The Shamanic View
of Health
Carolina Warter,
In the system of shamanism that I work
with there are four aspects to psycho/emotional/spiritual health. If there
is a problem or if one of these aspects fails, shamanic techniques can be
used to restore strength. Note that shamanic healing may not cure physical
illness. Shamanic healing therefore is best used in conjunction with other
treatments, not as a substitute for them.
1.
Connection with a Power Animal
A power animal protects you physically and provides you with emotional support, wisdom, and vital energy.
If you lose contact with your power animal, you may feel dis-spirited, you may become sick easily, or you may be accident prone.
Almost everybody has a power animal; some have several. (Perhaps you had an "invisible animal friend" as a child or have always been fascinated with a particular kind of animal. This animal may be your power animal.)
A person may, in the
course of life, lose contact with the power animal, thereby losing the
animal's protection, wisdom, and energy.
The shamanic healing technique of power animal retrieval can restore a person's connection to a power animal. A person can also journey to find his or her own power animal.
To maintain a connection with your power animal, take the time to learn about your animal, learn to feel its presence, communicate with it, and honor it by doing things that it enjoys.
2.
Retaining One's life Essence
Life essence is the
energy that keeps you going, keeps you interested in life, in learning,
and in challenge. Life essence keeps you healthy and contented and
allows you to trust yourself.
However, in traumatic situations, whether they be ongoing (such as child abuse) or singular (such as an auto accident), a part of one's life essence can leave.
But sometimes a person can't reconnect with their life essence after such an event: part of the life essence is "lost."
A person who has lost part of life's essence might feel lacking in energy, depressed, ill, untrusting. The person might feel an "energy leak," might become extremely involved in spiritual matters to the detriment of ordinary life, might become obsessed with the trauma, might feel something is missing.
native woman in ceremonial clothing - every culture
had shamans
A person who reconnects with lost life essence often finds that life changes afterward.
Health requires a free flow of energy that one can use to accomplish one's desires in the world. But one's energy can become blocked in various ways.
People who have lost parts of their life essence, who have been ill, who have lost connection with a power animal, or who are regularly exposed to emotionally stressful situations are vulnerable to intrusions or "psychic infections" that block a person's connection with self or drain a person's energy.
An intrusion can be thought of either as a foreign energy being that takes up residence in a person's psychic body (a psychic infection), or as a psychic structure (an emotional wall or barrier) that a person has built to keep themselves safe from harm, but that now is blocking some of his/her energy expression.
A person with an intrusion might feel drained or ill, might have aches and pains, might have nightmares or other fears.
A shamanic healer can find and remove intrusions and barriers in a healing ritual called extraction.
A sense of purpose is necessary to happiness. The person who loves and cares about the world and fellow beings, who wants to make some small part of the universe a better place, has a sense of purpose.
A person can find a sense of purpose in life by seeking knowledge and direction through shamanic journeys, divinations, and rituals. One can do this alone, or with a group of people engaged in similar quests. A shamanic healer or counselor can't find another person's purpose, but can help one seek and interpret information.
Dr. Carlos Warter writes about his
history with many shamans and spiritual teachers in
Recovery of the Sacred: Lessons in Soul Awareness
Purchase
the book
Want to
find out more?
Go to the next page.
Other pages:
Introduction to
Shamanics
What is Shamanism
Techniques of Shamanism
Keys to Shamanism
Modern Day Applications
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