New Clients, before your first appointment, please read the Client Information sheet.
| Client Information Sheet |
What is Shamanism?
Research has shown that shamanism is the oldest spiritual practice known to humankind and has been around for over 40,000 years, some say for over 100,000 yrs. The word “shaman” means spiritual healer or "one who sees in the dark" or "one who sees with the heart." A shaman is a person who interacts directly with spirits to address the spiritual aspects of illness, brings back lost power, performs soul retrievals, removes spiritual blockages, divines information, helps the spirits of deceased people cross over, and performs a variety of ceremonies for the community. Shamans take on many roles; they act as psychotherapists, healers, doctors, priests, mystics, and storytellers. In these modern times "Shamans" are few and far between and the opportunity to study with indigenous peoples and traditional "Shamans", has diminished greatly over time. However, the core beliefs and healing gifts are still present in many, and through intense modern day training and guidance, "Shamanic Practitioners" are available to assist in healing the spiritual, emotional, mental and physical aspects in each of us.
Shamanism teaches us that everything is alive and has a spirit - yes, even a stone. Shamanism speaks of a web of life that connects all of life - and that there is "the spirit that moves through all things. We are interconnected life forms including the earth, stars, wind, etc., and it is the Shaman’s role to keep harmony and balance between humankind and the forces of nature.
Shamanism is not a religion, but it has been practiced by many cultures within most of the religions of the world. Our current culture is beginning to remember what ancient peoples understood; that healing and health is more than just the physical body. There are four levels of our being that must be addressed in order for us to enjoy balanced and healthy lives: the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual bodies.
Our modern medical practices spotlight the physical, our culture dwells on the mental, psychological therapies concentrate on the emotional, but the spiritual is often disregarded.
Shamanism teaches us that everything is alive and has a spirit - yes, even a stone. Shamanism speaks of a web of life that connects all of life - and that there is "the spirit that moves through all things. We are interconnected life forms including the earth, stars, wind, etc., and it is the Shaman’s role to keep harmony and balance between humankind and the forces of nature.
Shamanism is not a religion, but it has been practiced by many cultures within most of the religions of the world. Our current culture is beginning to remember what ancient peoples understood; that healing and health is more than just the physical body. There are four levels of our being that must be addressed in order for us to enjoy balanced and healthy lives: the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual bodies.
Our modern medical practices spotlight the physical, our culture dwells on the mental, psychological therapies concentrate on the emotional, but the spiritual is often disregarded.
Shamanic Healing
According to Gwilda Wiyaka, CSP, CSI and founder of Path Home Shamanic Arts School, shamanic healing works with the spiritual and energetic aspects of the self. These important aspects which are frequently neglected if not rejected when it comes to healing, are often the root of dis-ease. When we heal the spirit within us, the mental, emotional and physical aspects of our being shift into harmony with this healing of the spirit; then healing of the whole person is evident.
When people are exposed to trauma or extreme stress, parts of them may flee the body - which a psychologist might diagnose as dissociation. In Shamanism, we call this "soul loss." It is important to understand that soul loss is a good thing that happens to us. It is how we survive pain. A clear example of this is a war veteran who endures the unimaginable personal experience of or witnessing of, much pain and suffering. This might warrant a diagnosis of "post traumatic stress disorder," and in any case, there would be soul loss in order to survive the horror. Any time you hear "he/she has not been the same since..." you are probably hearing about someone who has suffered “soul loss.” By using the term "soul" this is a reference to our essence, life force, or the part of our vitality that keeps us alive and thriving. There are innumerable things that can cause soul loss; physical, emotional or sexual abuse, the death of a loved one, an accident, acting against our morals, being in a natural disaster, addictions, divorce, and abandonment, to name just a few.
Some symptoms of soul loss are depression, feeling spacey or unfocused, having recurring abusive patterns show up in our relationships, not remembering parts of our past, disconnection from our feelings, not feeling present in our bodies, ill health, poor boundaries, feeling depleted or alienated, or hoarding of material goods. If you have any of these symptoms and have addressed them with traditional medical and emotional therapies, you may be suffering from soul loss.
A shamanic practitioner is a person who deals with spiritual illness working on the premise that when healing takes place at a spiritual level then the effect can also heal at the mental, emotional and physical levels. A trained practitioner can perform a Soul Retrieval and actually bring back "lost parts" of a person's soul. This is gentle, non-invasive technique that can be profoundly life altering. Learn more on the Soul Retrieval and Shamanic Session pages.
Within the world of medicine many advances have been made, yet if we were to combine these modern medical advances with ancient healing modalities, we have the opportunity to heal on all levels, and into the beings we truly want to be.
When people are exposed to trauma or extreme stress, parts of them may flee the body - which a psychologist might diagnose as dissociation. In Shamanism, we call this "soul loss." It is important to understand that soul loss is a good thing that happens to us. It is how we survive pain. A clear example of this is a war veteran who endures the unimaginable personal experience of or witnessing of, much pain and suffering. This might warrant a diagnosis of "post traumatic stress disorder," and in any case, there would be soul loss in order to survive the horror. Any time you hear "he/she has not been the same since..." you are probably hearing about someone who has suffered “soul loss.” By using the term "soul" this is a reference to our essence, life force, or the part of our vitality that keeps us alive and thriving. There are innumerable things that can cause soul loss; physical, emotional or sexual abuse, the death of a loved one, an accident, acting against our morals, being in a natural disaster, addictions, divorce, and abandonment, to name just a few.
Some symptoms of soul loss are depression, feeling spacey or unfocused, having recurring abusive patterns show up in our relationships, not remembering parts of our past, disconnection from our feelings, not feeling present in our bodies, ill health, poor boundaries, feeling depleted or alienated, or hoarding of material goods. If you have any of these symptoms and have addressed them with traditional medical and emotional therapies, you may be suffering from soul loss.
A shamanic practitioner is a person who deals with spiritual illness working on the premise that when healing takes place at a spiritual level then the effect can also heal at the mental, emotional and physical levels. A trained practitioner can perform a Soul Retrieval and actually bring back "lost parts" of a person's soul. This is gentle, non-invasive technique that can be profoundly life altering. Learn more on the Soul Retrieval and Shamanic Session pages.
Within the world of medicine many advances have been made, yet if we were to combine these modern medical advances with ancient healing modalities, we have the opportunity to heal on all levels, and into the beings we truly want to be.
Frog- Healing. As water cleanses the arid earth and returns life to it, so Frog's medicine helps us to replenish our inner ability to heal ourselves.
