There is a beautiful Shamanic practice of walking in nature with soft eyes to receive guidance and answers to specific questions. It is a practice of journeying between worlds but without the use of psychedelic substances. Rather it involves opening up and allowing a broader way of perceiving in order to drop into the magic that is always around us.
The practice begins by calling in The Directions and slowing down into a theta brain wave state. The intention for the journey, which involves seeking answers to a particular question or guidance, is held at the heart space. Once there is a softening of energy and the physical body appears to drop away - and the Crown Chakra and Third Eye Chakra open further – it is time to start walking through nature with soft eyes. In this state, given everything is energy, the natural world configures around you to provide answers to the questions you seek.
The questions I held at my heart were as follows. What is ‘healing’ and how does healing occur? I am a healer and I have been working actively in one way or another in this area for 15 years. I have been on a spiritual healing journey since I was 16 so these practices have unfolded as my life path (I am currently 46!), a path of healing myself so that I can be of service to others when they are ready to heal. My experience with ‘healing’ and what ‘healing is’ has evolved dramatically during that time. My heart wanted to experience what nature can share with me around healing and to expand my awareness and understanding of the truth of what all of this means.
I will not share everything that I experienced on this walk but I will say that it was deeply transformative and powerful. I will share two key experiences that stood out to me as something that will serve as a way of moving away from healing being something that can be squished into a small period of time, rather it being viewed as an experience that the soul is called to experience and to expand into.
Experience #1 - The Tree
After walking for a short time, a particular tree called my attention. There were birds that flew towards the tree and there were branches of other trees that seemed to be pointing in its direction. This is all part of a Shamanic Walk, following the signs in nature.
I asked the tree mentally if it was ok to merge with it. The answer was a big ‘Yes’. I walked slowly towards the tree with the intention of merging slowly with it. I checked that the tree was still ok with me to merge with it. Each time I received the answer ‘yes!’. When I was close enough I put my hand gently on the tree and suddenly everything turned ‘Red’. The Tree transported me into its world. The colour red is the colour of the Root Chakra and this is one way energetically that we ground. The tree mentally told me that there is ‘no healing without grounding’. This to me is multi-layered. We need to be in our bodies to heal (ground). We also need to be able to bring more of our energy here to ground in a deep way (most people resist this on some level) that involves feeling safe to be here on the planet. In this way, our bodies can feel safe enough to go into the deeper layers of healing. The tree showed me the pain in my womb and offered to support me in healing some of that pain. I told the tree that I could actually feel the pain in the back of my heart. The Tree told me that the pain I could feel so strongly at the back of my heart was actually coming from my womb space.
The Womb is a powerful portal that is linked to creation itself. It is also a place that accumulates pain, not just our own but that of our ancestors as well as the collective. At this point the tree offered its healing abilities to me. I gratefully agreed and sat down with my back against the tree. I will do my best to describe what happened. I could feel and see what appeared to be roots growing out of my womb and legs down into the earth. I sat for what seemed like the longest time while the tree was working on me. I could feel and sense old energy flowing out of me down into the Earth to be transmuted. Towards the end the tree also told me that there is no healing without ‘connection’. We must connect to nature to heal and we must also connect to each other. The tree showed me just how it supports others. In particular the birds and insects that call it home. The tree showed me that it is happy to be their home. It enjoys the company!
I had been feeling like I wanted to withdraw my energy from the world and this was a sign it was time to expand back out and reconnect. Trees are deeply powerful healers. They have a perfect balance of male and female energy and have much to teach humans who are open to their wonders. I thanked the tree for its kind offering to help me and for the deep healing. When it felt right, I began walking again.
I will skip some of what happened next but I will say that it was also deeply transformative.
Experience #2 - The Snake
Some time later I followed some Goat foot prints down to the water and a black snake slide by my feet (maybe 2 inches in front of me) and straight into the water. To me this was a big lesson from spirit, given the power of ‘snake’. This demonstrates that healing requires going head-first into our emotions. To sit with ‘what is’ and with (for whatever reason) was unable to be processed at the time. ‘Snake’ reminds us that we must transform or die. ‘Snake’ must shed its skin to survive. To me, transformation and healing are not only intertwined but inevitable – at some point our soul is ready to do the work. The personality may resist for a while but it will never quieten a soul that is ready to transform. The readiness of the soul, its tremendous unlimited power and ultimate nature of evolution through conscious creation can never be quietened down for any significant length of time. The personality must and will surrender.
I felt deeply grateful for the guidance and wonder that unfolded as part of this walk through nature in a Shamanic way. Shamanism is a powerful energy healing modality based on the power and beauty that exists around us at all times. Teaching us that we are always guided, always cared for and deep healing is always available to us when we are open to it and ready to receive it.
I offer this type of guided experience as part of my ‘New Beginnings Retreats’ which will be coming back as an offering in 2023.
Until that time if you wish to So, if you would like to know more about Shamanic Energy Healing, Shadow Work or Hypnotherapy, simply browse through our website for more information.