Shamanic Energy Work
Shamanism is an ancient form of spiritual guidance and healing practiced by tribal communities and indigenous cultures around the globe — North America, South America, Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe. Archaeologists believe that the earliest form of shamanic practice took place as early as 100,000 years ago.
I was first introduced to the shamanic path in 1997, via a beginning workshop in Ft. Myers, Florida that was based on the book “The Way of the Shaman,” by Michael Harner, Ph. D. Dr. Harner, anthropologist, professor and author, had studied shamanic tribal practices in various places around the world as part of his fieldwork. At first, he thought that these practices were strictly based upon superstition. However, after having witnessed what seemed to be miraculous healings, he became intrigued, and began studying with the shamans to learn more about their cosmology and healing practices. He learned that the core principles of shamanism were the same in every culture around the world even though they were separated by great distances and had no modern day interaction. Dr. Harner also realized that many of the older shamans were dying off and taking their valuable knowledge with them. He was very concerned about the loss of this ancient knowledge and established the Foundation for Shamanic Studies in 1979 as a vehicle for preserving and teaching shamanic cosmology and healing practices to the Western world.
What is a Shaman?
A shaman in ancient times served as priest, healer, counselor, and diviner for the community in which he or she lived. The shaman would typically have a daytime job or function within the tribe, and treat clients on the side as a service to the community. Shamans were not usually paid with currency for their services. Clients who visited a shaman would most likely bring an offering of food, gifts or trade items as a gratuity for service — thanking both the shaman and spirits in the process.
Shamanic cosmology is based on a belief that our existence consists of three worlds: The lower world, which is the spiritual realm of Mother Earth and her inhabitants; The middle world, which is the physical world that we live within; and the upper world, which is the spiritual realm of Father Sky, angelic beings and souls that have left their physical bodies.
Shamans believe that there is a spirit or soul essence in everything – rocks, plants, trees, water, animals — and that one may communicate with these spirits or divine energy for guidance and healing in the physical world. shamans also believe that these benevolent beings are happy to help those living in the physical realm — and that each person is born with a personal power animal, spirit guide or guardian divine being whose goal is to offer protection, healing and guidance.
The Shamanic Journey
The shaman communicates with helping spirits via the shamanic journey. After a ritual to create sacred space, welcome and honor the spirits, the Shaman lies down next to the client, while beating a drum at a continuous, steady rhythm for about 20-30 minutes. The drumbeat causes brainwaves to be lowered to the alpha level, creating a relaxed meditative state where the shaman may access the various shamanic worlds to communicate with divine spiritual energy.
Shamanic practitioners believe that all illness begins at the energetic level, and that working on a client’s energy field can help heal the client’s mental and physical state as well. A shamanic practitioner may journey for a variety of reasons, but these are the main purposes for undertaking a shamanic journey:
- Divination — Guidance on a variety of topics, including relationship issues, career matters, residential moves, etc.
- Extraction — Removal of negative energy or thought forms that may be lodged in a person’s energy field causing illness or mental stress.
- Cord Cutting — The process of cutting and removing draining energetic ties between two people resulting in a more healthy interaction between them.
- Curse Unraveling — Removing negative ancestral energy patterns or thought forms that may run in families from generation to generation.
- Heart-Centered De-possession — Removal of discarnate entities that may have attached to a client’s energy field and are interfering with the client’s mental and physical health. The shamanic practitioner helps the discarnate entity release from the client’s energy field and move on toward the angelic or spiritual realm where they may find a more peaceful and joyous existence.
- Soul Retrieval — Shamans believe that when a person suffers from trauma, such as a major accident, abuse, divorce, death of a loved one, etc., a part of the soul may be unable to deal with the event and separates from the client, causing a loss of energy or ill health. The shamanic practitioner journeys to find the soul part and return it to the client, also bringing back gifts and energy that may enhance the client’s mental and physical health.
- Space Clearing — Removing negative, draining energy from a house, office or land, and then bringing in divine, empowering energy that can improve the mental and physical health of inhabitants within that space.
Far from the Hollywood version of a half-clothed man, covered in paint and feathers shaking a shrunken head or rattle while dancing around a campfire, modern day shamans now exist within every level of society. Shamanic practice has enjoyed a renaissance in the world of alternative healing modalities. Shamanic treatments are not meant to replace conventional medicine, but act as a complement to traditional healing practices. The main goal of a shamanic practitioner is to help others become whole: healthy in mind, body and spirit. Many shamanic practitioners consider themselves “hollow bones”, or facilitators that allow an energy exchange to take place between the client and the Divine. It is the Divine energy that effects the healing.
My shamanic training has led me to the most profound spiritual practices I have ever experienced. I really enjoy assisting others in connecting with their Divine helpers for spiritual guidance and healing. If you would like more information about shamanism and/or to schedule a session, please feel free to contact me.