| Shamanism offers a way for people to become | | | | whole. |
| aware of their potential, and begin to explore their | | | | Ritual is a way to empower and enhance the trance |
| spiritual relationship to the universe, to other forms of | | | | state, and is a gateway to contain, translate, and |
| life, and to each other. The experiences which come | | | | safely guide an altered state of consciousness into a |
| from shamanism help a person to evolve a deeper | | | | spiritual experience. Another way of saying this would |
| bond and respect for all of creation, and from this | | | | be that a ritual carries an innate intention, a purpose. |
| perspective you are likely to lead a life which is vibrant | | | | Each of the Shamanic Trance Postures is in itself a |
| and full in harmony and balance, and which encourages | | | | ritual, and it is a ritual with such intrinsic qualities of |
| understanding and optimism. The Shamanic path is a | | | | exactness and power, that its objective is achieved |
| way to experience this expanded view of universe. | | | | outside the original cultural setting. This means that we |
| One of the central practices of shamanism has been | | | | in contemporary Western society can also |
| defined as the Spirit or Trance journey. One of the | | | | successfully participate in the Shamanic Trance |
| ways to embark on this experience of expanded | | | | Postures. |
| consciousness is what is called ‘the shamanic | | | | To understand the Shamanic Trance Postures they |
| journey’. In this Journey the shaman journeys to the | | | | should be directly experienced, no amount of words |
| Spirit world, (commonly referred to as Upper & Lower | | | | can compensate for this. The best place to |
| Worlds), to directly commune with the spirits who | | | | experience the ecstatic trance states is in a workshop |
| reside in the other realities. This is done for many | | | | environment. This brings with it the guidance and |
| reasons, for example to receive guidance for healing, | | | | support of the workshop facilitator, and the collective |
| maintaining both our own and by extension our | | | | energies of the group. The power of the group is |
| communities spiritual wholeness. | | | | important in that it helps in terms of the focus of the |
| There are a number of ways to embark on a Spirit | | | | ritual, and provides indirect and direct feedback. |
| journey; these can be through dance, dream, using | | | | Feedback is the way to obtain the ineffable quality of |
| teacher plants, and by assuming certain specific | | | | trust. Trust is one of the pillars of this work, and the |
| physical postures. The latter is known as Shamanic | | | | group provides validation of your own experience. |
| Trance Postures, and are a method for achieving | | | | Another important factor is that the power of the |
| ecstatic trance and entering that place of both | | | | trance postures is magnified, as each person supports |
| personal and collective vision. | | | | and is a part of the collective visionary experience. |
| The word ecstasy and ecstatic is used in its original | | | | An Exercise – The Grandfather Bear Trance |
| meaning, which is based on the Greek ex-stasis, | | | | Posture. |
| meaning 'outside of yourself', outside of the everyday | | | | A powerful Healing posture. |
| world. The ecstatic trance brings with it a shift in our | | | | You may experience, great energy, certain colours, a |
| perception, a way of becoming aware of a reality | | | | feeling of being supported and contained in a loving |
| outside of the world of the ordinary, and the mundane. | | | | and gentle way. |
| The trance makes us able to perceive the continuum | | | | Stand with your feet parallel , about six inches apart, |
| of life, from what has been called non-ordinary reality, | | | | and your toes aimed straight ahead. Your knees |
| a reality which has been known to co-exist with our | | | | should be slightly bent, removing any strain on your |
| physical reality throughout time. Black Elk, the Lakota | | | | lower back that would occur if your knees were |
| medicine man and great visionary whose life was | | | | locked. This stance is consistent for most of the |
| recorded by John Neihardt in the 1930's, tells of "the | | | | standing postures. |
| world where there is nothing but the spirits of all things. | | | | Gently roll both your hands , as though you are holding |
| This is the real world that is behind this one, and | | | | a small egg in the palm of each hand. Position your |
| everything we see here is something like a shadow | | | | hands so that your folded fingers form a tall triangle |
| from that world". | | | | over your navel. The first joint of the index finger of |
| There are certain works of ancient art, glyphs, | | | | each hand should touch to form the apex of the |
| carvings, rock paintings which are more than creative | | | | triangle, with your thumbs resting one in front of the |
| expressions of their culture. They are visual teachings | | | | other, not one on top of the other. Your upper arms |
| for a specific ritual. These paintings and statues from | | | | can rest easily at both sides of your body, so that |
| the ancients depict people adopting distinct bodily | | | | your elbows are not sticking out. With your eyes |
| postures. Many of these bodily postures are ways to | | | | closed, lean your head back as though you are looking |
| an altered state of consciousness, visionary | | | | at a point just above the line where the wall meets the |
| experiences, and a way to embark on a spirit journey. | | | | ceiling. There may be a strained feeling in the muscles |
| There is an extensive geographic distribution of the | | | | at the back of your neck. |
| Trance Postures, and indications are that they belong | | | | Comments from people who have experienced the |
| to all cultures and traditions. These postures have been | | | | healing Trance Posture known as 'Grandfather Bear |
| rediscovered by Dr Felicitas Goodman after years of | | | | 'on workshops. |
| extensive research, and a full account has been | | | | "I have been having a sore and painful throat for some |
| documented in her truly outstanding and remarkable | | | | time. As I started the posture, I very quickly felt that I |
| book 'Where the Spirits Ride the Wind'. | | | | was being cradled from behind by a warm energy, |
| When a person adopts a specific posture as shown in | | | | which I saw in my mind as a large bear. I felt the bear |
| one of the ancient artefacts, with an accompanying | | | | rip open my throat with its claws, and pull out heavy, |
| rhythmic sound e.g. Rattle or drum, the person may | | | | thick mucus like material. This went on for a few |
| experience a vision which although is personal , is also | | | | minutes, and then the bear blew warmth into my |
| specific to the posture. It is as if, however personal the | | | | throat, and I began to see flashes of violet-blue colours |
| vision, it will conform within a consistent framework. | | | | around me. When the trance posture ended, my throat |
| Ritual has great power in this reality; it is a way of | | | | felt clear, and my body felt as if it was glowing." |
| combining, the heart, mind, spirit, and body in a single | | | | "My back felt as if it was being opened, and metal |
| physical action and intention. Religions from all over the | | | | plates which covered my spine being levered open |
| world have long recognised the importance of ritual. | | | | and dragged out of my back. When we finished, my |
| Ritual is a means of communication between the | | | | back felt so much more flexible, I could even touch my |
| Spirits and ourselves, it is a way that the Spirits can | | | | toes, which is something which I have not been able to |
| cross over from their world into ours. In Western | | | | do for quite some time. I had forgotten how stiff my |
| society we have forgotten that the ordinary and other | | | | back had become. |
| reality belong together, they are two halves of one | | | | |