May the stars carry your sadness away.
May the flowers fill your heart with beauty.
May hope forever wipe away your tears,
And above all, man silence make you strong.
Chief Dan George
Shamanism is the world’s most ancient nature-based and cross-cultural spiritual path, believing spirit is everywhere and in everything, In shamanism, our word is Law. The term shaman originated with the Evenki tribe in Siberia and means “he or she who sees in the dark or sees what is hidden”. Currently, it is most often associated with indigenous healers who use ritual, ceremony, drumming and medicinal plants as “teachers”.
Shamanic practices center around the natural world and can include Journeying to different realms / realities, calling in Spirit, having an animal totem / guide, conducting ritual / ceremony, and engaging in soul retrieval. Many religions have incorporated shamanic traditions and practices into their faith such as the Catholic Mass and baptism, which are highly shamanic.
REFLECT:
What do you associate with shamans / shamanism?
What do you believe about the indigenous rain dance?
One form of shamanic prayer is physical posture. An ancient Toltec prayer is the Great Wings position.
Face the rising sun at dawn.
Have legs shoulder-width apart with knees bent.
Turn your face toward the sun, arching your back and shoulders.
Lift you arms to either side horizontal with your shoulders.
Have your fingers outstretched and your hands facing the sun.
See an arrow loosed from your heart directly into the sun.
Express gratitude for its light, warmth and life giving energy.
Make a request.
Gradually relax.
Repeat three times.
In his book, How to Pray the Shaman’s Way, Jose Stevens says numerous shamanic traditions like the Hopi, the Maya, the Tibetans, and the Toltecs have all prophesied this is a critical time in history for a quantum leap in consciousness. He feels shamanic prayer is a technology that can support this leap. He presents his prayers for your adaptation and personalization.
He believes spontaneous prayer – when focused and heartfelt – can be the most powerful.
His prayer to enhance power is:
I AM experiencing harmony;
A Ho Spirit, make it so.
I AM experiencing love;
A Ho Spirit, make it so.
I AM experiencing vitality;
A Ho Spirit, make it so.
I AM experiencing inspiration;
A Ho Spirit, make it so.
I Am experiencing beauty;
A Ho Spirit, make it so.
As part of his preparation for prayer, Stevens “opens his field” — naming the conditions he wants to “call in” – such as
I open the field of clarity. I open the field of kindness and compassion. I open the field of miracles, healing and wholeness.
He checks in with his state of mind, and “closes the fields” that don’t make him feel good.
I close the field of anxiety.
I close the field of discouragement.
I close the field of doubt.
I close the field of resentment.
He likes to begin his prayers with a “mantra” – Word, I AM word.
All is sacred as I AM.
All is blessed, as I AM.
All is filled with love, as I AM.
On the power of I AM, Stevens says to think – I AM so that I AM – expressing God iS so that I AM. Saying I AM connects you to the Creator, and is the most powerful phrase for creating. He suggests the greatest sermon every given is
God Is: I AM.
From Paul Selig’s book, I Am the Word, Stevens adopted:
I AM in my knowing.
I AM in my loving.
I AM in my power.
I AM free.
I AM here.
I AM known, I AM seen, and I AM heard by Spirit.
I now who I AM, I know what I AM, I know how I serve.
APPLY:
Speak an I AM “mantra” several times a day for a week.
Note your changes.
Stevens’ tips for praying successfully are:
1. Stay present: now is the moment of power
2. Pray from the heart: replace rote prayer with spontaneous prayer
3. Pray with clarity: have an intention / outcome
4. Pray with certainty: I know…
5. Pray with I AM: it is a recognition of Spirit within
6. Pray with inspiration: our prayers should move us emotionally
7 Pray with clear vision: a prayer can be a “picture” of a desired outcome
8. LISTEN: have silence after your prayer to allow for Spirit messages
9. Act: take a small step toward realizing your prayer
How to Pray the Shaman’s Way, Ancient Techniques for Extraordinary Results, Jose Luis Stevens, PhD, Hierophant Publishing, 2021.
