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Dreamwork in Shamanic Path and Practice

2/24/2015

Dreamwork

At the moment I am teaching two of my Shamanic Path and Practice trainee practitioners about dreamwork, a favourite topic of mine. I thought to share some of this work with you here.

Reading dreams or dream interpretation has long been a practice in shamanism. The intensive studies of shamanism by academics Rock and Krippner (2011) inform us that in Native American cultures dreamwork, as an individual practice, was and is a well-known tool for inner reflection and guidance around matters in the emotional, spiritual, and physical world. Rock and Krippner claim that in most shamanic traditions that the dreamed world is as significant as the physical world, and that the messages gained through dreaming can inform and empower the dreamer, therefore dreams were/are greatly valued[1].

There are many ways to read into dreams, and my way has been influenced by the studies of well known theorists of psychology Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, the latter who adds the important aspect of spirituality, both of whom supported dreamwork as being significant in understanding of the processing of the unconscious component of the mind.

The model I have together is best described through actual dreamwork, as can be seen below in this example of a recent dream. The intention of dreamwork in SPP is to inform the dreamer of hidden messages within the dream, and to enlighten the dreamer of any unconscious repression that may be occurring and creating blocks or resistance around recent events, or significant events form the past or coming up in the future.

The steps involve:

1.     Writing out, and if possible speaking out, the dream. It is in the sharing of the dream that often-unseen aspects come up as you trigger yourself further into new possibilities for the dream.

2.     Highlighting significant parts of and words in the dream.

3.     Time placement of the dream – is it reflecting a current event, telling of the past or past life, or foretelling of events?

4.     Symbols in the dream in the form of objects, archetypes and roles, and significant words and events in the dream. Your own interpretation of these symbols, and perhaps universal, historic or cultural meanings of these symbols, which may involve some research.

5.     Becoming one with the dream through the symbols that are most relevant to you.

6. Being aware of your feelings and insights through the telling of the dream.

7.     Your final conclusions and interpretation of the dream and its important messages for you.

The Dream and Dreamwork Through Example

Last night I had a dream that an aunt died and she left a cupboard full of precious things that I was given first choice of. When I was going through the hundred of objects and jewels, another aunt who has helped to raise me, and whom I consider my second mother, helped me choose and she picked a beautiful green bottle shaped statue a bit like a trophy made out of jade. She said it had come from an uncle who had lived in Scotland and was a family heirloom and was important that I have it. The jewellery was beautiful but I chose two rose quartz crystals and the jade object my aunt loved so well. At one stage I had doubted my other aunt had been honest because she had daughters of her own and felt she had had first pick before me because I was certain there were more valuable rings that were missing. I felt terrible thinking that way and knew it was wrong because she had the right to do that anyway if she felt it was necessary, and I loved her and trusted her. Having that loving thought, I found another drawer with rings in it. In the end I would not have chosen differently anyway. The rose quartz crystals and family history were more important to me.

What is my dream telling me? Let’s see.

The first thing I look at is Time: Is it past (this and other lives), present, or future?
It feels like it is present with some reflection to the past as it involves ancestors. There is also a sense of a gift coming my way – therefore the future is involved. I am of this age in the dream, and my aunt is of her age.

If it is present time – what does it reflect going on in my life right now?
It seems it is possible there is death close to me. I have a dear aunt who is very ill who may well pass soon. I have made a decision to spend more time with her in her last days, even though it is difficult because she doesn’t recognize me at first gets so upset with herself, and it is hard to see her that way. At the level of now in time, the dream tells me it is important to spend more time together. However, there are more symbolic meanings to the dream in relation to time, and I feel they will unfold as I go more into symbolic meaning.

Symbolism in the dream:
It seems there is a precious gift coming my way. The gift may come from the choices I make. It is important to take my time to make that choice, and to let go of mistrust or doubt. Rose quarts symbolizes love. They were two almost identical large pieces of double terminated rose quartz. The dream tells me to always choose love first, in this case the love involves two people, and they are very similar in many ways. Similar in their values and capacity to love. Simply, I choose love.

Personal association in the dream:
Green jade is a precious stone found in many countries, but I associate it most to the greenstone of New Zealand where it is highly valued by the Maori people and objects made from it are handed down in families and given away as a way to honor someone. Given there involved aunts in the dream, and one said the green jade plaque was a family heirloom, I take from the dream that I am to treasure ancestral traits and values – strengths – that I can choose to continue to hold. Listen to my aunties, and trust them. These are indeed two aunts of mine who I love and trust and have been out of touch with for some time. The dream tells me it is time to reconnect with them and make time to see them.

There are other associations to present events. I run crystal workshops and am about to go to a warehouse – I will indeed look out for rose quartz and jade.

Colours that stand out in the dream and their meaning and their meaning to me:
Pink and green are related to the heart chakra, and again, I am reminded of the value of love. The love of my soul mate and partner, and the love of my family – and to value family history and things handed down to me. To stay connected with my family, particularly my aunts.

Becoming the significant objects as symbols of me and my character:
The pair of rose quartz crystals: I choose to be love, connected to both earth and sky, as in the shape of the double terminator.

I choose to have a partner beside me who reflects me and my values.

The jade carved object: I could not really identify as being more than ornamental. It was a carving of what seemed like a book but may have held whiskey in it or other spirits. It was large and heavy and of precious stone. When I first looked at it I didn’t value it. It wasn’t until my aunt pointed out its history that I realized it meant a great deal to me to keep it. It seems it is a gift in my mother’s line and was held most recently by an uncle from Scotland.

In reflection to this as I write, I feel insight coming: I sometimes don’t value myself, or even see myself in the picture when I am searching for meaning. I overlook myself at times, until trusted others point out my value. I am not easily identifiable as having a purpose – and feel that often that my purpose for being here is not seen as valuable – perhaps I don’t value my purpose unless others show that they value me. I look for affirmation. Affirmation is my love language, that is true. What I get from this is I need to stop overlooking myself and what I do and see it for its true value as my healing work is a gift handed down to me from my ancestors.

Other significant parts of the dream:
The feelings of doubt:

At one stage I found myself doubting one of my aunts and when I let go of that, what I was looking for appeared. The message here it to let go of doubt and the fear of trusting people I love, and I will then be able to easily find what I am looking for.

I was chosen by my deceased aunt out of everyone in my family to have first choice to choose: The word choice kept coming up in the dream. I was given first choice of my aunt’s precious things, and I had to choose. The message here for me is to understand that the value I place on my experiences are always my choice. And to make my own choice, trust my own choice, but also listen to the wisdom of the elders around and within me. There is also the message to be discerning in my choices, not to rely on what I can see to be worthy of choice, but rather to search for the hidden, unseen value. Look more deeply, choose more wisely.

Final message of the dream - putting it all together now:

There is a precious gift coming my way and it involves making a choice. When it arrives I will take time to look for what it hidden, and take time to listen to the inner guidance of my ancestors. I will trust in this gift and come from a place of love always in the choices I make, love for myself, and for the other.

[1] Rock, A.J., & Krippner, S. (2011) Demystifying Shamans and Their World. A Multidisiplinary Study.(5: 113 140). Exeter, UK: Imprint Academic.

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Breathing Your Way Into Wellbeing With Heather Price ©

2/19/2015

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For many years I have been aware of the power of the breath and have learned to understand that when you become present you no longer take your breath for granted because you actually begin to breathe consciously. There are a great number of important breathing-related functions for our physical, mindful, emotional, and spiritual bodies ( individually and overlapping), that most of us take for granted, including:

PHYSICAL

·       The in-breath transports oxygen from the outside environment to the lungs and into the blood system to create an internal environment for blood cells to transport oxygen throughout the body to where it is needed. After the oxygen is delivered to the blood it transforms into carbon dioxide to do many things, including assisting in the balance the ph of our systems and alerting our brain that we need to take in more oxygen.

·       The out breath transports toxins from the lymphatic and blood systems from the inside to the outside of bodies.

·       The breath acts as the power source to enable the sounds that we make.

·       We use our breath to move mucus from our respiratory system.

·       We use our breath to blow out candles, blow up balloons and air beds, move things along and so on.

·       The breath is used to enable us to inhale smells and enhances our senses.

·       The breath allows us to swim and keeps us afloat. Animals use their breath in this way too.

·       Athletes use their breath to enhance focus, performance and balance.

·       Our capacity to breath (this can be measured) can affect the onset and/or acceleration and healing of such conditions as asthma, high blood pressure, immunity, sleep apnea, hypertension, emphysema, and many more conditions that are affected by an imbalance of the gases in our bodies. Measuring respiratory capacity, when at rest and active, can give clear indications of the state of our health. The breathing rate and capacity is affected by things such as poor posture, mouth breathing, exercise or lack there of, fear and anxiety, state of health, emotional wellbeing, mental health and so on.

·       Water is lost with every breath we exhale and this is high for people who over breathe and we breath out more water as vapour in volume then what we breathe in. The average breath contains in volume 5 litres of air containing water per minute. Someone who over breathes, with asthma for instance, can be as much as three times the average volume per minute. Mouth breathing loses more water vapour as it does not have the filters and specially designed anatomy that are in our nose that normally capture it[1]

·       Without breath, there is no life.

MINDFUL

·       In meditation and daily life breathing consciously connects us with our thoughts and bodies, and slows us down, reducing stress that interferes with memory and conscious thinking, visioning, and planning.

·       We can use our breath to create mindfulness and presence, which in turn allows clarity and more meaningful connections.

EMOTIONAL

·       The breath can be and is used as a tool to create deeper intimacy between people – lovers, mother/fathers and children, friends and so on. Animals too will use the breath as well as part of their mating rituals and as a way to connect and identify their young and to connect – or disconnect – with others who approach them.

·       Breathing consciously can temper emotions and settle anxiety and stress. In shamanic practice, the breath can be used as a medium to connect with hidden emotions and bring them into a place where they can be transformed through self compassion and clear intention.

SPIRITUAL

·       We can use our breath to direct energy and healing and purposeful intention to parts of our body and mind.

·       We can use our breath to create a space for connection with inner wisdom that seems to rise in the silence and space created by conscious breathing.

·       The breath assists us into greater awareness of our connection with the worlds within and around us. It connects all living things. The breath we breath in comes from the breath of millions of people around the planet, and the breath we breathe out will be dispersed and eventually be part of millions of other people’s breath.

The Power of The Breath

Ancient forms of healing and mindful practices such as yoga, Tai Chi, meditation, and vibrational energy healing practices such as shamanism, have long known of the power of the breath, long before science came about and provided evidence for what was once taken for granted; that our breath affects our well being on many levels, and can make the difference between a healthy life, and a life filled with physical, emotional, and mental challenges. The years have brought me many opportunities to explore the breath in its many forms. Here are the ones I know well that I have put together intuitively after spending time breathing with awareness and connecting with all parts of my Self for guidance – body, mind, spirit, and heart.

The Breath of Transformation

(Warning – please seek medical advice if you have any conditions that may be affected by changing breathing patterns such as heart conditions or asthma).

After more than fifteen years of helping other people breath into painful physical conditions and emotions such as fear, anger, sadness and shame, I began to understand that it is also possible to breathe into the polar opposite of all of these things – trust, compassionate awareness, serenity, and self-love and confidence. After time, it began to become clear that emotions were energy, and the number one rule in shamanic practice is “don’t waste energy”. There are only two choices in life, one will expand energy and the other will expend it – and at times it is worth expending energy in order to expand it. All feelings and experiences carry an energetic vibration, and we can learn to reshape and transform negative vibrations into positive ones to transform and better use energy. The breath helps us to do that. Here are the steps for this breath:

1.      Sit or lie somewhere where you wont be disturbed.

2.      Imagine that beneath where you are sitting or lying there is a crystal cave in the earth that can be any type of and colour crystal you choose.

3.      Now bring your attention to your breath and take a deep breath and notice where you feel the centre of power in your body. You may feel it in your heart, solar plexus (beneath you chest), or in your belly – navel area. Breathe into this place with your normal breath for a few minutes.

4.      You are encouraged to breath a little more deeply into your belly with your breath and stretch out your abdomen when you breathe in, and more so when you breath out – but not to the point of completely emptying your breath beyond comfort. There needs always to be breath in reserve. Do your best not to move your chest, rather direct your breath to your power centre.

5.      Next think of a negative situation that is preventing you from being the person you want to be, and living the life you want to live, and feel where this situation presents itself in your body – where are you holding on to it?

6.      Name the feeling you are feeling right now? Try and bring it down to the four base feelings that vibrate heavy energy – FASS: Is it fear, anger, sadness or shame?

7.      Once you have identified the feeling, find a polar opposite feeling that your would rather have that will assist your to be the person you want to be and live the life you want to live? Here are a few examples:

8.      Fear transforms into Faith through trust in one’s self, and in the journey you are on.

9.      Anger transforms into Acceptance through compassionate understanding.

10.   Sadness transforms into Serenity through graceful acceptance.

11.   Shame transforms into Self-love through the compassionate understanding of Self.

12.   Now, breath into the feeling you have identified, name it, and let it go to the crystal cave, and allow it to transform into the preferred way of being. Shift the energy. Let go of its power over you. Sit back and watch it.

13.   Watch, feel, and allow the energy to transform and breath in the new energy into your power centre, from the cave. Relax into the breath now, and let go of the association, allowing the brain to continue the imprinting now it knows what to do, and enjoy emptying the breath into the cave, and reclaiming it in its newly transformed form.

14.   Do this for as long as it takes until you feel a shift and feel lighter.

PLEASE NOTE – you can use this breath on a physical level as well for self-healing, letting go of the condition and transforming into how you want your body to be and feel.

The Breath of Restoration

This breath is excellent for those nights when you lie awake in bed and think too much. It is easy to remember and practice when you take time to learn it. However, before you use it, I suggest you take time to rearrange your thoughts and habits around not sleeping well. Shapeshifting your attitude toward ‘lack of sleep’ can make all the difference to how you feel, and training your breath to restore your health will distract your mind and activate it in a healthy way.

Sleep is necessary for good health; there is not doubt about it. Experts recommend 7 – 8 hours a night. They will also tell us that mind fullness and mediation is also great for good health. After years of practice, I have come to accept that an optimistic attitude is also necessary for good health. When you set out to sleep, don’t think about it or worry about it, or go into it thinking you wont sleep well. If you don’t sleep well, don’t dwell on it or talk about it, moving past it instead. Having rules in place like not looking at the clock and counting the hours, not turning on lights (use a torch) or working in the night, and the best one – ‘not thinking’! Make yourself comfortable instead and practice your restoration breath.

Here are the steps for your breath of restoration:

1.      Sit or lie somewhere where you wont be disturbed.

2.      Imagine that beneath where you are sitting or lying there is a vessel in the earth that will contain the energy you let go of.

3.      Now bring your attention to your breath and take a deep breath and notice where you feel the centre of power in your body. You may feel it in your heart, solar plexus (beneath you chest), or in your belly – navel area. Breathe into this place for a few minutes.

4.      You are encouraged to go a little more deeply (not past your comfort zone) into your belly with your breath and stretch out your abdomen when you breathe in, and more so when you breath out.

5.      Relax, and allow your breath to fall into a natural, healthy, conscious rhythm, breathing in stages down your body, from upper chest, to middle, to lower abdomen as you breathe out, and then back in reverse – from bottom, to middle, top – like a gentle, steady wave.

6.      Allow yourself to experience silence and stillness with your breath, where you no longer feel any physical exertion to breath, nor is your breath shallow. Rather it is long and strong, yet gentle and comfortable.

7.      Breath in using this mantra “rest, relax, restore”, breathing out worry, tension and stress.

Resources and Recommended Reading:

Tess Graham (2012). Relief from Snoring and Sleep Apnoea. A step by step guide to restful sleep and better health through changing the way your breath (chapter 4, Know your breathing p.p. 17-34). Pub: Penguin, Melbourne, Australia. EXCELLENT EASY READING.

Stella Wella (2003). Yoga Beats Asthma. Simple breathing exercises and breathing techniques to relieve asthma and respiratory disorders (p.p. 12 -13). Pub: Thorsons, London, UK. FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN YOGIC PRACTICES AND ANCIENT BREATHING TECHNIQUES.

Rick Hodder, M.D. (2001). Every Breath I Take. A guide to Living with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease where every breath is a struggle). Pub: Stoddart, Toronto, Canada. EXCELLENT MEDICAL INFORMATION.

Related Articles on line:

The Buteyko Breathing System, developed by Professor Konstantin Butekyo in the late 1950’s. Here is a great one that explains this amazing breathing technique that helps with so many illnesses and disorders but is most commonly known to assist those with asthma with a very high success rate: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/11/24/buteyko-breathing-method.aspx

The Huna Breath (Hawaiian natural healing) http://www.huna.org/html/deeper.html

DID YOU KNOW THAT ‘HU’ MEANS BREATH AND ‘WAI’ MEANS WATER? This article describes the beautiful huna breath that helps you to feel in natural flow with your breath.

Free EBook:

Heather Price. (2010) The Magical Healing Breath. A free download. Go to this link and scroll down. http://www.shamanicpathandpractice.com/overview.html

[1] Graham, Tess. (2012) Relief from Snoring and Sleep Apnoea. A step by step guide to restful sleep and better health through changing the way your breath (p.p. 185-87). Pub: Penguin, Melbourne, Australia.

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Author

Heather Price is a creative counsellor, shamanic healing practitioner and trainer, and a consultant and mentor for wellbeing in business and corporate arenas. She was also an established, practicing artist prior to her present career, and for some time has chanelled her creative energy into the fields of ceremony and writing.

In September 2011 she became a published author in a collaborative project with eleven other authors from America and Australia for her chapter Creating and Abundant Life in Sources of Wisdom.

In August 2012 her chapter A Smile Will Set You Free was published in the best-selling series Adventures in Manifesting - Love and Oneness, a collaborative project created by Sarah Prout and Sean Patrick Simpson and Alska Publishing. Heather was published along side a number on contributing authors including Marianne Williamson and Lisa McCourt.

Heather's Handbook for Personal Development - The 8 Ways; Shamanic Guidelines for Walking Consciously and Confidently on the Earth is available as a PDF download.
/the-8-ways.html

Heather's most recent book, an autobiography - Speaking From Another Room – Awakening to the Joy of Living, is awaiting publishing.

SHAMANIC HEALING
In the field of healing, Heather uses her shamanic tools and gifts, to assist people and animals in their health and wellbeing. She teaches the way of Shamanic Path and Practice and offers training to health practitioners in SPP - Shamanic Path and Practice.

SHAMANIC TRAINING
Heather Offers training in three ways.

SSP - Shamanic Path and Practice Practitioner Training - individual training to learn eight levels of shamanic wisdom and practice.

ASP - A Shamanic Path Training to guide you on journey in an enriching way, connected to and guided by your inner worlds, through the magic of the natural world.

BLUEPRINTS FOR SOULFUL PRACTICE TRAINING
After almost twenty years of working intensely and energetically with individual clients, groups, and corporate organizations, she has defined powerful healing and transformative formulas to fast track clients into living a life of awareness and abundance such as The Sacred Circle Map of Shamanic Wisdom and consciousness, and BE VAST NOW. She now takes these Blueprints to share with service providers of holistic health, wellbeing,and business.

BRISBANE BSP EVENT SUPER-EARLYBIRD CLOSES 30.09.16

Heather assists those is business to be clear and focused and to connect with the Spirit of their business by offering creative projects such as Vision Planning and Visionboards.A Personal Vision Plan

Heather educates her clients to assist them to awaken to their own inner healing powers. Her work is very much client-centered and educative, and the main purpose of the way she works is to empower her clients to discover and apply their own healing capacity and creative intelligence.

“I aspire to inspire those who choose to journey with me to live consciously and confidently, to step into their true nature, and to step up and out to meet their dreams, keeping an open, resilient heart, in love and gratitude, always, and all ways”.

“I stand for equality and respect between all living beings and creatures”.

With acknowledgement and respect for those who originally walked this country, and to current the custodians, elders past, present, and emerging, and my many teachers. To my ceremony sisters and brothers, thank you for walking with me and sharing your wisdom and love for this country and all peoples and beings of earth, water, fire and air. To the Old People returning, thank you for showing us the Way home.

Thank you for stopping by here and we hope to hear from you soon!

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