that I can provide discounts to those in need, create community offerings, and support myself and my partner in our human experiences.
While the majority of my offerings are based in Austin, I also operate and reside in Waco. I have been absolutely blown away by the expansive growth and awakening that has occurred there! So many leaders and heart-centered healers have popped up here, and I am so blessed to share space and support them. We take turns creating community offerings for people to come together, laugh, dance, and heal – it’s beautiful! While there are too many names here to list, I want to give extra acknowledgment to Cassie and Julie at Awakened Hearts Healing, and to Kara and Chris at Gallery11 Crystals for not only being some of the best friends one could ask for, but for being such beautiful medicine in yourselves, and for continuing to create incredible portals of healing in the city – I love you!
Any big plans?
I am feeling tempted to give a falsely enlightened BS answer about the future not existing, and the present is the only reality…but I would never do that. 😉
I hold myself in a state of openness regarding the future. I have learned that holding loose goals while releasing attachment to specific outcomes, and walking the path each day in truth is the best way of operating, at least for me. Life has turned inside out so many times over the past several years that I have learned to just trust and ride the waves as they flow. I see a few probabilities entering my space this year. I see a continued presence supporting the Austin healing community, as well as expanded services in Waco. I also see the potential for developing a presence in the Chicago area later this year. My partner and I split our time between here and Chicago in the Summer, and we are looking at developing relationships with healing centers in that area to provide medicine services in that region. It would be an honor and an incredible adventure to bring this energy to that area!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.flowcode.com/page/lumenriyah
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pura_vida_kambo/ | https://www.instagram.com/pura_vida_kuripes/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/puravidakambo
