What is Shamanism?
"Shamanism
is about being connected with nature, understanding that we are
earth-based, the real and living knowledge which is then used for
balance, health, relationship as well as success in all that is that we
do. "
Shamanism is not a religion, but
rather a spiritual practice which can comfortably go hand-in-hand with
any religion. It is based on the animistic idea that everything is
alive, everything is responsive. It is based on the supposition that if
indeed those two things are the case, then we can be in dialog with
everything, that everything is connected, and that what is changed anywhere is felt in the entire web of life. For a lengthier description, read more about shamanism and shamanic healing on my shamanism web site.
The word "shaman" is a loanword, a word from the Tungus region which means roughly "one who sees" and "one who knows".
To be a shaman is to see that which others do not see, to come to know
that which others do not know. It is speculated by many that the
abilities of a shaman are inherent in all humans, and that the practice
of shamanism is millenia old.
How does a shamanic journey work?
The
shaman uses some method to enter an altered state of consciousness, the
"shamanic state of consciousness", or SSC to interact with the spirits
of all that is alive. In my personal practice, this is done with the
help of drumming; the repetitive drum beat is my "horse" that I ride
into the Lower and Upper Worlds to interact with spirits in the form of
my Power Animals and Upper World Teachers and Guides. In other
societies, other methods may be used to enter the SSC; either via
Peyote, Ayahuasca, Sufi dancing, or via some other entheogenic
substance. I prefer drumming or rattling, as it is portable and quick,
and I have a particular relationship with my drum and my rattles now
after several years of mutual work together!
Once in
the SSC, I commune with my spirit allies, those representations of
all-that-is-alive who have chosen to work with me, and with whom I have a
good relationship. I ask them for clarification about my client's
problem or issue, and they give me information in a form that is
meaningful for my client. Generally this comes to me in the form of
images, words, smells, feelings, or in some other sensate form, and may
mean little to me. I have learned over the years and through hundreds
of journeys to pay attention to even the slightest detail of my journey,
as everything in SSC has meaning for my client, though not necessarily for me.
The shaman is the hollow bone,
the messenger who brings information back from the world of the spirits
to our Ordinary State of Consciousness, the OSC. S/He is the spirits'
eyes and hands when doing healing work here in OSC.
A
software developer's analogy is that being inside a shamanic journey is
like working in a debugger: you have access to an immense amount of
information about your current environment that you may not ordinarily
have when accessing information via the standard interface. Shamanism
is sort of like life's back door.
A Typical Shamanic Healing Session
A
typical session goes something like this: I prepare sacred space
before my client arrives. This is done with songs and "smudging" using
the smoke of white sage to clear and purify myself, the space, and the
tools that I may use during the session. If I am in a place where
smudging is inappropriate, I use "Florida Spirits", an infusion of sage,
tobacco, sweetgrass and other sacred herbs. My drum and my rattles are
some of the tools that I use. During the preparation, I ask my spirit
allies to come and be of help, and to be of help to all beings for the
highest good. When my client arrives, I smudge him or her, and we
discuss the issue at hand. I then embark on an informational journey,
where I ask my healing allies about clarifications of the client's
issue, necessary healing steps, and for any other pertinent information
that might be applicable to the situation. I return and discuss what
I've been shown and told, and ask the client's permission to do the
actual work.
At this point, my client may either give
consent to continue, or may not wish some or all of the healing work to
be attempted or completed. Being a trained massage therapist, I operate
from a model of "informed consent": that is, I always tell the client
what is indicated, explaining what and why I think the work is needed.
If my client assents, I resume the healing steps indicated by the allies
using as many or as few journeys as are needed to complete the work.
If my client does not wish the work to be done, we are complete.
Sometimes
the allies give "homework" or "after-care" instructions to me and/or to
my client. I explain what these are, to the best of my abilities.
Sometimes I don't know why a particular suggestion is given; being the
messenger, the hollow bone, I merely pass them along. Usually
the suggestion has meaning to my client. In the case of Soul
Restoration, sometimes known as Soul Retrieval, there may be a time of
integration of new energies that might last for some days or weeks after
a healing session. If soul energy has been returned and re-integrated,
I let my client know what this might entail.
After we
are complete, I drum and release my spirit allies, thanking them for
assisting me and answering my client's needs at this time. There may
or may not be indications for future healing sessions.
A typical healing session may involve one or more shamanic healing modalities.
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| Jeffrey Rich, LMT 656 Massage Therapist, Shamanic Practitioner Shamanic Instructor |
Seeking relief from the many aches and pains brought on by my 20-year corporate software development career I found Therapeutic Massage and shamanic healing, both of which have worked together to bring joy back into my life, and which have helped me to find my unique inner Light that I bring into the world. That's why I became a bodyworker and a shamanic practitioner 18+ years ago. Now, I've also found Systemic and Family Constellations, which I happily add to the mix.
What I do and how I work
You are unique in all the world; you have a Light within in you that no other human being has.
I treat you, the individual, as you are in the present moment, working on many levels to help you discover and uncover your own unique Light, the essence that is unique to you. If you are not able to share it, the World doesn't have it; your Light is yours and yours alone. No one else possesses it.
My healing work is advanced, skilled and layered, transformational and multimodality. I don't use healing 'recipes', but apply my considerable Orthopedic Massage, Reiki, and Shamanic Healing knowledge to help shift what blocks you, physically and spiritually. My practice is located in the Hands-On Healing clinic in north Asheville, NC.
