Shamanic Practitioner Training Course
One of the biggest changes to my courses for 2012 is the restructuring of my Shamanic Training. Previously this was undertaken on a course with a fixed length and minimum attendance. Each aspect of this training has now been opened up into a series of workshops, all of which are offered to whoever is interested in attending.
The Shamanic Practitioner Training Course incorporates all of these workshops and in addition, you will be given extra information and additional assignments for you to complete at home, allowing you to explore more concepts and develop your skills at your own pace. Your course tutor will also provide personal feedback to each of these assignments, if necessary providing additional help to hone your abilities. A final practical assessment with your tutor is also included: this will allow you to demonstrate your skills within the context of a healing session.
For more information and to book your place on the course, visit: http://www.markbarwell.co.uk/shamanic_practitioner_training_course.php
This course provides you with the tools and techniques of Core Shamanism to enable you to be a proficient Shamanic Practitioner and includes all of the following modules for a total attendance time of 12 days. Click on each title to find out more:
- Shamanic Journeying
- Exploring Divination
- Sacred Spaces
- Shamanic Healing
- Shapeshifting
- Elements & Festivals
- Dream Exploration
- Psychopomp Work
- Shamanic Rattle Making
You are free to select your own schedule from the dates available for each of the modules. The only requirement is to have attended all of the modules, completed the assignments and passed the final assessment within 1 year of starting the course.
Living the Universal Moment
"Welcome to the moment
This is it, this is all you get
So, just receive the info and then flow
But be prepared to hear No"
This is it, this is all you get
So, just receive the info and then flow
But be prepared to hear No"
Consider the World Tree. This is a symbolism that can be found throughout many shamanic and animistic cultures. The Norse mythologies refer to it as the Yggdrasil, the tree from which Odin All-father hung himself for 9 days to receive the knowledge of the runes. Haitian Vodou references it in the Poteau Mitan, the central pillar of each peristyle. Although known by many names and entwined into many different legends, the concept of the World Tree remains the same.
In shamanic terms, it links the three worlds. The Lower World connects us to energies and spirits that are more primal, such as animal guides. The Upper World is the realm of tutelary spirits such as beings of light or the ethereal aspects of those who have dedicated their eternal selves to healing and helping others. The Middle World is where we mostly reside and this is split into two parts: the physical aspect that we interact with in everyday life, and the shadowy counterpart where our spirit energies and other living and nature-based spirits exist.
In the same way, our own self acts as a conduit between the worlds of the physical and the spiritual. As with the roots of a tree, we stand firm upon the Earth and we also grow towards the heavens like branches expanding upwards and outwards. Our bodies are the link between the two incarnate as a place where the spiritual and the physical co-exist. Looking at this in terms of the energy systems of the Indus region, our lower 3 chakras (root, sacral and solar plexus) are concerned with ourselves: our drives, desires, confidence, needs, etc. The upper 3 "bodily" chakras (throat, third eye, crown) express our connection to the world around us: how we communicate with our environment, how we see it, how we connect to the ethereal, etc. The heart chakra holds the balance between the internal and the external: it is the compassionate centre from which we can recognise our existence as beings of both spirituality and physicality. The more Eastern philosophies recognise similar concepts with the tantiens (Upper, Middle and Lower).
It's all to easy for us to be contracted into a sense of physicality without much thought for the spiritual aspects of our existence. Day-to-day life has its own demands and concerns and this can cause us to be overly focused on these energies, those of the "Lower World". We can offset these by engaging in more "spiritual" activities such as meditation, yoga, etc. But even then we may have to think about what to do, or be led into an intuitive response that guides us to the most appropriate action. Perhaps we have spent so long worrying about bills and expenses that we feel drawn to sitting in quiet reflection in a place of nature. Or we may have been day-dreaming for so long that we suddenly find that we're starving and need to eat! The balance is addressed but the actual balancing point is often neglected in itself. Even further from our awareness is the understanding of the Universal whole.
Many philosophies expound the virtues of the "Middle Way" - of trying to live your life as close to a sense of equilibrium as possible. For example, certain Buddhist practices promote non-attachment and a series of suggestions such as "correct thought" and "correct speech" in order to maintain this harmony. The Taijin (or "Yin-Yang") symbol expresses the concept that everything is a continuously shifting expression of energetic extremes. But even that is a limitation: by imposing structure in the form of the terms "Yin" and "Yang", we are creating boundaries to something that is without form so as to ease our understanding. This is reflected in the phrase from the Tao te Ching:
"The Tao that can be described is not the Tao".
"The Tao that can be described is not the Tao".
Concepts such as Time and Space are limitations that we impose on our existence to make it easier to interact with "reality" and to go about our daily business. We create these structures to satisfy the physical aspects of our being. Our spiritual side knows no boundaries and when we dream we understand this. Attempts have been made to rationalise and deconstruct such experiences and reference them to our physical existence but the fact still remains that when we are in that state, freed from the physical constraints of our conscious existence, anything is possible.
Although we can be aware of these concepts, it is only through direct experience that we can truly reach a state of understanding. Dreaming is but one way of accessing that potential. Techniques such as meditation or trance-work can achieve that sense of understanding. We could enlist the help of plant spirit helpers such as Ayahuasca or Peyote. We could even drum and dance ourselves into a frenzy until our physical exertion and exhaustion allows us to transcend into a more spiritual state of awareness. It has been said of life that it's the journey that's important, not the destination. But in this case, these methods and practices act as a facilitator to allow us to reach the understanding that we don't have to go anywhere because we're already there. We are all of existence and non-existence at every moment as well as at no time.
In order to maintain an effective balance, simply connect to that Universal sense and allow intuition to provide the advice. Whatever activity we are engaged in, try to retain that sense of expansion and connection. Bring spirituality into the physical and physicalise the spiritual, not by considering the extremes but by understanding the whole. It takes a lot less effort to drift down the river according to the flow than it does to constantly paddle according to where you think you should be going.
Thinking of this from a more "scientific" basis, our atoms are virtually indistinguishable from the atoms of any other object. What makes us a unique individual is how those atoms are arranged and the energetic forces that bind them together. We also connect with the particles around us, albeit with "weaker" energetic bonds. They in turn connect with other particles, and others, and so on. Everything connects with everything else. So from this perspective we are a part of the entire Universe and therefore we ARE the Universe. Our own "being" is defined by our atoms (the physical) and the energetic bonds between them (the spiritual). In effect, our very own World Tree explained in these terms.
A regular connection to this understanding, through whichever methods you are drawn to use, can provide a greater focus. Otherwise you may find yourself remembering the memory of that Universal Moment rather than the Moment itself.
New Website Re-Design
I am pleased to announce that my website has been completely redesigned and is now live at the usual address: http://www.markbarwell.co.uk
The new site features an information bar at the right hand side of the page, including: a Forthcoming Events box, an Alternative Medicine news feed, summaries of my Blog posts, Twitter feed and links to my resources that include a Facebook Page, LinkedIn profile, Twitter page and Flickr stream.
Site contents are accessible via a drop-down menu at the top of the page or via the Home Page by moving the cursor over an image of the Heart Chakra that radiates out across 8 spokes.
The focus is still on my healing work and empowering courses: treatments in Reiki Healing, Shamanic Healing, Shiatsu and Tarot Reading as well as the opportunities to learn Shamanism, learn Tarot Reading and learn Reiki Healing for yourself. I am able to travel around the wider Southend area as well as working from venues around town.
You also have the opportunity to sign up for email updates. These regular bulletins will contain information about all forthcoming events from myself and fellow therapists as well as an interesting events and information that comes my way. Until the end of January I will also be running a monthly competition for all those who sign up to updates or subscribe to my blog. Details to follow!
So please check out the new site and let me know what you think
Shamanic Drumming Circle
I am pleased to announce the creation of (what we hope will become) a regular monthly event: a Shamanic Drumming Circle. These informal gatherings are an opportunity to get together with like-minded people to learn and practise shamanic techniques as well as honing your drumming skills through free-form sessions and explorations of shamanic drumming techniques. Bring a drum if you have one as there are only a few spare for use by people who have no drum of their own. No experience necessary!
There are a limited number of spaces available for each circle so please Get In Touch (or click "Attending" on this event) if you wish to book your place.
Shamanic drumming circles are organised and hosted by Mark Barwell (www.MarkBarwell.co.uk) and Jo Gray (www.ShantiTherapies.co.uk).
The venue for the Shamanic Drumming Circle is:
The Rainbow Rooms
First Floor
8-14 High Street
Rayleigh
Essex
SS6 7EF
The Rainbow Rooms
First Floor
8-14 High Street
Rayleigh
Essex
SS6 7EF
Access to The Rainbow Rooms is through Berry's Arcade. Enter via the eastern end of the arcade (High Street side, opposite The Pink Toothbrush nightclub) and the door to the upper floors is on the left hand side (you will see The Rainbow Rooms in the list of companies on the wall). Go up the stairs and take the second door on the left. This is the Rainbow Rooms (there will be a plaque on the door to indicate this)!
If you need help in getting to the venue, there may be spaces available in cars travelling there and back. Please Get In Touch if you need help with this or with any other information relating to the circle. Details (and a handy map!) can be found here: http://markbarwell.co.uk/workshops_shamanic_drumming_circle.asp
Resolving Anger - a Yin imbalance
Emotions are a warning for us to pay attention to something, in much the same way that pain is a response of the nervous system to an outside stimulus that may have damaged us. So their primary function is to alert our being to a particular state. The emotion most closely associated with Yin energies is that of Anger. As we have already discovered, the root chakra is associated with the colour red and is the most Yin of the energy centres in the body. The associations with anger are many: people talk about a "red mist descending" when angry and even the phrase "seeing red" is synonymous with this emotion. But how do we address this response in order to bring about a renewed state of balance?
The previous post examined two common systems of energy: chakras and tantiens. The diagrams highlight the location of each of these "nexus points" and the point of balance for both systems is the heart. So a simple way of balancing out an imbalance of the root chakra or lower tantien would be to focus on the upper chakras or upper tantien. A phrase common to many forms of oriental medicine states "where attention goes, Qi follows" so by bringing our attention to the places of power above the heart, we allow more Yang energy to flow. The actions and methods associated with these areas can also help us to overcome the imbalance. The two upper chakras (third eye and crown) are associated with thinking, clarity of vision, perception, intuition and spiritual connection. So our anger can be addressed by thinking, reasoning, meditating or asking for spiritual guidance (in the form of prayer, for example).
The Japanese style of Reiki that I teach includes a set of phrases collectively known as the Gokai or Precepts. A different version of these can be found in Western styles and usually referred to as the Principles. Each phrase is attributed to a particular quality of energy and meditating on each one can offer enlightening resolution or a more valuable perspective. The phrase associated with the lower tantien and Yin energy is:
"Do not bear Anger, for Anger is illusion".
This obviously has many layers to it and you may wish to examine one or all of them. For example, what does it mean to "bear anger" as opposed to just being angry? Why is Anger seen as illusion? What does the word "illusion" mean? Every time you meditate on this phrase, you may come up with a different answer. Whatever happens, it will always be relevant to the situation you find yourself in. They key to meditative learning is to be able to see the lesson and apply it to your own life in order to address the balance effectively.
As an example, I was always getting angry with my sister. She always seemed to know what buttons to press and what things to say in order to upset me. Admittedly I did this too and this is often the case with people that are close - knowing how to uplift each other as well as how to attack effectively. So I meditated on the phrase above and realised that I was getting angry because she wasn't listening to me when we were having a discussion. Not only would she cut me off mid-sentence but she also didn't seem to grasp the truth of what I was saying. This led me into how I felt about this, which was that she was not respecting my viewpoint enough to honour my right to voice my opinion. This all lead into a very interesting exploration of self-worth and the desire to "be heard". So you can see that although the response to our heated discussion was anger, the reasons for it were a lot deeper and completely not what I thought they were!
When meditation has a purpose, it may take practice to maintain the most useful balance between conscious awareness and intuitive flow. If the whole time is spend in a rational examination, there is no room for inspiration and if the session is allowed to free-form without purpose, it may be difficult to recognise and benefit from the lessons it may hold. A part of my healing work involves the technique known as shamanic journeying. I will be writing a more in-depth post about this tool in future but the key aspect that is worth mentioning here is the establishment of an intent. For example, if I need to journey to find out information on behalf of a client, I will clearly state this intent at the start of the journey. I then allow the journey to unfold and if I feel that it is becoming too irrelevant, I will remind myself of the intent and this usually brings things back on track. Meditation is much the same - if you notice that you are invoking intuitive ideas but have no knowledge of how they is relevant, or even if you seem to be stuck with no guidance at all coming to you, simply state the intent again (in this case, the phrase about anger).
Any of your being's responses can be so intense as to prevent the possibility of rational examination. If you hurt yourself severely, the pain may be so great that you cannot think about anything else. Equally, a situation may make you so angry that you cannot apply the techniques described above. In these cases, allow the situation to pass and when you are able to react in a more balanced way, then begin the meditation. With practice, you may find that such a conscious attempt at resolution and balancing becomes more natural and eventually you will be able to recognise your emotional response while experiencing it and be more capable of applying the balancing energies, thus resolving the situation more quickly and effectively.
These are just some of the techniques that can be used to resolve anger. The Celestine Prophecy (a spiritual-themed novel by James Redfield) describes behavioural patterns known as "control dramas". Recognising each one and applying the counter-techniques can be useful. I will be writing more about this in future but for now, why not search the internet and find out about them for yourself? If you are a Reiki practitioner (or any system and level) and live in the Southend-on-Sea area, I organise monthly Japanese-style Reiki share sessions that explore such concepts as well as providing the opportunity to share Reiki with others. Details can usually be found on my website here: http://markbarwell.co.uk/workshops_reikishares.asp
If you wish to learn more techniques to address such imbalances within the context of a Japanese style of Reiki, I offer classes in all 3 levels of understanding. The first level examines the Gokai while the second and third also provide extra tools such as symbols and mantras to explore different types of energies and invoke them within your being. The classes themselves include "initiations" - experiences that generate such energies within you so that you can recognise them and recreate them as necessary. To find out more, get in touch via my website http://www.markbarwell.co.uk or email me at mark@markbarwell.co.uk
Shamanism and Shamanic Healing
Within more traditional shamanic societies such as those of the Native Americans, a person would be called to shamanism and these would be people with a disposition towards spirit work. Being of a weaker physicality would also factor into this, since a shaman would have to suffer a "crisis" as part of their initiation. Extreme illness or mental infractions would force the initiate to work with the spirits to overcome their problems and this is why shamans are viewed as "wounded healers". By having an intimate knowledge of the struggle to survive and overcome, they would be better placed to advise the community in much matters.
Which brings us to the principle role of the shaman that of a healer and spiritual advisor to their tribe or neighbourhood. They would act as intermediary between the forces of nature and the environment and the needs of the community. The role of the shaman is varied and may include the use of herbal remedies although this would be approached in a slightly different way to similar modern practices. The shaman will work with the spirits of the plants, not just their physical attributes.
Another principle technique is the use of trance states. The shaman would enter into this experience through the use of rhythmic drumming, sometimes with the additional help of certain plants and their tutelary spirits. The drumming (a repetitive beat of between 200 and 220 beats per minute) has been shown to stimulate alpha and theta brain waves, thus recreating meditative and visionary states while remaining mostly conscious.
Whilst in this altered state (described by many as the Shamanic State of Consciousness), the shaman would have access to the spiritual realm, the place where all knowledge is stored. This concept has been adapted by various spiritual concepts that have their roots in the global practice of shamanism. Taoism, which evolved from eastern shamanism, describes this "higher consciousness" as the Tao, the indefinable transcendental consciousness of life itself.
One of the most difficult aspects of trance-work is to translate the visions and experiences into a useful form for the good of the community. The shaman's intuitive reasoning would play a part in this, along with the information received from nature spirits and from their natural environment. Shamanic healing is the 21st Century adaptation of these ancient techniques and there are parallels with therapies such as regression and NLP, the main difference being in the delivery.
Techniques that work with the subconscious such as work performed under hypnosis rely on the client's own experiences and ability to assimilate new ideas or alter existing patterns of belief and behaviour, guided by the therapist. Shamanic Healing is primarily performed by the therapist, who undertakes shamanic journeys on behalf of the client. They then detail these experiences to the client upon implementation. This is not an exclusive rule however, since techniques such as breathwork (accessing trance states and energies through controlled systems of breathing) are more focused on the client's experiential process.
Most shamanic communities respect a generic view of the Three Worlds the Upper World (where tutelary spirits such as Ascended Masters or Angelic guides reside), the Middle World (were nature spirits and our own "shadow selves" are based) and the Lower World (home to animal spirits and creatures of the subconscious). These worlds are linked by the World Tree and this concept has been carried forward into various societies. The Vikings knew it as the Yggdrasil (the tree that Odin hung from for 9 days to obtain the knowledge of the runes), Haitian Vodou represents it as the Poteau Mitan, centre of each peristyle (place of spiritual practice), and the Druids viewed all trees as aspects of this One Tree.
The concept of external and internal worlds has some parallel within certain schools of psychotherapy. A journey to the Lower World would be akin to delving into the subconscious and an Upper World journey would access the "collective psyche" described by Jung. In this way, shamanic practice can be seen as a spiritual ancestor of modern psychology.
Shamanic Healing may be seen by some as an arcane and outdated set of methods that have been superceded by modern approaches to psychology and physiology but in truth it holds its place within the modern therapeutic world. Many therapies have their roots in shamanism and there are an increasing number of people who are focusing on the synergy between their own spiritual identity and that of the world around them. Exploring shamanism is just one of the ways in which we can bring ourselves closer to a way of living harmoniously with our environment.
If you wish to learn Shamanism or Shamanic Healing for yourself, Mark Barwell offers shamanic courses and shamanic workshops around the Southend, Essex area. Visit the following links for more details:
A bit about me and my work
Now that we've got the admin stuff out of the way, I suppose I should tell you a bit about myself so you have a better idea of where I'm coming from. My spiritual path started when I was at University and becoming increasingly disillusioned by the direction my life was taking. So I turned on, tuned in and dropped out, leaning my studies behind and embarking on a journey of discovery that would take me from the profound guidance of The Way of the Peaceful Warrior and The Celestine Prophecy to some deeply introspective musings on my soul's purpose and nature!
It was around this time (13 years ago) that I began to explore shamanism and this has been the bedrock of my practice ever since, blending my love of nature and its energies with a practical sensibility. 5 years ago I furthered my knowledge by studying for a Diploma of Classical and Cross-Cultural Shamanic Studies with Ross Heaven and the Four Gates Foundation and I am a registered practitioner with them as a result. I offer shamanic healing sessions as well as courses in shamanic development, spirit exploration and practical craft-work such as making shamanic frame drums.
In 2003 I received several synchronous messages that led me to studying Reiki, a form of energy healing that originated in Japan, first through the first degree of the system of Tera Mai, then to traditional Western Usui (Usui Shiki Ryoho) and also to the Japanese style of Usui Reiki Ryoho which closely replicates and honours the teachings of the founder. I am a Master/teacher in these two "traditional" styles and am pleased to offer treatments and classes as well as development sessions to explore the energies and practices of this wonderful healing system.
At the moment I am continuing my journey into the field of Eastern medicine and energy work, studying for a 3-year Shiatsu Practitioner's Course with the Shiatsu College London so I expect I will be blogging about related subjects in due course! I will also be writing specifically about the aspects of my life that relate to faith and spirituality in future posts so keep an eye out for those - I am always happy to engage in discussions about such subjects and I hope that you will take the time to engage with me in this.
There's so much more to everyone than a simple "bio" and I'm the same - if you want to find out more about myself or my work, please visit my website: www.MarkBarwell.co.uk or why not get in touch, make contact, share your views, discuss, laugh, love, and breathe into life with me!
Mark
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About Me
Mark BarwellPractitioner of Reiki and Shamanic Healing offering treatments and courses in healing, self-development and energy exploration. Also a student of Shiatsu!
I welcome comments and discussions about the topic in this blog so subscribe and start adding your opinion! :)
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