Aug. 2010 Essential Wellness

exploring pathways to inner peace, health & healing

www.esswellness.comaugust 2010

Shamanisminside:• Know your wild nature

through shamanism

• Shamanism helps solve practical problems

• Native Prophesies unfold at the Midwest Shamanic Gathering

Phot

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Alle

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august 2010 3

ABOUT THE COVER

Photographer Allen Brown captures shamanic ceremony in PeruShaman Don Juan Gabriel Apaza with his wife Maria Victoria Q‘espe perform a despa-cho ceremony from the Q’ero tradition in the mountains surrounding Cusco, Peru. See arti-cle by Allen Brown on page 9. Don Juan will be a presenter at the Midwest Shamanic Gath-ering. Brown is co-founder of the Gathering and can be reached at www.deepcurrents.com

august 2010

Shamanism

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inside

4 Know your wild nature through shamanism by LYNN ANDREWS

5 NEW! HoPE-FuLL HoRoScoPES by HoPE NIcKLAY

7 GuEST EDIToRIAL: How much do we value healers in our community?

by TIMoTHY coPE

8 Shamanism helps solve practical problems by MARY SToFFEL

9 Native Prophesies unfold at the Midwest Shamanic Gathering by ALLEN BRoWN

11 use therapeutic grade essential oils to heal, clean, enhance cooking by JANET BEcKER

13 Dear Grace by JANET HoVDE

4 www.esswellness.com

SHAmAnISm

Know your wild nature through shamanism

A N Y Y E A R S a g o , a powerful shaman named Twin Dream-ers sa id to me, “We are all born wild like a mountain lion. To live

in civilization we become sheep at a very young age. We become tame. But we are not house pets. We are fierce and wild by nature.” Are you fierce and wild by nature? What thoughts and feelings do these words evoke in you?

SISTERHOOD Of THE SHIELDS Twin Dreamers is a Kuna Indian of Central America. She is also a member of the Sisterhood of the Shields, an extraor-dinary group of native women who are the guardians of an ancient wisdom born of the sacred feminine that has been pre-served and handed down from mother to daughter, shaman to apprentice for many thousands of years, and she is one of my teachers. For the past 30 years, it has been my great opportunity to study and work with the Sisterhood of the Shields, becom-ing a full member in my own right and a bridge between their ancient and our mod-ern worlds. There is one thing that the women in the Sisterhood want each of you to know: You are the shamans of the 21st century, no less worthy of the world of sacred healing rituals and the great mystery than tradi-tional shamans centuries ago. The differ-ence is that you and I come into the equa-tion far less prepared. The modern world into which we are born has made it so, for ours is a world that has taught us to move far away from our instinctual natures.

Children are told to speak when spoken to; women are taught that to speak of our power is to be shunned by much of soci-ety. We are allowed to be beautiful and rich, even famous, but we must not raise our heads above the crowd and be differ-ent. Men and women, alike, speak with voices that are strangled by the condition-ing of our society and the expectations and demands of others, rather than what is important and true for us.

DEEP LOngIng The modern human being has devel-oped an extraordinary ego. Because of this ego, we think we are better than the flow-ers, better than the animals and the birds, even better than other human beings and races that are not our own, and we separate ourselves from the world around us. Yet deep inside us is a longing for the wilder-ness of the spirit and the power of other worlds. We know we have this magical power, for we get glimpses of it when we travel through inner space in the process of healing ourselves, when we see a baby born, watch a flower bloom or find the uni-verse contained within an atom.

BORROwED knOwLEDgE But how are we to access this power that we feel all around us and know is there, the unseen power that dwells within the mysterious corners of our lives and calls to us to be better than what we have become? For we have become too accus-tomed to borrowed knowledge. All our lives, we sit and listen as others tell us about their experiences and dreams, their understanding of the way things work. In school, we sit through lectures, read

books and answer questions designed to see if we have learned enough about what is contained within those books, and we are rewarded only if we are able to squeeze ourselves inside the narrow confines of this learning environment. This is a very mental way of learning in which you gain power by going up the ladder, where you will find a few people at the top and every-body else at the bottom, struggling to get up the ladder somehow. And it is a way of learning that spills over into much of what we do for the rest of our lives, long after we have left the formal school system. Tragi-cally, it is also a way of learning that tells us that the unseen power that we know is there really isn’t there, precisely because it is unseen. Albert Einstein had enormous problems with this kind of learning, hating rote memorization to the point that one of his teachers suggested he leave school since his being there ‘encouraged other students to disrespect their teachers.’ He left high school to study math, physics and philoso-phy at home and went on to become one of the most brilliant minds of all time. This is not to diss the school system in a world where quality education can mean the difference between success and failure, even life and death. It is, rather, to acknowledge that there are many things that the modern way of learning leaves us ill equipped to handle. The result is that while our science and technology put the whole world literally at our fingertips, we are living today with greater stress, chaos and confusion than at any other time in human history. And this is where the world of the shaman comes into play.

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Wild Nature continued on page 6

By Lynn AnDREwS

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Essential Wellness announces a new monthly column by Hope Nicklay on astrology. You don’t have to believe in astrology to have fun with it! Just enjoy!

ARIES You have been dealing with big transformative energies in your career and public life; allow time for things to manifest in the right order. You have powerful abilities that you have yet to realize.

TAURUS Your daily life is filled with things to do this month and you have been extra responsible about sticking to your tasks. Towards the end of the month when you feel the pull to take a break you should enjoy it.

gEmInI Take time to hang out with friends and for pleasurable activities this month. Energy for extra communication at home will make you feel the need to get away for a short time.

CAnCER You are dedicated to making money right now in unique ways. You have experienced opportunity in your field of choice within the past few months which will continue to provide you with expansion.

LEO Your often fiery and strong-willed nature this month also has you feeling like a social butterfly. People are drawn to you more right now for chatting and outings but also for new work ventures and re-structuring of your social circles.

VIRgO There have been restrictions in your finances for the last few months. Taking action steps towards a new financial plan will shift you towards where you need to go. Overcoming obstacles with the kind of perfection that you desire takes patience and appreciation for the journey.

LIBRA Your home has been going through changes in the last few months: “Out with the old, in with the new.” Don’t hold back if you think

something must go, trust your instincts and get rid of it. Continue to clear your space and your mind and past will be clearing up too.

SCORPIO Your communications are intuitive and insightful now. Make use of your abilities to see what is behind the obvious. Continue to nurture your finances like you would a baby.

SAgITTARIUS Start to track your dreams if you don’t already do so. You have been healing in your sleep and messages are being sent to you through your subconscious mind. August will provide you with new social contacts that inspire you to implement all your inventive and eclectic energies.

CAPRICORn Your work is a constant focus right now which has you feeling consumed by your schedule. Socializing while working will bring some enjoyment to the over responsibility of your situation. You will soon be looking at your greater goals or taking a vacation.

AqUARIUS Like the asteroid Goddess Juno you are committed to your partners and feel completely tied in with them. You will soon be urged to hash out some details and make new agreements with your shared projects.

PISCES Through the month of August the spotlight on your intimate partnerships will continue but the focus will be centered around shared time, space, and resources. The male and female energies within you will be attempting to create a balance.

Hope Nicklay is an astrologer and hypnotherapist who lives and works in the Twin Cities. She can be reached at 612-802-4608 or [email protected]. FFI: www.Hypnosiswithhope.com

August: Leos— at their social best!

HOPE-fULL HOROSCOPES By HOPE nICkLAy

HOPE-fULL HOROSCOPES By HOPE nICkLAy

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Shamanism arises from our own experiences. It is very much related to the harmonies of the earth, to finding balance and harmony with all that is around you, regardless of whether you like what is there or not. A shaman knows that all things are alive; that all things are part of the great oneness of life, not separate and apart; that all things have energy, purpose and a far deeper meaning than what we see on the surface. Without the honey bee, there is no pollination. Without pollination, crops will not grow and our world would face a famine of unfathomable proportions. We are different from the honey bee, yes; we each play vastly different roles in the cycles of life on this earth. But how do we sepa-rate ourselves from the honey bee, elevate our “worth” over its? A shaman is one who

knows how to choreograph the energies of the universe, of all of life toward a higher purpose.

ExPLORE & ExPERIEnCE My shaman teachers have never told me what it is that I must learn. They teach me by putting me in situations—some-times quite terrifying—where I have to grow and change in order to survive. Then the learning becomes true and real within me, and the teachings become a part of my conscious awareness of my own life. They believe, as do I, that you cannot teach any-one about life, nor can you heal in a world that urgently needs healing, through end-less explanation and lecture. People only truly learn through experience, through exploring what confronts them and find-ing in that situation their own strengths and weaknesses, whether in the physics lab or raising children. Once you do that, you can shift the energies within you to a place of harmony and balance. If you want to find the universe within the atom, you must move into the atom within yourself so that you can explore it from the vantage point that is uniquely yours. As Ani, a Nepalese hill woman who is also a member of the Sisterhood of the Shields, told me: People have denied the pos-sibilities of magic, the light that is real even though it cannot be touched. The strange dimensions of life happen just as much as scientific discoveries. In actuality, ‘black hole’ discoveries are the beginning of proof of the strange and magical dimensions of our existence. ‘Strange’ usually means only that it is something that occurs out of our frame of reference, out of our realm of experience.

‘Strange magic’ means beyond our under-standing or the limits of our minds, some-thing that is weird and bad. In reality, mind is like a rice bowl and rice is our knowledge. The rice is limited only by the confines of the bowl. Be a magician and stay open to the mysteries. Let your wisdom reach beyond the limits of ordinary mind. Life, existence, is a mystery. Symbolically, your knowledge is not limited to a simple rice bowl, and that is the way it will always be. Instead of fighting for the rice bowl, fight to make beautiful rice.

EnTER THE wILDERnESS Of THE SPIRIT Shamanism teaches us how to enter the wilderness of the spirit and the power of other worlds that we so long to expe-rience. Go out into a garden and sit with the plants. Just sit in silence with them. Become one with them; talk to them and let them speak to you. The flowers that have a fragrance are asking you to notice them. They are more highly evolved than the blooms without fragrance. The scent brings you to them and enables them to evolve and become more like you, more human. Then you can truly know the beauty and magic of your fierce and wild nature, because you are it!

Lynn Andrews is the New York Times and internationally best-selling author of the Medicine Woman series. She writes extensively about her experiences with Twin Dreamers and Ani in Star Woman and Windhorse Woman, A Marriage of Spirit, respectively. To learn more about Lynn’s life and work, go to her website at www.lynnandrews.com. •

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gUEST EDITORIAL

T CAN be dicey—this busi-ness of working as a healer. And I am using the word, business intentionally. While it’s wonderful for a practitio-ner to become accomplished

on this or that healing path, when knowl-edge and skill are transmuted into com-modities for the marketplace, those paths can become minefields. For many of us, the difficulty may be rooted in what the economic realities of doing our work reveal to us about our-selves. Being paid, per se, is not necessar-ily the problem. Healers the world over have always been paid for their efforts, as have other people who have truck in the sacred. It is a misapprehension to believe they are not. People (even heal-ers) have to eat. People (even monks and nuns) must be clothed and sheltered. Just because there is no rate card posted on the kiva wall, no quid pro quo exchange of cash for services after the ritual, that does not mean that no attention is being paid or that there will not be reckoning further on down the pike. These consid-erations can be so tightly woven into the social fabric of the tribe or village as to not be readily visible to outsiders. But they are there.

How much to be paid is another mat-ter entirely. It is a delicate balance. If we ask too much, we exploit our clients. If we ask too little, we exploit ourselves. It is a truism that many healers tend to err on the side of self-exploitation. Perhaps it is easier (and safer) for us to think we are worth too little than it is to risk having others think we think we are worth too much. Where is Goldilocks when we need her?

DEPEnDEnCy fOR OUR wELLBEIng For some of us, another challenge arises when we choose to make our heal-ing practice our day job. We may have the sincerest intent to undertake the work with love and compassion. Indeed, we may have compassion as deep as the ocean. We may have love as wide as the sky. But we may not have the ground we need to run a business. (There’s that pesky word again.) With the rent coming due and the wolf howling, if not at the door, then on a nearby ridge, occasional thoughts may surface as to how dependent we are on our clients for our wellbeing. Further thoughts, barely audible to our own awareness, may whisper suggestions on how to encourage our clients coming back, perhaps not so much because it is in their best interests, but because it seems to be in ours. After

all, next month the car insurance premium comes round. With the world in such a state and our minds so noisy, we may find it difficult to embody the hollow bone, the clear conduit for spirit, of our aspirations. Perhaps for some people what lies at the core of these various dilemmas is a deep-rooted belief that business is inher-ently anti-spiritual. Business involves money, and the love of money, we are told, is the root of all evil. By inference, anything commercial is somehow not countenanced by the Divine.

SACRED ExCHAngE However, in the shamanic world-view, all things have a place on the circle. Everyone and everything is numinous. The All-That-Is is just that. Hence vendor and healer, client and customer, are all sacred beings, and what passes between them is sacred too—whether that be a laying-on-of-hands, a soul retrieval, fresh veggies from the garden, or a personal check.

How much do we value healers in our community?

Value continued on page 10

IBy TImOTHy COPE

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E ARE living in chal-lenging times—per-haps the most chal-lenging in thousands of years. We can feel overwhelmed by life

in general and problems can seem insur-mountable. Many are seeking answers through exploration into various spiritual practices that traditionally have offered knowledge and healing from the realms of non-ordinary reality. This spirit realm can provide information not available through purely logical means. Shamanism has been practiced for thousands of years, and it can be used now to address the practical problems we all face in our daily lives. Problems like not having enough money to pay our bills, much less save for college or retirement, or problems like career decisions, moving or relocating, and personal relationship issues. Major life changes of marriage, starting a family, and dissolving a relationship can cause anyone to question their judgment and feel powerless. And then there are health conditions that can be challenging or incapacitating. These are the types of situations that all of us deal

with constantly. With shamanism, we can know that we are not alone; that help and advice are available for the asking and that we can regain the confidence and the power to control our fortunes and our destinies.

qUESTIOnIng OUR PURPOSE Many of us are also confused about our purpose for being here at all. We feel that we are supposed to be doing some-thing but don’t have a clue what that is. We may have questions about our spiritual path and can’t tell if we are on the right track. How do we know our mission? And how can this ancient spiritual practice really help us find our way? Let me be clear: shamanism does not take the place of professional help. In fact, it often works best when used in conjunc-tion with modern accepted therapies such as psychotherapy, counseling, hypnother-apy, and medical practice, to name a few. Shamanism adds the spiritual dimension of healing, restoring balance, harmony, and a feeling of empowerment. It pro-vides insight and guidance when making decisions or planning a course of action. It helps us see how we are connected and

dispels our feelings of isolation. Using the guiding and healing techniques of sha-manism can restore balance and harmony to our lives, with peace, serenity and confi-dence. It re-affirms that we can determine what is best for us and helps us achieve it.

EmPOwERmEnT In ordinary reality, to empower someone is to give them the authority to do something. In shamanic terms, the concept of empowerment is giving an individual the means to access their own spiritual guidance with the aid of compas-sionate, helping spirits. Whatever it is you

SHAmAnISm By mARy STOffEL

Shamanism helps solve practical problems

Solve continued on page 10

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SHAmAnISm By ALLEn BROwn

Native Prophesies unfold at the Midwest Shamanic Gathering

S WE all filed out of the tipi to feel the cool morn-ing air on our faces, I knew we were witness to an historic event taking

place. We had all just participated in an all night ceremony, the second of four that will take place over a year. This will culminate in the passing of a chief ’s bundle to a Peru-vian priest named Don Valerio Cohaila (Freddy) by Leonard Crowdog, spiritual leader and Chief of the Lakota Nation. For the first time in history, a South American will carry the bundle and title of Chief in the North American tradition. It is no mistake that it is happening to Don Vale-rio Cohaila. He has spent most of his life sharing the South American tradition with the tradition of the North. He is a powerful living example of the prophecy of the Hopi tradition coming to life in our time. According to that prophecy, there will come “ …a time when the Condor and Eagle fly together, then it will be a sign that the children of Mother Earth are re-awakening.” As Don Valerio Cohaila shares his wisdom and ceremonies with larger and larger communities around the

country, he brings the prophecy closer to fruition with every step. It is this vision of fulfilling the prophecies that he brings to the Midwest Shamanic Gathering this year as he has done for the past three years.

BRIngIng POwER & EnERgy Helping Don Valerio Cohaila to bring the energy of the Condor to the Gathering this year is another incredible Peruvian healer named Juan Gabriel Apaza. Thirty-year apprentice to the great Altomesayoq Don Manuel Q’espe, Don Juan brings a depth of knowledge and experience that is profound. In fact even as I write this arti-cle, I am still basking in the glow of that profound wisdom having spent the day in sacred ceremony with Don Juan on a mountain between the Sacred Valley and the Cusco Valley in Peru. Don Juan Apaza s power to call on the spirits of the moun-tains, animals, and all of nature to connect them with those of the North brings a tan-gible sense of energetic connection with all that is. The opportunity to bring this power and energy in physical form to the United States at the Midwest Shamanic Gathering is very exciting indeed.

To balance this enormous energy from the South is a tall order, but we are blessed to welcome four accomplished healers and ceremonialists from the North American tradition this year as well. Dennis King, a healer from the Oneida nation brings a powerful lineage and many years of healing experience to his first year at the Gathering. As does Sylvia Sharma, a healer and Cer-emonialist who organizes and leads Moon-dance ceremonies across the United States.

DOn VALERIO COHAILA ACCEPTS CHIEf’S BUnDLE fROm

LEOnARD CROwDOg

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seek, whether information, healing, guidance, or the development of your own spirituality, the practice of shamanism gives you the power to fulfill that need for yourself. You no longer require an intermediary to tell you what to do or how to interpret the answers you receive. When you are consistent in your shamanic practice and you have established a relationship with your power animal or teacher, you can rely on the guidance you are given. Empower-ment also implies the responsibility to act on the information and guidance you are given from the spirits. They are here to help but only you can effect change in your life by taking back your power and applying it. Remember, when you tap into the realm of non-ordinary reality, all answers are available to you when you practice consistently and learn the language of that reality.

This information is excerpted from Mary Stoffel’s new book The Practical Power of Shamanism: Heal Your Life, Loves and Losses available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Mary’s website www.humanimal.com”. For more information contact Mary at 763-444-8146 and [email protected] •

Solve from page 8

Perhaps those of us who make our spiritual work our busi-ness need to recognize that we are indeed business people. Perhaps we need to devote as much time to understanding the subtleties and complexities of business as we do our healing disciplines and modalities. Perhaps we need to realize that the marketplace is as sacred an arena as our temples and our ritual circles. Perhaps we need to strive for mastery as much when we walk The Business Way as when we walk our Spirit Way. And perhaps if we are able to do these things, in time we will come to find that these two ways are the same.

Timothy Cope is a shamanic practitioner living in Minneapolis. He is on the faculty of the Foundation for Shamanic Studies and gives workshops throughout the Upper Midwest. He can be emailed at: [email protected] or called at 612-721-5566. •

Value from page 7

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HAVE USED Young Liv-ing® Essential Oils person-ally and in the spa/salon I managed since 1999. I was impressed with the quality of Young Living Essential

Oils. My clients raved about how much better they felt—no more pain, more relaxed, and of course smelling good. I decided to get started on my own path to better health and started using thera-peutic grade essential oil-based supple-ments and personal care products. Many people remarked on the dramatic positive changes that were happening with me including significant weight loss, I quit smoking, and I was able give birth to a beautiful boy after five years’ inability to conceive; my whole life was transformed. My clients and friends noticed equally remarkable changes as well; everything from allergies to arthritis, depression to diabetes, and yes, even cancer was heal-ing very quickly. Young Living’s therapeutic grade essential oils, known as nature’s living energy, are all organic, highly concen-trated nutrient dense liquid found in trees, roots, plants etc. The distinctive compo-nents in these essential oils protect plants against insects, environmental conditions, and disease. The oils perform the same function as our blood. In addition, because their molecular structure is so high in oxygen, they nourish, strengthen, rebuild and restore us to greater more vibrant health. Therapeutic grade essential oils are extracted from wild-crafted plant sources via priority distillation methods, and are highly concentrated and far more potent than dry herbs.

Historically, Young Living Essen-tial Oils have played a prominent role in daily life. With more than 200 Biblical references, these oils are said to be used for anointing and healing the sick. Today, they are used worldwide in hospitals, clinics, aromatherapy, massage therapy, personal care products, nutritional supplements, household solutions, and much more. Aromatherapy is the inhalation of therapeutic grade essential oils for improved physical, mental, and emotional wholeness and can provide both psycho-logical and physical benefits when used correctly. Don’t think that these oils are only for aromatherapy or mas-sage therapy; they have so much more to offer! When cooking you learn the difference between common vegetable oils—olive, flax, sesame, canola; learn also to use the best essential oils in creating nutritionally rich, healthy, delicious meals—Oregano, Thyme, Basil, Nutmeg, etc! You’ve probably stopped to consider the effects of synthetic com-pounds in your household cleaners. More than likely you’ve wondered if these mystery ingredients are even safe. It may not be possible or cost effective to avoid all harmful chemi-cals in your cleaning and personal care products, but there are plenty of ways to

reduce your family’s exposure to these tox-ins. Using Young Living Essential Oils is a safe, effective alternative to many pop-ular cleaning products. Some of the best therapeutic grade essential oils from Young Living for cleaning include Orange, Pine, Cinnamon, Clove, Eucalyptus, Thyme, Spruce, Lemon, Lemongrass, and Grape-fruit. These essential oils are a natural edi-tion to your family’s first aid kit. Lavender relieves burns, cuts, sore muscle, cramps and headaches. Peppermint stomach dis-comfort, Lemon as an antiseptic, and Thieves® Essential Oil Blend is natures most potent antibiotic.

T he r ap eut i c g r a de essential oils can eliminate these concerns when you incorporate them into your daily household routine. Replacing man-made syn-thetics with natural, plant-based essential oils removes allergy-causing ingredients from your home and adds countless benefits. Whether you use thera-peutic grade essential oils to boost your immune sys-tem, or infuse your favorite dishes with flavor, detoxify your body and home, or supplement your existing first-aid kit with plant-based solutions, they’re sure to safely and naturally enhance your life. •Janet Becker can be reached at [email protected]

Use therapeutic grade essential oils to heal, clean, enhance cooking

IBy JAnET BECkER

12 www.esswellness.com

Jackie Red Woman, an Ottowa Storyteller, is no stranger to the prophesies as evidenced by her presentation at last year s Gath-ering. Her stories, told with wit and humor, embody an under-standing of the energy that is needed to bring all peoples together. For those who have gotten a chance to come to know Dan Hull since the last Gathering, it has become clear that he too embodies the spirit of the prophesies and works hard to find common ground between people. This was abundantly clear at a recent Hoop Ceremony put together by Dan and Lee Hilfiker (co-organizer of the Midwest Shamanic Gathering). As I looked around the sacred arbor at the Hoop Ceremony to see all the col-ors of man dancing to the beat of the drum and sacred song, it became clear that something amazing is happening through the work of these elders.

DIVERSE TRADITIOnS North and South American traditions aren t the only ones being represented at the Gathering this year. We are blessed to be joined again by Chaizong Lor—a contemporary Hmong sha-man, Kari Tauring—a Norse staff carrier, Timothy Cope—the Midwest representative for the Foundation for Shamanic Stud-ies, Mike Bourgneit—contemporary teacher of active dream-ing, Anna Laabs—Massage Therapy/Reiki/Herbalism and Mesa Carrier in the Andean tradition; Keya Hutchins—Midwest Sha-manic Gathering co-organizer and teacher-carrier of sacred song, Shamanic teacher—Misha Dancing Waters, Mary Rutherford—teacher of the Andean tradition and expert in facilitating soul-retrieval, and of course, as mentioned before, Lee Hilfiker, Saami Elder and teacher of many diverse traditions. We are also blessed to welcome two other new contempo-rary teachers, Mary Stoffel—author and teacher of shamanic journeying, and Lena Swanson—shamanic healer and animal communicator. With each year, the lineup of traditions being represented gets bigger and the connections between wisdom traditions grows stronger at the Gathering. Right here in the Midwest, the Eagle does fly with the Condor and many of the wisdom traditions from around the world come together to share in the experience of deep connection with each other. To join us at Beaver Creek Reserve in Fall Creek WI, go to www.MidwestShamanicGathering.com and click on Registration Info.

As well as being co-founder of the Midwest Shamanic Gathering, Allen Brown leads trips to Peru to study with the Q´ero people in the Andes and medicine people in the Amazon. He also teaches and sponsors many events in the Midwest. To contact him visit www.DeepCurrents.com. •

Gathering from page 9

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august 2010 13

Dear GraceBy JAnET HOVDE

Readers may submit questions to Janet Hovde for the “Dear Grace” column by emailing them to [email protected]. Questions/answers are printed as space allows. Although her advice is not meant to displace conventional healthcare knowledge and diagnosis, Hovde can offer a different slant, an intuitive perspec-tive, regarding the “energy” of your healthcare issue. Please see a health practitioner for chronic health problems.

Dear Grace,I have great ideas—lots of them!—but have difficulty making them happen. Do you have any suggestions for me?—Gordon

Dear Gordon,Try this visualization. Bring your attention deep inside your abdo-men and imagine a glowing ball of energy. Add vibrant colors like orange, green, and yellow to this ball. Choose one of your great ideas and place it inside the glowing ball of energy. Set your intention to nourish this great idea. Notice what happens to your great idea when it is fed by your glowing ball of energy. Repeat the application of this imagery at least five times with the same great idea. Practical steps toward your great idea becoming a reality will start to become evident during your visualization or at other times of the day. Act on them. If you are not ready to act on them, you can begin another series of visualizations, bringing the new intention of carrying out your practical steps with ease, to be fed by the glowing ball of energy.

Dear Grace,How do I stay on my path?—Cecelia

Cecelia,We all have a line of energy, ideally a straight line at the center of our system, which correlates with our life purpose. When I tune into your

central line of energy, I find it veers off in the direction of your right shoulder rather than moving up through your neck and head. (This is not uncommon.) I am clearing energy in your upper chest area. As you read this (Cecelia, and also any readers who want to receive heal-ing), inhale deeply and exhale for as long as you can, to assist with releasing energy. Do this for one to three breaths. There you go. That allows your “central line” to straighten—can you feel the difference? To recharge this line of energy, I invite you to quietly bring your attention to the center of the Earth. Know that there is a line of energy from the center of the Earth, which extends through your body. It would be beneficial for you (Cecelia and other readers) to re-read this paragraph and repeat this process daily for at least twp weeks. See if you notice a difference in your feeling of being solidly on your path.

When I work with clients, they sometimes ask what I see about their future. “Seeing into the future” is not how I work. I ask them what they would like to see in their future. As they create a picture, their energy begins to align with their creation. Sometimes “bumps” show up in their energy field as they are creating. The bumps might be beliefs about their worthiness, or that if they live fully; some-one else will suffer or “go without” (not true). I help them choose whether there is a color that might dissolve the bump, or a spiritual helper waiting to have it handed to them. And encourage them to notice more details about their creation. It is a beautiful process.

Janet Hovde, MA, OTL, CHTP, is celebrating the 12th year of her healing practice, with appointments available in Roseville, MN & Hudson, WI. She enjoys watching her clients learn to care for their energy system and access their own inner wisdom. See website for her classes and fiber art: www.janethovde.com. Email your Dear Grace question to [email protected]. 651-487-2744. •

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calendar

AUGUSTAUG. 7 Yoga in Married LifeWe will explore the rich rewards of incorporating our spiritual practice into our marriage as well as the challenges of facing our duties when we would rather not. $20. 10 am–noon. Call IHT: 651-645-1291, www.ihtyoga.org

AUG. 14massage Basics workshop Learn a variety of basic massage techniques for the head, neck, back, & legs. Great for stress reduction & relaxation. Take this workshop if you are considering a career in massage or enjoy working on family & friends. 10 am–5 pm. 6 hrs, $75. Register at 612-617-9090. Visit www.CenterPointMN.com.

AUG. 14massage & Shiatsu Career Info SessionsTuesdays at 6 pm or Saturday, Aug. 14 at 9 am. Discover how you can have a rewarding career. CenterPoint Massage & Shiatsu Therapy School offers exciting programs for you to become a professional bodywork therapist. Call Shawn at 612-617-9090. Visit www.CenterPointMN.com.

SEPTEMBERBeGiNNiNG SePt. 2Spa & Resort massage: 90-hour Continuing Education, nCBTmBTue/Thu, Sept. 2–Dec 15. 6-9 pm. For professional massage therapists, discover the

healing effects of aromatherapy, heated stone massage, reflexology & more. Call: 612-617-9090. Visit www.CenterPointMN.com.

SePt. 7 Hatha yogaNew classes in pure, classical hatha yoga for physical, psychological, & spiritual health begin this week. Gentle, Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced Yoga. Eight weeks: $80 or $75 pre-registered. Call IHT: 651-645-1291, www.ihtyoga.org

SePt. 11Adult CPR & first Aid SaturdayThis American Heart Association Heartsaver CPR course teaches basic life support techniques to use on adults. The First Aid course covers the basics of emergency response. These 4-hour classes include participation. $60 each. Text required. Call: 612-617-9090. Visit www.CenterPointMN.com.

BeGiNNiNG SePt. 21Psychic Development ClassLearn to consciously access & work with your soul’s guidance, clarity & wisdom. Tuesday evenings, Sept.-June. Cindy Lehman, 612.669.1861. [email protected] www.cindylehman.com

SePt. 25 & 26Craniosacral Techniques: 45 hour Continuing Education, nCBTmB3 Weekends, Sept. 25/26, Oct 16/17 & Nov 20/21. 10 am–5:30 pm. Craniosacral Therapy is a gentle method for correcting problems affecting the craniosacral system. Learn to assess & release restrictions for improved functioning. Experience astonishing results with

minimal effort. Call: 612-617-9090. Visit www.CenterPointMN.com

OCTOBEROct. 2 & 3 2nd Annual Duluth Holistic Health & Ecology ExpoAt the DECC, Duluth, MN Over 90 exhibitors include: holistic healers, intuitive readers, health products, green living & more! 7 keynote speakers, 36 free workshops. To exhibit: [email protected] or 715-259-3047. For tickets or FFI: www.edgelife.net

Oct. 16 & 17Healthy Life ExpoMinneapolis Convention Center. Hundreds of exhibitors, three stages of speakers, demonstrations & entertainment. This is the largest show of its kind, don’t miss the opportunity to exhibit or attend. See it all at: www.ExpoGuys.com or for exhibitor information call 952-238-1700.

NOVEMBERNOv. 13 & 14minneapolis EdgeLife Holistic ExpoHyatt Regency, 1300 Nicollet Mall, Mpls. 125 exhibitors, 12 keynote speakers, 75 workshops. To exhibit contact [email protected] or 715-259-3047. For tickets: 877-776-5244 www.edgelife.net

tO LiSt iN cALeNdAr• Print: $1 per word: minimum of 25

words, maximum 50 words• Online: $15 for up to 100 words at www.

esswellness.com with one image and link; automatically expires on calendar date

• Dee, [email protected] 715.259.3047

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