Be Your Own Shaman

The good news is that the template for these gifts still resides within us-in the memory of our cells, as part of our DNA. With a little awareness, attention, and practice, those ancient gifts can be reclaimed and put back into use, including the healing power of the shaman. So what does it mean to be a shaman today? Is it someone who wears a feathered headdress, shakes a rattle, and dances around a fire to the beating of drums as he communes with an invisible world of spirits? It could be. But did you know that the sweet little old church lady with blue hair and clothes from the 1950s could be a shaman, too?

I use the word shaman to mean “a healer”-someone who expands his or her consciousness and conducts healing energy to help others resolve whatever is ailing them on the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual planes. Most of all, shamans are people from any background who have done the requisite work to heal themselves-clearing away blocked and stagnant energy, releasing past traumas, connecting with guides in the spiritual realms, and listening deep within so that they are aligned to fulfill their potential and pursue their highest life purpose. Just like every other human, you can be your own shaman. The gift of healing ourselves is not limited to the select few who have the potential to treat others. Rather, every one of us is a natural-born self-healer-these abilities are there within us, even if they’ve been dormant. Our task, then, is to learn how to access and use them. To do that, we must familiarize ourselves with, and begin to explore, the hidden world of healing energy that resides within, and all around, us.