Shamanism
is the way medicine men and women in cultures throughout the world use
specific, ancient techniques for healing or to gain spiritual
knowledge. For the shaman, everything is alive and carries information.
Rocks, trees, the wind, land, and animals have energy, a spirit. To
communicate with the consciousness of these spirits, the shaman shifts
his or her state of awareness through various means, such as meditation
or repetitive sounds from a drum or rattle.
Shifting to altered states of consciousness – called a shamanic journey
– the shaman is able to move beyond the physical body into other realms
or higher levels of existence. Connecting with totem animals and spirit
allies, the shaman channels the necessary information and becomes a
vessel for healing.
Much of the work of Shamanic Practitioners focuses on energies held
within the body of the client, enlisting the help of spirit allies to
take the “bad” energy out and replace it with light.