If you had told me 20 years ago that I’d use shamanism in my daily life, let alone become a shaman, I would have looked at you like you had two heads. A what??
Like so many others, my life is full: three kids, a home, a husband, two dogs, bills, volunteering, many clients, friends and family. I don’t live in a monastery (although I do live on top of a mountain) so my spiritual practice has to be interwoven into the fabric of my daily life. And it is – in the form of shamanism.
A shaman is a healer that can gather information in the spiritual realm and bring it back into everyday reality. Traditionally, shamans are the medicine men and women of the tribe who deal with physical, mental, emotional and spiritual imbalances or illnesses. Today, shamans come from all walks of life and help people in the contemporary world with challenges in relationships, health, wealth, career or spirituality.
I began studying with a shaman when my life fell apart in my mid-twenties with a whopping combo of heartbreak, betrayal and an out-of-control classroom. I was desperate to understand why I was in so much drama, turmoil and pain. This wake-up call was the greatest gift because it shaped the course of the rest of my life.
My decade plus study enabled me to let go of being an overachieving people-pleasing perfectionist and embrace being a messy, mostly happy human being. I’m much less stressed, more in tune with my true self and overall a much kinder person.
The tools I learned have served me through many transitions and upheavals in my life since my first wake-up call, and I use them on a daily basis for my own ongoing self-care, to work through the inevitable conflicts within relationships and to navigate being a working mama.
If you’d like to bring deeper meaning, more contentment and a sense of being aligned with your inner knowing and God, then these 9 Practical Ways to Use Shamanism in Your Everyday Life can help.
These first three based on the very foundations of shamanism, and support refilling your energy as part of your nurturing self-care, which we all need in our modern busy world:
- You are connected to all of Life.
Shamanism is based in the knowing that we are all connected. We are one. You can tap into source/God/life at any time by sitting still, closing your eyes, and noticing your breath. Then visualize your connection to source – it could be imaging a cord that links your bellybutton down into the Earth, or picture disappearing into the vastness of the nighttime star-filled sky, or create a representation of the divine feminine or divine masculine in your mind.
Now imagine your energy being refilled – your body glowing with color or energy, every cell of your being restocked and rejuvenated. While this may sound a little woo-woo, I find that by dropping in and connecting to a force larger than myself fuels me and my ability to handle all the daily demands as a working mama and wife.
- Your thoughts are connected to your emotions.
Shamans know that your body, mind and spirit are intimately connected. You’ve most likely heard this within spiritual or personal growth circles. What does this mean?
Quite simply: your thoughts create your emotions. If you think fear-filled thoughts, you will feel constriction and discomfort in your body. When you think and truly believe thoughts based in love, you feel more expansion and pleasure in your body and life becomes much smoother!
When you notice a tight or uncomfortable sensation in your body, take a moment to check in with what you are thinking. You might catch yourself with a negative thought such as “I am overwhelmed with all I have to do!” or “What’s wrong with you?”
Life is giving you an opportunity to stop going against yourself with your small, limiting thoughts. Breathe into the tight sensation. Exhale. Gently tell you mind, “Thank you. All is well. It’s okay.” Repeat. Often.
- Respect the Earth.
Shamanism is grounded in a deep respect for Pachamama, Gaia or Mother Earth. The Earth is a living organism that supports all of life so by respecting and caring for her, we are also caring for each other and ourselves.
There are infinite ways to show Mother Earth our love and appreciation – say a prayer for her wellbeing or the wellbeing of all humanity when you hear of a natural disaster or tensions on some part of the planet, sing a song to her (The Earth is Our Mother is one of my favorites), reduce, reuse, recycle, tend a garden, pick up trash. When I give my thanks to the Earth, I feel her energy thanking me in return. Tune in and you might feel this too.
Care for our mama and she will continue to support and care for us. After all, she’s the only planet we have!
These next three ways support creative problem-solving
- The Four Elements are at Your Service: Earth, Water, Fire and Air.
Most of us are removed from being in daily contact with the four elements in a primal way. Yet with some creativity, you can use the energy of the elements to help shift the energy within your body.
Earth is excellent for grounding. When I’m feeling tired, overwhelmed or spacey, I often go into my yard and lie on the Earth, belly to the ground.
If you can’t access the outdoors, you can lie on the floor and picture the Earth beneath you. I visualize the Earth’s energy gently surrounding me – if I need extra grounding, I might even imagine vines gently wrapping themselves around me to tether me to the ground. As I breathe in this energy, I feel more relaxed, energized and present.
Water is wonderful for letting go. When I’m feeling cranky, judgmental or having a hard time moving on from a challenging person or incident, I’ll go down to the East Branch River and imagine I’m pouring my feelings or thoughts into the water and the current carries them away downstream.
If you can’t go to a river or ocean, a shower works wonders. Let the water cleanse you and your emotions. Ahhh!
Fire is perfect for deep release. If I notice that I’m really chewing on a problem or can’t forgive myself or someone else, I’ll use our fire pit to help burn away the issue. Traditionally shamans use copal (a tree resin), sage or tobacco leaves to throw into the fire to represent whatever you’d like to release.
If you don’t have these, a scrap of paper and a fireplace does just as well. No fireplace? Then light a candle and picture yourself offering up your troubles.
Air is for clearing. When the wind blows through our mountain valley, you can see and feel the change in the air. When you take a deep breath and exhale, you can feel the shift within your body if you pay attention.
Inhale love, light or compassion. Exhale fear, worries, resentment, anger – whatever is bothering you.
- Pay Attention to Animal Medicine.
In shamanism, “medicine” is anything that nurtures healing for your body, mind or spirit. It could be a plant, kind word, ceremony or even spotting an animal.
Yes, animals carry medicine. Each animal has a specific energetic quality to them. Think of a grasshopper and you probably envision a leap forward. A bear? Turning in to hibernate in their den.
If an animal crosses your path, appears in a nighttime dream or even if you just find yourself thinking about one frequently, look up it’s animal medicine by Googling “[insert the animal’s name] medicine card.”
If you don’t live in a place that puts you in contact with animals, Medicine Cards: The Discovery of Power through the Ways of Animals by Jamie Sams and David Carson is a wonderful resource and has a deck of cards that you can use to pull and read the meaning of the animal’s medicine.
Invite this ancient wisdom into your life and you might be surprised with the wisdom it brings.
- Practice Being an Eagle, Jaguar & Spider.
Speaking of animals… You might be wondering why these three animals. In my shamanic training, which comes from the Toltec lineage of Mexico, each of these animals brings a different and useful point of view into your life when you are confronted with a problem.
Let’s say that you’ve been having a tough time with your child – they’ve been lashing out and unappreciative of all you do.
Eagle soars high above the ground so he has a far-sighted point of view. He can see the big picture and is not concerned with the details. He dreams and flies above it all, then when he spots his prey, he dives down to capture it.
Eagle point of view would suggest that you take a step back and remember the love you have for your child. If you’ve been taking their actions personally, eagle would help you see their struggle and have compassion for them. Eagle would wait for the right moment to make a suggestion (say right before bedtime) – not getting caught up in the heat and drama of the moment (when everyone is mad at each other).
Jaguar is stealthy and grounded. He tracks his way through the jungle, noticing everything around him. He’s focused and does not miss anything.
Jaguar would track where your child’s behavior is coming from, what has contributed or lead up to this moment. Jaguar might see that your child is hungry and tired afterschool – snacks are in order and less requests for taking care of chores goes a long way. Jaguar might notice that you’ve been busy with work and haven’t spent as much focused, present time with your child and they’ve been feeling neglected.
Finally spider weaves her web and waits. She allows insects to come to her; she does not go off prowling for them.
Spider would wait and watch your child, making time and space for them to come to you. Perhaps sitting on the couch near where they are playing, or being in the house and awake when your teen comes home. Be present for them to open up and tell you their trouble or just reconnect again.
Do you see how using each animal’s point of view might help you problem-solve in a different way?
These final three ways help bring meaning, focus and positive energy into our lives:
- Ceremony Brings Meaning into Your Life.
Most of us have been to a wedding ceremony or a funeral to celebrate or mourn an important transition in the life of family or friends. Yet you can create your own ceremony to help bring more meaning into your life.
I’ve created “bigger, special” ceremonies such Blessingways (sacred baby showers) for myself and clients, but I also make up mini-ceremonies to bring a sense of sacredness to my daily life. For example, when I take some personal “me time” and enter my Healing Space, I light a candle and offer a prayer for myself and the world. This small act instantly shifts my energy, reminds me to slow down and enjoy my free time, and serves as a reminder of the light that I carry within me.
Other simple ceremonies that I’ve used with my family include holding hands and saying what we are grateful for before we start dinner, asking our 7 year old to walk around the house with a bundle of lit sage to clear out the energy after he’s had a tough day, or mindfully doing yoga poses for a few minutes each morning while connecting to the sun (hence the name sun salutations).
Ceremonies don’t have to be big and fancy – they can fit into your day. For more ideas and information on ceremony, check out the Sacred Ritual page on Au Soleil Healing’s website.
- Create an Altar.
An altar is a visual reminder and representation of energy. I have altars all over my home which instill a sense of beauty, order and pleasure in my life -and you probably wouldn’t think they are altars at first glance!
Above my kitchen cabinets, my cookbooks are artfully arranged. It’s my altar to healthy eating and the love I pour into cooking for my family. In our dining room, there is an altar to family filled with photos of grandparents and children. In my Healing Space, there is a corner bookshelf that represents wisdom with the books that have changed my life, pieces of art and pretty cards from friends, and special trinkets that I have collected on travels around the world.
To make an altar in your home, simply think of an energy you’d like to cultivate in your life – peace, calmness, playfulness. Then find objects or pictures (you can always search for images online and print them out) that remind you of this feeling, arrange beautifully, and voila! You have an altar.
- Healing Touch
Shamans know that beyond our physical body, we also have an energy body. We can use the power of touch to comfort, relax and heal ourselves and our loved ones. You don’t need any special training to do this. In fact, most of us already use the power of touch without realizing it. You’ve most likely put your hand on a child’s head to comfort or calm them down, gave a friend a hug when they were upset, or petted a cat or dog and felt calmer.
You can consciously cultivate the power of healing touch by taking a moment to center yourself and relaxing into your breath. Then imagine that your hands are filled with energy – it could be calming or energizing depending on what you or the person in front of you needs. Picture the energy flowing from your hands into whatever part of your body or your loved one’s needs attention as you gently place your hands there.
Don’t worry – you can’t do this wrong! Practice and play with your energy and it will grow stronger.
And one bonus…
Join (or Create) a Sacred Gathering.
Life is Messy. It’s Okay. You Are Not Alone. These truths resonate in my life so I appreciate support when I’m facing challenges, as well as when I want to celebrate the good in my life. That’s why I regularly participate in gatherings that nurture myself and my spiritual practice by going to my Meditation Group and my Women’s Circle regularly
Each month near the new moon, a group of my women friends and I gather in a women’s circle called a Moon Lodge to eat, remember our connection to the divine feminine, sing sacred songs, talk about our lives from a place of honesty and vulnerability and hold space for each other. This sisterhood is deeply fulfilling.
Your sacred gathering might happen at a coffee shop, bookstore, or in your own home – anywhere you can bring together a couple of friends who you trust. Simply reaching out from a place of truthfulness – an email that says, “Hey, I’m facing some challenges or sometimes feel lonely and would love to get together with you” opens doorways for more caring and support in your life. And that’s energy all shamans would approve of!
Shamanism is not an esoteric, ancient art, it’s a practical tool for healing and problem-solving in our modern world. It’s still relevant – and needed more than ever – in our busy lives today. I invite you to take some of these shamanic suggestions and incorporate them into your daily routine, then let me know the results!
If you’d like to discover how to add shamanism into your everyday life, join me for my Secrets of Shamanism Training starting November 29th, 2017! More deets here!
Meghan I love the simplicity and honesty of this! It is my new daily reminder sheet that i will reference every day! Peace,Laura
Thank you Laura! I love living this life! xox
Loved this. Want to read it more closely tonight when I am done nurturing the hungry hordes!
Thank you Katie! I love incorporating this way of life into my household… I’m familiar with those hungry hordes too!