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usfqpasec · 4 months ago

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PASEC Portfolio

PASEC working hours at San Pedro de Cumbayá Organization.

Group: Low-income elderly.

Student: Desirée González, currently at my 5th semester of Digital Animation :)

STRENGTHS:

My strengths:

I consider myself to be a kind person and a good listener. Both skills proved to be useful when working with the elderly as they made the workload more bearable. Engaging with them and the various activities we did were never really that much of an issue to me as on the contrary I saw them as something quite enjoyable. My artistic nature also proved useful as many of our activities involved crafting or engaging in other manual labor.

Strengths of the beneficiaries:

During my time working with the foundation, I saw a variety of strengths in the seniors who receive financial assistance from it. First of all, the students who worked together to create the foundation were always welcome to ask for assistance from the elders. Their openness to us and confidence in us made it much easier for us to work together and fostered a respectful and cooperative atmosphere. In addition, I was very moved by the thankfulness and joy with which they accepted the food bags and other supplies that the foundation had given them. This appreciation for the small things in life offers an important lesson about the value of being grateful and content with what you have. Lastly, by waiting patiently for their time to collect the food bags and by adhering to the sequence of arrival, the elders showed exceptional discipline. A respectful and considerate attitude toward others is reflected in their tolerance and respect for the distribution process, traits that are admirable and deserving of imitation in any setting.

Combination of both strengths:

Being a compassionate person and having good listening abilities, I thought these were important traits to have while dealing with senior citizens. Their unwavering willingness to accept our assistance and their faith in our abilities made it easier for us to collaborate and foster a respectful environment. My artistic disposition also helped me in tasks involving manual labor and crafts, which I really enjoyed and which improved the recipients' experience. The way they accepted the food bags and other resources made a lasting impression on me, and I learned a lot about the value of being content with what you have and showing thankfulness for the small things in life. The discipline and respect shown by the elders following the order of arrival and waiting patiently reflected values of consideration and respect for others, inspiring me to emulate these qualities in my daily life.

CONTRIBUTIONS:

Activity 1: Packing food for their home.

Weighing and bagging groceries for distribution to low-income elders and children was one of my duties when I worked for the organization. At the conclusion of each day's events, I also helped put the parcels together for delivery. Being able to interact with seniors and kids one-on-one and make sure they were comfortable and happy while participating in different enrichment activities was one of the most rewarding parts of my job. In addition, I helped prepare and deliver food to the people we served, giving them some sustenance and a little happiness. These assignments enhanced my knowledge of community service and reaffirmed the significance of direct involvement in having a significant influence on people's lives.

Activity 2:

We were able to sell donations from the community at a flea market that we held at our organization. We were able to earn much-needed money to support the organization's operations and initiatives through this event in addition to repurposing donated goods. Witnessing the community's passionate response as both consumers and donors was a tremendously fulfilling experience. From books to clothes and decorative stuff, we were able to see how each item found a new home while supporting a worthy cause. In addition to raising a significant amount of money, the flea market served as a celebration of giving and togetherness that strengthened our resolve to perform community service and gave us enduring memories of cooperation and support.

OBJECTIVE:

Future Goal: Orchard in homes.

The goal of this proposal is to give access to fresh, wholesome food. I am convinced that cultivating our own herbs and veggies would not only help our beneficiaries eat better, but it will also make a big difference in their general health and well-being. This initiative offers materials that encourage a healthier and more active life, while also addressing the need for a nutritious diet and reinforcing our commitment to the overall care of people.

The establishment of a garden on the fence and within our facilities aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3, which aims to "Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages." Fresh food is more readily available and contributes to the prevention of non-communicable diseases and the fight against malnutrition. It also supports particular SDG 3 targets, such as lowering premature mortality and enhancing mental health and well-being. Taking an active role in the upkeep and care of the garden can also help to have more active lives by providing them with stimulating social and physical activity. It ensures that everyone, regardless of age, has the opportunity to live healthy lives by doing this in a way that is consistent with the values and objectives of SDG 3 and has a positive and long-lasting effect on the quality of life of people.

✨Planification:✨

- Acitivities and time:

Planification and design: 1-2 weeks

Land preparation: 1 week

Construction of building raised beds: 1-2 weeks

Purchase and application of compost: 1 week

Installing irrigation system: 1 week

Planting and sowing: 1 week

- Resources:

Donations from the community to raise funds.

Sponsorship from local businesses or support from corporate social responsibility initiatives.

Government programs from the Ministry of Agriculture.

Grants from non-governmental organizations.

- Costs:

Compost and soil: $50-$100 per m3.

Materials for garden beds: $20-$50 per bed

Irrigation system: $100-$200

Gardening tools: $100-$200

Seeds and seedlings: $50-$100

REFLECTION VIDEO:

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#Youtube

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ccassen · 8 years ago

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Leaving Honduras, Florida for Christmas, and a Month in Peru

Roatan, Honduras: October 15-November 5 Miami layover Santo Domingo/Bayahibe, Dominican Republic: November 6-9 Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic: November 9-16 Samana, Dominican Republic: November 16-18 Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic: November 18-19 Philadelphia layover Roatan, Honduras: November 20-December 19 La Ceiba, Honduras: December 19-22 San Pedro Sula, Honduras: December 22-23 Florida: December 23-January 3 Lima, Peru: January 3-5 Cusco, Peru: January 5-9 Aguas Calientes, Peru: January 9-10 Ollantaytambo, Peru: January 10-14 Urubamba, Peru: January 14-15 Pisac, Peru: January 15-16 Cusco, Peru: January 16-17 Puno, Peru: January 17-19 Amantani and Taquile Islas on Lake Titicaca: January 19-20 Puno, Peru: January 20-23 Copacabana, Bolivia: January 23-25 Isla Del Sol, Bolivia: January 25-26 Puno, Peru: January 26-30 Medellín, Colombia: January 30 I last wrote over a month ago when I was still on Roatan. My friend, Jill and I traveled by ferry to La Ceiba on the Honduras mainland to spend a few nights on the Rio Cangrejal. A friend of a friend, Pepe owns a beautiful lodge on the river and welcomed us as his guests (muchas gracias, Ian for connecting me with Pepe!). Jill and I enjoyed relaxing at the house overlooking the mountains and waterfall, cooking our meals, and some adventure activities. One day, we had a guide who took us hiking through the mountains and jungle that is a national park right in the backyard, to a huge waterfall. A storm started up and it poured on us on the hike back; still very fun! The next day, we went river rafting with two guides, one on our raft yelling commands in Spanish and the other in a kayak to rescue us should we fall in. It was pretty thrilling to raft the tumultuous river after such big storms. Jill and I treated ourselves to massages on our final night there, and took the bus further in the mainland to San Pedro Sula, where she would continue her travels to Guatemala and I caught a flight to Florida. I met my dad, stepmom and sister in Florida to spend Christmas and New Year's with our family who lives there. We all had a nice visit; I was especially missing my dad and Brittany after not having seen them for months, so it was really lovely to be together over the holidays. I don't often get to see my uncle, aunt and little cousins who live in Florida, so I enjoyed catching up and spending time with them. We were all together on Christmas to open gifts by the tree, relaxed into true vacation mode by the pool at our resort, rode duck boats on a lake one afternoon, and spent a day at Walt Disney World. Great family time. I planned to go to Peru from Florida, and I was determined to get there... My standby flight out of Orlando was not cooperating and I made a command decision to get myself to Miami that day, in a matter of hours, to fly to Lima as planned. I booked a car rental as I sat at the gate in Orlando, ran through the airport and jumped in the car, drove as quickly as possible to Miami without any potty or meal breaks, and ran through the Miami airport with no time to spare as I claimed my seat on the flight out. I would not have been able to even check in for the Miami flight if I still had to check my bag; thankfully, my bag was already checked through to Lima from Orlando, although it did not arrive in Lima and I was without my luggage for a couple days... but, I was just happy to make it to Lima and thoroughly enjoyed my introduction to Peru! I explored Lima on my own for a couple days before I planned to meet my friend from San Francisco and Burning Man, Victor, to fly together to Cusco. I stayed in the lovely Barranco district, which is more quaint and less touristy than other parts of the large city. I joined a free walking tour of the historic center during my first morning there, enjoyed my first taste of authentic ceviche and a pisco sour (or two), then sat on the massive cliffs to watch sunset over the Pacific Ocean. The next morning, I collected my lost luggage at the Lima airport and met Victor for our flight to Cusco. Flying in to Cusco was a memorable experience, as it is nestled in a dramatic valley and at such a high altitude. Our first meal in Cusco was at Inkazuela, which I highly recommend for their delicious stews. We stayed at an adorable hostal called Pisko & Soul in the artsy San Blas district for four nights. On our second evening in Cusco, we went to a dance and music show at the cultural center. The following day, we rented bicycles from our hostal to ride to the Saksaywaman Incan ruins, which turned out to be a mistake, albeit good exercise, because it was straight up cobblestone streets and a massive hill. Saksaywaman is very impressive and was an ideal introduction to the numerous Incan and pre-Incan ruins that I would see over the next few weeks. I was struck by the meaning of the name of the ruins, which means "satisfied falcon;" this could refer to the scavenger birds that feasted after the Incan defeat by Spanish conquistadors at this very site. This next bit of my time in Cusco I hesitated to divulge, but I am not ashamed and want to share my profound experience. After doing personal research and seeking out a trustworthy organization called CAISAE, I decided to participate in an ayahuasca ceremony. Part of making this decision was to determine if I felt mentally and spiritually ready for what I knew would be an intense journey and not something to take lightly. I was curious about what this medicine (I'll admit, I formally thought of it as a drug, before I learned better) could do for me. The medicine ayahuasca is a combination of two plants that grow in the jungle: one is the ayahuasca vine itself that has the DMT or "spirit molecule," which the brain naturally contains and is released during birth, death, near-death experiences and while dreaming; the second plant contained in the medicine, chacruna, stops the enzyme in the stomach from breaking down the DMT before it is able to reach the brain. Ayahuasca has been used in ceremony for centuries by South American indigenous societies. In preparation for the ayahuasca ceremony, I altered my diet and cleansed with volcanic water. I was already feeling more balanced going into the ceremony, after releasing toxins and the garbage build up in my body, and meditating on my intentions for taking ayahuasca. The private ceremony was in a compound in Lamay, which is a small village outside Cusco in the Sacred Valley. My shaman, someone who is of a lineage of ayahuasca masters and healers, and brought up to practice this medicine, had worked with ayahuasca for thirty years! He and his assistant who speaks English are both wonderful. The whole experience was six to seven hours long. The shaman and assistant verbally prepared me for what I might experience, I drank the ayahuasca that was prepared especially for me, and kept my eyes closed as I awaited its effects. My trance was rather indescribable and consisted of beautiful visions, some otherworldly environment and beings. I was being led by a being who I believed to be Pachamama, the goddess of the earth. She (and I later realize that this could also be my own powerful brain) showed me love and understanding of what my own spirituality means. In more recent years, I have felt that I am spiritual, but didn't really understand what that means until I was given the gift of seeing this other dimension, spirits and energy, both good and bad. Yes, I encountered terrifying visions in the form of my own demons and, yes, I was physically ill more than once, which was cleansing in itself, both of which are expected when taking ayahuasca. After I was ill, I felt the medicine working on my body, as I was told to expect. At one point, I felt that I was laying on an operating table and Pachamama or Grandmother Ayahuasca was working over me, healing my body, mind and spirit, potentially destructive things that I didn't even realize that I had in me. I lay silent for most of the trance, other than occasionally involuntarily verbally joining my shaman's chanting. I was physically very cold and huddled in a fetus position under heavy blankets. I felt immense protection from my shaman during my experience; he was there to guide me and defend me from the challenging encounters and feelings that ayahuasca conjures up, and the shaman is said to be experiencing or observing the same as me during my trance. I followed a strict diet of no red meat, caffeine, and alcohol for seven days after the ceremony, which is the first time that I have consciously limited what I consume and I feel more healthy for it. Since taking ayahuasca, I have felt more relaxed and at ease, and compassionate for myself and others. I am still contemplating what concrete changes I am empowered to make, but am feeling content in my spiritual growth, as a start. In debrief with my shaman and assistant following the ceremony, I was told that I should focus on loving myself so that I can better love others, as well as making time for meditation; I think that in this meditation, I will be better able to determine my personal takeaways and next steps. As a mailing list out of Peru called Soul Herbs puts it, "ayahuasca will bring forth what is hiding dormant. Make the conscious changes to better yourself. In the end, you will better the world." Namaste. From Cusco, Victor and I took the train from the Sacred Valley to Aguas Calientes where we spent the night before visiting Machu Picchu the following day. This was an experience unlike any other, even the winding bus ride up to the entry gate. This wonder of the world easily took my breath away, especially because the trek up the Wayna Picchu mountain literally did just that. Wayna Picchu towers behind Machu Picchu, has its own ruins, and offers incredible views, after hiking straight up its mountainside, sometimes on all fours and grasping to the safety cables. After we had our fill of eye candy and took our own postcard-ready photos, we hiked back down and explored the impressive Machu Picchu ruins, stopping to say hello to the occasional wild llama that lives and grazes in the grass plaza. After this exhausting day, we went for massages before our train ride back to Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley. Victor left Peru the next morning to return home to California and back to work. I am glad for this special time that we spent together and appreciate sharing the start of my first experience in Peru with a good friend who happens to be part Peruvian; I am grateful that he invited me to join him for part of his travels and I was able to work it into my own plans. I stayed in Ollantaytambo for three more nights and caught up on my rest, which was fitting since Ollantaytambo means "resting place." It is the longest continuously inhabited town since Incan times. I stayed at Casa de Wow, where I slept in a lovely, artistic bunk bed made of tree trunk. I explored the Ollantaytambo terraces and ruins, the much more quaint and less well known Quellorakay ruins, an Incan bridge, and went with a couple Swiss travelers to see the Pumamarka ruins outside of town, after which we hiked back to Ollantaytambo past dramatic mountain and valley views. It was with these same travelers from the hostel that I left Ollantaytambo to slowly make my way through the Sacred Valley and back to Cusco. We spent an afternoon making scenic pit stops at the immense circular Moray terraces, which were an Incan agricultural experiment at planting various crops at different altitudes; we also saw the Salineras de Maras salt pans, which were built in Incan times and still in use today. They dropped me off at the town of Urubamba where I spent a restful night at a beautiful property filled with gardens that was recently converted into a very affordable hostel. The next morning I made my way to Pisac, the heart of and my last stop in the Sacred Valley. I was there for the big Sunday market in the main square and did quite a bit of shopping before venturing up to the ruins above town, which were some of the most beautiful that I've seen. I hiked back down into town from the ruins and enjoyed a meal of lomo saltado and pisco drinks that evening, my first red meat and alcohol in over a week. I returned to Cusco the following morning, spent the afternoon perusing a couple of interesting art and history museums, and booked my bus ticket to Puno, Lake Titicaca for the morning. After a six hour bus ride, I had my first glimpse of Lake Titicaca, which is sapphire blue and vast enough that it appears to be the ocean, especially on cloudy days when you cannot see the Bolivian shore on the other side. Puno is the folkloric capital of Peru and known for its festivals and cultural celebrations. I stayed for a couple nights at a hostel in town and went to a dinner show that featured cultural costumes, dance and live music. My visit to the Coca and Costumes Museum helped me to understand the meaning behind these various traditional costumes and dances, as well as the history of coca use. I went on a day trip via ferry to visit the floating islands of Uros, who are an ethnic group of fishermen; they originally built their boats and islands with totora reeds as a defensive move from the Incans and other tribes who were a threat on the mainland. The following morning, I took another ferry for four hours to the island of Amantani, where I planned to spend the night with a local family homestay. I was thrilled when I boarded the ferry and was reading through the pamphlet that the boat captain handed to me to learn that I was headed to Amantani on the very day of an annual festival: "the most important festivity called Qhapaq Pachamama Raymi [or 'Festival of the Sacred Land,' which] is about agriculture." Each district, or perhaps it was family groups, don colorful traditional attire and march up to the Pachamama and Pachatata temples on the two hills at the top of the island. They all play live music with flutes and drums, picnic on the grass, and gather in a huge circle for the formal ceremony to pay homage to and honor the bounty of the earth. It was a beautiful day to see this island, a tough hike up the steep hills, and I enjoyed traveling with the Argentinians, Belgians and other Americans who shared the ferry boat and homestay. On the ferry back to Puno the next day, we stopped at the island of Taquile and hiked to the town center where we perused the handicrafts market of the local men who knit, according to tradition, followed by a delicious lunch of trout before our ferry back to Puno. While in Puno, I visited the Casa del Corregidor on the main plaza, which is a 17th-century house that now has a cafe and bar. I asked the bartender about a sign for horseback riding on a nearby farm because I had been wanting to horseback ride in the Sacred Valley and had heard some about the special Peruvian paso horses. I ended up meeting the two twin brothers who own the cafe and farm, then scheduled horseback riding and an overnight on the farm. I ended up staying three nights at the lovely Fundo Chincheros, which is just outside of Puno. It is a large, very comfortable and relaxing house in the countryside of grassy rolling hills. There are llamas and alpacas, cows, and horses that live on the farm. I went on a couple afternoon horseback rides and found that it is really pleasant to ride the Peruvian paso horses, who are lively and have a nice trot as their normal speed. Other guests from Lima and Puno were there for a night and invited me to join for their decadent barbecue; we ended the night around a campfire that I built. My time in Peru luckily coincided with a couple festivals, around which I had not planned and was gladly surprised. The festival on Amantani was the best so far, with the festival of La Virgen de la Candelaria for Puno's patron saint coming up on January 29th and, in the meantime, I decided to go to Copacabana on Lake Titicaca in Bolivia to see their Alasitas festival on January 24th. I took a "combi" south from Puno along the lake; combis are essentially minivans that are packed full of people traveling in the same direction with informal stops along the way when someone hollers at the driver. There were 20 people crammed into one of the combis that I took! I was dropped off at the Peru-Bolivia border, walked across and caught a taxi on the other side to Copacabana. I enjoyed my couple nights in the relaxed, hippy town of Copacabana. I climbed the hill above town, Cerro Calvario, and was awarded with a beautiful, but windy and freezing, view of the lake. The Alasitas festival the following day was a bit strange to me; it honors Ekeko, the Aymara god of abundance, and features gift giving of miniature items that one wants to become real in the next year. I saw families waiting in their cars adorned with flowers and decorations in a long line to the front of the cathedral, where they pay a Catholic priest to bless the miniatures. They then spray their cars with champagne. I wasn't very taken with this festival, but am glad that I saw some of it. I took a two hour ferry ride the next morning to Isla del Sol, which is a well known destination for its scenery and because it is said to be the birthplace of the sun and the first Incas. I disembarked the ferry on the north side of the island to see the beautiful Chincana Incan ruins that are perched above a tiny, white sand beach. Then, I hiked for two hours across the island to the southern tip, where I had a hostel booked for the night. It was very cold, windy and rainy on the island, so I decided not to extend my stay for another night. I thoroughly enjoyed a dinner that evening and lunch the following day at a restaurant called Las Velas, which is tucked into a forest of eucalyptus trees and run by a husband and wife team of gourmet chefs. After the ferry ride back to Copacabana, taxi, to then walk across the border back into Peru, and long combi ride, I am now back in Puno for a few nights. My month in Peru has been more of an experience than I could have expected. Peruvians are friendly and wise people, the specialty food and drinks here have been a treat, and my personal cleansing and spiritual growth is invaluable. I have enjoyed reading "The White Rock," which is about an explorer's experience in Cusco, The Sacred Valley, Bolivia, and Ecuador. It has been neat that what I am reading has often mirrored where I currently am and what I am experiencing, let alone learning more about the history of the Incans and Spanish conquest. I will fly to Medellín, Colombia on the 30th to meet my mom, and couldn't be more excited! I plan to spend the month of February in Colombia, possibly ending with the big Carnaval festival in Barranquilla on the north coast. Adios!

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allwicca · 8 years ago

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AN INTRODUCTION TO 21ST CENTURY SHAMANISM

By: Veronica Zotescu

It has been my experience that each of us has the ability and the opportunity to develop a wonderful and close relationship with our own Spirit. Just as well, you can all develop the connection with your own inner healer and to heal yourself emotionally and spiritually. It’s a long journey of self-discovery and healing. I would go as far as saying, it’s a challenge, yet amazing, full of surprises and rewarding.

I spent one year and a half in a shamanic center in Spain where I met two shamans—British Ross Heaven and South-African La Gringa living in Cusco. Then I went straight to the roots of the teacher plants in Peru where I spent around my 3 months as an apprentice. I left Peru and then came back to spend more than one year in the Amazonian Jungle of Iquitos and in the mountains of Cordillera Blanca, keeping specific diets with local shamans, also known as vegetalistas, who have a long tradition with this practice.

Shamanism

Firstly, I would like to clarify that Shamanism is not a religion, but a spiritual practice that involves a relationship with all things in nature, be they animate or inanimate. Shamanism may be the oldest of all the healing therapies.

Archaeologists and anthropologists have dated shamanistic practices as ancient as 40,000 years. Evidence of shamanic practice can be found on all the continents in the form of rock paintings, carvings and relics. The oldest archaeological evidence of shamanistic practices comes from the Altai and Ural Mountains of Russia and Mongolia. These practices have been concluded to have been some of sort of religion, a word that I would not associate with shamanism.

Remember that until about 12,000 years ago, there was no form of religion on this planet, so people attained some kind of access to the sacred through various practices. Therefore, shamanism then becomes about technique, or a way of living, and if any of you are students of the literature of shamanism, you probably know that one of the great overviews of shamanism is contained in Mircea Eliade’s book, Shamanism: The Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy.

Various sources claim that the word “shaman” most probably originates from the Evenki word “šamán,” most likely from the southwestern dialect spoken by the Sym Evenki peoples located in Russia and China. Romanian Mircea Eliade, the world’s most influential historian of religions to date, noted in his writings that the Sanskrit word “śramaṇa”, designating a wandering monastic or holy figure, has spread to many Central Asian languages along with Buddhism and could be the ultimate origin of the Tungusic word. In the Tungusu-Manchurian language, the word “shaman” means, “to know”—which means to know without knowing, to receive the information from higher self as a Hindu would say.

The modern term “shaman” has now been adopted by many as a catch-all word to describe those who by spiritual means seek direct access to information and healing power not ordinarily available. In Peru, healers do not call themselves Shamans. Mostly they call themselves ayahuasqueros, tabaqueros, vegetalistas, curanderos, wachumeros,depending on the type of Sacred Plants they are working with. Their choice of working with the spirit of Tabacco, Ayahuasca or San Pedro Cactus depends on their region and tradition. The best and simple way we can call them is “The medicine man/woman”, so then everybody can understand. This naming has to do with their their knowledge of the plants and how to use them to cure different disease. Imagine that after the ceremony where they use the psychotropic plants, they are able to recommend you a diet with just one plant or two plants out of 80 000 species growing in Amazon region.

The way they are working with psychotropic plants is sacred they are having a different approach from the modern society who consider them just simple drugs. In a way the modern society discovered through science about the healing properties of some plants, while these amazing the medicine man knew all about them for thousands of years.

The Path of the Shamans

The shamanism in Peru is known as curanderismo (from Spanish “curar” which means “to heal”) and the healer is known as either curandero in the Andes or vegetalista (“the man or woman who works with plants”) in the Amazon Jungle.

The South American indigenes are using medicinal plants from the Amazon and from the Andes Mountains in an old traditional way, inherited and spread from generation to generation. Also some people with some strong visions visits the local shaman and then the shaman might suggest after some ceremonies that the person who have suddenly some connections with spirits shows that the spirits choose him/her to become a healer. So in this way some other people are trained to follow this path if they want. In this part of the world, the plants are used to cure various types of diseases and help us rediscover ourselves from a new perspective which will give us a fresh approach to life. Psychedelic experiences in a safe setting with teacher plants can help our consciousness open up to this sensation of connection and of being one with nature. The following trailer from the movie “Embrace the serpent” can be a clear introduction into the amazonian shamanic way of living.

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Embrace the Serpent — A film by Ciro Guerra, 2015, Colombia/ Venezuela/Argentina, 125′. It tells the epic story of the first contact, encounter, approach, betrayal and, eventually, life-transcending friendship, between Karamakate, an amazonian shaman, one of the last survivor of his people, and two scientists that, over the course of 40 years, travel through the Amazon in search of a sacred plant that can heal them.

Shamans play a vital role in maintaining an ongoing relationship between the natural and spiritual world, while helping people with their healing processes. Considering that often Shamans make journeys into the spiritual realm to seek help for the community, it is not just the people who benefit from the role of the Shaman in society, but also animals, plants and the entire planet. As you may know, Shamans as well as other healers from various corners of the world believe that the origin of the disease is of spiritual nature and is caused by psychological, emotional, spiritual factors too. Also they believe that most of the diseases appear because of invisible arrows of some malevolent spirits not because of some organically caused sickness and death.

Some anthropologists and religious scholars define a shaman as an intermediary between the natural and spiritual world, who travels between worlds in a state of trance. Once in the spirit world, the shaman would commune with the spirits for assistance in healing, hunting or weather management. Ripinsky-Naxon describes Shamans as,

“People who have a strong interest in their surrounding environment and the society of which they are a part.”

The path to becoming a Shaman or healer is not an easy one. It’s not a journey where others can join and stand by you. It’s a personal, solitary and long-term journey in the world of the Teacher Plants. It takes a fasting period with each plant he intends to work, or is showed by a teacher plant what he/she needs to diet. You can also get the advices and recommendations of a more experienced Shaman. As I have worked in the jungle with different Shamans and went through different apprenticeship diets, I realized that there are many and different gates that open once you start working with healing practices. I also understood that the only way to become a healer is to listen to my own intuition and forget what I’ve been taught until that moment of my life. It was a kind of mental reset, an new kind of openness that allowed me to become a channel for the teacher plants. If the person is ready and open to receive its healing, the plant knows what must be done and reveals for the person seeking to heal the healer within himself.

The aspiring Shaman begins his journey by going into an isolation for months and sometimes even for years in the depths of the jungle or on the top of the secluded areas of the mountains. This way he accesses the spirit world that hopefully will teach him the secrets of healing. By comparison with other types of healing, the aspiring Shaman finds his initiation all by himself and does not receive it from another healer or guru. This makes the Shaman a powerful medium for channeling the spirits of the nature in order to help people.

It is my personal belief that the path to becoming a Shaman is not necessarily linked with being part of a family where Shamanic healing is a tradition. If somebody feels “the calling”, he just needs to take the first step. As others before me, I do believe the path to becoming a Shaman is a very personal journey and after all the best teacher is the plant spirit. But, considering my own experiences in Peru and the many talks I had with well-respected Shamans, any apprentice must have some kind of guidance from the experienced ones at least for a while.

On my Peruvian long journey I met as “good” Shamans and also “bad” Shamans and that the reason I would advise caution when considering to work with a Shaman. You must be careful in which hands you put your trust, because as everywhere in the world the duality is part of our life. Before making your decision, do your homework, get references, look at their code of practice and ethics, see what patients have to say about their experiences. Try whatever it takes to make sure that the Shaman you’ll work with is mainly driven by his healing mission and not by his fight for survival.

The Energy of the Sacred Icaros…

I cannot end my first brief story about the Shamans without mentioning the amazing “icaros” songs used during healing ceremonies. Icaros are either whistled or vocalised in words and vocables. If I were to associate them with anything you are more familiar then it would be the special Christian prayers priests use when performing religious services. There’s a similar powerful healing energy. Actually the power of an icaro is similar to an indian mantra. Through the icaros the Shamans bring the spirit of the plants he dieted with to help the person in need. I warmly recommend you to listen to these Shipibo icaros. The Shipibos is the name of some indigenous minority tribes from the Amazonian rainforest very well-known for their Shamanic practices.

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These icaros were recorded in the Amazonian Jungle almost 50 km away from Iquitos during Ayahuasca or Sage ceremonies.

Believed to derive from the Quechua verb “ikaray”, which means “to blow smoke in order to heal”, the icaros are used for various purposes: to protect the space and those present at the ceremony, to enhance or to subdue the effects of plant medicines, to evoke the spirits of the plants, to invite the spirits of healers, to dispel dark spirits etc. It is said that the icaros are revealed to the Shamans by the plants themselves after special diets. The longer the relationship between the Shaman and the plant, the more powerful the icaro is.

The icaros are a gift from the spirits of the plants the Shaman dieted with and the way of healing through each icaro is different. Experienced shamans can learn over the years hundreds of icaros which can be used during ceremonies for very specific healing purposes such as snake bites, communication with the world of the spirits, clairvoyance during the ceremonies, for calling the help of the healing crystals etc:

Icaro del tabaco — icaro for evoking the tobacco sacred plant;

Huarmi icaros — for winning the love of a woman;

Icaro del viento — icaro for evoking the wind;

Ayaruna — for evoking the help of the spirits of the healers that passed away;

Accompanied by the sound of the chapaka which is composed by a small bunch of plants with elongated leaves, who helps to connect with the jungle, who helps the shaman to clean the space and the persons from the ceremonies from the energies they don’t use anymore giving it back to the mother nature being helpful for a discharge of energy.

One cannot overlook the unmistakeable wonderful smell of the Holly Wood (“Palo Santo” in Spanish), similar with Frankincense, Myrrh and Copal. The Palo Santo is part of the citrus tree family and has sweet notes of pine, mint and lemon and is used for energetic cleansing of the space before and during the ceremonies. The Palo Santo has similar healing properties as the Sage or the Cedar wood, enhancing a deeper connection to the Source of all creation. The tobacco, another powerful teaching plant, is used for cleansing and protecting the space.

All of these plants I’ve mentioned you about are tools for the Shamans only to create a protected space and to make it possible the healing process by opening the gate between the two worlds—our world and the spiritual one, by channeling the plant spirit through his body and by icaros making possible the contact the world of the spirits and this way the healing takes place. In other words, the diet given by the Shaman and the strong desire of the person looking for healing produces a switch consciousness that makes possible the disease to vanish away. If you want to find out about the Shaman practices, please feel free to visit innerpath.eu.

Conclusion

Despite of the fact that tens of thousands of years ago, shaman healing and other such practices were widely spread, the economic and scientific developments but not only alienated people from such practices and made us lose the contact with mother nature. The good news is that in the past 20-30 years more and more people are open to rediscover these ancient ways of healing.

I’m going to end this first introductory article on shamanism by quoting Terence McKenna:

“In other words, shamanism is not so much a religion, as ordinarily conceived, as it is a kind of, uh, pre-rational science; a kind of methodology for attaining a certain kind of experience. We are not bullshitting you! This is not yoga! This is not NLP! – not to knock those things This is real! It is so real that you can take the most hardened, rational, reductionist asshole and drop him into that environment, and he will meet his Maker, you know?! It dissolves you into a confrontation with authentic being, and this is what we are starving for; this is how we’ve gotten into the messes – and mess – that we’re in. Take seriously the techniques of shamanism. Study the plants. Make real choices, and then, don’t dibble the dose! Once you’ve done your homework, go for it!”.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this first introductory article in the world of Shamanism and until next time, may peace be with you.