Purgative Plant Medicines in the Shipibo Healing Tradition
Plant-Based Cleansing for Body, Mind, and Spirit
The Health Benefits of Purgatives
The Shipibo healing tradition, rooted in the Amazon rainforest, employs a variety of plant medicines to promote physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Among these, purgative plants hold a special place due to their capacity to cleanse the body and mind of toxins and negative energies. Purgatives are not merely physical cleansers but are also seen as spiritual allies that aid in emotional release and energetic balance. This holistic approach to healing makes them fundamental in Shipibo shamanic practice.
By removing physical impurities, releasing emotional trauma, and balancing energetic fields, purgative plants facilitate profound healing experiences. Their use is often seen as a preparatory step before ayahuasca ceremonies, allowing participants to enter these transformative experiences with greater clarity and openness. The combination of physical detoxification and spiritual purification underscores the Shipibo belief that true health requires attention to all dimensions of the human experience—body, mind, and spirit.
Here, we explore the health benefits of key purgative plants used in Shipibo healing, including sangre de grado, ojé, piñon blanco, machinga, hierba luisa, and marosa. It is important to note that within the Shipibo tradition, plant-based cleansers are often categorized as purgatives or vomitivos, each serving a distinct purpose. Purgatives primarily target the gastrointestinal system, encouraging bowel movements to expel toxins and parasites, while vomitivos induce vomiting to cleanse the upper digestive tract and purge emotional or energetic blockages. Both categories are essential for achieving holistic purification and are seen as vital steps in the preparation for deeper spiritual healing experiences, such as ayahuasca ceremonies.
Sangre de Grado (Croton lechleri)
Properties: Antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and wound-healing
Main Uses: Digestive health, wound care, and infection prevention
Sangre de grado, meaning “dragon’s blood,” is a red sap extracted from the Croton lechleri tree. Its potent antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties make it highly effective for healing wounds, ulcers, and skin infections. Internally, it is used as a purgative to clear the digestive tract of harmful parasites, pathogens, and accumulated toxins.
Health Benefits:
Gut Health: Protects the stomach lining, heals ulcers, and relieves diarrhea.
Wound Healing: Applied directly to cuts and abrasions to accelerate healing.
Detoxification: Removes parasites and other intestinal impurities.
Ojé (Ficus insipida)
Properties: Vermifuge, anti-parasitic, and gastrointestinal cleanser
Main Uses: Parasite removal, digestive health, and immune system support
Ojé is a milky-white latex sap from the fig tree (Ficus insipida) and is one of the most intense purgative plants in the Shipibo tradition. Often consumed as a bitter tea, ojé expels parasites and deeply cleanses the intestines. While its purgative effects are physically demanding, the result is a feeling of lightness, clarity, and restored vitality.
Health Benefits:
Parasite Elimination: Flushes out intestinal parasites, a common issue in rainforest environments.
Digestive System Cleansing: Purges toxins from the gastrointestinal tract, supporting gut health.
Immune System Boost: Strengthens the immune system by reducing parasitic load.
Piñon Blanco (Jatropha curcas)
Properties: Anti-inflammatory, detoxifying, and purgative
Main Uses: Emotional release, physical cleansing, and purification of subtle energy bodies
Piñon blanco is known for its strong purgative effects on both physical and energetic levels. While the initial experience can be intense, participants often report a feeling of emotional lightness and mental clarity afterward. Piñon blanco not only cleanses the digestive tract but also facilitates the release of stored emotional trauma.
Health Benefits:
Physical Detoxification: Clears toxins from the gastrointestinal system.
Emotional Cleansing: Helps release suppressed emotional burdens and unresolved grief.
Mental Clarity: Clears energetic “blockages,” promoting mental focus and clarity.
Machinga (Unonopsis floribunda)
Properties: Anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and purgative
Main Uses: Emotional detox, physical cleansing, and spiritual realignment
Machinga is often used to address emotional trauma stored in the body. Its purgative effects go beyond the physical, as it helps participants release unresolved pain and grief. This plant is frequently used in Shipibo ceremonies to support deeper emotional healing, often in conjunction with other master plants.
Health Benefits:
Emotional Healing: Aids in releasing deep-seated emotional wounds and trauma.
Physical Cleansing: Flushes toxins from the digestive system.
Energetic Alignment: Realigns one’s energetic body, clearing “stagnant” energy.
Hierba Luisa (Cymbopogon citratus)
Properties: Digestive aid, anti-inflammatory, and mood enhancer
Main Uses: Calming the mind, supporting digestion, and reducing stress
While hierba luisa (lemongrass) is milder than other purgatives, it still plays a crucial role in the Shipibo healing process. Known for its gentle yet effective cleansing action, hierba luisa helps calm the nervous system, balance digestion, and reduce stress. It is often consumed as a tea, offering a mild yet effective detox experience.
Health Benefits:
Digestive Aid: Soothes the digestive system and relieves bloating and indigestion.
Stress Relief: Calms the nervous system, promoting relaxation and sleep.
Mild Detox: Helps with the gentle removal of waste from the body.
Marosa (Pleurothyrium cinereum)
Properties: Emotional cleanser, energetic purifier, and harmonizer
Main Uses: Emotional cleansing, heart healing, and spiritual purification
Marosa is known as a “master plant” for emotional and spiritual healing. While it does not have the dramatic purgative effects of oje or piñon blanco, it works on a subtle yet profound level. Marosa is often used in “plant diets” (dietas) where participants isolate themselves and consume the plant to learn from its spirit. It is said to “cleanse the heart” and open one to love, compassion, and self-acceptance.
Health Benefits:
Emotional Cleansing: Helps release emotional wounds, especially those related to love and relationships.
Energetic Balancing: Purifies and balances one’s energetic body.
Heart-Opening: Encourages self-love, compassion, and emotional openness.
Purification on all Levels
The Shipibo healing tradition views purgative plants as essential tools for holistic health, serving as catalysts for deep purification on multiple levels. By cleansing the body, mind, and spirit, these plants help people release what no longer serves them, creating space for new growth, transformation, and spiritual evolution. Sangre de grado, ojé, piñon blanco, machinga, hierba luisa, and marosa each offer unique benefits, ranging from eliminating parasites and clearing digestive toxins to promoting emotional healing and energetic realignment. While the physical process of purgation can be intense, the Shipibo see it as a sacred act of renewal and rebirth. This process allows individuals to “empty the cup”, symbolically and literally, so it can be filled with clarity, health, and inner peace.