Rapeh

What is Rapéh?

Rapéh is a very sacred herbal snuff, originating from indigenous tribes of the Amazon. Rapéh, also called Hapéh, is pronounced ‘haa-pay’ in English and is applied using an applicator up the nostrils in prayer and meditation. It is used for deep connection to the plant and animal kingdoms and all of Mother Nature. This healing snuff has the ability to cleanse the mind, purify the thoughts, bring clarity, spiritual alignment, and clear negativity and heaviness from the body, mind, & soul. The indigenous tribes have been working with this medicine for thousands of years to heal their communities and to connect with the Creator. This plant medicine takes days to make and is a very labor-intensive process made in a ceremonial way from various Amazonian healing medicinal plants, leaves, trees, and seeds from native lands. The main ingredients are the finest jungle tobacco and mint leaves. It’s neither smoked nor inhaled, but ”blown” into the nostrils using a pipe called TéPI, which needs two people - one to administer and the other to accept the medicine. It can also be used alone using a self-applicator pipe called KURIPé. Rapéh brings one immediate presence, quieting the mind and grounding one’s energy. It is an intensely powerful shamanic tool which can bring one a lot of good with proper INTENTIONS and USAGE. When Rapéh enters your nose, it immediately permeates through your mucous membranes into your bloodstream. The constituents attach to nicotine receptors, resulting in increased production of dopamine, acetylcholine, and epinephrine. These chemical processes cause the person to feel relaxed and calm, yet aware and alert. It happens quickly and often feels like a jolt, yet it typically doesn’t cause anxiety or fear. You should close your eyes, breathe slowly through the mouth, and focus on your intention when the effects quickly start to set in. Most people experience watery eyes due to the sensitivity of the nose, and also due to the fact that Rapéh is purgative for many. That said, sometimes people experience crying, extra salivation, sneezing, vomiting, or the need to have a bowel movement. This is normal and part of the process, as one of the purposes of Rapéh is to cleanse and purify the mind and body. Rapéh is traditionally used in many different situations, often ceremonially either on its own or paired with other plant medicines. I personally use Rapéh each morning in a ceremonial setting paired with SANANGA EYEDROPS. These sacred plant medicines give a profound grounding experience to keep you centered throughout the day. It also has a powerful calming effect that can help reduce any emotional tension such as nervousness, anxiety, anger, depression, and even intense uncontrollable excitement (mania). Traditionally, it is used by indigenous cultures together with SANANGA EYEDROPS as a hunting medicine to heighten their senses and bring an abundance of energy ⚡️✨ IMPORTANT: Hapé is made with plants NOT grown for commercialization or genetically hybridized, thus it has none of the negative properties that commercial products have. Instead, it is grown and made in deep reverence for Mother Earth. It is a very powerful plant, that has the power to heal.

Benefits of Rapéh

The benefits of Rapéh are many and work deeply on the physical, psychological, and energetic levels. These are the general effects of this sacred medicine: 🪷 🧠 Quiets the mind instantly and clears all thoughts, 🪷 🧘‍♂️ Helps to focus and brings you to the present moment, 🪷 ✨ Helps with clarity, particularly in decision-making, 🪷 ⚡️ Grounds your energy and helps release any dis-ease on the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual levels, 🪷 👁 De-calcifies the pineal gland which helps with the expansion of consciousness, 🪷 🌧 Sharpens the mind through clearing of the PANEMA or dark clouds that often bring mental confusion or disorientation 🪷 ⚡️Re-aligns energy points (chakras), and opens the heart to allow physical, emotional, and mental relaxation 🪷 👁 Opens your THIRD EYE 👁 and CROWN 👑 chakras and allows you to connect with your divine breath and higher self 🪷 ⚡️Cleanses energetic field removing negativities such as depressive thoughts, anxiety, and intense anger, bringing one’s self into balance 🪷 💧Rapéh can also be purgative through crying, vomiting, and bowel movements, removing negative energies residing in the physical body Other benefits are: • Opens up the 3rd eye and decalcifies the pineal gland which naturally hardens and calcifies with age • Purifies and cleanses the sinuses and respiratory tract, helping to heal sinus issues and reduce mucus • Supports the digestive system by stimulating the bowels • Offers energetic protection that comes from connecting with the plants as allies for strength, clarity, and focus • Connects you to the Earth, helping you to ground and center yourself for meditation and prayer • Clears negativity and stills the mind Using Hapé powder can have a number of benefits, for instance, it can: 🌱Help with mental illness and even aid in addiction treatment 🌱Provide a sense of calm that when used on a regular basis can lead to an overall change in mood. It, therefore, helps relieve depression 🌱Restore the sinuses and respiratory system by removing blockages from the breathing pathway 🌱Clears your chakras (energy points) by detoxing you both physically and spiritually 🌱Prepares you for intense experiences like ayahuasca ceremonies by removing bad vibes to help you find your true intention 🌱Gives an overall sense of clarity to think and focus better Sacred Shaman History To gain the full effects of rapéh tobacco, you have to understand and appreciate its deep-rooted history as a social medicine. Indigenous tribes of the Amazon including Peru and Brazil use herbs like tobacco and other native plants for more than pleasure. Each herb has a purpose and is used to elevate the spirit while cleansing the body. If someone in the tribe is ill, it is the community's responsibility to ensure their health is restored. Unlike, western society, individualism and personal property hold little value in a tribe. So, sharing sacred herbs and space is essential. 🙏🌱🪷

What is a Kuripé?

A Kuripé (KUR-EE-PEE) is a small, portable, v-shaped blowpipe traditionally used by the indigenous peoples of South America for the self-application of sacred Rapéh snuff within a ceremonial setting. It is traditionally made of bamboo, bone, or stone, as well as other sacred hardwoods. A typical Kuripé pipe consists of two hollow tubes joined together at an angle of between 30-50°. There is a shorter side that is taken into the lips to be blown and a longer side that is inserted into a nostril. The two pieces are joined together by beeswax, clay, or another type of adhesive and often adorned with beads, feathers, crystals, and sacred inscriptions

What is a Tépi?

The Tépi (TEH-PEE) is a shared applicator designed to administer hapé from one person to another in a ceremonial setting. The materials are similar to that of a kuripé, one side of the piece goes into the mouth of the person administering, while the other, smaller hole goes into the nostril of the person receiving it. Tépis vary in length, ranging anywhere from a few inches to up to two feet long. Traditionally, the way Rapéh was applied was through a tépi, as it is a very shamanic exchange of energy passed from the Healer or Shaman to the patient. The kuripé came later, for convenience, to be able to serve oneself sacred Rapéh medicine in the case that there is not an initiated person available to serve the medicine.

How to work with Rapéh

1. Create a ceremonial space

Rapéh should always be worked with in a sacred environment. You may light a candle and smudge the environment with sage or copal before you begin. Have a bucket nearby in case you vomit (a normal cleansing reaction of this medicine) and tissue paper to blow your nose.

2. Set An Intention

Always work with rapéh with a focused, clear prayer or intention in your mind. You can sit with rapéh for calming, grounding, centering, to gain clarity on a certain situation, or to enter into meditation. Let the intention come from the heart. Rapéh will help you imbibe your intention fully.

3. Determine Dosage

A recommended beginner’s dosage is a pea sized amount. Tune in to what you are needing and how much time you have to devote to this particular session. Larger, ceremonial doses can have effects lasting up to one hour and should only be taken when you have the space to go into a deep process.

4. Scooping Rapeh

Scoop half of the Rapéh into the nose end of the pipe and gently tap it to settle the powder into the kuripé’s v-shaped elbow. Bring the pipe to your heart or your third eye, in a moment of gratitude. With the Kuripé loaded, inhale a deep breath and hold it while placing the correct ends of the pipe comfortably into the left nostril and between lips. With eyes closed gently exhale the breath, blowing the rapéh up the LEFT NOSTRIL FIRST, AND THEN THE RIGHT.

5. Application

It is important to apply both sides consecutively without much time in between. You can experiment with a strong short blow and a longer, gentler blow. In time you will discover how you prefer to apply rapéh. IMPORTANT: Once Rapéh has been blown into your nostrils, breathe gently through your mouth to avoid inhaling the powder into your throat.

6. Prayer and Meditation

After you receive the hapé, allow yourself to enter into stillness. Let the plants calm the mind. Feel the opening to your breath and lungs. From this place of connection, allow yourself to meditate upon your intention and have a dialogue with the Creator.

After Prayer and Meditation

15-30 minutes, you can gently blow out any nasal discharge from your nose. You will notice a reddish-brown color with the mucus, don't panic, it is normal. The color is simply the excess medicine that's expelled through mucus and saliva.

Frequently Asked Questions about Rapéh

DOES RAPÉH CONTAIN NICOTINE OR ADDICTIVE QUALITIES?

The tobacco used in our special blend is heirloom jungle tobacco from the Mountain Province. This is very different from cigarette tobacco. Jungle tobacco has been used for centuries as a plant for healing. This ceremonial tobacco is grown organically and with love, prayer and intention by the indigenous communities. It does contain some nicotine, however much lower quantities than commercial tobacco. Please always use it in prayer and reverence.

DO YOU MAKE YOUR OWN RAPéH BLENDS?

As of the moment, we only carry one blend of Rapéh, and the best that you would probably try. The sacred Rapéh we carry is a Philippine blend made by a native Shaman. These are always made fresh and derived only from the best organic plants. The main ingredients Tobacco and Mint leaves are locally sourced from the best Tobacco growers in the Mountain Province. Try it yourself to feel the intense healing power of these sacred plants.

DOES RAPéH IMPAIR YOUR VISION OR MOVEMENT?

Sacred Rapéh should always be used in prayer, meditation, and in reverence. It does not alter your vision, hearing, or movement, but it is important that you set aside 10-15 minutes to let the medicine work in your physical and energetic body. It puts you in a meditative state, but does not cause visuals or hallucinations. It can cause tearing of the eyes, nasal discharge, etc. as it is purgative in nature.

CAN IT IRRITATE MY NASAL PASSAGES?

Anything we intake that is more than what we need will always have negative consequences. Sacred Rapéh is made of very fine powder that is meant to be absorbed through the nasal passages - so yes it can cause you to sneeze, cough, cry, have nasal discharge, and even salivate. But these symptoms should go away after the cleansing session (15 minutes).

HOW MUCH RAPéH SHOULD I USE FOR MY DAILY PRACTICE?

It is recommended to use a small pea-sized amount on your first time. Some Rapéh blends can be very powerful so it's best to start small and increase your dosage as you work with the medicine.

Have questions about Rapéh?

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