My First Shamanic Journey- What Lead YOU Here?

TODAY'S SPIRIT EXERCISE is at the end of today's Spirit Story, "My First Shamanic Journey-What Lead YOU here?"

As you read about my first experience with Shamanic Journeying, please think about how YOU came to be here today, right now...in this moment, on this Facebook page with all these loving Souls!!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Considering the fact that Shamanism can be traced all the way back to the Stone Age era, and is known as the first human ‘spiritual practice’, you would think that I would have at least heard the word ‘Shaman’ throughout my young life.

That would be a big 'NO’!

The only spiritual discussions I ever had with my family growing up were how I didn’t want to go to church on Sunday! I was raised Catholic. It wasn’t that I didn’t like the idea of praying to God in a church, it was that I personally could not ‘feel’ anything there.

I would follow along with the bible, saying all the right words and listening to the pretty choir and feel nothing. It was a place to repent our sins, look nice and be kind to a bunch of strangers. Afterwards, I couldn’t wait to tear off my tights and dress and go find my cat.

For some, church is a sanctuary and a beautiful place to connect to God and the love in the Universe. I wholeheartedly respect and honor this belief! But, for me, something felt 'off'. Something was lacking in my religious experience.

Growing up, I was someone that was taught to question EVERYTHING. And, to trust my intuition.

I was a feeler. A seeker.

If I couldn't feel something, then I couldn't accept it as my truth.

When I was met with teachings or people that only had one answer to happiness, forgiveness or redemption, I was always left wondering 'but, why'?

Simply put, I couldn't wrap my head around the idea that 'love' was limited to only one belief, one religion or one spirituality.

There must be MORE than one path that leads us to a connection with our higher selves. From a very young age, I felt that there was something larger than all of us on earth. A pure energy of LOVE that was offered to us regardless of who or what we believed in!

Raised in a home where equality for ALL beings was so important, I never understood a person's judgement or prejudice towards a certain kind of people. My parents told me that it didn't matter if you were gay, straight, black or white, religious or atheist--ALL living beings deserve love.

I perceived love to be something that didn't restrict or condemned us in any way. Love WAS freedom.

I was always on a quest to discover my OWN belief system.

When something didn't jive with me, I searched deeper.

Please know that I am not in any way condemning anyone that lives a life believing in God's light, love and teachings. God is magnificent and glorious! I will ALWAYS pray to God and be grateful for the love and comfort he has provided throughout my life.

Whatever you want to call 'LOVE'' and practice is solely up to you. That is what is so fabulous about life! We can be whatever we want to be, do whatever we want to do and have the freedom to believe in whatever we want to believe in!

My adventurous, free-spirit personality is exactly what lead me to my very first Shamanic Journey!

When The Journey Found Me-----

Everything changed when I went to a college down in Radford, VA in 1993. This was my third attempt at college life. My first school was too big, the second was too small, and this one was just right! Just like Goldilocks and the Three Little Bears, I was looking for self-acceptance and my place in the world. I always felt like an 'outsider' looking in. Alone. Misunderstood. So, I craved acceptance and love and found it in the most unlikely places!

My Sophomore year of college, I majored in English and minored in Psychology.

Coming from the Boston area, I never thought in a million years that I would meet a ‘Shaman’ in Virginia AND that he would be my favorite English teacher…ever. This tall, energetic man, was one that you might call ‘in touch’ with his spirit. He cut his own hair without looking in a mirror, slept in his office or a tent near the college, and often just ‘went with it’ in class, igniting a contagious excitement with totally random discussions.

And, I LOVED it!

He encouraged me to write about my PAIN and pushed me to be a writer without boundaries.

One day, he invited me to a Shamanic drumming out of the blue. Shamanic, Shamanism, Shama, whaaaat? What in the world was that all about?

Thanks to my father, I was about to find out! My Dad taught me to LIVE life from birth, to always be a curious cat, and to always be ready for the next adventure!

So, I ended up going to this intriguing ‘drumming’ with a friend of mine that evening. It was located at a small house on campus.

Once everyone arrived, I remember my English teacher, and some of the other kids there, thanked the Spirits in the house for allowing us to be there, and then, the manic drumming began.

I felt right at home once the ‘Spirit’ talk began. After all, finally, someone was acknowledging the ghosts that I had seen and heard most of my life.

My English teacher spoke as the drumming reached a constant, high pitched rhythm. He told us to imagine a place in the earth to go through to the ‘underworld’. It could be a tree or body of water, or even a hole. I was nervous, unsure of what was happening, but I closed my eyes and let the drumming take me.

Instantly, I saw myself in another realm. I went through a tree to the underground and landed in soft grass next to a flowing lake.

To this day, this still remains the ‘underground’ realm that I visit on my Shamanic journeys.

I met one of my power animals during my first Shamanic journey, the raccoon. I also met Sasha. She is an angel Spirit Guide of mine. She led me deeper into this mysterious, but beautiful altered dimension.

While exploring this wondrous, new spirit world, I still could hear the drumming faintly in the background. I was enjoying this ‘journey’. How cool was this?!

Suddenly, my Soul ended up jumping in the current of a large, raging lake and I sunk rapidly to the bottom. Black snakes began to choke me and I fought furiously to get to the surface of the water. I could not breathe.

In that lake, I experienced the symbolic violence that WAS my abusive life.

Finally, I jumped out of the cold lake as the drumming came to a climax.

Then, we were all instructed to go back through the hole we came from and back into our physical bodies.

As quickly as I had gone to the 'underworld', I felt my Spirit returning to the over-crowded room of college kids.

Wiping sweat from my upper lip, I was ‘back’. Back from what? What WAS that?

What the hell just happened?!

What was this Shamanic drumming supposed to teach us? Where we came from? What was our life purpose? I had SO many questions blowing through my head like a hurricane-force wind. But, this powerful wind was good. It felt like I had gone back ‘home’ for a while.

Suddenly, I felt a sharp tug on my arm. Clearly, my friend did NOT have a miraculous, healing and insightful journey like me. She was pale, wide-eyed and having trouble breathing. I could feel the anxiety radiating from her body. She pleaded with her eyes. Her eyes told me that we needed to get out of there.

Just as I was about to stand up and leave, my free-spirited English teacher started to ask all of us about our individual journeys. I sat back down as not to disrupt the discussion. My friend reached for my hand and squeezed, letting me know it was OK for us to stay a little longer. We linked arms and I began to listen to the kids share what they saw, felt or heard during their journeys.

I was fascinated in what others had to say even though I knew my friend was struggling beside me. People began sharing their experiences briefly...and then, it was my turn.

For fifteen minutes, I described in vivid detail my first Shamanic Journey. All eyes were on me just staring and silent. Normally, I was terrified to speak in front of large groups of my peers. But, it was not just “I” that spoke about my journey. I realized that my description of what had just transpired was not a small deal.

Something was speaking through me as I shared my first Shamanic journey. Who was I channeling? A Spirit, a Soul, an energy?? I wasn't even sure.

And, my ability to just ‘go’ on this meditative journey was like second nature. It was just..easy.

I didn't even try, I just 'went'.

Finally, I turned to my friend and she was staring at me with large, blank eyes. With a shaky voice, she started to tell the group about her experience, but she couldn’t get the words out. Something had terrified her and she was frozen in fear. I squeezed her hand, letting her know that she was ‘safe’ as she quickly described having a feeling that someone was pressing down on her chest. She said that she felt a large hand choking her while violently pushing on her chest the entire time. How awful?!

I felt absolutely horrible. How could I have put my friend through this? I felt selfish and ashamed that my own experience was so beautiful when hers was frightening.

At that time, I did not know that energy work could enhance what was already going on inside of a person. Energy healing tends to go to the core and can bring our deepest fears to the surface. It can also identify if we have negative spirits or energies attached to us. It can bring trauma and pain to the surface.

Today, I can look back and know that my friend may have had a spirit possessing her in that moment. It’s as if she was familiar with this toxic energy and it triggered her into a state of shock. Since this was my first journey, I was lacked the knowledge and skill to realize that Shamanic healing is not for everyone.

I had no idea how to help her with the horrific pain and discomfort that was evoked during her journey to the underworld. So, I just grabbed her hand and we left the house. We didn’t speak of that night again. In fact, it was one of the last times I ever saw her.

You Are HERE For A Reason--

Soooooo, have YOU experienced a strong or light current, steering you towards Shamans or Shamanic healing?
Ask yourself, what experiences have you had with energy healers, Shamanic books that you may have randomly picked up at the store or seen something on Google about 'Shamans'. Maybe you overheard a conversation about a Shamanic healing and the benefits of learning Shamanic meditation. Or perhaps you are just curious about ALL of it!

Write down or think about the various ways you have encountered Shamanism throughout your entire life. This is YOUR Story. Your Life. Your path. And, it has lead you here.

-How have your early childhood experiences shaped your beliefs?

-What are the belief systems that you bought into over the years?

-Are those beliefs in alignment with your Soul?

-Are you living your life for you, or are you in search of happiness from someone or something outside of you? Money, relationships, love?

-What do you MOST want in life?

-What has drawn you to this specific type of Shamanic work?

-Why now?

-How do you think becoming your own Shaman will help you?

-What outcome do you desire from becoming a Shamanic healer or healer in general?

Trust me, the Universe will answer all of your questions! Get clear. Put all your cards on the table and don't be afraid to ask the BIG ones!

Shamanic healing brings us back home to who we were meant to be in this lifetime. It leads us back to ourselves.

This is why the journey ALWAYS finds YOU!

Your divine 'home' is and has always been...deep inside of you. Becoming your own Shaman helps us to understand that we are ALWAYS connected to Source. When we deny ourselves love, we are shutting ourselves off from God or the Universe's divine love.We learn that we are perfect just as we are!

Once we realize that we don't need to go anywhere or do anything to be loved, that you can tap into your OWN love---- then you'll know that the Shamanic healing is working! Imagine being totally comfortable in your own skin, being your own best friend and feeling an unimaginable love for yourself every day?

Shamanic healing can help you achieve this!

It's been 28 years since my first Shamanic journey. I have journeyed thousands of times since. It is the single greatest thing I learned how to do! I am alive today after enduring trauma after trauma BECAUSE I learned Shamanic meditation.

Now, it's your turn. Are you ready?!"

#shamanicjourney #shamanism #sarahnorwood #shamanicmountainhealing #energyhealing #healing #reiki #shamanicreiki #youareyourowngreatesthealer #journey #spiritguides #poweranimals #source #divine

Live WITH Spirit and WITHOUT Rules!

I never liked rules.

Let me restate that.

I hate rules!

In fact, I have fought my entire life against any force that even mildly threatens my free-spirit!

What I have discovered as I explore my own spirituality, more and more, is that there should be no rules about how to be spiritual or live a spiritual life.

No right or wrong Way.

Being whole is being you.

And, being you IS being spiritual.

It’s something you already are.

It’s something inside of you.

It’s always there.

Anything that brings you closer to who you really are contributes to your spiritual being.

Being spiritual is about finding your own Way.

What brings you closer to health and happiness?

Often we try to define the ‘how’ we should be or ‘what’ we should do in order to be spiritual.

How to achieve this seems to be a great area of exploration, research and debate.

We are sold other people’s beliefs that if we do ‘this or that’, our enlightenment will happen faster.

Have you ever looked at someone and said to yourself, “Wow, they must be spiritual” as they post Instagram pictures in colorful bohemian clothing while sitting in a meditative pose on a mountain top?

Yeah, me too!

Well, that works for them. It’s ok if that doesn’t work for you.

Wearing bohemian clothing, dancing in the woods under the moonlight and protesting for peace does NOT in itself make you spiritual.

You can be a strict Catholic, devout Buddhist or extreme atheist and STILL be a spiritual person, living a spiritual life.

You can smoke a pack a day, have a diet solely consisting of meat and potatoes, swear like a truck driver and STILL be happily connected to your inner light!

You don’t have to be a meditating, organic-eating, hot Yoga practicing, chanting guru with no material wealth to be spiritual.

You can be a diamond loving diva with a passion for Louis Vuitton handbags (Ummm, cough, cough, like me!) whose moods are as unpredictable as the clouds above!

For some, drinking a glass of pinot noir and smoking a fat dooby after work brings them closer to peace- closer to who they were meant to be in this life. Closer to themselves.

If you have found a good Way to live a life of love, laughter and kindness; you ARE spiritual- living a spiritual life!

What you look like, have or have not accomplished, what you believe or HOW you do it- is secondary to what you feel inside.

If you feel happy, then there ya go!

You are one of the more fortunate people living on this precious earth that has found a brilliant way to connect to your Soul’s natural rhythm.

If you are feeling a deep connection with yourself, you are living with Spirit.

It isn’t about having a to-do list of full of certain techniques, exercises, or rituals.

Spirituality is so ever-changing, ebbing and flowing like the currents of the wind.

It isn’t a stagnant concept.

Part of honoring your spirit is growing, shifting and allowing ourselves not to have to do things a certain way every day.

This is where not having rules involved with a spiritual practice is important.

Rules put pressure on us.

If we break our own rules (for example eating that Big Mac if we are a Vegan), we end up feeling shame and guilt.

Following a practice of some kind is wonderful, but there must be room for movement.

Guidance is great, but a person must be willing to customize, alter and enhance their spiritual ways if they are having a bad day or it doesn’t speak to them any longer.

I always tell my clients, if it doesn’t resonate with your Soul, don’t do it!

I am a Shamanic healer that loves glitz and glamour. I swear drop F-bombs when I’m mad, eat anything from Ramen to Whole Foods and love my BMW and mountain home.

I wear anything I want, and some days, my so-called 'spiritual' practice and words of wisdom fly out the fucking window!

Being spiritual, for me, is being me at all times!

Accepting myself, loving myself so that I can give freely to others is how I live a spiritual life.

I journey to alternate realms in the Spirit world every day, but that doesn’t make me more or less spiritual than someone who does not do this.

My Way is not your way.

Your Way is not my way.

By living our deepest truths, we are instantly ‘spiritual’.

When you are exactly you, you are accessing your Soul’s energy. An infinite well of love.

No one is in charge of how you do this but you.

Do what works for you without the pressure of what you feel you should or should not do.

Some people are promoting an ‘image’ of a spiritual person, but they aren’t sincerely feeling and living a life of gentle love and compassion.

For example, growing up there were a lot of people that went to my church that were hateful and critical people. Were they feeling pure love and connection to their Soul?

If you aren’t feeling good on the inside, looking or acting like you’re ‘spiritual’ doesn’t matter!

Although, I am an energy healer, you don’t have to believe in any of that!

This is your life. Live it how you want.

You do you, and I’ll do me, and we will live a life WITH spirit and WITHOUT rules together!