Today,
We will be embarking on a shamanic journey together.
Before all shamanic journey work,
I recommend that you take a moment to open the sacred space through ritual.
You may choose to light a candle or turn on a small lamp,
But it is important that you formally open the space with such a ritual and that you blow out the candle or turn off the lamp once you are done.
This signals a closing of the sacred space.
It sends a clear message and sets a clear boundary that the container is closed and will not remain open for the rest of the day.
You may also want to formally set an intention and take a few extra minutes to make sure the energy feels settled before proceeding.
During these exercises,
Please use the breathing technique that works best for you.
For me personally,
I prefer deep and slow breaths,
Much like what you would do during meditation.
For today's journey,
Our intention is to travel to the upper world.
In the upper world,
We will meet a guide or ascended master or other being,
And we will be asking for a teaching or a healing.
You may choose which one of these you would like to ask for,
Or you may leave it open and let the spirits decide.
The path where we will begin is the one that I will use for most of my shamanic journeys.
You may also alter this path to get where you need to go based on the terrain that resonates most with you,
Such as navigating by way of a different type of forest,
A desert and cave,
The ocean,
Or other landscape.
You may also notice that you have trouble visualizing what is being asked of you.
If this is the case,
You may need a shamanic practitioner to facilitate this journey for you in real time or in person.
We will begin by taking some time to settle into your space a little more deeply.
I want to provide your body with an opportunity to acclimate to these moments of stillness as we begin to cross the threshold to the other side.
I invite you to take a few deep breaths,
Allowing the air to pool as low in your belly as you can imagine.
And bring your focus to the base of your pelvic bone as you take these breaths,
While observing the sensation of the air moving from your nostrils and down into your lower abdomen.
And take a moment to adjust any part of your body that needs to further release tension that is holding.
If you notice your neck,
Your head,
Or maybe your legs needing additional support,
Reach for another pillow now.
As you continue to breathe,
You'll notice a softening and allowing.
This space is yours to surrender into,
To allow yourself to be held while you embark on this journey.
Today we will begin our journey in a meadow,
In a beautifully well-lit,
Open space,
Covered in grass and lined by the trees of a forest.
You notice the warmth of the sun on your face and the gentle breeze of the trees as the wind sweeps through.
As you look around,
You notice a path that leads into the forest.
It is a well-worn path that feels welcoming and familiar.
You'll make your way to the path and begin your journey into the forest,
Allowing yourself to be swallowed by the trees and leaving this peaceful meadow behind you.
As you continue to follow the path,
Take a moment to look down at your feet and watch one foot go down in front of the other as you continue to move forward.
As you continue forward,
You look around at the trees that surround you and take notice of any sounds,
Smells,
Anything you can observe.
Continue to walk this path slowly and deliberately,
Propelling yourself deeper into the woods.
Up ahead,
You notice a cluster of trees that look much different than the rest.
As you come up on these trees,
You notice that one of them has a ladder hanging from its branches.
You take a moment to brace yourself before hoisting yourself up on that ladder and allowing yourself to climb one hand and one foot at a time.
Is this ladder nailed to the tree?
Is it free floating?
Does it magically carry you up,
Up towards the canopy of the forest?
Take your time as you observe this ascension,
This upward movement.
Take notice of the ground moving further and further away from you.
Take a look at the trees around you.
As you make your way up further,
Notice the way the trees change.
Are there more leaves or more branches?
How far are you from the canopy or the top of the forest?
Allow yourself to continue to ascend until you reach the very top of the tree where you started.
And you notice that at the top of the tree,
There is a platform.
This is where your ladder is anchored.
This is where you're being guided to step onto.
And as you reach the platform and pull yourself up,
We're going to look around to wait for the next vehicle that will take us up further still.
You may be greeted by a bird or a cloud or a plane.
Let whatever wants to present itself come and offer you assistance to bring you further into the sky.
As you continue to be carried away,
Watch the forest become smaller below you.
Notice if there are any clouds or birds or other things to see in the sky as you are carried up and up further.
What barriers are you crossing as you ascend?
How does it feel in your body?
After a few moments,
You are carried to yet another platform.
Maybe this looks like the shaft of an elevator and you are being asked to step on.
Allow yourself to enter this elevator like structure where you will be carried up.
You'll be carried through the upper worlds where there are many floors and many places to see.
As this elevator carries you upward,
You will pass floors that you are not to see today,
But you will notice them still.
Allow yourself to be carried.
Allow yourself to ascend.
And when the elevator hits the appropriate floor for you,
It will stop and the doors will open.
Take a moment to look around.
Take note of the colors and the feeling and whatever you see before you.
Who has come out to greet you in this place?
What do they look like?
What is their intention for you today?
Take a moment to greet this individual and allow them to take you where they need to take you in order to do the work that you came here to do.
I invite you to ask as many questions as you need and to surrender to whatever experience is asking to come through for you.
I will pause here and allow the experience to unfold and we will resume when it's time.
At this point,
I will invite you to begin wrapping up your session with the person that you came here to work with today.
Begin to say your goodbyes and ask any more questions that you have at this time.
Before you leave,
Please ask your guide if you are welcome to work with them again.
Please also ask them if there is anything that they need from you.
Is there a way that they want to be honored or acknowledged?
Is there something that you can do to help them?
Is there something that you can do to maintain the healing or the teaching that you received today?
Begin to make your way back to the elevator where we began and go ahead and step on when you're ready for your descent process.
Allow yourself to be carried downward by this elevator and have a moment of gratitude for what you experienced today.
Take a moment to remember that you can come back here anytime that you need.
Allow yourself to be carried by the elevator until it hits the bottom of the shaft and allows you to exit onto whatever vehicle carried you here.
The bird or the cloud or the airplane,
Whatever it was that came forward today.
This vehicle will bring you back to the platform,
The one where the ladder is anchored into.
And as you make your way back there,
The forest will come into focus.
The treetops and the clouds that hover just above them will begin to come closer and closer as you make your way back to the platform.
Once you locate your platform,
Begin your descent down the ladder.
As you climb down the ladder,
You observe the trees coming into better focus,
Moving away from the canopy and the open sky above,
Down into the forest one rung at a time.
Feel yourself putting one foot down in front of the other as you make your way down the ladder and closer to the forest floor.
Once your feet land back in the dirt,
We'll pause for another moment to share gratitude for the ease of this descent process,
For the appearance of the ladder,
For all the support that it took to get us where we needed to go today.
Begin to make your way back down the path,
The one that will lead you to the meadow.
As you walk this path,
Once again,
Look down at your feet.
Watch them move one foot in front of the other as you carry yourself to where you need to go.
Take a look around into the forest and see if anything has changed.
Has the lighting remained the same?
Is there an appearance of new animals or beings or trees?
So just take a moment to look around and make note and continue to make your way towards the meadow.
As you near the end of the path,
You can see the meadow up ahead.
It's still just as bright and looks just as warm as it did when we began.
Make your way back into the meadow and then pause for a few deep breaths.
Allow yourself just a moment to acclimate.
Take some time to wiggle your fingers and toes to come back to your body fully after this experience.
I would encourage you to take a few minutes to integrate whatever you saw or experienced on this journey today.
Maybe take the time to journal about it.
And know that this is a place you can come back to whenever you need.
Thank you so much for joining me on this journey today,
And I look forward to seeing you next time.
