From Ukraine to the Amazon | Olga Yakymenko’s Journey Into the Medicine

Olga, welcome to the show. Thank you, Jason. So you know, in these podcasts... You, you have a very interesting life. You know, and I've kinda gotten to know you a little bit in the last, how many years ago? Five. Five years ago. Um, so the way these things... You've been working with plant and amphibian medicine for a while. So the way these things kinda work out is, in a podcast, is I, I want to know the events in your life that led you to the medicine. And you can start as far back as you want. May- maybe even a little bit about where you came from, 'cause I know that's a big part of your story. Oh, yeah. Um, so I born and raised in Ukraine. And, um, I lived there first 26 years after I'm born, and I

work in, uh, law enforcement. Okay. Yeah, in the court of Ukraine, and- What, what kind of law enforcement? Like a street cop or...? No, no. It's, uh, was a court. Oh, court. Court. Okay. Yeah. I was assistant of the judge. I gotcha. Criminal, civilian, and then economic. Uh-huh. And then arbitrage. Okay. Yeah. Wow. Yeah. Interesting. Yeah. Did you enjoy that work? Uh, mm, kind of. Kind of. Oh. Yeah, but not really. Yeah. But yeah, I'm always was little bit feel that I'm not doing what I supposed to do. Mm-hmm. I a little was, uh, in stress doing that work. Yeah. And yeah. And then I moved to Russia and live in Moscow eight years and- Oh, wow work in a, some law company. Did you, did you go specifically to Moscow for work? It was by accident. I came for weekend, and I met someone who proposed me work. And two days later, I'm already moved to Moscow, and I left all my stuff in

Ukraine and just moved there. Uh- At, at that time, was, was it e- Like, did you need a visa, or could you go back and forth or did you- I can go back and forth. Okay. Yeah. All right. And I got my... It's, it's not green card- Uh-huh but kind of green card- Like, uh, okay so I can live there and work, yeah. Okay. So you were there for eight years. Eight years, yeah. Yeah. And then how... Was it stressful? Oh, it was very stressful. Oh. It was very s- I, I kind of like Moscow and some... But after a while, because it's big city and lots was going on and lots of energy and- I got... I was l- living stress, and that time I start to travel into India, and- Oh, wow this is where I started my spiritual development, and- Why, why did you decide to go to India? Many my friends went there, come back, and say, like, wonderful things about

India, how it's changed their life, how they... And I saw they change, and they became more happy. So I was very curious about this country. And one day I went for a few weeks and throwing away my ticket, call my boss, tell, "You can fire me," and I stayed there for six months. Wow. So s- how, how long the first time? Six months. N- but I mean, when you first... After how many weeks did you call your boss? Three? After two weeks when I was- After two weeks before throwing away my ticket, and I told, like, "Sorry." So what happened in that two weeks? I just Start to see how different could be life and enjoying every moment to be just in the moment, live. Mm-hmm. And I felt so happy, and I felt I have to be there. And also, I had some, um, some condition, health conditions. And, um, instead of to go to hospital and heal it, I decided to go to

India and see what's gonna happen. Okay. And I just start to feel better there. And then I went to hiking, travels, and I just realized that I feel much better and better and better. So when I'm back to Moscow and check myself, I was fully okay. Wow. Yeah. It was like, for me, like wow also. Where all did you go? Did you go to Varanasi? Did you- I went Varanasi- Wow Rishikesh, Kerala, Karnataka, many states. And then I went to Nepal, was, did that big around Annapurna hiking, 200 kilometers with my friend. We was just walking and... Wow. Yeah. I'm very intrigued by Varanasi. Oh, yeah. What... How, how was your experience there? Varanasi, one of my favorite cities in, in India. The most dirty, the most... It's where life and death just l- together. The funeral pyre. Yeah. Py- py- piles? Yeah. Py... Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Like in the one ghat, they burns his dead body. Another ghat, they married, uh, celebrate marriage.

Another, they swimming with the cows. Very dirty, but it's holidays every day there. And it's... I think it's one of the oldest- Yeah living cities in the world. Exactly. Like around 3,000-year-old. Exactly. Did you ever see the Aghora while you were there? The Aghora have, like, the, the dreadlocks and the- Oh, yeah the ash on their face. They everywhere. Really? Yeah. Wow. Yeah. So you spent six, six months- Six months in India. Yeah. And then, so what happened after that? So- I back to Moscow and

I work, keep working, but year later I went again, another six months. Was it hard to keep working in Moscow after being in India? When, when I actually back, my boss told me like, "Wow." He took me back to work and he say like, "Wow, when you next time wanna go to India, let me know. I will buy you ticket." But back in that state of mind and, and- 'Cause he could see you were happier? Yeah, I was see I have much more productive, uh, more energy, more happy, and he was start curious. He also went to India. Wow. All our company went to India, actually. Wow.

Everyone was impressed who I, uh, uh, became when I back from that magic place. So it was just transformational? Yeah, it was transformational. So... And I was... Went another six months back, and I was really love to travel. And one day I went to South America. And, um- Where did you go? I went, uh, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. Okay. Yeah, it was three months travel. Oh, wow. Yeah. And, uh, yeah, it's... Well, as... And there I first time tried ayahuasca. Um, that time I not really, um, understand what's that because nobody prepare me. I didn't know what is that. I just read everyone do it and something magic. So I try it. I did not like it. Well, how come? Um, I did not have intention. I did not have questions. Nobody explained me because I didn't speak Spa- Spanish or English, so I just- So it was just kinda you didn't know what to expect. You were just curious. I just curious. So like,

let me drink. Mm-hmm. And I did not have real experience. But three years later, somebody tell me like, "Olga, you have to te- try it again because it's very, very transformative experience, and if you wanna change your life, it can really help you." And at that time I really, really wanna change my life. I was s- live in such a big stress and I was like, don't know what to do, and all my travels was inspiring me that I would probably wanna live in another country, but I don't know anything beside of to be a lawyer. And, um, I don't speak any language, so I was thinking what I can do. Mm-hmm. So I have, uh, some, uh, questions to what I can do and where to live. So I was share with my friend who live in Moscow, and I told like, "Hey I was heard about this medicine and she like, "Yeah, yeah, I'm actually working with this medicine, and I'm training to

be facilitator, and I'm gonna bring some curandero shipibo to Moscow," which was there very illegal. So she bring it, but she's a time prepare me very well. I was preparing with my diet, with my questions, with intention, and I sit two nights with the medicine, kind of upstate of Moscow, and this is what's changed my life. It's... I download so many informations and- Can, can you tell us about that experience? Was it visionary? Was it-- Were there times you were scared? Like, what, what was that experience? It was everything. It was my ego death experience. It was kind of scary, but because I got very good preparation, I was really surrender and trust the process. I have a gut experience, reborn, and travel into another dimension, universe, and I was experience who I'm really are, and I download lots of information, and one of those was to move, uh, to another country, United States, and, uh, it was message to be in service and healing

people. And that time I did not know what I'm gonna do. But- So it, it felt like Ayahuasca was asking you to work with it? Yeah. She kind of gave me that message, but it was like feelings that I have to do some healing work, but that time I didn't know, under- did not understand what it could be. In that ceremony, th-that one that was so transformative, was it traditional, like shipibo- Yeah or w-was-- Did y'all listen to music on speakers, or was there someone singing? No, no, it was very traditional. It was curandero shipibo. He was singing Icaros. It was exactly how it's supposed to be. No, any speakers, no, this DJ shamans. Mm-hmm. Yeah. It's so, it-

It had to be Y- you know, there's a time where we all come to the medicines- Mm-hmm you know, at some point in our life, and there's just that W- when it, when it hits for us, there's that, "Wow, w- what is this? I had no understanding that this existed. It feels like magic." 'Cause you were, y- you worked in law enforcement in Ukraine for eight year- or for how many years? 10. 10 years. Then you went to Moscow in the big city, and you worked there for eight years, lots of stress. Mm-hmm. So when you had this I, and I know you've been to India a couple of times, and you made your trip to South America, but when you had this one transformative experience, like, what, what did it feel like? Like, what were you How were you trying to conceptualize what this meant to your life? So when I came to that experience, I thought I know a lot. I did in

India Vipassana, and I did a many meditative practice, and read bunch of books. I thought I'm kind of- Spiritual more spiritual. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. That tonight, it's- uh, I was, "Wow." I was jumping on 20 years in my evolution. It was so profound. I was experienced by every cell of my body what I was thinking I know by my, uh, intellect, and it was absolutely the most profound on that moment experience which I ever had in my life. I came out. I was intense. I wanna everyone do it. I like, "Wow, this is, like, unbelievable." I'm absolutely stop it, take, drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, and like- You stopped I stopped right away. I don't want to do it anymore in my life. I felt how much I destroyed myself with all those substances, and I changed my diet. It was very transformative for, for me- Mm-hmm on many levels, and physical, and emotional. I, I just remembering who I am. I have a, like,

kind of this God experience when I remembering. Were you religious at all before you came, like Catholic or Protestant, you know? I never call myself religious. Uh-huh. I, uh, I think- Did you believe in God? I believe in God- Mm-hmm but differently. I'm, I'm very spiritual, but I'm not religious. I think all religious, it's just makes separation people. Mm-hmm. So when you had this ayahuasca experience, did it feel like you were Like experiencing something divine, like communication with- Yeah God or? Yeah. I felt I am everything, and we are all God. Mm-hmm. We just in different forms. And it's so much opened my heart and make my- me connect more with everyone. I just was really overwhelmed about feeling that... To have that feeling that we are all, we are all the same. Yeah. We are one. We are love. We are energy, and it was just absolutely beautiful. Amazing. Yeah. So you got the c- you, you got the, the message or the download

that you're supposed to move to another country. Yes. So then wh- where does life go from there? So I, after that experience, I went and finished some massage courses for a few months, uh, because my friend told me, like, oh, I t- I, I share with her that I had Ayahuasca experience, and she told me I c- I can do some healing. I, but I don't know what. She like, "You have a very strong hands. Try to do massage." I like, "Really? Okay." And I came to course, and I start to do, and I was really in love with this, and two months later I went to India again. Uh, again for six months, and during my travel I was there came my friend with who five years ago I drink in Bolivia Ayahuasca. Not five, sorry, four. And she told me like, "Hey, Olga, why you think you need to go to Moscow? Maybe let's go with me to America." I was like, "Whoa."

I heard already that message from medicine. I like, "Well, listen, I don't speak English. I don't know what I'm gonna do." You know? Had you ever been to America before? No, no. Okay. But I got visa two years before- Mm by accident. My friend told like, "Hey, I'm going to the visa. Let's go with me." Mm-hmm. And I got it. So when we, she propose me, and I like, uh, "I don't know. Let me think about it." But I felt right away that it's something what I have to do. It was very right feeling. I just

Felt that probably maybe let me think. And I thought like, "Okay, I will go to Moscow, think about it, maybe pack my bag." She like, "No, throw away ticket. Let's go now." So and this is how I end up in America. I throw away my ticket. I was As soon as she told me, I like, "Oh, I like this adventure. Let's do it." Wow. And 30 second later, I have another ticket and- Were you scared, nervous, or did you just trust? Of course I was little nervous- Yeah but I wasn't, like, really scared. I was excited. I was nervous but

excited because I f- remember that experience with ayahuasca when it was so right for me, and I like, "Whoa, this is I have to do." So when I would make the decision, I was nervous, yeah, but I think like, "Okay, if I I, I can try." Mm-hmm. If I will not be If it's not be work for me, I will come back. I did not tell my boss that time that I'm leaving, so I just came here and- Where did, where did you land? Well, Las Vegas. Las Vegas of all places. With a little backpack and Indian clothes. Smell like an Indian. With my, like It's not even carry-on backpack. It's, like, very small. Yeah. And cold. And then I leave 10 days in Las Vegas, understood it's, uh, it's too much. Uh, uh, just too busy? Too- Like just- Yeah too, too much, uh, bells and whistles and the- I- the whole Vegas lifestyle. Exactly. Yeah. And I went to Miami to live with

these friends, and then I call my boss and tell like, "I'm not gonna come back home." And three months later, I came to New York to see what is New York looks like, and I like, "Oh, this is my city." You like New York? I like New York. Yeah. I like Brooklyn. I live in Brooklyn, actually. Okay. But- So is that where you've been ever since? Yeah. Okay. Mm-hmm. Now, when you went to Brooklyn, did you know anybody? No. I know only one guy who come one day visit friend in Miami, so he propose me, "You can stay and rent my room." And I came there and- And at this point you don't speak any English? No. Okay. I mean, I speak like, "Give me this." Yeah, just- "I need this." Yeah. Tourist English. Yes. Yeah.

Did, did you, did, did you find like a Russian community? Or how did you start meeting people? I start to work in a spa salon as a massage therapist- and start to learn English, and I was trying to communicate and speak English as much as I can, and ask all my Russian friend to fix me, and ask Americans to fix me. So I was trying to learn it, watching movies, and tried just to talk. Uh, of course I knew some Russian community, but I was trying to communicate and do not try because I know so many... I met so many Russians who's lives there 20 years and they don't speak English. Mm-hmm. I like, "Oh, I don't wanna be one of those." Mm-hmm. "I wanna speak," and yeah. Yeah. Wow. So when, when you got... Y- you've been on this incredible spiritual journey, and then do you feel like even you're kinda being led by I- because ayahuasca gave you the message to find a

new country and start working with her. Are you still thinking about this message, even going to, to Brooklyn? Yes. Well, b- just before I moved to Brooklyn from Miami, I went to that curandero, to Peru, Shipibo, who was coming to Moscow, and sit with him again, with me- medicine, kind of receive- Mm-hmm more messages, boost myself, and prepare for this new life. Mm-hmm. So I'm back, start to work, then I'm back again for another six nights after six months. And, um, I was... went few times to the jungle, and then I married in Brooklyn with- You got married? Yeah, I got married. I got married with some woman, wife. I had wife. Mm-hmm. We were divorced already

And because I start my immigration process, I could not go anymore to the jungle. You had to stay in the US. I... Yeah, I had to stay. And I found some community in United States where I start to sit with the medicine. How did you find them? Some of my friend who was also already on the immigration, she, they told me like, "Hey, I have here some very amazing... You can try." I, like, was for a while- Mm-hmm um, didn't wanna go because I was afraid to find some fake shamans who is a lot- I get it unfortunately. Uh, but she every time told me the beautiful things, and she told me that she study with Shipibo, and she's really beautiful and amazing. So I give a try. Mm-hmm. And it was that. It was good. It was very, very good. Okay. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. So, and so,

and did she kind of already have a ayahuasca community, or she was small? It was small. Uh-huh. It was small community, but it was, like, slowly growing. So when I came there, it was... I'm not sure how many people, but around maybe 200. It's... Now it's huge. Oh, okay. Yeah. Now, is this the same place still? Yeah. They're the same people. Mm-hmm. Okay. So kinda, kinda take us on your... Because ayahuasca is your medicine. Exactly. Uh, yeah. Like, I... You know, I know a lot of people that sit with ayahuasca, even know a lot of people that, you know, talk about how ayahuasca is their medicine, but when I hear you talk about ayahuasca, y- you, y- it's almost like you're talking about a, a romantic partner. I just can tell how much love- Mm you have- Yes for the grandmother. Yes. So kinda, kinda take us through your ayahuasca journey. Like, how does that path unfold for you? Ayahuasca, it was my, the greatest

teacher, and, like, the most lovely teacher who teach me with the passion, sometimes strong, but always with love. And, um, it's helped me to bring to the surface many of my emotions and traumas which I never processed, and get, like, really a powerful release of all of that, and see myself, all my patterns, and, like, slowly change myself from inside, and- Yes, it's always all, all those journeys was with so much love. And i- of course, it's important with who you sit and how integration going on with this medicine, and how they prepare you for this. So, you know, a lot of people that, that don't know, to them, Ayahuasca is just Ayahuasca. Mm. You know what I mean? Like, you take Ayahuasca and you're having an Ayahuasca experience. Why is it so important who you sit with? Um, because it's... If you sit with this, one of those fake shamans who s- give you medicine and turn on speaker, you can be... It's gonna

be very harmful. Uh, it's different tradition with Ayahuasca, and I respect all of them. But I particularly work with the Shipibo tradition. So we drink Ayahuasca. There are two plants, Chacruna, which actual DMT, and Ayahuasca is the wine. And if we just take Chacruna, we're not gonna feel effect because we have some enzymes in our, uh, stomach which will break down that, uh, DMT. But Ayahuasca wine have, uh, MAO inhibitors who- The inhibitor inhibitors, yes. Yeah. And this is why we can feel DMT effect. But I like more how Shipibo

explain experience, that Chacruna open space, and Ayahuasca guiding you there, teach you, show you, and- Mm help you with everything. Mm. But also Ayahuasca open inside of you gates so we can communicate and have a- Um, interaction with the energy of master plants, powerful master plants which have different plant tonality. And Shipibo build those relationship with these plants and bring that energy to the space, and call in these plants to work on particular situations. Like Bobinsana, heart opener, she teach you forgiveness, not judgment. Maruzita, it's a plant doctor who make a surgery, help you with some physical condition. Mucapari, Chirinzananga, who work on your central nervous system and give you protection. Chuachaki, which give you massive protection and cleanse. And Noyarao, which is a queen of our, um, lineage. We call Noyarao lineage of our Shipibo traditions. This is tree of light or tree of life. She's bioluminescent tree, and she's, uh, help you with your... Learn about your shadow, ego, and to really transform.

So when Shipibo singing on ceremonies, they call all the spirit, plants of spirit and singing, and they- and they channeling, so it's, uh, their body just channeling those songs on Icaros, but it's actual plant singing. Mm-hmm. And they help to remove energy, bring, uh, love and to your heart, to your mind, open your mind, clean your soul. W- with those songs, it's really kind of surgery going on on people, and, um, with the speaker it could be different story. And speaker could be singing about something, even if it's a Icaros, but in the room going on absolutely another things. So with the Icaros, the Icaros are essentially the songs that the shamans sing- Yes to help navigate the journey. Exactly. But really, like, help explain how... Like, you know, for example, when you see Shipibo pattern. Right. Right? That these are actually frequencies. Right. That these are the, the songs when you see them on the fabric, and they just bring them to life with

their voice. Mm-hmm. But, uh, really explain why the Icaros are so important over than just playing like a playlist over a speaker. Okay, so with Shipibo tradition, what you was explain what, what we can see those ornaments on the, um, mm, on the- The fabric fabric. Uh-huh. It's called kena. And, um, when Shipibo, when you sit with Shipibo on ceremony, maestro see around you that kena. And all Shipibo believe that we are whole living, we are divine. Mm-hmm. And see, they see those lines around people. And during ceremonies, they see some lines could be broken, and Shipibo understand, oh, this person have some trauma- Mm or this is why that line broken, or, or this person have some problem with digestive systems, this is why that line broken. And they sing in specific words to help you release that energy which inside of you, and people may cry or maybe physical purging, vomiting, or, like, even screaming. But when they release that energy, it's, we

call it getting well. Then they straighten this line and bring good energy and protection, and this is why people coming from ceremony and feel like, "Wow, I feel so much better. Yeah, a little tired, but it was actually amazing. I felt like some energy was coming out from me." So Shipibo usually open ceremony, open space, then bring protection on you, on the space, then they start to clean, do cleansing of emotions, energy, bad energy, some, I don't know, any kind of stuff. And then call all good things and bring love and light and ancestors, and then straighten in life and put protection. So this is kind of short explanation how those icaro, so...

And, um, without iCaros, it's n- can't be ceremonial. It's, it's the surgeon's tool. Exactly. The sim- So, you know, when you talk about they, under Ayahuasca, when they purge, they call it getting well, not getting sick, because they're actually releasing- Yes you know, the things that are making us ill. Mm-hmm. Whether, whether it's spiritually or physically, right? Mm-hmm. And then, um, so s- You know, in a traditional Shipibo ceremony, you know, with however many people you have, the, the shamans drink the ayahuasca, and then everybody else drinks the ayahuasca. So but the shamans, even though they're singing, they're actually repairing the broken lines, as you said. Mm-hmm. Right? Everybody, they can see where that frequency or that line is broken around each person, and they know the specific Icaros to repair those. And then also the, the participant is e- going through their own experience that may be completely different than, uh, than, than what the shaman's experiencing, even within the same person. Mm-hmm. You

know? Yeah. Yeah. So why, why do you think- Some people have hard ayahuasca experiences. Like some, you know, like the people that love ayahuasca, love ayahuasca. They, they feel the love and the light, and they have challenging ceremonies, but it, it, it's just the, it's so overwhelmingly beautiful and full of love. But why do you think some are more challenged with ayahuasca? Yeah. When you sit with the well-trained facilitators, even when you have a really, really challenged experience, in the end, you know, like, yes, it was challenging, but I feel I was needed. Now I feel good. Mm-hmm. Some people could understand what's really happened at week later, or months, or even years. I know some people was drink ayahuasca and they say never again. Mm-hmm. A year later they came like, "You know, I understood what's happening. I know now I'm ready for new, next lesson, for new ceremony," and they come in back. But I know some people who was drink medicine and

they have very, very harmful experience, but it was always with not well-trained facilitators, or with the speakers, or with without speakers, but not well-trained. When w- they wasn't prepared well. They did not got instructions what, what you can happen and how go through because m- our community always prepare very well. This may happen, this, this, this. How to do? You do that, that, that. Or we singing to you and we always g- have integration. But lots of people was harmed because they sit with somebody who wasn't well-trained. And also when you sit with somebody on... with well-trained, it's, that's, let's say, facilitators, and you have very, very, uh, challenging experience, uh, most challenges and more hard experience people have when they really trying to resist or control As soon as they learn, one day it's click, and I was one of those. It was like really, really like, "Oh my God, I don't wanna do it." And, and then I'm like, "What I'm doing? Where

I'm running from myself?" This is like really something difficult, really something heavy moving from inside of me. On ceremony I was sitting and I remember, "Wait, s- those people who was prepare me, they mentioned this could be, and if you will be try and control it will be more and more scary and hard." And like, "What they say? I need to do not resist? Okay, let me try." And I just was sit and like, "Okay, let's see what's gonna happen." Mm-hmm. And I let just happen, and it was transformed right away in the most beautiful, peaceful, absolutely lovely experience. So it's lots of about preparation, navigation, who, uh, facilitate, who helping on ceremony, and post-integration. It's- Is it, is it because just the ayahuasca energy is so Intensely profound that you need someone that knows how to contain it properly, otherwise it's just loose. Like, what... Is that what makes it challenging with the bad facilitator, that they don't know how to- Yeah steer the,

the medicine? Yeah, some- sometimes some big trauma can open up, and those fake shamans don't know what to... how to deal with this. Mm-hmm. And they pretend to smoke some mapacho or use- Blow it away. Blow it away- Yeah or use drum, and drum it away, but it doesn't work. So we fa- well-trained facilitators, they know specific what to think or how to work with that person. We're spending years and years in the jungle to study how to hold space. How old do they start, the Shipibo? Oh, Shipibo start in... Usually our maestro come into ceremony, he always bring one or two kids- Mm-hmm from five years, I guess. Five, six years. Wow. They sit with us. Next time they bring, like, another two kids, so they come in really early and sit. Yeah, I remember being in the jungle, sitting in ayahuasca, and it seemed like there was always some 10 or 11-year-old kid Yeah, yeah in the look that handled it way better

than everybody else. Yeah. 11, 12, 13, sometimes even five. They bring, like, really babies. She sleep on ceremony. She not drink with us, but she's there. Mm-hmm. And she's, uh, learning from parents from very young age. So you, you, you're starting to get involved in ayahuasca community in New York- Mm-hmm community down in the jungle. How often are you starting to sit with ayahuasca? How often? Mm-hmm. I start, like, once in two months, once a month, once in three months, whenever I can. So pretty often. Pretty often, because I felt how much it's helped me to grow, and I saw incredible changes in my life and, and inside of myself. So do you feel like at this point it's really starting to become a part of your path? Yeah. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Now, along with ayahuasca, you've also found yourself into other modalities. Yeah, with amphibian modalities. Ah, the amphibian. So at one time you worked with Bufo. I know you currently work with Kembo. Yeah.

Which, which one of those did you come across first? Kembo. Kembo. Mm-hmm. Some ayahuasca ceremony mentions that it's- Very amazing medicine. As they say, it's kind of good for immunity, and it's frog, and they put medicine, burn your shoulder, put medicine, and you vomiting. I like, "Oh." Purge your demons. Yeah, purge your demons. I like, "Oh, I wanna do it." Yeah. Frog? I never heard about it. Let's try. And so how was that first experience? It was absolutely not what I expect. Mm-hmm. It's, I found the beautiful woman, her name Wendy, uh, near, um

At Central Park in New York, and I came there. Um, she served me Kambo. She was well-trained practitioner. Mm. I was happy to receive my first experience with well-trained practitioner. So I sit the 20 minutes with discomfort. It's, for me, was fine. I was expect- Not too bad. Not too bad. I was... I want more. Yeah. I like, "Hmm. Well, there was this. I can handle more." But Sananga, oof. Sananga. That wa- that was, was my I think never again, but- Sananga can be pretty shocking. Yes. Yeah. First time was, was really shocking. But I came back after five days and asked, "Give me again-" Oh "that medicine." I love Sananga. So did you feel good- Yes after Kambo? I came from ceremony, and I was supposed to take subway, go Broo- back to Brooklyn, but I start to walk, and I could not stop to walk. I wanna run marathon, so I stopped to walk when I cross Brooklyn Bridge. I like- You're just

full of energy. I was just- You just want to run so much energy. Yeah. Like, wow. And, um, I was really impressed how light, more lighter, and I, I just felt kind of I'm release some energy. Mm-hmm. So I came back a year later and did it again, and I again felt that effect. And also because I was working as a massage therapist, I felt probably I'm taking some energy from people. So during Kambo, I'm really felt I, like, really release something- Mm-hmm energetically. Yeah. Okay. Plus, later I went to check my blood, my... did my blood test, and the doctor m- look at my test and like, "Oh, do you know that you have antibodies, that you have hepatitis C, but somehow your body killed it?" Wow. I was like, "What?" I di- I didn't think you could cure hepatitis C. It's very rare. I, I, I didn't know it though. She s- told me it's 15% of people on the Earth who- 15

15, so small. And she like, "How you did it?" I like, "Oh my God." First of all, I didn't know that I have it. Thanks God, because probably I would be freaking out, and I would be- Yeah, taking a bunch of pharmaceutical medication and- Exactly. So but I like, "Oh, I think it's Kambo." I know it's for sure it So then I start to do kambo more. Mm-hmm. I think like if it just those two times did for me that, what could be if I will be do more? Mm-hmm. So and I start to did three times during one month because I heard if you do three times during- The jungle vaccine. Yeah. You, you have more benefits, and I just felt better and better. I already felt much better because- Mm-hmm I changed my diet because of ayahuasca, but kambo helped me to forget about many things. Did you feel kambo was complementary to ayahuasca? Complementary? Yeah, like it Did, did, did it, did

it seem like the two medicines were kind of Synergistic because you're sitting with ayahuasca a lot- Yeah now you're starting to sit with kambo a lot. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I felt this, this too could be really with me till the rest of my life. Yeah. So then how did your relationship with kambo develop? So later in 2018, I... Somebody invite me to a bufo ceremony, and I thought after 150 ayahuasca, nothing can surprise me. But I was way more than surprised. I was blow mind. I was like, "Wow!" What was that experience like? I- Or can you... Do you even have words? Uh, no, it's... Whoever did bufo usually we say it's no words to- There's no words, yeah yeah. But it was... I remember I did first microdosing. They gave me microdosing, but I had full experience, and I was crying and laughing in the same moment. I was like, "Thank you, guys. Thank you, thank you for show me this. Wow!" Mm.

And they're like, "Okay, are you ready for full dose?" I'm like, "Full dose? This was microdosing. Wow!" So but I did full dose, and it was very profound. So when I start to work with this, I was assist to those people who show me that and- You learned how to serve it. They teach me how to serve it, yeah. And I was few years, I see them, and there where I found my teacher who teach me how to serve kambo as well. Mm-hmm. And I was work with her few years. So you're serving bufo and kambo. I was serving bufo and kambo. Yeah. Yeah. So, so what, what are you starting to see? Because now we're coming around full circle. You went from India to having all these experiences, and now you're on the other side of it. Now you're starting to serve these experiences to people. Yeah, I saw many, many magic

and incredible transformation and healing of people. Mm-hmm. It's, it was just so incredible to watch how this medicine can really bring to another side people where they was from, from the dark to the light. But I also saw that it's medicine not for everyone. Mm-hmm. Especially bufo or ayahuasca. You need to be aware that it's medicine not for everyone, but for many. Did you, did you ever have clients that had a hard time integrating? Bufo? Mm-hmm. Yes. Yeah. Yes. And they're also, like, um, about integration, a lots of questions. It's, it's need to be... Yeah, so at some point I was decide to stop to work with bufo, but not because I don't like that medicine. I'm very, very respect, but because I choose my ayahuasca path. That's where you want your focus, your primary focus. This is what I wanna focus, and I feel it's too much, and with my tradition, I, I, I choose that. Because, you know, I see some people, they

try to work with everything. Yeah. They're, they're serving mushrooms, they're trying to serve ayahuasca, they're blasting people off with bufo, they're serving just everything under the sun, you know. But, but what I have found that somebody that gets r- that's just really called to this path- Mm-hmm like, there's just that calling from, from spirit. Mm-hmm. Right? It, you know, it first starts off in curiosity of all the different modalities, but then you get called to your medicine, you know? And I find that it's the best facilitators, at least in my experience I have found, are one that focus on one medicine, their medicine. Mm-hmm. You know? Like for me, that's always been kambo. Mm-hmm. For Kelly, she assists me in kambo, but her medicine is bufo, and I as- you know, I assist her- Mm-hmm in bufo, but my medicine is kambo. And it sounds like your medicine is ayahuasca. And kambo. And kambo. And kambo. And kambo. Yeah. With, with bufo was interesting experience.

One day during ayahuasca came to me message that if you wanna be work with ayahuasca, like seriously, you have to stop- Mm-hmm to smoke bufo. You have to be focused. It's lots of energy. They're, they're too... Both medicines are too big- Too big to, to work- Too big with both of them. Yeah. Kam- kambo is easier because it's more of a physical. Exactly. You know? But for the big- Yeah psychedelic, you know, mind altering medicines, it's too much to work with both. Yeah. A- and also I like what you mentioned, that m- some people work and this, and that, and that, and that. And I know some people going to retreat when they did ayahuasca,

then kambo, then again- It's like a- ayahuasca, then San Pedro psychedelic theme park. Tsunami. Mm-hmm. Psychedelic tsunami. Mm-hmm. And then they come out and they often broken. Mm-hmm. They... Yes, they say, "Oh, it was amazing. I was just... But I'm exhausted." But later you see no integration. Yes, they have a, like, really profound e- uh, intense experience, but I really truly believe that between every medicine supposed to be a break and time for integration- Mm-hmm and feel what medicine work with you. And I know some people was serving microdosing bufo during kambo. Mm-hmm. And they often thought that that light and, uh, beautiful energy they have because of bufo, but one day they try just kambo. Mm-hmm. And they say like, "Oh, I, I actually was always thinking it's bufo, but it's kambo." Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. "I feel amazing." So, you know, it's very good to have between medicine break. And I also believe that real facilitator supposed to work with some, like one medicine- Mm-hmm

which is good, could be good. Or, and ayahuasca and San Pedro, same facilitator. Mm-hmm. I will be very questionable about it. Mm-hmm. You know- These places that offer like a psychedelic tsunami of all these different modalities over, you know, three, four, or five days. I've always said it's like going to a conference that, that you get to listen to all these incredible master teachers, except the only thing is they're all screaming over each other. Mm-hmm. You know what I mean? So you don't know what lesson is coming from where. Just like you were saying, people that microdose bufo on kambo feel so great afterwards, but they don't know which medicine it's coming from. Mm-hmm. So if you don't know what medicine it's coming from, then you don't know where to, how to keep working with whichever medicine- Exactly that might be calling to you. Mm-hmm. Um. Yeah. Now, you also do leech therapy. I do. Tell me about this. Uh- This has always been fascinating-

I- 'cause I d- most people don't know really much about it. When I was living and working over in Azerbaijan, I remember our driver came in the, the shop one morning, and he had, just had, like, these bandages wrapped around his neck. And I was like, "Oh, my, my God, man. What happened? Are you okay?" And then he pulled back the bandage, and sh- l- and all these leeches were on his neck. And I was like, "Ugh." I had no idea that that was even a thing. Oh. So what is leech therapy? Oh, this is the best little creatures

Who can help to actually heal almost everything. Mm-hmm. Um, I remember when I was little one and my grandmother have, uh, some issues with ankles, uh, pain, uh- Swelling swelling, whatever. She went to the pharmacy, buying these medical leeches, put on her ankle, sitting. Then- Medical leeches? It's medical leeches. She, she could get that at the pharmacy? Yeah, yeah. We was like, you come into pharmacy, and like big, uh, can, like three, five liters, and there are leeches- Wow swimming. Yeah. Very, very hungry. Wow. Very hungry. Yeah. Usually they selling leeches when they hungry already six months, so they- Wow can't wait to jump on you. Yeah. So, and she was put these leeches on her ankles, on the problem zones, and sitting watching TV. And when they stop to work, leeches, like, m- sucking some amount of blood and get fell out from... She's sitting and h- keep her legs in the big jar, and just bleed out inflammation. Like, it's actually... It's a

red color, but it just mixed with the red blood cells, but it's actual lymph with toxins and waste. So it's pulling the lymph- Yes along with blood. Yes. But mostly it's m- lymph because they bite you just- 'Cause it's just right under the surface of the skin. Exactly. Yeah. It's red color just because m- m- mixed. Mm-hmm. But in the end, you can see sometimes that it's a l- um, clear, clear, uh, liquid come out. That's interesting. That would make sense why her ankles were all swollen, because of the lymph that's stagnant- Mm-hmm in the body. So the leeches drained. Drained, yes. And did... And, and that, it fixed the problem? Is this a... This is one what help because you bleed out that lymph with dra- drainage of lymph. But also, their saliva is very unique. It's ca- contain more than 120 different enzymes, which is very good for our blood, and one of the most important, hirudin. Uh, this is why official name

hirudotherapy. Hirudin is a natural anticoagulant. It's, uh, make our blood thinner. Actually, blood thinner, but- Much more stronger, like almost an hundred times stronger than aspirin. And if aspirin you take every day and affect your liver and kidney, hirudin doesn't affect anything, and it keeps circulating your system few months- Oh and keep making your blood thinner. So actually has the same positive effect as aspirin, but doesn't damage the stomach lining or the liver or- Exactly any of the bad effects that come with that. Exactly. So you, we put leeches on different, uh, points, uh, belly button or, like, your coccyx or your neck, uh, angle of neck, where is your lymph nodes. Yeah. And they giving you saliva, make your blood thinner. Other elements also in enzymes works differently. One of those make disappearing old clots. It's the stabilizer. Another element, uh, recovering broken vessels. Another element, uh, lowering cholesterol. And all of those enzymes differently work, so we want their saliva to make our

blood better. And we're receiving that saliva, and then we bleed out all these toxins. So it's, uh, super good for many, many reasons, and can help heal and prevent any cardiovascular disease, heart attacks, strokes, any, any issues with the heart or vessels, anything. Mm-hmm. Only when it's contraindicated when you have hemophilia. Okay, because your blood's already- Exactly. Yeah. And blood or lymph cancer And you have to be caution about when there's a dia- diabetes because slow recovery. And you still can do it, but slow. Anemia also very slow. Mm-hmm. So if it is very bad anemia, probably do not do, but, or just little bit. Mm-hmm. Um, but it can help in, as I say, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, arthrosis. Some of the element work as a painkiller, so they numb you and you don't feel that, mm, pain. Um, eczemas, psoriasis, any issue like kidney stone, gallbladder stone, uh, vision, losing hearing- Wow hypertensive crisis, high blood pressure, low blood pressure. Many, many, many things.

So is this common, is this a common practice over in Eastern Europe? Because here, you know, you can't go to the pharmacy and get leeches here. I know, but you still can buy if you look like- If you know where to look buy medical leeches- Wow in Google, you will find, and you can- Really? Yeah. Wow. We have a farms in, uh, United States. S- so how, how long do people usually have to keep the leeches on? Like, what, how long is the treatment? If you will come to some medical organization, they do still in clinic, like for example, fract- uh, not fractures and, it's good for fracture, but mostly in clinics they work after surgery because all the swellings- Mm-hmm help you fast recovery. I know in clinics they keep on you leeching maybe 25, 30 minutes, so they wait when they are start to eaten. I usually keeps them till they fully eat, because I'm not gonna use them twice. Mm-hmm. I'm gonna

feed them And, um, so it could be like from 30 minutes to one hour it's on you, and then you bleed from one hour till 24 all toxins out. And you- Like, you, you remove it, and then it continues to bleed? Yes. I let her smell some alcohol. Uh-huh. And she remove right away. She let go. Yeah. And then you put some surgical pads. Uh-huh. Tape yourself. And when it's full, you just change. Okay. And I know so many people who especially bleed a lot and release a lot, they call me next day and they're like, "Olga, I was just, like, running, like, five kilometers and I, I feel I can run another five. I feel so much better." Wow. "I just, like, have so much energy," because they release all of that. You know? It's, it's... We have a... Lots of people have, uh, slow circulations or whatever, like toxins, and you just bleed it out. Do, uh, do people when it's their first

ti- When it's their first time, do they feel weird when you put it on? Like, do people freak out a little bit or...? Some people, some people, they say, "I don't wanna watch it." "I don't wanna watch it." And then 10 minutes later I see they already do a selfie with this, like, "Oh, it's not so scary. Look at... Can I pet you?" And does it, does it hurt? Like, is it a sting at all or...? So when she start to bite, it's like you feel, like, little pinching. Uh-huh. Like, it's not painful. Like a little suction. It just sucks and, like- Yeah little weird. But then she, as soon she puts saliva to your s- system, she right away, um, make anesthesia so you not feel. And she not crawling anywhere. She just staying in the same spot and just slowly start to grow after a while. Uh-huh. Yeah. And so it's not, it's not something like a... No, s- And maybe few people

I had who did not, still did not see them. They was put between place where we place it, and between their head a big pillow that you don't see anything. Mm-hmm. But mostly people love them. First time and they love them, especially when they start to see and feel effect. Wow. Yeah. So you, you're just full time working in the healing space. Yeah. You're working with ayahuasca. Mm-hmm. Kambo, bufo for a little bit, but now just ayahuasca. Mm-hmm. Leach therapy. And massage therapy. And massage therapy. Now you're becoming a kambo instructor. Uh, yes. What made you want to teach people how to serve kambo? Mm. First of all, I had many requested from others, people who ask me, like, "Can you teach me?" And like, "Yeah, maybe one day," because I wanna teach proper. I can teach, but I wanna- Teachers where you teach me that I can give a license and people have, uh, also success to our community to be able to communicate

and have advices. But also just desire. I just feel I'm ready. I just, like, start to think about it. I'm really want and s- like, last year I was in the jungle, and it's, um, no our plans, which I mentioned m- in my Shipibo tradition, uh, m- major, m- tree teacher. She just told me it's time, it's time to teach, and I feel... I just feel desire. Mm-hmm. I just feel I, I, I can, and I have enough of knowledge and enough of experience. I was serve many, many kambo ceremonies. I have very good connection with this medicine, and I feel that I wanna give my knowledge and teach some people to do properly. Plus, I know so many people who trying to do something, and they do not how it's supposed to be. Mm-hmm. And I don't know if they harm people. Yeah. Plus, I'm Ukrainian, and so many now Ukrainian people living in Europe. They run away from the war. Mm-hmm. They have

a lot of traumas, lots of going on, and physical and emotional, and- They need help they need help. Last year I was, uh... came there and served medicine, and so many people came from everywhere from Europe to meet me in Poland and do this medicine with me, sit with medicine. And I know they wanna do more, and I saw some interest of people, like, "How you do this?" Like, so I would love to go also and teach some of those who will come back to Ukraine one day and

give this medicine to everyone who need and do it properly. Spreading all over the world. Yeah. And it really is how you become a master of your craft, is when you start teaching others. Mm-hmm. Like, I didn't... You know, I, I knew a lot about kambo just because I'd served so much, but then even from teaching, I learned so much more. Mm. You know what I mean? Mm-hmm. Even the... E- even with new students and, like, it's just... It, it's, it's been incredible. Mm. Yeah, I'm excited for you. Excited. So where are you gonna be teaching? I'm gonna teach in New York. Okay. It's my base in Brooklyn. Uh, I'm also planning to teach in California once in a while, in Florida. I have some requested from Uh, there as well, and in Europe. And let's see where, wherever- Mm-hmm I'm go. Wherever I go. Yeah. Let's see. I'm, I'm open. I'm traveler. I'm Excellent. Have my bag with the tricks and Your bag of

tricks. True bag of tricks. Yeah, maybe Puerto Rico also. So we're, we're getting ready to wrap it up soon. But, you know, p- there's a lot of people that listen to this podcast that has never had any experience with any medicines, and they're curious. They're curious if something might help, you know. And usually people kind of stumble into plant and amphibian medicines when other things weren't really working. So what would you tell people that are maybe feeling depressed, broken, hopeless, you know? Like, what, what would you tell them about

these plant and amphibian medicines, uh, as you understand them? Like, what, what would be your message to them? I'm always tell to all my clients who come in to me to do kambo, I They have a big expectation sometimes, but I'm always say, "Don't give, have big expectation, but really trust to intelligent of medicine," because this medi-medicine going, like, hundreds and thousands of years, and h- help heal people different, and disease, physical and emotional. So whatever is imbalance in your system, kambo bring back to the balance. And I see every time so much m- intelligence and magic in this medicine, which help people back to their Sometimes slowly, sometimes fast. Mm-hmm. We never know. Somebody do one time medicine and say like, "Wow, I feel amazing. I'm good." Mm-hmm. And coming back maybe after three years or after five. And somebody do once and they're like, "Wow, I feel already some changes. I wanna keep going." But they always keep surprising me, and I'm learning

with them as well every time that like, wow, this person came with a back pain. Mm-hmm. But he wanna just heal their some emotions, because he have a difficult breakup, and he call me next day that, "You know, I feel much lighter, and also my back pain disappear." Mm-hmm. "I even didn't think about it, but I feel like, wow, let's do it again because maybe it'll help me." So- Mm-hmm I'm r- really believe that all those peptides which kambo contain, they know what to do with us. Mm-hmm. And we just need to just let medicine work on us. Mm-hmm. And just Yeah, and with ayahuasca as well. So, uh, with ayahuasca, so if somebody, you know, was interested in ayahuasca and they're, they're starting to try to find, you know, a shaman to work with, what advice would you give so that they don't end up with like, as you say, a fake shaman- Yeah that, that could do more harm than good? First what

usually I'm tell people to check, w- which tradition you sit. If they singing songs or it's speaker, is it gonna be only ayahuasca or anything else, or any other medicine? If the people say, "Okay, this is gonna be shaman singing songs," or, uh, only ayahuasca, it's already good. Then And if you know which tradition, like, it's, uh, already you just can ask with who he was trained, um, like, kind of these questions. Okay. Yeah. Excellent. So Olga, thank you so much for being here today. It was wonderful to talk to you again. If people want to know more about what you do, you know, how can, how can they find you? You can find me, I have a website, kambo-ny.com. Kambo Kambo-ny.com

.com. Yeah. Okay. We'll put it in the show notes. All right, Olga. Thank you for being here and- Thank you very much for invite me. It's, was lovely. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. All right. Till next time. Mm-hmm.