Shamanic healing is Soul healing. But what is Soul? Notice that I don’t say “ the  soul.” That’s because I don’t experience Soul as an object. Does Soul have object-like qualities? Yes. But limiting Soul to a static entity doesn’t account for relationship, flow, and transformation. Open to possibilities, Soul defies being pinned down to a precise definition. When possibilities are limited, Soul loses connection and power. Think of your own life. When you run out of choices how do you feel?   From a global perspective, Soul is practiced and experienced differently depending on the culture and time. Many cultures believe in multiple Souls per body. For instance, in Mongolia each person has three souls consisting of life force, consciousness, and physical form. The Sakha of Russia believe in a triad of Mother, Breath, and Earth souls. Christians believe in one Soul per body, which many Westerners have inherited, even if they don’t consider themselves Christian.  Within each culture there are also variations. There is no one right way.   I seem to be contradicting myself. Soul defies definition, but I’m looking for one. Why? Because fully embodying our Souls is, at least in part, our Divine purpose. And understanding is an aspect of that experience, but not the whole experience. An African shaman says of Source, “It is the knowledge that wisdom cannot eat.” Native Americans often call this the Great Mystery. There is an ineffable, sublime, awe-filled experience of Soul that is impossible to put into words yet is meant to be experienced. Understand to experience and allow experience to help you understand.   I believe, practice, and experience one Soul per body. I use a model instead of a definition to allow fluidity and multiple perspectives. Soul is the wisdom and experience of one’s vital essence in active relationship with all-that-is.   Let’s break this down. From my perspective, “vital essence” refers to one’s Indivisible Soul Essence that comes directly from Source and individual components—gifts, purpose, body, and Helping Spirits. Indivisible Soul Essence and these components, or strands, exist as nodes within a web—distinct properties and connected. What affects one affects all. They create a whole greater than the sum of the parts. An analogy is the human body. The heart has distinct properties, but multiple organ systems create a human being. I call this, “Individual Soul Web.”   “All-that-is” refers to what is outside us and what contains us. This includes Indivisible Essence of Source and individual strands—Celestial, Time, Sacred Directions, Elements, each life form, Land, community, and non-ordinary reality. This is also web-like with distinct parts as nodes that are in relation. Let’s call this, “Web of Life.”   All emanating from Source, Individual Soul Web is a node within Web of Life, weaving strands individually and as groups in intricate, active, and relational ways. Oneness emerges from this web of connections. When one strand is affected, all are affected.   Understanding Soul as “essence in relationship” deepens embodied experience and can mend strands that may have been harmed by trauma, fear, emotional overwhelm, and/or the environment.

The new year in the West is a time for reflecting on the past year and considering what you want to manifest in the coming year. This often comes in the form of a resolution. Many people come up with resolutions that resolutely fail to come to fruition.                Dr. Katy Milkman, professor at the University of Pennsylvania and expert on behavior change, calls New Years a good time for one-and-done goals. Take the increased energy and motivation you feel to do one thing to really make a difference. This could be scheduling a much-needed health screening or joining a gym or spiritual community. To create and maintain long-term goals throughout the year, though, you need scaffolding.                Scaffolding is the framework and structure that supports your work. A daily ritual is a great way to start laying the foundation for this structure. Daily rituals are practices that will help you maintain the core of your energy body. This keeps your body, mind, and Soul functioning as effectively as possible. This exercise for the Soul helps you stay grounded, decisive, truthful to your path, and loving while maintaining your boundaries.                What is a ritual? Repeated behaviors related to awe that connect you to powers greater than yourself. Rituals bring the numinous into your daily life. How? Let’s answer that by asking about the why, where, how, when, and who . Why am I doing this? Your Helping Spirits goal and priority is to help you live your Soul’s purpose. They are non-egoic, so they want nothing in return. Connecting with them daily builds a strong and trusting relationship. My HS are wise, funny, crass, tough, truthful, yet sometimes hard to understand. The deeper our relationship, and the more often we converse, the better I am able to understand their messages and translate them into action.                Where is an altar. This does not have to be big or elaborate. Just consider it a physical space   for you to connect. It can be a shelf, table, or drawer. Inside or outside. The more you practice in a particular location, the easier it is for them to find you and for you to access them when needed. What do you place on the altar? Pictures, incense, pinecones or twigs from around your home, objects of importance, or items representing Helping Spirits and/or Ancestors. A candle is often a good way to begin. How do I work with this altar? Light the candle. Connect with Grandfather Fire. Ask to help you release what is not yours to hold onto and mold what may be disconnected within you. Fire also provides the light for your guides to come to you. Ask your guides for help, advice, energy, or even healing you need for the coming day.                When to practice? The morning is typically best time to prime your day. This does not have to take hours. If you have only 10 seconds, that’s OK. You may have days you can spend more time. If you skip a day, that’s OK too. And if nighttime works better, or before you go to bed, do it. This is your practice. Make it work best for you.                Who is doing this ritual? This is my favorite question. Do your best to show up as you are. Without filters or preconceived notions. Ask and connect with an open heart. You can also connect and embody your True Soul Self before connecting with your altar. Your guides know you and are here to help. Let them.                John O’Donohue says, “…when we stand before crucial thresholds in our lives, we have no rituals to protect, encourage, and guide us as we cross over into the unknown.” Practicing a daily ritual can help you to prevent harm and illness and create more productive, purposeful, and heart-filled days.

I connect daily with a Cherry Tree outside my window, giving gratitude and offerings, asking for advice, or simply saying hello. This tree is connected to Earth and Air and Sun and Water and Metal in ways I often struggle to understand because those processes are not as visible as the changing of leaves. On this darkest day of the year, with leaves already shed, I relate to Cherry Tree in a different way now. Cherry Tree has helped me release my own leaves. Those leaves of emotion, thought, action, and pain no longer needed. I take strength from Cherry Tree to know that after this process I feel cleansed, rooted, and naked without shame.   Trees know and visibly show their connections with Nature and the seasons that humans have a hard time understanding. We call it Seasonal Affective Disorder or lack of Vitamin D or holiday stress. If this were a tree’s interpretation of the natural energy flow and cycles of the seasons, that tree would likely be hunched over, rotting, drooping, sickly. The scientific interpretation is not the only interpretation. Where is Life Force in that scientific interpretation? Where is Soul?   Earth and Sun co-evolved into this energetic pattern we are born into. This orbiting and tilting affects people differently depending on where they live. In the Northern Hemisphere where I live December 21, 2025 is the darkest day of the year. The day we are furthest from Sun. Trees adapt to these conditions by slowing growth, shedding excess, and contracting their energy inwards. This is a time of restoration and rest. Indigenous peoples often celebrate this time with rituals, meals, and connecting with gods and ancestors and Sun.   When humans fight against this natural and organic process, it shows up as fatigue, stress, anxiety, and depression. What I have found more helpful is leaning into the process. Some people first need to understand more about what’s happening before embarking on this inner journey. The easiest way I can explain it is that our bodies are made of matter—largely carbon and water. The same stuff as plants, earth, and oceans. Take the moon for example. Every day, Moon affects the movement of the oceans, actually by slightly bending the curvature of Earth. If Moon can affect Earth that way, isn’t it likely that Moon will affect us little humans in some way? Plants and trees grow towards light and Sun. Doesn’t it make sense that we would be inclined to do that too?   Taoist teachings call this “yin” time. A period of reflection, nourishing, and coalescing. In indigenous cultures this is often the time of storytelling and gathering around the fire. Coming together internally and collectively. I like to use the word contracting because that’s the way the body often feels. Coming to center. Solidifying. When I mentioned this to a client, she said, excitedly, “And we need contractions to give birth!” Contracting is necessary to re-birth our vital Essence. To re-harmonize Soul and Body. In this process, it is not uncommon for people to grieve the loss of who they were, what they didn’t get a chance to accomplish, and parts of themselves. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Winter is time for Water and Kidneys, which contain the vital essence in the Body.   This Winter Solstice, take time to curl under your blankets around a fire, make some hot tea, reflect on where you’ve come from and where you’re going with loved ones or by yourself, give gratitude to all your guides including the Elements, and befriend a tree. They have a lot to teach us.

Shamanic healing is an ancient practice that has been used for centuries to help people achieve balance and harmony. By tapping into the elemental powers of nature and the realm of the spirits (often called non-ordinary reality or NOR), shamanic healers are able to address physical, emotional, mental, energetic, and spiritual concerns. During a shamanic healing session, my first job is to create a safe and sacred space conducive to healing. This often involves smudging you and the place with plants such as sage and/or palo santo, drumming, singing, and/or working with the beautiful sounds of Tibetan singing bowls. The Sacred Directions and the elements of air, fire, water, metal, and earth are brought into the space to connect with the natural world and channel their healing energy. These energies also create an intelligent boundary around this space to keep out anything harmful and allow in what would be helpful. In this space, everyone and everything is treated as sacred, with deep care and respect. I will create an altar for you that will include some other sacred objects such as crystals, scents, oils, and chocolate. You will have the opportunity to take a rock from my collection and place on the altar. According to many Native American and indigenous peoples, rocks were the first people, and are ancient, wise, and powerful. They are great keepers of stories and experience. You will take this rock home after the ceremony. I may also ask you to bring something with you such as a picture, piece of earth from where you live, or other memorable object. These items retain the memories and energy you gained from the healing, and you can continue to connect with them after you leave. Shamanic healing addresses all components of being human--thoughts, emotions, body sensations, energy, and soul. There are various modalities used in shamanic healing that are summed up in the 3 R's--release, restoration, and reconnection. Release involves disconnecting from energies that do not belong to the true Soul self of the client. Restoration involves returning Soul/Essence to the person's physical and energy body. And reconnection is re-aligning the person with their true Soul selves, the natural world, humanity, and their own trusting spirit guides. Each modality is tailored to the unique needs of the client and can help address specific issues, such as trauma, anxiety, depression, stress, chronic pain, or disconnection from purpose. I'll provide you with a recording of our discussion after the healing and notes that include Next Steps for you to continue the healing. I ask that you contact me in a few days to let me know how you're doing. By opening yourself up to the ancient wisdom techniques of shamanic healing, you can embark on a journey of self-discovery and healing that can help you achieve greater balance, harmony, and purpose in all areas of your life!

One concept of healing that often confuses people is integration (although, Authentic Self would be a close tie!) Here’s the definition from Merriam-Webster: “Coordination of mental processes into a normal effective personality or with the environment.”  Four words in this definition are problematic.          The first word is mental . Why? From a soul-based perspective, our souls and bodies are linked to an original blueprint created by Divine/Source. Trauma and not living aligned with our true purpose can disconnect us from this blueprint. Healing reconnects us to the blueprint. There is a mental side to the blueprint—the stories we tell ourselves, beliefs about ourselves, and our cosmology. Yet, being human is more than just mental. We can often trace mental energy to our bodies, emotions, and memories (what I’ve called Energy Body). Integration is acknowledging all aspects of ourselves.          The second word that concerns me is “normal.” Normal is a social construction. Are mathematicians going around gathering data on the minutiae of our lives to consider what is average and what is not? Are not the people who take a stand, who lead despite the crowd’s reactions, who make beautiful art, not visionaries, brave, authentic, and not normal? Integration is being open to accepting a new normal based on one’s own values, identity, and Soul.          The third problematic word is “effective” that implies utilitarian uses of personality traits that elicit acceptable behavior based on society’s standards. Once again, a social construction. It could also mean that the mental process and/or behavior work for the individual. Either way, “effective” implies a mechanistic viewpoint. Would you consider your emotions effective? Perhaps. Your Soul? That doesn’t feel like an effective word.          The last word is “or.” Coordination of mental processes into a normal effective personality OR  with the environment.” Does that mean you can only have one or the other? Coordinated internally or coordinated externally? From my standpoint, integrating means coordinating ALL components of self AND forces outside oneself.          My definition of integration: “The feelings, thoughts, and embodiment of being in alignment with one’s True Soul Self.” People feel better when they feel whole. I see this time and time again. They show up differently in the world. They are more likely to live their true purpose because they know  their true purpose. It is more than a thought. It is a presence and way of being. It is claiming one’s right to be here and take up space. Integration means getting to know oneself in the deepest possible way. In ways most people haven’t been taught.          Trauma results in some form of fragmentation or misalignment with the True Soul Self. In these cases, Soul restoration and/or Energy Body Clearing can re-unite and re-align the whole. The secret is that the whole is within every fragment. Always. In each moment. It’s like lighting two flames joining together to make one. The alignment may be frayed, but Essence is always there. Integration is reconnecting your True Soul Self with this misaligned part, openly hearing what they have to express, giving them what they didn’t get at the time, and allowing and embodying this energetic reunification. People often say this feels weird. That’s a sign that it’s working. You’re creating a new normal.          As you become whole, you make new choices. You show up differently to yourself. The first step is to create a different internal relationship. Embody, understand, and love your True Soul Self, even if that’s at a 0.0001% capacity. And honor any aspect of yourself who has been hurt, harmed, or marginalized. Contact is a prerequisite for coherence which is a prerequisite for emergence. Lack of contact leads us vulnerable to trespass. Integration is reclaiming all parts of yourself so you become who you truly are and take your rightful place in this world.

I challenge you to think about yourself as separate from the elements. You without air. Without earth. Without fire. Without water. Do you recognize yourself? The elements are so intertwined with who we are that we take them for granted. In many indigenous cultures, the opposite is true. Elements are creators in origin stories, involved in rituals for healing and community connection, and given daily offerings of gratitude. Indigenous people are in “right relationship” with the elements. Right relationship means giving thanks and honoring the sovereignty of all things human and non-human. In shamanic terms, all things are made of matter and spirit. Matter is form and substance, and spirit connects to non-ordinary reality and Source/Divine. Appropriately acknowledging matter and spirit in the elements is considered right relationship. The elements form us and guide us. They create a container and open the container. They make us and teach us. Giving daily gratitude to the elements can help you harmonize with natural forces. And elemental rituals can be used for those who need to balance any deficiencies and excesses in their lives. Just as our helping spirits bring unique gifts, the elements are essence energies with special properties.          Water quenches our thirst and cleanses us. Water can flow shallow or deep and take on different states of gas, liquid, and solid. Celtic shamans believe that water is wise because it begins at source, gaining knowledge by moving through different transformations, and reconciling the opposites of gas, liquid, and solid to complete the cycle and returning to source. Water is tied to our emotions and is considered a shapeshifter. Healing requires shapeshifting. Rituals with water provide purification, renewal, or dissolving old stories that need to be released.          Many cultures believe the universe was created by Grandfather Fire. Providing warmth and comfort, Fire gathers people to share stories, cook food, and forge metals. Of all the elements, Fire is the quickest to transform a substance from one form to another. Fire also has the capacity to merge and consolidate matter. For humans, Fire is often associated with passion, purpose, and love. In ritual, Fire quickly releases energy blockages, thoughtforms, and old patterns so something pure will arise.          Air is the essence of breath. Air can flow through small cracks, yet is powerful enough to blow into a tornado. Through word, vibration, smell, and song, Air connects the living beings of this world to each other and to the other elements. Air allows us to communicate. Air is often related on the human plain to clarity, perspective, and freedom. Rituals with Air involve words, vows, and songs used for recapitulation, manifesting, and dismantling.            There are many functions of the Earth element—cultivation, foundation, reclaiming territory, and planting seeds. Also, birth and death rituals, pilgrimages, and quests are tied to Earth. She is often called Mother Earth. Human qualities of Earth are stability, supportiveness, and wholeness. Rituals match the function of Earth with the intention.          The elements connect the outside world to the world inside our physical and energetic bodies. Right relationship with the elements allows their energy to flow within us and through us, releasing what is not ours to hold, and restoring what is our birthright to claim. Through ritual, the elements help us live a more balanced life. In the Irish language the word for element, duil , is the same as the word for desire. May the elements of our desires align with the nature of the elements.

When considering releasing work, people are often quick to jump to horror movies where ghosts, ghouls, monsters, and other “evil” entities dwell with the intent to harm. We all have an innate and intuitive sense that there is a world beyond our senses that we don't quite understand. That’s one reason why these entities in scary movies seem so interesting. But what happens in real life? What is the shamanic view of these entities? Let’s start again with our souls that are connected to Source/God/Divine, the elements, the body, souls of other living beings, and the original authentic pattern of the universe we are born into. Disconnection from any of these is considered soul loss (see Part 2). This experience is traumatic and can produce symptoms such as anxiety, depression, addictions, and separation between souls and bodies. Nature abhors a vacuum. Another way of stating this is—nature does not experience a vacuum. There is always a connection. When there is a disconnection in your soul pattern, a reconnection must be created somewhere else. And what you reconnect with can be an entity that is disconnected themselves, lost, and looking for a warm home. Soul loss can provide space inside your energy body for one of these entities. We call these entities possessing spirits. Yikes! I’m possessed! Take a deep breath. Relax. You are not in a horror movie. I remember the first time I heard I had a possessing spirit I immediately jumped to scenes from the movie “The Exorcist.” That is Hollywood. Fiction. In real life, the explanation is much simpler, and the healing process is actually quite beautiful and profound. First, what is a possessing spirit? From a shamanic perspective, that could mean any spirit, energy, or thoughtform that needs to find their rightful place. These energies can be spirits of animals or trees, ancestral spirits, or ghosts. They are RARELY the scary monsters we see on TV. Often, they are beings who have passed on and need some healing before they can cross over. They are not evil. For the client, the healing involves the practitioner conversing with this spirit and helping them find a more fulfilling and authentic connection someplace else. Often this means helping them resolve any unfinished business in this world. Just as soul loss is a result of your disconnection, these beings also need help finding their way. That’s not so scary. It’s a helpful and compassionate process. Releasing work and restoration work tend to go hand in hand, and even in the same healing session. After releasing work, people often report feeling lighter, more connected and whole, and in-tune with their bodies, minds, emotions, and souls. If you have an intuitive sense that you’re holding onto something that is not yours, feel disconnected from your body, have emotions that don’t seem to match the intensity of the experience, feel constantly fatigued, you may have mistakenly and subconsciously connected with an entity that is not yours. Contact a shamanic practitioner for help.

First, let’s attempt to understand the soul without a definition. That may sound paradoxical, but from my research and experience, a definition diminishes the very thing we’re trying to understand. There are many definitions and approaches to the soul whether religious, spiritual, or indigenous. There’s also personal experience. My belief is that we can cohabit a world with differing descriptions and expressions of soul. I also believe that the experience of soul is often similar. People describe the soul as numinous, connected to the Divine/Source, and as feelings of awe, oneness, wholeness, and peace that words can’t possibly describe. Soul is the essence of who we are at our most authentic. Soul is a noun and verb. Soul is connected to the body and also integrated to energies outside the body. So, what is soul loss? When there is trauma, emotional overwhelm, illness, surgery, a serious accident, intense shock, or grief, among others, the soul MAY become fragmented or dis-integrated. That soul fragment stays connected to the embodied soul as if by a thread, but the essence goes to non-ordinary reality, or the spirit world. The symptoms of depression—emptiness, feelings of worthlessness, lack of energy, etc. are often a result of this disconnection. I say often, because there are also physical, psychological, emotional, and other soul-level concerns (see blog post “A Shamanic View of Mental Illness” parts 1 and 3) that can affect well-being. If soul is fuel, then soul loss causes us to run on a tank that is less than full. Soul loss can also be described as loss of power. This power loss may be due to any of the causes mentioned above, and also the inability to live one’s soul’s purpose due to a family and/or community that judges or criticizes that purpose. In all of these cases, a false self and/or possessing spirit typically enters this energetic space to take up one’s psychic, emotional, physical, and spiritual energy. The true soul self is not fed, but this false self and/or possessing spirit is nourished by thought, action, and belief, therefore denying the true self from life force energy. This creates disequilibrium, lethargy, confusion, and symptoms that may look like mental illness. What is the remedy for soul loss? A soul retrieval from a shaman or shamanic practitioner. Returning and restoring this fragmented soul to the body, and re-connecting with the current soul self, brings the person back into alignment with who they really are. The returned soul does NOT bring back the old story that caused the fragmentation, but instead brings back the gifts that were lost. Often, elemental energies and helping spirits are also returned to re-connect with beneficent energies of the universe. A soul retrieval restores the true soul self to power and immanence, and can lead to healthier choices, increased power and confidence, and a feeling of wholeness and connection with oneself and the outside world.

Approximately 60 million Americans experienced some form of mental illness in 2023. More and more people suffer from anxiety. More and more suffer from depression and various addictions than ever before. Yet, while acknowledging we have room for improvement, we also have better access to mental health care than in the past, increased visibility of mental illness, and decreased stigma. So, how do we interpret the increased number of cases of mental illness along with the increased support? The Western model of helping people with mental illness is promising. Pills help. Therapy helps. But the numbers still rise. First, I challenge you to consider what anxiety means without describing the symptoms. What about depression? Our current model of mental illness is similar to the allopathic terms of the medical community. If you need surgery, we remove the diseased body part. You come in with symptoms, you get this pill. If we call the experience of depression and anxiety an illness or disorder, then it makes sense that our approach would be to remove the illness or prescribe a modality to treat the symptom. Indigenous people do not have words for anxiety or depression. They use terms such as soul loss and possession. And the healing modalities involve the 3 R’s—restoration/retrieval, release, and reconnection. Restoration/retrieval is restoring the fragmented soul to the client’s energy body. Release is finding any energies that do not belong and helping them find their rightful place in the universe. Reconnection involves re-weaving one’s healthy relationship with body, mind, soul, helping spirits, humanity, and non-human beings. With our current depiction of depression as a slew of symptoms, and our belief that the causes are biological, psychological, and social, we are left with a soul that is aching for healing. The biopsychosocial model has its merits, but why does it come at the expense of the soul? When I see people who experience symptoms of depression, that is often a sign of soul disruption or loss that results in diminished power, authenticity, and life force. When I see people who have anxiety I wonder if there are energies connected to them that need to be released at the level of the soul. After a restoration and release, people often need reconnection--to weave together their original soul pattern within their energy body and physical body, and connect to life outside—nature, the elements, and spiritual and universal energies. In short, I’m not advocating for completely disregarding the biopsychosocial model. Instead, I’m suggesting that it is incomplete. Most religious traditions believe in some form of soul. Most spiritual people believe in the soul. Why not discuss this aspect of a person’s life within a therapeutic and healing container? Why not learn tried and true techniques passed down from our indigenous elders? This is a different framework, diagnosis, and treatment plan than the Western model. And the results can be life-changing. Often after a shamanic healing, with the soul more fully embodied and the body more fully ensouled, the symptoms of anxiety and depression automatically, magically, just disappear.

You may have heard these terms if you’ve had previous psychedelic experiences or you’re researching this for the first time. “Set” refers to your mindset and “setting” refers to the environment where you will have your experience. These are important to consider before you start because, from my perspective, everything within you is in relationship with all that is inside of you and all that is outside of you. These relationships are often heightened during psychedelic experiences that I call ceremonies, because their impact is often life-changing and they have a “ceremonial” energy to them.                What is an appropriate mindset before the ceremony? First, calling this a ceremony sets your mind to prepare for the potential impact of the journey you’re embarking upon. Secondly, you’re entering into a relationship not only with this physical substance, that I call medicine, but also with the spirit of this substance. Tune into the feelings, sensations, and thoughts you’re having about the upcoming ceremony. Can you hear this spirit talking to you? They may show up in your dreams (night or day), and may not speak in words, but through image, felt sense in the body, or intuition. This may be hard for some, and if you don’t “get it” immediately, that’s OK. I encourage you to keep trying, but know your limits. After the ceremony, it's typically easier. Others may want to cultivate this relationship through a shamanic journey or meditation practice, and/or setting a space for this spirit on your altar.                Setting an intention is a great way to focus on what you want. Once you ingest the medicine, state your intention, and then let it go. The spirit is an ancient and wise teacher who often takes people to places they weren’t considering. In Western culture we're so wired to think linearly, but that’s often the reason people get stuck. The medicine thinks outside the box and opens doorways to paths novel or forgotten. It's important to set your expectations about the ceremony itself. Some experience a bolt of lightning while, for others, it’s more subtle. Either way is effective, so don’t judge your experience on this metric. The medicine stays with you for a period of time after the ceremony. This is not the end, but the beginning.                Another aspect of preparation is being mindful about what you ingest beforehand. Different substances have different protocols, so ask your guide. Prepare your body, mind, emotions, and Soul not only in what you eat, but what else you take in—news, movies, sexual activity, and environmental and emotional toxins. This creates a sacred internal container that should be matched with a sacred external container.                Your guide is a critical component in setting that sacred external container. Most guides meet with you beforehand to understand your background and intention, make sure you’re the right fit for this medicine, and help you feel comfortable. Ask about the place of the ceremony. Will you have access to the outdoors? Will you be with other people? It’s important that you feel safe and cared for. Anxiety is typical before and during the ceremony. How can your guide help? Often, during these ceremonies senses become heightened, so the sights, tastes, sounds, smells, textures, and temperature need to be conducive to your experience.                People often ask if it’s better to have a group ceremony or individual. It really depends on what you’re looking for. For people who intuitively and subconsciously pick up on environmental energies, particularly with other people, they may have a harder time going deeper into their own process if they’re distracted in a group. On the other hand, a group can provide a collective experience, embracing container, and help you develop more open relationships.                In short, prepare, be open, and trust the process. You’re going on a trip you’ll never forget!

Some would call it a psychedelic boom. Others would call it a return to ancient and indigenous ways of knowing when plants and entheogenic substances were a natural part of the community. Either way, practices that were helpful thousands of years ago are returning. These entheogens, including mushrooms, ayahuasca, peyote, cacao, and ibogaine, have been found to be effective for people with PTSD, trauma, pain, treatment-resistant depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, and substance use disorder. They also increase creativity, well-being, and mystical experiences.         Physiologically, psychedelics can increase neuroplasticity (connections between neurons in the brain) and perhaps even neurogenesis (birthing new neurons). Brain scans show the Default Mode Network (DMN) in the brain becomes less active, allowing the mind to explore under-utilized regions. The DMN is activated when referring to ourselves and may be where rumination and limiting beliefs live, so psychedelics expand our thoughts and sense of self, subconscious material often emerging as a result.         There is a natural fit between shamanism and psychedelics. Shamanism is about creating and cultivating relationships with “all one’s relations,” including the plant, animal, and spirit world. With entheogens, you are not just ingesting a substance. You are connecting with the spirit of that substance that becomes a Helping Spirit who can guide you, and provide wisdom, understanding, and healing even weeks, months, and years after ingestion.   These substances can also provide a doorway to non-ordinary reality (NOR). Connecting with NOR often results in Soul restoration (see previous blog), connecting with Helping Spirits, as well as release of entities and energies that no longer serve you. A common refrain I hear from people after a psychedelic experience is a much deeper embodied sense of who they are. It is a homecoming. A return of “someone” you may have forgotten you knew or somehow always knew but didn’t know how to get there. Healing is wholeness. Previously fractured parts of the self unify, often resulting in feelings of awe, bliss, and oneness. An internal sense of wholeness allows one to feel more connected to the universe, plants, trees, animals, and other humans. To put it another way—a sage was asked by a student, “How do you treat others?” The sage replied, “There are no others.” For people new to psychedelics, I typically advise people to find a guide they can trust, who can answer questions, prepare you, and hold space for your journey. Make sure to disclose previous experiences with psychedelics, current medications, mental health diagnoses, physical issues, and your spiritual practice. Creating a “set,” having the right mindset, and “setting,” making sure the environment is conducive to your journey, is important to ensure you have a beautiful and magical time.         With psychedelics, there are some risks, including persistent hallucinations, psychological distress, and recalling traumatic memories. People who have a history or diagnosis of psychosis, bipolar, mania, personality disorders, seizures, and those who are taking psychiatric meds should consult with a helping professional trained in the administration of psychedelics. Also, people with cardiovascular issues, high blood pressure, and recent trauma, and adolescents and pregnant women should consult with a doctor before taking any substance. Entheogens can be life-changing, so finding a trusted guide is important, as well as having a supportive community, family, and friends is helpful. The experience itself is often an important first step. Integration afterwards is crucial for the experience to lead to new choices and a renewed sense of who you are.

Energy body clearing takes the fundamental principles of your energy body and looks at how trauma and/or unresolved emotional experiences can affect this system. When we experience trauma, that part of ourselves becomes marginalized because some human need was not met. This creates a separation between the Authentic Self and the marginalized part. This separation causes symptoms such as: depression, anxiety, addictions, physical pain, and sleep issues, just to name a few. Our job as adults is to re-connect with this marginalized part in a compassionate and curious way. Think of comforting and helping a child who needs support. Through the energy body clearing method, I guide you to connect to all aspects of your energy body—grounding, central channel, truth cord, boundaries, Inner Healer, and Authentic Self. This provides a container for you to do this work. As your Authentic Self, you turn off your Analyzer, so you can more easily connect with your marginalized part as its own energy who needs healing and not a part who needs more judging or analysis. You’ll be guided to find where you feel that marginalized part in your body. As your Authentic Self, you connect with your marginalized part in a curious and compassionate way that encourages the marginalized part to speak. This often provides immediate release, because they are not connecting with the memory of the marginalized part, but it is as if you are connecting with the marginalized part themselves. Once this connection is re-established, your Authentic Self can give the marginalized part what they did not get at the time. This often provides a feeling of connection and consolidation. The marginalized part becomes integrated into your Authentic Self in the moment. This may also require time outside the session to continue the integration process. This method has been incredibly helpful for people, myself included. I encourage people to use this on their own once they learn the principles. I love this unique process, because it works simultaneously with the mental, emotional, physical, and traumatized parts of self that other methods work with separately. Don't we experience life with all systems working together? Why should the experience of healing be any different? The process often opens up subconscious territory that is otherwise bypassed in everyday life and provides a deeper and more lasting change. The marginalized self no longer takes your life force, your Authentic Self strengthens, and you become more aligned with who you really are. Adapted from Christina Pratt at The Last Mask Center for Shamanic Healing