Today,
We will be embarking on a shamanic journey.
Before all shamanic journey work,
I recommend that you take a moment to open the sacred space through ritual.
You may choose to light a candle or turn on a small lamp,
But it is important that you formally open the space with such a ritual and then blowing out the candle or turning off the light once you are done,
Signaling a closing of the sacred space.
This sends a clear message and sets a clear boundary that the container is closed and will not remain open for the rest of the day.
You may also want to formally set an intention for your journey and take a few extra minutes to make sure the energy feels settled before proceeding.
During these exercises,
I recommend that you use the breathing technique that works best for you.
I prefer deep and slow breaths,
Much like you would take during meditation.
My intention for you today is to meet one of your spirit guides,
To have the opportunity to communicate with them and listen to any information that they are looking to share with you.
The place where we are going is where you will come to begin most of your journeys.
It is also the place you will return to for rest,
Regeneration,
And general exploration with guides and ancestors.
It may be helpful to draw a map of this place as you uncover new locations within the space and new beings to interact with.
You may also alter the path to get here based on the terrain that resonates most with you,
Such as navigating by way of forest path,
Desert cave,
Ocean,
Or other landscape.
If you notice that you have trouble visualizing what is being asked of you,
You may need a shamanic practitioner to facilitate this journey for you in real time or in person.
Sometimes it's just a matter of practice and devotion to this work.
We will begin by taking some time to settle into your space a little more deeply.
I want to provide your body with an opportunity to acclimate to these moments of stillness as we begin to cross the threshold to the other side.
I invite you to take a few deep breaths,
Allowing the air to pool as low in your belly as you can imagine.
Bring your focus to the base of your pelvic bone as you take these breaths,
While observing the sensation in the air moving from your nostrils down into your lower abdomen.
Take a moment to adjust any part of your body that needs to further release tension it is holding.
If you notice that any part of your neck or head need additional support,
Reach for another pillow now.
And continue to breathe,
Observe,
And allow yourself to feel more settled in this space before we proceed.
Today the path we will be taking is through the forest.
And we will begin by imagining standing in a field at the edge of a forest.
If you have a place where you like to go hiking or spend time in nature as a child or as an adult,
I recommend using that place as your jumping off point.
And at the edge of this forest,
We'll just take a moment to look around to feel the sun on our back and notice the gentle breeze in the trees.
The stillness that remains just outside of this path we are about to follow.
Begin to make your way into the forest,
Slowly and intentionally putting one foot in front of the other.
I invite you to look around at the trees that surround you.
At any plants or brush that are alongside the path.
Making note of any animals that appear or any birdsong that is present.
Take a moment to look down at your feet and watch one foot come down in front of the other.
Observing your forward motion that will carry you further into the forest.
As you walk your path,
You notice that up ahead there are some trees that look a bit different than the other ones.
On your left hand side,
You are approaching a tree that is much larger than the rest.
And as you come up on this tree and walk around to the other side,
You notice that there is a doorway,
A large opening,
Big enough for a human to enter the tree trunk.
When you are ready,
I invite you to enter into this doorway where you find yourself at the top of a staircase.
As you put your hand out to touch the trunk of the tree and look down at the staircase in front of you.
Take a moment to smell.
Take a moment to breathe it in.
How does this place feel for you?
When you're ready,
You will begin descending the staircase,
Keeping your hand against the wall as you put one foot in front of the other to move down one stair at a time.
Notice the texture of the wall around you.
Is it wet or dry?
Is it bark or stone?
As you take each step and descend this staircase,
How does it feel under your feet?
What is the consistency and the texture of the steps?
Take a moment to look down at your feet and watch one foot move in front of the other as you continue down further.
As you approach the bottom of the staircase,
You notice that there is a light.
But the further down you go,
The more vibrant this light becomes.
You can see that there is another opening at the bottom of the stairs,
Similar to the one where we started.
Imagine opening the size of a doorway that leads out to an entirely different nature sanctuary.
I invite you to exit the trunk of the tree and step out into this place to take a moment and look around at the environment in front of you.
Is it another forest?
Is it a meadow?
Are there mountains or rivers or trees?
What does the sky look like?
We'll take a moment to take in this scenery and really be with it before we call anyone forward.
Once you have taken in your surroundings,
You will find a nice spot to sit on the ground or a rock or a bench,
Wherever you will feel most comfortable.
At this point,
We will invite a guide to come forward and speak with us.
Today,
We are looking for a guide that has wisdom to share,
A guide that has messages for us,
Or maybe one that is just interested or curious in communicating with us about something specific.
We will ask them to come forward and engage in conversation.
If you have many guides that appear,
I recommend that you start with one before moving on to the rest.
If you notice that no one appears,
We're going to sit here for a bit longer.
Once your guide makes themselves known,
We're going to engage in conversation and ask them a few questions.
First we are going to ask the guide what their name is and what they are here to talk about.
We will be asking them what they are here to support or assist us with on our healing path.
Is there any information they wish to share with us today?
And anything else that they would like to discuss in this space?
At this point,
I will pause speaking and give you space to communicate with this being who has come forward.
If no one has come forward,
I invite you to spend the time exploring.
At this point,
I invite you to ask your guide if there is any way that they want to be honored in your life.
If there is anything that you need to do to maintain connection or continue to work with them on some level.
And lastly,
We're going to ask them if there's anything that they need from us.
Is there anything that we can do for them?
Take a minute to thank your guide for coming forward and for working with you today.
And make your way back to the tree trunk where we started,
Preparing to ascend the stairway and make our way back to the forest.
As you prepare to re-enter the tree trunk,
Take one last look around and allow yourself to feel a moment of gratitude for this experience.
Allow yourself to feel what's possible through making this a regular practice.
And when you're ready,
I invite you to ascend the stairway,
Taking the steps intentionally and slowly,
And using your hand to brace yourself against the wall once more,
Being conscious of every step that you take and every sensation beneath your fingers.
As you continue to ascend,
Up ahead you can see a familiar glow,
One that leads to the forest where we started our journey.
And as you exit the tree,
You will continue back down the path that brought us to this place.
Take a look around,
Noticing if anything has shifted in this landscape,
The light or the trees or the animals that are present.
Notice how you're feeling as you put one foot in front of the other,
Preparing to exit the forest.
Continue to make your way down the path until you can see the end of the trail,
The one that leads to the meadow where we started.
And when you reach the end of that path,
Take a moment to take a few deep breaths and bring yourself fully back into your body,
To bring yourself fully back into the here and now,
And to send one more thank you to your guides for taking the time to work with you today.
I also recommend journaling about your experience and taking a few minutes to digest and integrate before continuing on with whatever it is that you have planned for the rest of the day.
Thank you for joining me on this shamanic journey,
And I will see you next time.
