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Shamanic Healing
What is Shamanic Healing?
Shamanic healing is a set of techniques that have been found over many thousands of years to work well for a spiritual approach to problems and issues from the physical to the spiritual/ energetic. The techniques I work with have come mainly from the Q’ero tribe, an ancient and still living lineage of medicine women and men regarded as the purest descendents of the ancient Inka in Peru. On the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors 500 years ago they moved up to the high Andes mountains in order to keep their teachings intact. They have only relatively recently begun to come down from the mountains and share their knowledge and traditional wisdoms with others, including westerners. The techniques have been gently adapted to suit western culture and minds, while retaining the integrity of the lineage from which they come. I have chosen to work mostly with this tradition because I find it combines being very effective with also being very gentle and readily accessible to all types of people.
The Inka do not distinguish between 'good' and 'bad' energy – they see that there is same, energy which is light and nurturing to us, and hucha, heavy energy which does not work for us but might be perfect for a rock, for example. I like this perspective as it helps us to avoid being victims of 'bad' energy, and gives us the power to simply release energy that doesn't serve us without it needing to be a drama.
How does it work?
The tradition says that for every condition of body, mind and soul there is an energetic counterpart, in the form of an “imprint” in the structure of the luminous energy field, or aura. Imprints are like affinities that we have for that condition or situation – so by healing our affinity we can change the condition or situation.
The link between the presenting condition and the energetic imprint is via the chakras. The chakras are like spinning funnels of energy, and there are generally considered to be seven main ones within the physical body itself. They are connected to the central nervous system through the spinal column, and directly influence the organs and glandular system. From the spinal column they extend outwards in a funnel shape, back and front, into the energy bodies around the physical body.
An active affinity/ imprint we are holding in the energy field will affect the smooth-running of various chakras, which in turn affects the body/ mind/ emotions/ energy/ life situation. By finding which chakras are involved in the situation we can release the energy of the imprint through the chakra. We are thus working to integrate at the energy and soul level, rather than the layer of symptoms.
What happens in a session?
We work within sacred space, asking for the blessings of the earth and spirit as well as archetypal animals and energies that represent special gifts which can help us to create a really safe and nourishing space to work within. The basic core of the session involves naming (internally or out loud) the issues you want to work with – we use stones to hold the intention during the session. Then you will lie down and we will use guided breathing and intention to move the heavy energy out of the body, while I cradle your head and work energetically with you. Every session is different as this is an organic process which unfolds according to each individual, and can be likened to a journey to find the healing potential that is latent within us all, by following the innate wisdom of the body and energy. The aim is always to reach a place of deep peace and tranquillity where energy can flow as freely as possible, and to provide guidance and support so that you can take responsibility for your own healing and empowerment. I then 'illuminate' the chakra we have been working with, by bringing in very high clear energy that replaces the heavy energy we have removed.
There are also other techniques which we use. For example it may be that we are carrying energy that does not really belong to us – this could be in the form of others’ beliefs that we have taken on, jealousy or anger directed towards us etc. This energy can be removed, allowing our own energy to flow more strongly and freely. It is also often the case that we have lost some of our vitality, perhaps through a major or minor trauma or accident. This energy is not truly lost but is displaced out of the vital centres where it really belongs, and so is unavailable for us to use. This is why people who have gone through shock or trauma may feel 'spaced out', or like they are not really in their body, or are viewing things from a distance. This can also correspond with many health problems including depression and fatigue, from low-level fatigue to conditions such as ME/ post viral syndrome. In general we have all been through some knocks that have left us feeling somehow less full of life, and the 'soul retrieval' journey that the practitioner undertakes for the client is a way of restoring this energy. For this the client remains lying down using breath or just relaxing while I gently use my rattle and visit the energy of the situation, bringing back various elements that will help healing and integration – these include the energetic version of the client that has already resolved the issue, a medicine gift and a 'power animal' (this may or may not be your 'core' animal – see below) who can be called on to support and guide after the session is over. At the end I will explain the journey and what I found and give suggestions of things to do to help integrate the whole process. If possible I recommend you have some time set aside after the session to reflect and integrate, rather than rushing straight back into a busy lifestyle.
Who can use shamanic healing?
Anyone can use and access this healing. It is also suitable for buildings, land, businesses etc.
Do I need to have any particular spiritual beliefs?
Shamanic healing is not based on belief. It is a practical set of techniques that have been found to work over many generations of experience. There are various ways of explaining how it works but none is necessary to experience the benefits, and it works just as well when seen as a metaphor as when taken literally. So it will sit happily alongside whatever beliefs (including none at all) that people may have.
Core power animal journey
I also offer a guided journey for you to discover and form a relationship with your core power animal. Shamanic traditions say that we have many animal helpers that come in and out of our lives at different times, and most recognise a core animal who is with us from birth to death. The significance of the animal relates to our immune system, vitality, psychological health and intuitively wise self. So to journey to meet with one's core power animal can be immensely helpful – it is a relationship that lasts our lifetime and once we have got to know them we can call on their energy for help and support at any time. Children also benefit from and love to journey this way. Once you have learned how to journey, you can use this technique at any time on your own to journey for other animals to help with any more temporary situation, from the esoteric to the extremely practical - for example one can even journey for an animal to help with a job interview! I will drum gently and guide you through a journey to the 'lower world', which is where the animals live and where we journey for healing, and you will be guided to find and confirm that you have met your core animal. Once you return from the journey you can name the animal and I will blow their energy into your heart and crown, to help integration. Then I will give you suggestions of how to work with the animal you have found.
Our therapist...
Amanda Biggs ~ Shaminic Healer, Cranio-sacral therapist
My interest in complementary health began when I developed M.E. as a teenager. I gained much from nutrition and relaxation/ meditation and later was handed a book about the shamanic path, which made total sense to me and began my explorations into these ancient ways. My use of shamanic techniques on myself coincided with making a full recovery after 8 years of varying degrees of illness.
In 2000 I received energy healing from a friend and realised I was also able to sense and work with energy in others. I began to explore this, working informally and intuitively at first. I then began looking for ways to combine energy work with my shamanic perspective and underwent various trainings. I finished the most recent of these in 2004, derived from the techniques of the Q'ero tribe, a still-living lineage descended from the ancient Inka in Peru. This included visiting Peru and working with the Q'ero in their own cultural setting, the high Andes mountains. I particularly like their wisdom teachings and their way of working as it very gentle, non-dramatic and empowering. I like the fact that shamanic work is unashamedly about wholeness and walking in beauty, honouring all of creation, yet at the same it is completely practical, requiring no beliefs of any kind but simply using what has been found to work for many thousands of years for all sorts of conditions and problems.
I was also fascinated with bodywork and particularly the 'crack between the worlds' of body and energy, matter and spirit, and this is what led me to craniosacral work, as it is energy work that is totally rooted in the body. For me in many ways it is but a hair's breadth from shamanic work, the same thing from a different perspective. The anatomy and physiology are there and are a fundamental part of the work but one also needs an intuitive sense of energy and the interplay of body, mind, emotions and energy, and how these are ultimately just different expressions of the same thing. This fits very much with eastern as well as shamanic ideas about non-duality, and of itself creates a very supportive and non-judgmental space. In craniosacral work we are simultaneously aware of the symptoms that may be causing difficulty, and the vitality and potential for wholeness and health that is always present in any situation, however unlikely this may seem. I especially value working with the Stillness that we see as being the source of health and vitality (the Q'ero would call this 'infinity'), never imposing our own ideas but always allowing the innate wisdom in the body to guide the treatment. I am constantly inspired by the subtle power and magic of this work, and its suitability for all types of people from babies to the elderly and all conditions from physical aches and pains to emotional traumas and spiritual issues.
As well as working with shamanic healing and craniosacral therapy I am also a tutor at the College of Craniosacral Therapy in London, and it is wonderful to be able to share my passion for this work. My love of energy also finds expression through drawing and painting.
Having moved back to the area after spending many years in Cornwall and
abroad I am delighted to have found Shiva Rooms and feel very at home working
here – as a yoga practitioner I feel that yoga and craniosacral therapy
have a special affinity for each other.