HARMONIC LIGHT HEALING ARTS

How Do Shamans Perceive Illness?
With life, there is suffering in the form of illness. We believe that is it microbes, viruses, bacteria, and injuries that cause our physical bodies illness. In the same respect, we believe that it is primarily an imbalance of brain chemistry that causes mental and emotional illness, such as depression, addiction, and so on.
Shamans, on the other hand, perceive these as the effects. They believe that, for true healing, one cannot simply mask and suppress these effects, or symptoms, with medication — they believe that we must address the root cause. The root cause is something far beyond viruses, bacteria, and brain chemistry; the root cause comes from the internal, non-physical realm: the spirit.
The 3 Causes of illness
From a shamanistic perspective, there are 3 classic causes of mental, emotional, and physical illness:
Disharmony (or Power Loss)
Disharmony, or power loss, oftentimes occurs when someone has lost an important connection to life, or when life seems to lose it’s meaning. This can happen either subtly or catastrophically; either way, we experience a loss of livelihood and meaning, and experience disempowerment in the process. This loss of will, or life power, strongly and directly affects our energetic matrix, and can cause us to become quite vulnerable to illness.
A common, yet tragic, example of this is when there is an elderly couple who have spent most of their lives together and one of them dies. The survivor oftentimes goes into a life crisis upon the loss and, shortly after, incurs an illness (such as cancer) and dies — that’s disharmony.
Fear
Fear is the most common cause of illness. Fear is responsible for emotions such as anxiety, stress, anger, jealousy, etc. Scientists and researchers also heavily agree that when these stress-producing hormones are present, they quickly begin to disintegrate the protective mantle of the body's immune system, as well as it’s overall energetic matrix. Illness, as a result, is inevitable.
Half a century ago, the Renaissance physician, Paracelsus, honorably noted that "the fear of disease is more dangerous than the disease itself." Shaman’s would surely agree with Paracelsus’ findings.
Soul Loss
Soul loss is the most extreme — yet, sadly, still common — cause of illness; in fact, it is the most serious diagnosis and a major cause of severe illness and even premature death.
Soul loss is most often experienced after a traumatic experience takes place, such as fighting in a war (an all-too-common trigger of PTSD), a bitter divorce, or intense bullying. In some cases, these experiences can be so shattering that one’s soul can begin to fragment and dissociate. In the most extreme and overwhelming cases, these soul parts get too far lost and fail to return.
We have heard people say things like, “I have not been the same since the incident,” or “a part of me died that day.” These remarks are red flags for soul loss. As well, the following symptoms are also commonly present:
• Feeling "not all here," or fragmented
• Blocked memory
• Emotional distance, or complete apathy
• A lack of joy, motivation, or enthusiasm
• Addiction
• Suicidal tendencies
• Chronic depression and negativity
This all may seem a bit heavy, that’s okay. The point of all this talk about suffering is to enlighten about possible healing methods — not the traditional pill-form “healing” methods that only mask the symptoms, but real healing methods that nurture and mend the root of the problem: the wounded spirit.

What Is Shamanic Healing?
In the shamanic perspective, true healing — spiritual healing — cannot be done on a physical level. Healing means to return to wholeness, and returning to wholeness is purely an inside job. Spiritual healing addresses the root — the spiritual — problems that cause dis-ease.
It is important to note that shamans believe that despite their great accessibility to the spirit realm, all healing is self-healing. A shamanic healer knows how to move and manipulate the energy of another’s body and can pass wisdom through from the spirit realm, but true healing must take place inside the spirit of the individual.
In other words, a person must be willing and ready to take full responsibility for his or her own healing— there is no magic pill that lies outside of one’s spiritual body. A shaman can be an outstanding tutor, but will not give all of the answers. It is also important to note that shamanic healing is not to be a substitute for conventional medical or psychological services, but is to instead be worked with adjunct to.
All of that being said, there are two main types of shamanic healing practices: a shamanic healing session, and a shamanic plant medicine healing ceremony. The main difference between these two types of healing is that in the latter healing practice, the clients goes on a journey with the shaman.
Shamanic Healing Sessions
Albeit an ancient practice, an increasing number of people are currently turning to shamans to support their well-being. As shamanic healers exist in nearly all cultures, their exact customs may vary, but the essence of what they do remains the same. They act as a sort of “hollow bone,” or an intermediary, by merging with the spirit realm and connecting with helping spirits to channel energies and wisdom in order to aid in healing within individuals on this dimension.
The helping spirits of the shamans are able to diagnose the cause (since they are spirit, they can easily see all that is happening on the spiritual level) of an illness, give insight, and then help to facilitate the required treatment for healing. For that, during a shamanic healing ceremony, the shaman must go on a shamanic journey to retrieve this energy and information — that is the core of a healing session. As well, many shamans will perform a bit of energy work in order to integrate the effects of the journey, locate, and release blockages, and increase the body’s ability to heal.

Is Shamanic Healing Right For You?
Below are characteristics of someone who may want to explore shamanic healing:
• Possesses a strong desire to create more meaningful relationships with oneself, others, nature, and the spirit world;
• Is ready to move forward beyond old thought patterns, limiting belief systems, and unhealthy habits that no longer serve them;
• Is ready to dig deep down and willing to seek genuine self-inquiry into order to move into a greater self;
• Wants to create real, positive, and lasting change within themselves but feels somehow "blocked" and wishes for guidance on how to move forward;
• If one chooses the plant medicine route, they are willing and able to fully surrender to the experience and trust that they will be guided to exactly where they need to be;
• Is willing to put forth the effort needed to fully integrate new wisdom and healing;
• Is patient and willing to take the time that may be needed to heal.
If you believe that shamanic healing may be the answer you’ve been searching for, the final section may be of good use.

How Does One Find The Right Shaman?
Shamans are people. For that, just like anyone else, they come in all shapes, sizes, attitudes, and flavors. In order for one to find the right shaman, it is advised to follow these guidelines:
Methods and Specialties
Just as all shamans have their own unique preference and style of healing, every person who seeks healing has their own preferences, as well. For that, there is a lot of beauty to be found in the vast variety of shamans and their various methods of healing — one shaman may be perfect for one person but not-so-great for another.
Some shamans work a lot with stones and crystals, while others focus on rhythm and chanting. Some shamans personally train clients to embark on their own shamanic journeys, and others journey alone. Some work one-on-one, while others work in a group setting. There are also shamans who specialize in specific fields such as addictions, PTSD, soul-retrieval, and energy balance.
Qualities
It is of great importance to note that although someone has the title of “shaman,” this does not automatically make them a patron saint of ethics or a supernatural, God/Goddess-like being. Someone can claim that they are a shaman but that does not always mean they have the best of intentions. Below are some positive shamanistic qualities to look out for:
• They are humble — a real shaman does not walk around as if they are a rock star;
• They are trustworthy;
• They do not push personal boundaries;
• They let you come to them (it is common in South America for “shamans” to approach tourists on the streets and offer them a brew; this, typically, is not genuine);
• They accept you as you are, without even the slightest hint of judgment;
• They possess a playful, peaceful demeanor;
• They are of pure spirit.
However, it is primarily about whether or not one feels good and comfortable around the shaman.
Qualifications and Training
As there are no formal standards to becoming a shamanic healer, it is important that the shaman can provide positive feedback from her/his other clients. As well, they should be able to tell a genuine story of how they became a shaman and be willing to discuss how they learn from the spirit realm.
For example, if a shaman wishes to do a soul-retrieval, but has no prior history of training or can’t explain how they learned soul-retrieval from the spirit realm, they perhaps have not been fully trained to perform this higher-level task.
Personal Intuition
Above all else, it is advised to listen to your intuition. If something feels off with a shaman, it probably is — listen to that. If in the depth of your being everything feels right, you have found your shaman.