Open Your Heart with Bobinsana
Bobinsana (Calliandra angustifolia) is a powerful heart medicine that grows along the slow-moving rivers of the Amazon basin. The water-loving tree can’t be missed when its vibrant fuschia flowers are in full bloom. For many generations, South and Central American people have used this potent yet gentle plant to open their hearts up to greater self-love and love for others.
The tender spirit of this plant is said to increase empathy, activate intuition, and aid in clairvoyance, emotional release, and connection to dream time. Bobinsana’s traditional uses also include hunting endurance, improved vision, appetite suppression, increased creativity, and mental clarity.
Bobinsana is traditionally taken during a plant-based dieta. A dieta is a traditional, rigorous spiritual practice of following a strict diet and lifstyle while ingesting a medicinal plant to foster a deep relationship with its spirit for healing and guidance.
In various Ayahuasca recipes, Bobinsana is an additional ingredient used to assist in connection and learning on a spiritual level. It’s important to note that Bobinsana itself is not a hallucinogen and is legal.
“Bobinsana mamankuna” by Ruysen Flores
Dieta Guidelines
This is a basic structure of what to avoid, not a comprehensive list.
DIET
Sugar & Spices
Salt (small amounts ok, body needs it)
Pungent Foods (Garlic, Onion, Leaks)
Fried & Processed Foods
Red Meat & Pork
Citrus Foods (lemon, lime, orange)
Dairy
Vinegar
Vegetable Oils
(small amounts olive oil & coconut oil are ok)
LIFESYTLE
Sexual Activity
Social Outings (keep minimal)
Social Media (keep minimal)
No Other “Teacher” Plants & Psychedics
Cannabis & Alcohol
Bobinsana is a revered healer who encourages the purging of limiting beliefs and inspires a heart-centered perception.
“She” is often referred to as “Sirenita del Los Rios,” which translates to mermaid of the rivers because she brings the feminine energy of the water to open and heal the heart. With roots 7 times as deep as she is tall, she helps ground our bodies in the present. She illuminates any wounds in the mental and emotional bodies that make relationships with self or others difficult and transforms our egoic thinking into compassion and healthy boundaries.
Bobinsana supports us while we process our grief, loss, heartbreak, and other emotions. Every personal rejection, job loss, failed romance, betrayal, and regret, creates a sense of loss. Misplaced hopes and unmanifested dreams leave holes in our hearts. When we find ourselves trapped in emotions it can undermine the immune system and lead to illness, physically and psychologically.
Our hearts are our ultimate guides through all of our life situations. When we are in our hearts, we are solidly living in our own essential truth no matter what is happening in the world around us.
Bobinsana speaks to us through our dreams.
She can induce colorful vivid dreams, lucid or prophetic dreaming, and increase dream recall. Her medicine works deeply in the dream realms to bring healing, insight, and realizations about one’s life.
After a few doses (see monograph for recommendations) many people have reported an increase in dream recall and control. These reports include the ability to alter or control their dreams, have more memorable or longer dreams, and gain a sense of deeper knowledge and understanding The chemical constituents in Bobinsana are not well documented but it is believed to contain harmala alkaloids that cause its effects.
Dreams are a way for you to explore your inner consciousness. When we practice dreamwork, we step outside of our limitations and find new possibilities of awareness and understanding. If you decide to use Bobinsna for dreamwork I recommend keeping a detailed dream journal.
The Bobinsana tree heats up the body creating inner warmth. The bark can be grated into baths to increase resistance to sickness and combat colds and chills. Traditionally, Bobinsana is made into a strong tea tincture using alcohol made from cane sugar called aguardiente. A decoction (strong tea) of the entire plant (leaves, stem, twigs, flowers, roots) is prepared as a general energizing tonic. The tree’s ability to grow and maintain itself along the river banks proves its immense durability which can assist in increasing physical and energetic strength.
Research conducted in Sweden (see sources below) indicates the plant contains COX-inhibitors, which are used to treat inflammation and pain. The specific compounds causing this effect have yet to be determined but research leans toward saponins.
Photo by Jaime Chang
Photo by Jaime Chang
Life’s immortal power is in evidence in her most fragile flower.
Photos by Jaime Chang
꩜
Calliandra angustifolia
FAMILY FABACEAE
GENUS CALLIANDRA
Element
Water
POLARITY
Yin
ENERGY WHEEL
Heart
INNER EYE
Archetype
Siren/Mermaid
Celestials
Neptune
GIfts
Heart OPening Intuition Dreams Catharsis Comfort Self Love Resilience Eagle Vision Rooting
Domains
Heart
Urinary
Muskoskeletal
Immunity
WOMBSPACE
Energetics
Warming
Moistening
Tissue States
DRY
Cold
Stagnant
FLAVOR
Sweet
✶ INDICATIONS ✶
Arthritis & Rheumatism ✸ Blood Cleanser ✸ Edema ✸ Cold & Flu ✸ Musculoskeletal Pains ✸ Shortness of Breath ✸ Uterine Cancer / Disorders
✶ ACTIONS ✶
Anti-inflammatory ✸ Anti-arthritic ✸ Anti-rheumetic ✸ Antiseptic ✸ Contraceptive ✸ Depurative ✸ Diuretic ✸ Stimulant ✸ Tonic
Cardiovascular
System
Bobinsana is often referred to as a “heart medicine” due to its ability to promote emotional balance. In traditional practices, the plant is used to support healthy blood and circulation. Saponins reduce cholesterol by binding to bile acids, lowering heart disease risk. Flavonoids improve blood vessel function and reduce hypertension risk.
✸ Decoction
✸ Tincture
✸ Extract
Urinary
System
Traditionally, Bobinsana is used to support the body’s natural cleansing processes and metabolic balance. The plant’s diuretic effects help eliminate excess fluids and toxins, beneficial for edema and high blood pressure.
✸ Decoction
✸ Tincture
✸ Extract
MUSKOSKELETAL
System
Bobinsana has potent anti-inflammatory effects, making it an excellent natural remedy for conditions associated with inflammation, such as arthritis and rheumatism. The anti-inflammatory properties help reduce swelling, pain, and discomfort, promoting better joint health and mobility.
✸ Decoction
✸ Tincture
✸ Extract
✸ Bath Soak
Immune
System
Rich in catechins, Bobinsana supports the immune system and helping to reduce the risk of chronic diseases, including heart disease and cancer. The plant’s triterpenoid saponins also have immune-bolstering properties.
✸ Bark Decoction
✸ Tea
✸ Tincture
✸ Extract
✸ Bath Soak
Reproductive
System
Bobinsana’s primary traditional use regarding reproduction is as a contraceptive (although this effect has not been scientifically confirmed), and it is often advised that women seeking to become pregnant should avoid the plant. It has also been used for extended periods.
✸ Decoction
✶ RITUALS ✶
Tea
The most common method of ingesting Bobinsna is brewing 5-15g of leaf into tea for 15 minutes. 5-10g of Bobinsana bark can also be used. It will take longer to release the active compounds, so a decoction is advised. Boil bark for 30 minutes -1 hour).
Tincture
A tincture can be extracted from Bobinsana bark by submerging it into high-proof alcohol such as Everclear or vodka in a 1:4 ratio. After 4-6 weeks with daily agitation, it will be ready for straining and consumption. Drops can be taken sublingually, added to water, or applied topically.
DOSE
2-5ml / ½-1 tsp
(traditionally extracted using a local sugarcane-based alcoholic drink, aguardiente)
Dieta
Dietas serve to establish connections with plants, lasting several weeks or months. It is said to deepen the dietero’s intuition, ground them in the present moment, enhance their capacity for compassion, improve their overall communication skills, and help heal deep emotional wounds.
Bath Soak
Bobinsana-infused baths are used for physical and energetic cleansing and for boosting immunity. Traditionally, a bobinsana bath is prepared by adding the ground bark to bathwater.
Dreamwork
(Oneiromancy)
Bobinsana is said to induce vivid and lucid dreams, regularly yielding profound spiritual insights. Dreams may be longer and more numerous, while feeling more meaningful or even prophetic.
To practice oneiromancy with Bobinsana, drink tea or consume tincture before bed.
PRECAUTIONS
Long-valued for its contraceptive activity, Bobinsana is traditionally used in Peru to prevent pregnancy. While there is no research to confirm this possible action, those seeking to get pregnant should avoid this plant.
SOURCES
• Duke’s Handbook of Medicinal Plants of Latin America by James A. Duke
• Rain-Tree Publishers Tropical Plant Database
• Biodiversity conservation in a wild therapeutic garden; the case of Takiwasi center botanical reserve in the Peruvian high-amazon by Fabio Friso and Matteo Politi
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Medical Disclaimer
I am not a medical professional.
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