Shamanic exercises for the modern man

Shamanic exercises for the modern man

Since the 1960s, traditional shamanic practices have been reinterpreted in the Western context and translated into psychotherapeutic, medical and spiritual practice. Numerous alternative treatment methods are based on shamanic concepts as well as the following practical exercises „meaningful destruction“, which can advance your own development and are ideal for trying out.

Nature as a (shamanic) model for healthy development
For something new to develop, the old must be adopted. In the cycle of nature, destruction and creation alternate constantly, which is particularly evident in the course of the seasons: The leaf of a tree, full and lively in the summer, changing his color appearance in the autumn dying, falls to the ground, offers shelter to small winter sleepers protection and becomes the food of microorganisms in spring. And only when the spring sun has expelled snow and ice, new germs can sprout. Every season gives way to the next, and destruction is always taking place in change, so that new life can follow.

„Die and become“
In traditions of shamanic initiation rites of different cultures there are numerous practices in which the „apprentice“ the own „destruction“ learns by inducing near-death experiences or physically dismantling the candidate in a vision completely (and quite brutally). The goal is to completely destroy the old world view so that a new one can develop. In the same way, an annual fasting cure to date through the loss of substance should not only lead to clearing out the body, but also to the renewal of the attitude towards life. The healing poet Goethe also referred to the physical and psychological development of man when he wrote: „If you do not have this, die and go! Are you just a dull guest on the dark earth?.“

The exercises: check, sort, say goodbye
Somewhat less dramatically than the earlier shamans, we can usher in change by starting to make room for something new on a day-to-day basis: when life's chaos, discontent, or boredom strikes one, one can prepare for change by examining existing ones if appropriate, it is adopted. This may involve material possessions, beliefs, habits and relationships. Since humor and the ability to laugh about oneself play an important role in shamanic practitioners, the following exercises should be used to playfully experiment:

Exercise 1:
Check yours material possession. Start with your wardrobe and sort out what you do not (anymore) wear. Say goodbye to the garments and appreciate the times you have spent in them. Repeat the process a few times until the stock has visibly reduced. Then take up other areas, e.g. Housing inventory, garage, cellar, attic, etc..

Exercise 2:
Please check your convictions and attitude to various topics, e.g. to one's own person, the sexes, money, work, love or sexuality. Enter your views in a two-column table on the left and the opposite statement on the right. So your (soon) outdated belief is „I can not cook“, then write next: „I can cook deliciously and prepare delicious dishes“, etc. You can easily exaggerate to convince yourself of the new skills that will soon come true. Then you simply burn the list.

Exercise 3:
Watch and make a list of yours Habits on the order of the morning toilet, the various meals, routes, means of transport and how you work. Recognize and check your habits. Consider what alternatives you want to try and try the new behaviors on a trial basis. Maybe you will experience something surprising according to the motto: „If you want what you have never had, then do what you have never done!“

Exercise 4:
Make a list of your friends and acquaintances. Check each one of them Relationships whether you would like to continue or actually would like to quit. Sometimes we just feel obligated or are used to cultivating certain contacts. Some people give us strength while others energize us „dry out“ . Close your eyes, perceive the feeling you have for the person in question, or visualize the relationship as light that either shines brightly or appears as an inconspicuous flame. If in doubt, make a list of benefits and disadvantages of the relationship. With whom do you want to negotiate to change the relationship? Where would be better to relax the contact or even cancel? This exercise is difficult and every decision should be carefully considered. (Dipl.Päd. Jeanette Viñals Stein, non-medical practitioner, 07.02.2010)

Useful reading:
Jose and Lena Stevens:
„The source of the force-shamanic techniques for today's life“;
Publisher Hermann Bauer KG 1994