The Deep Healing Powers of Shamanic Journeying
by Dina Strada
My first experience with shamanic journeying came after I discovered my husband was having an affair while I was 7 months pregnant with our second child.
I was a corporate career girl up till that point. I didn’t have time or space in my 50-hour work week crowded with trips to the gym, social engagements and caring for a 4 year old to fit in things like meditation or journeying to places outside my 3 dimensional realm.
This might have been why I missed the loud cries of Spirit trying to show me what was going on in my marriage.
But when I found myself, 3 months after giving birth to my beautiful daughter, hysterical on the living room after my husband left me for another woman, the suggestion of going to a shamanic journey and doing plant medicine didn’t seem all that crazy.
Overcoming trauma requires deep healing and I was desperate to heal. Hence began my ongoing relationship working with sacred plants and my commitment to doing shamanic work to expand my consciousness, develop my intuitive gifts and heal everything from my depression to old wounds from the past.
The practice of shamanic journeying is a way to access higher guidance from Spirit and the angelic realms. I like to think of it as a direct line to Spirit who is there to help us navigate our lives with more wisdom and clarity.
For over 10,000 years, shamans around the world have perfected and taught the art of traveling in consciousness to other levels of reality. By doing this we are able to gain access to information that can help protect us from negative situations, clear family issues and past traumas and bring the “whole self” back into balance. This includes both physical health and emotional well-being, giving us the strength to make meaningful changes in our lives while feeling in alignment with who we truly are.
In my own shamanic journey experience, I’ve even visited past lives and been shown my history and past relationships with people I know in this lifetime including my children. This is one of the most profound benefits of shamanic work. Getting glimpses into past lives allows us to see karmic debts we’re paying off in this lifetime to certain people, especially the ones who drive us crazy and test us at every turn often hurting and mistreating us.
BENEFITS OF SHAMANIC JOURNEYING
There are so many benefits and gifts that come from shamanic journeying ranging from curing depression, overcoming addictions and feeling a greater sense of connectedness to oneself and the world. Some other benefits people experience are:
- The ability to enter into deep inner states without all the “noise”
- More joy and fulfillment with the present moment
- Personal empowerment
- Feeling in control of one’s destiny
- Healing from traumatic life events
- Deep appreciation for life
- Death of the ego
- Relief from physical and mental pain
- Clarity around life direction and important decisions
HOW TO BEGIN
Just as there are different ways to meditate, there are also many ways to explore shamanic journeying, all of them powerful and transformative to one’s spiritual growth and healing.
Shamanic Drumming ~ Drumming is an ancient art which is used all over the world as a healing technique using energies created via the sound of the drum. As the tempo of the drum slowly increases in intensity, it allows a trance-like state in which to connect to the spiritual realms.
Shamanic CDs/Music ~ The drum is not the only sound method that can be used to achieve the journey. Other sounds such as rattling, Tibetan bowls or singing bowls, and listening to changing tempos and rhythms can all produce the shift required to journey.
When you are journeying with unique music which I have done dozens of times, I recommend that you set an intention and request a particular sound to take you deeper into your journey.
Sacred Ceremonies – Ceremonies using plant medicine like ayahuasca, are a deeper way you can journey and are often done in places like South America with a shaman trained in the plants. If you’re going to go this route, it’s extremely important that you understand the risks, prepare for the experience and work with an experienced shaman who knows how to work with the plants and hold a safe space for your process.
However you choose to journey, it’s a magical experience that will deepen your spiritual process and bring you balance, harmony and powerful healing.
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Dina Strada is a freelance writer and Life Coach whose work has appeared in Huff Post, elephant journal, Medium, Thrive Global, Chopra, Mind Body Green and various other online publications. Read more of her work at www.dinastrada.com. Shop Hemi-Sync® shamanic titles here.
