Shamanic Healing Support Group
A story from my book "Shamanic Healing: Traditional Medicine for the Modern World"
He sat in the circle on the back jack, thin and tall, twiddling with his long fingers. He nervously stroked his long honey hair. Shifting it up and down. “Did you see anything?” I asked him when it came his turn to share. “No, I saw nothing. It’s stupid. I can’t do it. I told you I don’t see anything, its useless.” He lowered his face to meet the carpet. The single candle in the center of our circle was shining with bright light in the dimmed room.
We just ended a shamanic journey, asking our spirit guides to show us our personal gifts and how we can manifest them in our lives. “What did you see?” I asked him again. “I don’t know, nothing, it’s so stupid.” “Did you see lines, shapes or have any thoughts?” another member asked. “Not really, maybe, yea, I saw this image of the jaguar,” he admitted and looked up. “Where was he?” she asked. “I don’t know, it’s stupid.” “And what else?” she confronted him. “Well, I don’t know, he said something, I can’t remember exactly. Oh I don’t know maybe I made it all up.” “What is it?” another man asked. “He said that I needed to be proud of my gifts.” We all looked at each other and smiled, as that was an ongoing theme in his life, rejecting and dismissing his own gift as an artist. Since he joined our group two years ago he gained much confidence and moved up in his profession and was now considered by many to be at the top of his profession. We waited patiently as he was battling with himself.
“OK, I’ll tell you.” He rocked on the pillow as if he is going to purge. “I did not want to say it, but I broke my vow not to drink anymore. I made it three years age when I went clean and sober. I feel so shitty,” and he straighten up and looked at us with his sad deep hazel eyes. “Ok. Now I said it.” He breathed deeply and smiled in relief, looking at the group members’ faces. “I admitted it. But I also want to say that I think it was a good thing.” “How?” another member asked. “It gave me such a hangover headache, I was paralyzed the next day. During that time I realized how much progress I made since then. How much better I became, and that is a good thing.” We all agreed.
“Do you know why you took that drink?” I asked him. “I don’t know, at the end of the night somebody offered it to me. Maybe because I worked with the top person in my field and got frightened and overwhelmed,” he reflected. “Did he like your work?” someone else asked him. “Yes, yes, he even said it to my bosses too,” he proudly said and laughed broadly. “Why do you always use I don’t know and stupid?” one of the members asked him. “I don’t know, maybe I don’t want to take responsibility for who I am and my gifts. I actually made a point to myself that I need to stop using those demeaning negative words.”
It was three years before with a small group of my clients that I started this weekly circle. It is one of the most amazing experiences I have had as a shamanic practitioner. It is such a blessing to see people who are committing to their inner growth, finding their identity and personal power and sailing forward with their lives.
The accomplishment stories are many. One of the members went on to form his own shamanic circle, accepted his hated financial job and learned to like it, another started his own weekly healing circle, some got the courage to ask and receive their overdue raises, or moved to a better jobs. One got out of his chronic debts. One stopped her social drinking and found love and relationship. Some became healers themselves. Some were supported to finish writing their books.
Using shamanic tools such as individual and partners journeys, soul retrieval, and invisible cord cutting and other ceremonies, but mainly engaging in openhearted Talking Stick as each member feels safe to share his or her deepest fears and traumas, is what we practice. We learn many lessons together. Mostly realizing that we are all mirrors of one another and to avoid judgment of each other. And also that learning deep listening and supporting not and helping each other is the key for growth. I also offer them homework assignments to practice during the week, which helps them be more consciences of their actions.
As in many indigenous societies, true healing often happen when a family or a community surrounds you as they become witnesses to your struggles and sufferings, accepts them and becomes committed to your health and your growth, transforming it from a lonely shameful battle into a supportive community affair.
He sat in the circle on the back jack, thin and tall, twiddling with his long fingers. He nervously stroked his long honey hair. Shifting it up and down. “Did you see anything?” I asked him when it came his turn to share. “No, I saw nothing. It’s stupid. I can’t do it. I told you I don’t see anything, its useless.” He lowered his face to meet the carpet. The single candle in the center of our circle was shining with bright light in the dimmed room.
We just ended a shamanic journey, asking our spirit guides to show us our personal gifts and how we can manifest them in our lives. “What did you see?” I asked him again. “I don’t know, nothing, it’s so stupid.” “Did you see lines, shapes or have any thoughts?” another member asked. “Not really, maybe, yea, I saw this image of the jaguar,” he admitted and looked up. “Where was he?” she asked. “I don’t know, it’s stupid.” “And what else?” she confronted him. “Well, I don’t know, he said something, I can’t remember exactly. Oh I don’t know maybe I made it all up.” “What is it?” another man asked. “He said that I needed to be proud of my gifts.” We all looked at each other and smiled, as that was an ongoing theme in his life, rejecting and dismissing his own gift as an artist. Since he joined our group two years ago he gained much confidence and moved up in his profession and was now considered by many to be at the top of his profession. We waited patiently as he was battling with himself.
“OK, I’ll tell you.” He rocked on the pillow as if he is going to purge. “I did not want to say it, but I broke my vow not to drink anymore. I made it three years age when I went clean and sober. I feel so shitty,” and he straighten up and looked at us with his sad deep hazel eyes. “Ok. Now I said it.” He breathed deeply and smiled in relief, looking at the group members’ faces. “I admitted it. But I also want to say that I think it was a good thing.” “How?” another member asked. “It gave me such a hangover headache, I was paralyzed the next day. During that time I realized how much progress I made since then. How much better I became, and that is a good thing.” We all agreed.
“Do you know why you took that drink?” I asked him. “I don’t know, at the end of the night somebody offered it to me. Maybe because I worked with the top person in my field and got frightened and overwhelmed,” he reflected. “Did he like your work?” someone else asked him. “Yes, yes, he even said it to my bosses too,” he proudly said and laughed broadly. “Why do you always use I don’t know and stupid?” one of the members asked him. “I don’t know, maybe I don’t want to take responsibility for who I am and my gifts. I actually made a point to myself that I need to stop using those demeaning negative words.”
It was three years before with a small group of my clients that I started this weekly circle. It is one of the most amazing experiences I have had as a shamanic practitioner. It is such a blessing to see people who are committing to their inner growth, finding their identity and personal power and sailing forward with their lives.
The accomplishment stories are many. One of the members went on to form his own shamanic circle, accepted his hated financial job and learned to like it, another started his own weekly healing circle, some got the courage to ask and receive their overdue raises, or moved to a better jobs. One got out of his chronic debts. One stopped her social drinking and found love and relationship. Some became healers themselves. Some were supported to finish writing their books.
Using shamanic tools such as individual and partners journeys, soul retrieval, and invisible cord cutting and other ceremonies, but mainly engaging in openhearted Talking Stick as each member feels safe to share his or her deepest fears and traumas, is what we practice. We learn many lessons together. Mostly realizing that we are all mirrors of one another and to avoid judgment of each other. And also that learning deep listening and supporting not and helping each other is the key for growth. I also offer them homework assignments to practice during the week, which helps them be more consciences of their actions.
As in many indigenous societies, true healing often happen when a family or a community surrounds you as they become witnesses to your struggles and sufferings, accepts them and becomes committed to your health and your growth, transforming it from a lonely shameful battle into a supportive community affair.