Tuesday, April 5, 2011

What is a Shamanic Journey?

The Shamanic Journey is an ancient global practice that has helped many individuals and communities to survive and thrive. This practice is related to, but different from, meditation, and its purpose is as important today as its was in the past. It is a healing and discovery tool with specific steps that are quite simple to learn, and it is mastered with practice over time. There are no special skills needed to journey, it is available to anyone interested in learning this way. During a journey, a part of one's consciousness separates from the physical body and is free to explore non-ordinary reality.

As a journey concludes the part of consciousness that separated from the body to travel, gather information, and undergo healing experiences returns to the body, bringing the energy, memory and teachings of the journey with it. Non-ordinary reality is not usually accessed in our normal waking state because many of us have been trained and educated to consider interaction with these dimensions as simple figments of our imagination and to ignore them. Many of us have also been religiously taught that we are not to go there and that is only the privilege of a selected few who have earned the right to do so.

Non-ordinary reality consists of three dimensions that are distinct from our waking consciousness, or what is known as ordinary reality, and these are termed the Upper World, the Middle World and the Lower World. We tend to be most intellectually familiar with the Upper World as it is also known as heaven or the place of the Divine. It is an ethereal place where angelic spirit allies, spirit teachers, and ancestors who can assist us with spiritual aspects of our lives us reside.

The Middle World is a parallel universe co-existing with our waking consciousness, but our experiences there are not limited by space and time. While Journeying in the Middle World we can visit desired locations, check in on people and situations, and learn more about our world in a whole body, sensory way that is more efficient than intellectual study. We are least familiar with the Lower World. It is a very grounded earthly realm inhabited by teachers, power animals and other spirit allies who embody and share energy that can assist us with our earthly lives.

The benefits that can be gained through practice, mastery and regular use of the shamanic journey include:
physical, mental & spiritual invigoration
increased immune function
access to personal direction & guidance
increased inspiration and creativity
strengthened will forces & encouragement
improved mind body awareness

Sandra Ingerman, a licensed marriage and family therapist and former educational director of the Foundation for Shamanic Studies writes "I journey a lot when I am writing or working on a creative project. My helping spirits are a continuing source of inspiration to me while I write. I recommend that you try journeying when you are working on a specific project to ask for a helping spirit who is willing to support you with your project."

Teacher and Shamanic practitioner Sally Joyce writes "When I journey I am accessing a lot more of myself to see, experience and remember the true way of things. It releases me from limiting beliefs and learned concepts so that I can truly get my thinking out of the box. I see images, hear sounds and experience feelings in non-ordinary reality that I never sense in ordinary reality. When I return from my journeys I find myself inspired with new ideas for paintings or solutions to recent challenges." Today Shamanic Techniques are is used in corporate settings, healing environments, hospice settings and many other places and spaces.

Sally Joyce, OCT B.E.S., B.Ed.
Wellness & Empowerment Practitioner
BALANCE POINT ENERGETICS
149 St. Clair Street
Chatham, Ontario
CANADA
N7L 3J4
(519) 360-9276
http://www.bpewellnesschatham.com/
http://ancientways4moderntimes.blogspot.com/

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