Tsunu rapé – Huni Kuin

Tsunu rapé: strong, yet a good start

Strength: 5 out of 7. Character: deeply grounding, energizing, balancing.

Before you do anything else: breathe. Just breathe. Tsunu asks no more of you than that. And in that one simple act lies what this rapé is all about.

Tsunu rapé is made by the Huni Kuin, the largest indigenous people of the state of Acre in the Brazilian Amazon. It is strong. Yet it is also suitable if you are just starting. Tsunu, Rosa, and Murici are all good starts, each with its own character. Tsunu is the sturdy, grounding one.

What is Tsunu rapé?

Imagine a tree you see everywhere. As common as the oak, the elm, or the plane tree is to us. That is the Tsunu tree in Acre. No striking flowers. No unusual bark. Simply present: sturdy, silent, unmoved. Its botanical name is Platycyamus regnellii.

It is precisely that stillness that makes it special. Many people recognize in the rapé what the tree radiates.

Tsunu means ash. That is also the basis of this blend. As an image, it says a lot: what burns becomes ash. The old may go. There is room for something new.

Rapé is pronounced as "ha-pé". That is why you also see the spelling hapé, and sometimes rapeh. It is a fine plant powder that the Huni Kuin have traditionally used in ceremony and meditation.

How Tsunu is made

The Huni Kuin make ash from the bark and branches of the Tsunu tree. This ash is ground very finely. Then leaves from traditional plants are added.

Everything is done by hand. No machines. The leaves are dried and finely pounded. The sun further pulverizes them. Then everything goes through a large sieve. During the work, songs are sung and prayers are offered.

Rapé you see elsewhere is often coarser and grainier. Our Tsunu is super-fine, almost powdery. That is how you can see how much handwork is involved. And because it is so fine, you need less of it.

Fresh from Acre, straight into the bottle

Almost every month a new shipment arrives, in small batches. Kevin does the final inspection. The rapé goes directly into a dark bottle that blocks uv-light. This way, the prayers and songs remain captured in the bottle. Open the bottle, and you will smell it immediately: deep, aromatic, and fresh.

Kevin has known the Huni Kuin for about eight years. He has daily contact with a Huni Kuin village in Acre, via WhatsApp and video calls. From them, he learns how rapé is made and how to recognize the plants. The rapé comes directly from them, without intermediaries. Going to the village is at the top of his list.

The Huni Kuin are also known as Kaxinawá. They themselves choose Huni Kuin, "the True People". So do we.

"They get the price they ask. I never haggle. And besides that, a part of the proceeds goes back to the village." — Kevin

How people experience Tsunu

You may know it: a mind that just keeps racing. Thoughts about yesterday. Plans for tomorrow. That is precisely why many people choose Tsunu.

What they describe: the noise in their head becomes quieter. Not numbed, but as if space is created. The thoughts that are always going around stand still for a moment. And in that silence they feel something that often fades into the background: presence.

Tsunu has traditionally been used to ground. Your attention drops from your head to your body. From past and future to the only moment that really exists: now. From that place, meditation, ceremony, and inner work go deeper for many people.

Many people also experience Tsunu as clearing. As if space is created around your head, and what is not yours may go. Some feel a clearer boundary between themselves and the world around them afterwards.

How many people experience Tsunu

• Peace in a busy head, and space to be truly present
• Grounding: your attention back in your body and in the now
• A clear, uncluttered feeling around your head
• Focus, and a clearer boundary between you and your surroundings

This is experience, not a promise. Everyone experiences rapé differently.

Who is Tsunu rapé for?

Tsunu suits many people. And at the same time, it is a blend that experienced users always return to.

You are just starting with rapé

Tsunu is strong enough for a real experience. Many beginners experience it as sturdy, but balanced. Start small and build up slowly. Would you rather start softer? Then also look at Rosa, strength 3 out of 7.

You meditate or do breathwork

Kevin calls Tsunu "super good for going into meditation". Many people use it as an opening for their meditation or breath session. They notice that they sink into silence faster.

Your head is rarely still

Do you know the feeling of a head that never really stops, even when you want to rest? Then Tsunu is a good blend to get acquainted with. You do not need meditation experience. Only the willingness to be present for a moment.

You guide ceremonies yourself

For the opening, the closing, or as a bridge between two parts of a ceremony. Ceremony leaders use Tsunu to let the group land and set the intention. The blend does not take over the ceremony.

You are already experienced

Many experienced users return to Tsunu. Not as a beginner blend, but as a steady basis. You know what you get. That reliability makes it a blend you can build on.

Which rapé suits you? Take the choice guide

When do you use Tsunu?

In the morning

Five minutes before your day begins. No phone, no agenda. Just being present. Many people notice that their day then starts differently: reacting less, choosing more.

For meditation or breathwork

As an opening for your session. Many people experience that the silence goes deeper than they are used to.

At the opening of a ceremony

To land together and set the intention, before the actual work begins.

After a full day

When your head is full. When you feel that you have taken in too much of the world. Many people then use Tsunu to land back with themselves.

"Tsunu is my first choice if someone has never used rapé before. Not because it is weak, but because it is honest. It lets you feel immediately what rapé is all about: silence, ground, presence. Everything afterwards builds on this foundation."

— Kevin Lorenzini, Purity Healing

Using Tsunu rapé

Rapé is something you work with, not something you just take for a moment. Start consciously.

• Quantity: start with as much as a pea per nostril. Build up slowly, over several moments.
• How: you give yourself rapé with a kuripe, a V-shaped applicator. Breathe out completely first.
• Order: in the tradition you start on the left (letting go) and then on the right (receiving).
• Afterwards: close your eyes, breathe through your mouth and sit still for a moment. Let what comes, come.

You can read more about the technique in "Using rapé safely".

Read: Using rapé safely

Packaging and storage

• Contents: 7.7 or 15 grams of Huni Kuin rapé, handmade
• Bottle: dark glass that blocks uv-light, so the rapé stays fresh
• Storage: cool, dry, and dark, away from the sun and away from damp spaces
• Shelf life: 12 to 24 months if you store it properly
• Closure: always close the bottle tightly, moisture is the biggest enemy
• Origin: handmade in a Huni Kuin village in Acre, Brazil
• Shipping: packed by hand and with care by Purity Healing

Safety

• This is a traditional plant preparation for ceremonial and spiritual use. It is not a medicine.
• Not suitable if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
• Not suitable for unstable heart or vascular problems.
• Not suitable for persons younger than 18 years.
• Do not combine with antidepressants or MAO inhibitors. In doubt? Consult a doctor.
• Purity Healing does not sell this as a replacement for medical or psychological treatment.

Frequently asked questions about Tsunu rapé

What is Tsunu rapé?

Tsunu rapé (also hapé or rapeh) is a fine plant powder from the Huni Kuin of Acre, Brazil. The basis is the ash of the Tsunu tree, Platycyamus regnellii. You pronounce rapé as "ha-pé".

What is Tsunu made of?

From the ash of the bark and the branches of the Tsunu tree, ground very finely. Then leaves from traditional plants are added. Everything is handmade, without machines.

Is Tsunu suitable as a first rapé?

Yes. Tsunu has strength 5 out of 7. It is strong, but also suitable for beginners. Start with as much as a pea per nostril. Rosa and Murici are also a good start, each with its own character. The choice guide sets them side by side for you.

What does the name Tsunu mean?

Tsunu stands for ash. As an image: letting go of the old and welcoming the new. That is how we tell it: as an image, not as a promise.

What is the difference between Tsunu and Caneleiro?

Caneleiro has Tsunu as a basis. Then the ash of the tree Canela de Velho, which is named after cinnamon, is added. Both have strength 5 out of 7. On the label of Tsunu it says: deeply grounding, energizing, balancing. For Caneleiro: deeply grounding, balance, strength. Many people choose Caneleiro when they are dealing with old patterns.

Can I combine Tsunu with another rapé?

Yes. Tsunu as an opening and then another kind for deepening is a classic approach. First you land with Tsunu. Then you choose the kind that suits your intention, for example Caneleiro or Mulateiro.

How long does a moment with Tsunu last?

Many people experience the first 3 to 15 minutes as the most intense. Afterwards, a calm, clear presence often lingers. Sometimes half an hour, sometimes a few hours. It differs per person and per moment.

Read more and discover

• Rapé kinds explained: all 15 in a row
• Buying rapé: what to look out for?
• Compare all kinds by strength
• What is rapé? The guide for beginners
• Using rapé safely: technique, quantity, and intention
• The Huni Kuin: the True People of the Amazon
• The art of blowing
• Which rapé suits you? All 15 kinds side by side
• Caneleiro: Tsunu with the ash of Canela de Velho
• Rosa: starting softer, strength 3 out of 7
• Murici: also a good start, with its own character
• Want to research first? Four Rapéh's: Tsunu, Rosa, Cacau, and Murici as a sample set
• Personal advice? Send Kevin a message

View all 15 kinds

Product details

Ash of the bark and branches of the Tsunu tree (Platycyamus regnellii), with leaves from traditional plants. Super-finely ground. Handmade by the Huni Kuin in Acre, Brazil. Strength 5 out of 7.

Contents and packaging: 7.7 or 15 grams · dark glass bottle that blocks uv-light · airtight sealed · hand-packed

Important to know

All products are for adults only (18+). This product is sold as a plant specimen, for research purposes only. It is not intended for consumption.

Rapé is something you work with, not something you just take. Start mindfully.

• Start with about as much as a pea per nostril. Build up gradually.
• You administer rapé to yourself with a kuripe, a V-shaped applicator. Exhale completely first.
• In the tradition, you start on the left (letting go) and then the right (receiving).
• Then: close your eyes, breathe through your mouth and sit still for a moment.

• Dark glass that blocks UV light, keeping the rapé fresh
• Store in a cool, dry, and dark place
• Lasts 12 to 24 months if stored properly
• Always close the bottle tightly; moisture is its greatest enemy
• Hand-packed with care

• This is a traditional herbal preparation for ceremonial and spiritual use. It is not a medicine.
• Not suitable if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
• Not suitable for unstable heart or vascular conditions.
• Not suitable for persons under 18 years of age.
• Do not combine with antidepressants or MAO inhibitors. If in doubt, consult a doctor.