QORI INTI AMAZONIAN HERBALS BLOG

The legendary Camu Camu fruit grows wild in “Selva Baja”, or the low rainforests of the Amazonian Basin. It is generally harvested during the rainy season, when the fruit-laden bushes growing next to the rivers can be reached by canoe. The most well known fact about this diminutive red fruit is its epic content of vitamin C, one of the highest among all fruits in the world. In 1957, the Ministry of Public Health in Peru performed the first nutritional analysis of Camu Camu and determined the content of vitamin C to be almost 3,000 milligrams of ascorbic acid per 100 grams of pulp, almost 30 times the vitamin C of oranges.

In addition, it contains 10 times more iron, 3 times more niacin, 2 times more riboflavin (B vitamins) and 50% more phosphorus. Camu Camu is also a good source of potassium as well as various minerals, essential amino acids, antioxidants like ellagic acid and quercetin, and bioflavonoids that not only help the absorption of vitamin C but also contribute greatly to overall physical and emotional wellbeing. Thus earning its reputation as a superfruit and phyto-nutritional powerhouse.

Because of its abundance of vitamin C, Camu Camu is an obvious choice for boosting immunity, staving off colds, flus and infections, and can be incorporated into an herbal treatment protocol for autoimmune disorders. Notably, recent studies have found vitamin C to catalyze the body’s ability to produce serotonin, a neurotransmitter responsible for the regulation of sleep, appetite, libido and mood. Clinically, depression is categorized as a serotonin deficiency, accompanied by symptoms such as lack of interest, decreased energy and an unshakable sense of hopelessness. According to recent studies conducted in conjunction with US Census taking, an estimated 1 in 5 American adults suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. Because the vitamins and phytonutrients of Camu Camu are coming directly from a plant source, its bioavailability, or the rate and capacity of a substance to enter systemic circulation is higher than from a commercial tablet of vitamin C that has been produced in a laboratory from a synthetic source. Integrating bio-available sources of vitamin C into the diet, such as Camu Camu, present a practical, natural and affordable recourse to deal with the epidemic of depression. The presence of additional phytonutrients contributes to the body’s optimal physical performance as well as maintaining youthfulness and longevity.

Let’s face it, when we feel better, we look better. Vitality is the key to beauty and a long healthy life. Optimize your nutrition and lifestyle with a boost from Camu Camu herbal elixir. The solar energy of the jungle, brought to you.

Vibrant C, Camu Camu herbal elixir - Illuminate your day.

Copaiba oil is the only essential oil known that is extracted through the tapping of the Copaifera tree species, rather than the usual distillation methods.

Qori Inti Amazonian Herbals supports farmers with fair trade wages who practice sustainable methods of plant cultivation and wild-harvesting. In the case of Copaiba oil, this requires minimal extraction per tree followed by several months where the tree is left to “rest” and regenerate its medicinal oil, which constitutes the basis of the tree’s natural immunity.

Copaiba oil is a must for every herbal medicine kit. Not only can it be used topically to cleanse and disinfect wounds, cuts, burns, bruises, fungus and most skin irritations and inflammations, but it helps to stimulate healing and cell regeneration, for rapid resolution of the condition. Here are some of its properties:

• Anti-inflammatory- reduces inflammation

• Antimicrobial - inhibits the growth of germs, bacteria, and harmful microbes

• Antifungal

• Antiseptic- inhibits the growth and development of microorganisms

• Antiviral

• Vulnerary - promotes healing of wounds

I would like to share my own personal testament to the healing power of Copaiba oil:

Several months ago, I was opening a coconut for my morning super smoothie breakfast. My mind wandered from the task at hand for a split second and SMASH! You guessed it… Machete blade came down hard on my index finger. I am lucky I still have the tip intact. After initially icing it and cleaning the wound, I applied a thick layer of Copaiba oil and bandaged it up. I wasn’t sure if I would need stitches but I figured I would just monitor it and see what happened. I cleaned and reapplied the Copaiba twice daily. After only 7 days the wound had closed and almost completely healed. I have been working with Copaiba for many years now and I am still totally amazed with its curative powers! I have so much gratitude to the trees and plants that share their healing gifts with us.

Give yourself the opportunity to rest deeply, recalibrate and restore the mind & senses to their natural state of equilibrium. Reconnect with Nature and your own inner wisdom while creating the space to envision your higher purpose from a place of clarity, stillness and rejuvenation. What better way to set the stage …for a new year?

The retreat includes 7 days of guided work including entheogenic plant sessions, daily meditations and yoga, shamanic massage, plant & flower baths, day trips to waterfalls, mineral-rich thermal springs, plant walks in the Amazon jungle, 3 pranic-enlivened vegetarian meals prepared fresh daily & accommodation in beautiful jungle retreat center.

This will be our last retreat of 2010.  Please click on the separate AYA Yoga page for dates and specifics.

The life of the land is preserved in righteousness.
Ua mau ke ea o ka `aina i ka pono.
Hawaiian proverb

Mauritia flexuosa

I live at Yacumaman Ethnobotanical center in Tarapoto, Peru.  Yacumaman is situated just on the outskirts of the city, perched atop a hill with stunning 360-degree panoramic views of verdant jungle-covered mountains.  Directly across from here is located one of the last Aguajales in Tarapoto.  An Aguajal is a wild stand of Aguaje palms (Mauritia flexuosa) that creates a very specific eco-system within the embrace of its dense jungle covering.  Each Aguaje palm can reach up to 35 meters in height and yield hundreds of tiny brown scaled fruits whose vivid orange flesh contains rich sources of Vitamins A, C, oleic acid, tocopherols, carotenoids and phytohormones. In many Amazonian cities, where Aguaje fruit is a popular snack sold on street corners, people can consume as much as twenty tons of this fruit per day.   This presents a significant nutritional contribution to the largely devitalized and starch-based local diet, worth consideration.  This quiet oasis is located in the midst of what is rapidly becoming a sprawling Amazonian metropolis, full of noisy, exhaust-producing motocars, and clusters of dusty tin-roofed, cinderblock shantytowns.  The Aguajal is a sanctuary for many species of colorful birds and provides a canopy for endemic low-growing plants to thrive.  It offers beauty, breeze and coolness in a region where the heat of the sun quickly becomes intense and unforgiving.  For me, this Aguajal represents a glimpse of the expansive and vibrant wilderness that attracted me to Amazonia 8 years ago.

Watching the standoff from afar.

Two days ago, in the dark of the night, a group of 70 mestizos, local to the vicinity and armed with machetes, invaded the Aguajal. They began to cut the undergrowth and lay claim to the land that has rested untouched for decades.  Surely this takeover had been planned and organized for some time, unbeknownst to the neighbors and residents of this area.  By Sunday morning, a large crowd had gathered at the Aguajal and the police were called to intervene.  Apparently, most of the trespassers do not own their own homes and the local government does not provide any kind of lower income housing or programs to support them.  The majority of these groups carve out a meager living by taking odd jobs and selling what little they can find, grow or procure.

Makeshift squatter house in the Aguajal.

The concept of land invasion is something all too common in this part of the world and many people acquire property through these means. Disputes over land titles and property boundaries are quite common.  Landowners who don’t live on their property year-round typically install a family to act as guardians in his absence, so that the property remains secure.  The stand-off between the group of trespassers and the police ended peacefully yesterday with the owner of the property deciding to sell off a large fraction of the land in lots that will be paid over time.  It is immensely disheartening to see one of the last wild habitats in this neighborhood be auctioned off piece by piece, without a thought for conservation.

Crowd celebrates decision to develop part of the Aguajal.

Police monitoring the crowd.

As someone living on private property here in Amazonia, I am aware that the concept of ecological preservation is a luxury not afforded by the majority of the population who are driven by the demands of necessity for survival, nor fully comprehended by those that lack the means for education.  I feel impotent against the onslaught of trickle down industrialism in the developing world that has devolved into the form of an alien mono-culture based on the consumption of material goods, usurping the minds of indigenous populations by injecting false desire and resulting in the abandonment of these cultures’ ancient ways.  Nevertheless, a seed of hope dwells in my heart that one day soon will blossom a global reawakening of awareness for the importance of preserving our precious ecosystems, an ignition of yearning to protect and value wisdom of indigenous cultures that descend from these wild places, culminating in the collective recognition that our survival as a species is intricately and inextricably connected to the continuation thereof.  May the realization of this planetary vision come to pass before long and may the Aguajal continue to shade the play of children, weather the brunt of many more storms and welcome the sunrise of countless new days to come.

Stand of Aguaje palms.

Palo Santo (scientific name Bursera graveolens) meaning “holy wood” in Spanish, is a large subtropical tree endemic to the semi-arid Gran Chaco and Ecuadorian/Peruvian coastal regions of South America.  Palo Santo comes from the same family    (Burseraceae)  as frankincense and myrrh, and bears many medicinal similarities to its resinous cousins, which hail from the Middle East, in regards to its properties and usage.

Native peoples across the South American continent, from Argentina to Peru, have been employing the wood of this tree since ancient times.  It has been used in a similar way to how North American Indians utilize white sage ceremonially, or how frankincense was burned on the braziers in Catholic churches:  to aid in spiritual cleansing and to give protection.    In Amazonia, Palo Santo is often incorporated into Saumerio mixtures and burned.  Saumerio is a traditional method of purifying an environment using the perfumed smoke of aromatic plants.  Qori Inti Amazonian Herbals produces its own signature version of a traditional Saumerio blend including Palo Santo, frankincense, myrrh, tobacco, white sage and several other sacred herbs from various parts of the world, known for their energetic cleansing and protecting properties.   This blend can be burned over a coal as part of house clearing and blessing rituals, to cleanse treatment rooms between clients, or before and after a meditation practice.  Many traditional South American shamans burn Palo Santo during ceremonies to clear the area they are working in of bad spirits.

In addition to cleansing on an energetic level, Palo Santo is found to be rich in limonene, a monoterpene known for its antimicrobial powers, making it an effective choice to fight against bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungus, and yeast.  Limonene is currently being studied for its anti-carcinogenic effects, which would make Palo Santo an invaluable tool for anyone suffering from cancer.  Because of its broad-spectrum action against pathogens, Palo Santo is an herbal alternative to antibiotic therapy worth consideration.  Palo Santo is also well known for its anti-inflammatory and wound-healing actions, and can be used topically in treating skin infections, cuts, burns, and acne.  In a pinch, the hydrosol can be sprayed topically, directly on the affected area or can be incorporated into an herbal wash, poultice or compress.   Also possessing expectorant properties, several tablespoons of the hydrosol can be added to a steam to help thin and dispel mucus from the lungs.

In addition, quite notable are the effects Palo Santo has on a mental level.  Its rich woody, resinous aroma is mood uplifting and calming to the mind, making it a valuable accompaniment to any meditation practice.  The hydrosol can be sprayed to the face, body and environment to cleanse and purify the atmosphere and prepare the mind to still itself.  Palo Santo is considered to help deepen meditative states, enhance concentration (which would make it valuable to students) and reduce tension.  It is a nervous system tonic and can be helpful in alleviating panic attacks, anxiety, headaches and migraines.

We’ve improved our formulations and given our packaging a sleek and eco-conscious make-over to better reflect our sustainable principles .  As always, we offer an ever-expanding line of practitioner-created, therapeutic-quality botanical products that have been sustainably harvested or cultivated from herbs, trees, roots and flowers of the Peruvian rainforest.  Our remedies are hand blended at our Amazonian facility in small batches to maintain an artisanal quality and minimally processed to retain the plant’s subtle elements that are vital for a truly holistic approach to healing.

For a limited time save 15% and get free shipping on all orders over $100.

Miguel is a Peruvian illustrator of the highest caliber.  All works are one-of-a-kind, signed by the artist and depict natives of various Amazonian tribes in their natural settings, sometimes accompanied by spirit guides in the forms of animals, plants or trees.  Each illustration is approximately 24 cm x 31 cm.  Price:  $150 and includes shipping and handling.  Contact for more specific details.

At the Jungle Lab, located in the Upper Peruvian Amazon, we are busy with the preparation of the Clavo huasca (Tynnanthus panurensis) vine for our lunar distillation on April 28th. Clavo Huasca is a well known aphrodisiac in Amazonian culture. In addition to encouraging sexual vitality, it is rejuvenative, promotes longevity and aids in proper digestion. It’s scent is warming and stimulating and resembles clove, hence its name. Clavo means “clove” in spanish.

Please click on the separate page of the same name to view the photo gallery and read the unique story behind how we acquired this particular vine.

This is one of the most delightful times of year.  Experiencing the movement of the seasons, the days grow longer and ice and snow begins to liquify as the brave purple crocus and yellow daffodils herald the first signs of Spring.  The Earth’s energy begins to move up and outward, expressing itself in young tender buds on the trees, the return of birds and the birth of animals.  All of Nature comes alive once more.  As an integral part of the greater whole, we are also making the transition from winter to spring.  This can sometimes be challenging and result in spring colds, weight gain and overall lethargy.

By integrating an Ayurvedic perspective, we can easily understand how to prepare ourselves to enjoy the best of this season.  The transition from winter to spring is dominated by Kapha dosha, which is made up of earth and water elements and expressed through moist, cool and heavy qualities.  It is these same qualities that manifest as excess phlegm in the lungs and sinuses, those extra hard-to-lose pounds and a general feeling of physical and mental heaviness.  By removing excess Kapha from our systems, we can balance and pacify these manifestations of doshic aggravation.

An excellent remedy for reducing excess Kapha is our Condor herbal extract.  Made from coca leaves, this master plant offers an array of multi-leveled properties to balance the body, mind and spirit.  Condor has an affinity to Prana vaha srotas, the respiratory channels of our system.  It helps to clear these channels of excess phlegm and dilate the bronchi and bronchioles, decreasing airway resistance and thereby facilitating airflow, which is extremely beneficial to allergy and  asthma sufferers.  Lack of proper flow of prana can lead to fatigue and dullness in the mind and body.  Increasing the intake of prana can contribute to an increase in energy levels.  Condor has been used traditionally in Andean cultures for a multitude of purposes, including to increase energy while peasants worked in high altitudes where there is less oxygen present in the challenging environs of the altiplano.  On a more subtle level. Condor has an affinity to the heart chakra and can help to open blockages in the chest area that can manifest as emotional aloofness or feelings of disconnectedness - both from ourselves and our loved ones.

Other important uses include its digestive and carminative properties.  Condor can assist the stomach and intestines in maintaining proper digestive function, help to prevent gas from forming and aid in dispelling gas from the colon.  This can be helpful in relieving colic, gas and bloating due to abdominal distention.

The ancient Incas used coca to facilitate deeper connections with Nature.  They chewed the leaves and used them in various rituals and offerings to communicate with the Pachamama.  Condor can be used in the same way today, as we take walks in Nature, watching the snow melt and giving thanks for the return of Spring and the abundance that accompanies it.

For more ideas about how to balance the doshas during this seasonal transition, please make an appointment for an Ayurvedic consultation to ascertain your constitution and address specific health concerns through individualized recommendations for diet, lifestyle, herbs and treatments.