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March 01, 2018

Following the Shamanic Path, After the Colors Fade

Tags: Ayahuasca, PTSD, Shamanic Path, Alternative Therapy, Ecotherapy


The main principle behind shamanic healing is that our physical and mental/emotional realities are orchestrated by our multidimensional spiritual selves. This self carries all our true capacity, but it also carries the imprints from all of our unresolved wounds, from this lifetime through to the ancient past, in shadow. When our minds do not know how to process hurtful events they become imprinted on our souls, directing the way our lives unfold at the physical. Once our multidimensional selves heal, our bodies and minds can finally express our true capacity. 

Shamanic healers can help us shift, grow, and heal by connecting with our multidimensional selves. They are distinct in their capacity to bridge the physical and the spiritual domains, aiding in this evolutionary process. One of the main tenants of shamanic healing is that the client must be put in a trance state to let go of the wounds locked into the fear based mind. Only in trance will the mind let go of its defenses enough to effect change. There are many different kinds of shamans, and many ways to achieve these trance states. Some tribes use drumming, or dancing, while others use breath work. Others, still, use psychotropic plant medicines. While methods vary from tribe to tribe, shamanic healers share in common the idea that our dysfunctional physical reality is a projection of the imbalances in our spiritual selves.  

Many people are turning to shamanic healing when the allopathic approach to medicine has failed them. One of the modes that has recently become popular is the use of psychedelic plant substances, used originally by the jungle shamans of the Amazon. Some people with addictions and PTSD are having great success from using theses methods, as they allow the person to transcend their wounded perceptions of the world, and access their spiritual self, in a healed state. Psychedelic ceremonial circles break down all the barriers in the mind and heart, reminding people of their infinite spiritual nature, and allowing them to reset and rewire. But because they can also kick up shadow elements we have buried deep in our psyches, like our deepest fears, our competitive background agendas, and our relentless negative voices, they are not for everyone. In fact integration circles often follow plant medicine ceremonies to help people integrate their experiences.

A great way of grounding your plant medicine experiences and embracing that magic in your everyday life is by studying Andean shamanism. Sitting at very high elevations on Peruvian mountains, where the air is thin, Andean shamans, or paquos, have mastered the art of moving between the physical and the energetic domains, at will. From a young age the Andean paquos learn how to cultivate relationships with the spiritual domain to shift their physical realities, but to do so they must establish a balance between their intellect and their spirit. This is true of any shamanic tradition, for our intellects are the gatekeeprs of our thoughts and shadows. When the intellect is firmly in charge, the spiritual and shadow selves that make us who we are are limitedly heard or expressed. 

Our intellect is defined by our sense of linear time, by what has happened to us and what has not. Stepping onto the shamanic path means we do the personal work that breaks us free of these constraints. Beyond these limited definitions of self, we learn we are infinite and can merge with the energetic, or spiritual domains, at will. This is the path of the paquo. They make sacred connections between themselves, Nature and the spiritual domain, weaving the fabric of creation in a conscious way, much as a spider weaves her web. Reaching into the infinite, connecting directly with the source energy, they manifest new worlds at the physical. They call this dreaming their worlds into being.

 

Christina Allen, Shamanic Healer, Teacher, and Founder and Director of the Austin Shamanic Center, combines a strong science (BA Physics, MS Neuroscience) background with decades of applied ancient spiritual wisdom (Master Yogi, Reiki Master, Shamanic Healer, based, in part, on Q’ero Indian traditions of Peru). ASC offers profound Shamanic Self Development Workshops, professional trainings, and personal healings. Learn more at www.AustinShamanicCenter.com.

© Austin All Natural March, 2018.

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