Shamanic Practitioner Training Classes including Celtic & Native American Shamanism Traditions
Workshops: 2012 East Anglia UK
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Enter the Circle - Engage the Flow"
Day 1: Intermediate Level Shamanic Practitioner Training Course
Shamanic Practitioner Training: Themes, Exercises + Related Resources...
| SOME OF THE EXERCISES, PRACTICES & EXPERIENCES WE WILL BE WORKING WITH |
Beyond the boundary of experience flows "The Way"
Ever greater - yet more subtle - than the world
[Do Your Work then Step Back!]
Raising Energy ("Raising Our Level of Vibration") : Self-empowerment, Inspiration, Motivation
We begin our class journey by chanting and moving together to a Native American style tribal dance, aided by drum and rattle, to raise our spirits & energy level. The 3 phases of this symbolic circle ritual remind us of our potential to connect with our 3 levels of identity...And to experience our life on 3 interwoven levels...
- Individual self
- Part of a Group/Community
- Part of the Cosmic Oneness (Great Spirit/God)
- Personal journey
- Soul-Group (Family/Community) journey
- Spiritual Life (free-flowing, self-creative, self-expressive, self-actualising)
I circle around [x 2]
The boundaries of the Earth [x 2]
Hayya Hayya Hayya Hayya [x 2]
Wearing the long wing feathers as I fly [x 4][Native American version of this Ghost-Dance Song]
This vibrant, energising circle dance [Hear it now] derives from the Arapaho-Sioux Ghost-Dance Uprising - A 19th century Spirited Revival Religion. The Ghost Dance movement arose at a time when the Native Tribes of North America, after prolonged contact with the "White Man" immigrants, were losing touch with their traditions, their ancestors and their close connection with nature. They were falling into alcohol addiction, crime and the breakdown of family and community structure ("soul-loss"). This dance derived from that uplifting tradition and affirms that we are not just human individuals living in a material world, but also part of a bigger community of spirited beings who are deeply connected to the earth and also capable of flying beyond the limitations of the material world on an exhilarating flight of free spirit. We respect and enjoy the boundaries (limits) of our earthly life experience and the co-creative experience of community life, but we are not limited by these resources. You can read more about the historical origin of this dance in "The Ghost-Dance Religion and the Sioux Outbreak of 1890" (Amazon links: UK & Europe Canada USA)
Igniting the Spark to Engage in Our Personal Shamanic Path : Many people choose to live their lives "stuck in a rut" - miserable and unfulfilled, unprepared for death. Engaging in The Way (lifestyle) of the Shaman begins with nurturing our desire and passion for fulfilment - for living more fully, achieving more of our potential and having a fuller experience of ourselves and of the integrated earthly/spiritual life for which we have incarnated into this lifetime. For this we will draw on the Native American wisdom of the Medicine Wheel incorporating the 4 compass directions...
| Spirit of the East [x 2] Help the New Dawn in us rising [REPEAT] Spirit of the South [x 2] Spirit of the West [x 2] Spirit of the North [x 2] Grandmother Earth [x 2] Grandfather Sky [x 2] Spirit of Within [x 2] Wakan Tanka, Great Spirit, O Great Mystery |
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| ["Song of the Sacred Directions" - Amazon links to "Sacred Drumming" source Book + CD: U.K. USA Canada] | ||
Developing Skilfulness : Before we can do healing work on ourselves, or on another, we must "step back" and invest a little time and effort to let go of any current unskilful states and enter into a skilful state i.e. a state of mind, body, emotions, spirit & soul characterised by...
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See also Point HealingWe will practice meditative movement, spiritual practice and cognitive therapy techniques for letting go of "unskilful states" such as tension, agitation, drowsiness, misery, struggle, anger, inflexibility etc. Our natural state of being is "skilful", so we don't have to create "skilfulness", we just have to become aware of, process, clear and release, any current "unskilfulness".
Alignment with Self : Self-awareness - Integration of Senses & Feelings
The Reflective Breathing technique as a self-awareness tool which integrates mind, body, spirit, perceptions, senses and feelings. Self-awareness is essential for healing self or others - it is the starting point for choice (self-empowerment) and personal transformation. There are 4 types of outcome of this exercise:
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Aligning with Life's Transitions : Self-Awareness & Healing community
Demonstrated via the Circle Dance: "Steal Away" - a meditative dance to a Celtic ballad (lyrics & music details) reminding us of the Celtic Shamanism tradition of our ancestors in the British Isles. The dance steps were devised by Cambridge Circle Dance teacher, Pam Adcock, drawing on her long experience of the ancient circle dancing tradition. Circle dancing provides individual relaxation, integration & inner harmony and also promotes healing and harmony within communities.
This particular circle dance centres on the theme of "Moving on". Shamans & shamanic healing have traditionally played an important role in helping people to cope with change - the inevitable need for "Letting go", moving on and adapting to a new phase of life (e.g. a new relationship, job or home, but also a change in our health, wealth or social status). One of the great "misalignments" of our current society is what psychologists call "hyperarousal" (as in the condition Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ADHD which is being seen increasingly in our children). The changing rhythms of this dance gives us a quick indication of whether hyperarousal is currently an issue for us and it also great for quickly slowing us down into a more skilful state.
A lovely meditation song reminding us to "Come into the Divine Light" to avoid winter depression while sunlight is reduced .
Where do I go with all these feelings?
And all these faces and open doors?
When everyone else seems so serene
And I just feel so insecureWhere do I go when all the pieces
of my heart feel on the floor?
You say...
"Come into The Light why don't you?"
"Come on Now! Come into The Light!"
Where do I go with all these memories?
And all these bags filled up with shame?
How should I feel when you call me an angel?
And dress me in a crown of gold?What should I do when tears of sorrow
"Come into The Light why don't you?"
just won't stay inside these eyes?
You say...
"Come on Now! Come into The Light!"
What should I do when a gentle hand
reaches out to take my own?
How should I feel when tears of joy
just won't stay inside these eyes?What will I do when I start to love you?
Really trust and know you're there?
You say...
"You'll be in The Light where I am!"
"Come on Now! Come into The Light!"
Aligning Ourself to Divine Guidance & Support: Chanting a Healing Mantra
"Ra Ma Da Sa Sa Say So Hung" is one of the most powerful Healing Mantra chants known. Encodes sound healing properties for balancing the chakras but also used for divine connection & alignment purposes. These sounds are found in healing mantras from a range of spiritual traditions. They are a way of clearing the chakras & human aura so that the energetic connection to our higher self/unconscious mind/the spirit world (according to your culture / experience / structuring of reality).
We used a Kundalini Yoga version of this mantra, now formulated now as monotheistic but with ancient pagan roots going back to Ancient Egypt, Greece & Rome, the Man-God Hermes Trismegistus, the Sun God (symbolising masculine energy & qualities) "Ra" and Moon Goddess (symbolising feminine energy & qualities) "Ma". The musical version of the chant that we used can be found on this beautiful CD: Angels' Waltz by Sada Sat Kaur. More about the background and technology of this mantra can be found: HERE
Introduction to "Indigenous Shamanism", "Core Shamanism", the basic principles of Shamanism and the role and diversity of rituals and spiritual practices.
Aligning to our Power & Authority: Correcting any misalignment
Sometimes (often?) life does not go the way we think it should - the direction we feel we need, the direction that is "fair", or the direction have planned. In response to these experiences we often go into "misaligned" states of disempowerment such as: frustration, victimhood, self-pity (an impoverished distortion of self-love), rationalisation ("There's nothing I can do, I will just have to put up with this"), "learned helplessness", blaming (= giving away our power and control), martyrdom etc. We will practice a cognitive therapy healing process in which we regain our power and authority to reach a more skilful place of either commitment to the unwanted turn of events, or a renewed determination and creativity to change what is happening. We will practice doing an individual variation of this process as a homework exercise and practise the partnered version in class.
Tutor for this course: Dr. Mike Meredith Email Mike
Recommended Reading / Study List:
Working with Animal Totems - Power Animals
Shamanic Totems - Books & Music CDs:
UK & Europe Canada USA
Find & Develop the Shaman Within You : Forthcoming Workshops, Courses & Events
Shamanic Healing: Step into Your Power!
Experience Shamanic Healing Free - Online Now!: De-Stress Photos
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