Archive for May, 2019

by Chris Krohn

Shamans have been the Medicine Men and Women for tens of thousands of years, going back to Paleolithic times. Though the word “shaman” is Siberian, these ancient healing and spiritual practices developed on every inhabited continent independently long before people had the ability to communicate across distances. When I was new to my journey (and a bit of a skeptic), this made a huge impression on me. If these practices were not universal truths, how would they have developed all over the world tens of thousands of years before we could communicate with each other?

Shamans have been the Medicine Men and Women for tens of thousands of years, going back to Paleolithic times. Though the word “shaman” is Siberian, these ancient healing and spiritual practices developed on every inhabited continent independently long before people had the ability to communicate across distances. When I was new to my journey (and a bit of a skeptic), this made a huge impression on me. If these practices were not universal truths, how would they have developed all over the world tens of thousands of years before we could communicate with each other?

With the dawn of science and modern medicine, these ancient practices were discarded. Though science and modern medicine have provided us with many benefits, in many ways they have not resulted in bringing us true healing, connection, vitality and joy. The ancient practices of shamanism are now being revived, and recognized more and more as the way of providing true healing for mind, soul and body. We are fortunate to live in this time when we have the benefits of both ancient and modern ways. 

So, what is a shaman, and how do you know if you are one?

Shamans are Bridges 

Shamans have one foot in the physical world and one foot in the energetic/spiritual world. As such, we are bridges between the two worlds and can journey to other realms to find insights, answers and the sources of healing. When a person or a community is experiencing heavy emotions, illness, or unwanted patterns, the shaman can go between the worlds to find the root cause, and then clear it in a way that is lasting. 

Shamans can also communicate with spirits. We call upon the assistance of archetypes, spirit guides and archangels to facilitate healing for ourselves, others and the world. We also work with souls that have already crossed over, to provide healing for them and to assist them on their journey.

Shamans Bring Balance and Empowerment

When a person or community is out of balance, illness and unwanted experiences can occur. You probably know of the cliche of a shaman doing a rain dance to end the drought. In reality, the shaman will journey to spiritual realms to see where the village is out of balance, then do the healing work to restore balance. And the rains come.

With individuals, the same process is done. The shaman works with guides in other realms to uncover what is blocking the person from living in health, freedom, joy, connection and empowerment. It may be the effects of trauma in a previous lifetime, or ancestral, or a result of trauma and disempowerment in the current lifetime. The shaman then removes these causes, and balance is restored. The person is now empowered to live life free from limitations. 

Shamanism is a Way of Living in Right Relation

Shamanism is not a religion, nor is it a replacement for religion. It is a way of living in right relation with ourselves, each other, all life, and our planet. Right relation means coming from a place of integrity and responsibility. We do not blame, judge or harm. We take all unwanted experiences to our medicine, meaning that we heal ourselves rather than holding anger or projecting blame onto others. We know that we are responsible for the quality of the experiences we have in this lifetime, and that we have the tools to be able to shift any unwanted pattern and, thereby, free ourselves from it. We honor ourselves and others. We hold each other up and provide the space and the medicine to heal what needs to be healed. 

Shamans are the Earthkeepers

We recognize that our planet is a living organism, and it must be nurtured and honored. We are the stewards of the Earth, and all life on Earth. We walk softly on the Earth, giving it gratitude and doing no harm.

Shamans are Intuitives

Shamans can read behind a person’s words and see behind a literal situation. Of course, we only do this with the express permission of the other person! It is very much out of integrity to intentionally read someone without their permission. Someone who is being called to the path of the shaman may have “knowings” or receive messages from the spirit world, or experience flashes of visions, past lifetimes, or insights. These come from other realms and are meant to provide helpful information for healing and growth. 

Are you Being Called?

You do not seek out being a shaman. It finds you. In the days of old, the tribal shaman would seek out and anoint the young ones who were to be trained as future shamans, In modern times, it is Spirit that calls to us. It is a calling, and it may start with the synchronicities of hearing about shamanism, feeling intrigued, a friend mentioning a book on shamanism, “accidentally” coming upon written material or videos about it, and other similar non-coincidences. Spirit is tapping you on the shoulder. Many of my students started out by telling me that they don’t know why, but they reached a point where they felt surrounded by information on shamanism. Of course, you have free will to answer the call or not, but it is a beautiful way to live and to be of service to others and to our world.

by Chris Krohn

We have been dreaming our world into being every moment of our lives. Yet, until we realize this, and raise our consciousness, we were not aware that we held this power of creation. We live our lives guided by our wounded and limiting beliefs, convinced that we are powerless and that we are the victims of events beyond our control. As we feel more and more powerless, our wounded and limiting beliefs grow stronger, making our world smaller and giving us more experiences that tell us that we are victims of a hostile world. The cycle continues, making us feel increasingly helpless, fearful and angry. 

The Shaman knows that we are the creators, that we can consciously dream our world into being through our intentions, and by knowing that we are one with universal energy. The belief that we are separate from the universe, from the divine, is a cultural belief held by our society. Most of us learned, when we were very young, that we are separate from the divine, that we must earn our way to the divine through our actions, that we must pray to the divine and fear the divine. That we are helpless creatures bound by our human limitations. These feelings of separation and helplessness result in fear, competition, lack and scarcity, and anger. We want to feel powerful over our own lives, but we don’t, and this leads to most, if not all, of the problems we experience as individuals, communities, nations, and our in the world. 

The Shaman knows that this separation is just an illusion. That each of us is part of the divine, the universe, our planet, and each other. There is no separation. We only perceive separation because our culture has taught us this. As a result, we hold limiting beliefs about ourselves, our world, and our place in the world. The Shaman knows that we are all one, created by divine universal energy and, therefore, part of the universal energy. Each of us is on our own distinct journey, yet we are always part of the whole. It is said that the Shaman is the bridge between the physical world and the spiritual world, and can work between the two worlds to bring about healing, insight and balance. The Shaman can do this because, energetically and spiritually, the two worlds are one. A seamless existence across space and time. We are in human form (for now), but our true essence is that of our soul, created by divine universal energy, and always part of that divine universal energy.

The Shaman has done his or her personal healing work, removing the old wounded stories and limiting beliefs that created the perception of separation and helplessness. Thus, the Shaman transcends the limitations perceived by others, and is free to co-create with universal energy.

Each person can reach this state of dreaming their world into being, and you don’t have to be a Shaman to do this! By raising your consciousness and doing your personal work of clearing the effects of old wounds and limiting beliefs, you can come into the knowing that you are divine universal energy, a powerful co-creator with the universe. You can transcend the perceived limitations of separateness, and cease colluding with the limitations perceived by others. By doing your personal healing work, setting your positive intentions, not feeding into the perceptions of others, and visioning your life and your world as you want them to be, you can bring your amazing powers of co-creation fully into your reality, and watch your life transform. 

By Chris Krohn

Do you feel like you’re in a rut? You may know how you would like your life to be, but you are unable to move toward it?

You can only grow if you are willing to step out of your comfort zone and make changes, one at a time, toward your dreams and goals. Yet your comfort zone is very compelling, a very strong force that keeps you right where you are…stuck, but secure. It is part of our human nature to resist and fear the unknown. This part of our nature is survival-related. After all, if we took chances with wild abandon, we might do things that are too risky and may harm us. So, our human “programming”, over hundreds of thousands of years, has developed to keep us safe. Some individuals – explorers, pioneers and inventors – have always been willing to step out of their comfort zones and take chances, but most people have always sought out safety and security. Deep roots rather than big wings. The strength of your comfort zone is part of your programming, part of your human nature.

Yet, it may also leave you feeling unhappy, unfulfilled, and with a deep sense that there has to be more to life.

You may wish to make changes to your life. You would like to have more joy, better health, more love and connection, more abundance, or a job or vocation that feels like a calling or life purpose. In order to have these, you need to make changes that will take you out of your comfort zone, and that is uncomfortable. Even scary. You have no map for this new world you want to move toward. So everything in your nature resists making changes. You try, but each effort triggers those fears and you retreat back into the security of the comfort zone. Your comfort zone may be undesirable and unfulfilling, but it is KNOWN. You have a map for it. It is safe.

So how do we move beyond our comfort zone, and toward living our dreams? First, by recognizing that we have a comfort zone. Acknowledging that feeling tied to your comfort zone is normal, because it represents familiarity and security, may help you understand this part of your nature and not judge yourself because you feel resistance to making changes.

Second is knowing that moving out of your comfort zone will bring some fears and discomfort, but that these will pass as you move to your “new normal”. The diagram above shows that we enter a Fear Zone when we begin to make changes. We feel fear because, initially, we have no map for this new life we are creating. We can also feel less competent and confident because we are making changes that are new to us. The Fear Zone is like a ship sailing from a known land to an unknown land. We are at sea, navigating, but we aren’t “there” yet. Moving through this zone takes commitment to creating something better for your life, and the knowing that the changes you are making will bring you to a life that you love, and that this new life will become your new comfort zone.

From the Fear Zone, you move into the Learning Zone. It is here that you are acquiring the new skills that you need that will lead to the life you desire. With each new skill learned and mastered, you begin to re-build your self-confidence. You begin to see your new life unfolding, and become more motivated to continue.

From there, you move into the Growth Zone. Here, you are living your dreams. You have successfully navigated the changes, acquired new skills, and are living with joy, health, abundance, and love. Your self-worth and self-confidence have also grown significantly, because you now know that you can make any changes you desire with success and a feeling of accomplishment. In this zone, you also feel free to make any additional changes you desire, because you know that you will be successful.

So, if you feel like you are in a rut, give yourself the gift of making the changes that will take you to the life of your dreams. Know that this will initially involve resistance and fear, and know that you will create a new comfort zone in your new life that will be everything you desire!