Walking into the small metaphysical store, I was greeted by over a dozen people sitting on cushioned chairs in a circle. Two women with free falling hair were off to one side with wood and animal skin hand-held drums, each standing in front of someone who had also come for the Drumming Circle and Shamanic Healing Ritual. After paying for the experience at the counter and finding a seat next to my friend, Lauri, I approached one of the drum woman for what I learned was called smudging. Asking my permission to smudge, she rhythmically tapped the drum, starting above me and working her way to the floor. Each tap she gave I felt the vibration entering entering my body and stress pouring away. At the floor, she smacked the ground, drummed her way back up, and repeated the process when I was turned away from her.
Securing my seat and a gourd rattle, the teacher led us in an exercise in which those with similar hand drums tapped twice and us gourd rattlers followed with two shakes. We practiced a couple of times to get the rhythm of a train and to bring us together as a group.
As I never heard her name, I will call the teacher Strawberry for the color of her hair. She informed us that we would be searching out our Spiritual Animal Guide. This guide would later answer a question.
In order to protect us on our journeys, she invited a jaguar to watch over us. Standing within our circle, she proclaimed a beautiful chant inviting the elements of nature, earth, wind, water and fire, and the four directions to guide us.
Next, Strawberry led us on a guided meditation to a field in a natural setting of our choice. I chose a grassy landscape with flowers nearby and watched as a blue butterfly joined me. From there, Strawberry pulled us down to our roots like a tree and had us continue down, down, down until we came to our place inside linking us to our deepest inner roots. She encouraged us to walk down our path, parting grasses, and asking for our individual spirit animal guide to present itself.
Soon, a jaguar was weaving around me. After I saw this sleek creature, Strawberry let us know that the jaguar walked amongst us (I saw the jag before she told us about him! I love when intuitive stuff happens). Continuing on, I walked through tall grasses and saw deer and the blue butterfly, then a big brown bear. The big, soft gentle bear and I were soon wrapped together on the ground, hugging and playing, and rolling. Then the teacher said bear was amongst us!
Although I felt a kinship with the bear, I did not feel that this was my guide. So I asked to meet my animal protector and expected to have another animal come to me. Instead, I found a wolf inside of me. Boy was I surprised. It came out of my core and allowed me to hold him. It was warm and soft with thick, silver and white long fur. In holding him I was in a place of deep safety, support, loyalty and love--with a bit of a wild streak.
Strawberry called us back and instructed us to have a question to ask our animal guide. I formed my question: What can I do to be a vessel of God? Strawberry is a smart teacher. Rather then asking for ourselves and being bogged down with our own wants and expectations and self-satisfying filters, we heard the question of someone else in the group. Nicole, sitting next to me, and I swapped our questions.
Teacher led us back to our animal guides and I asked the wolf Nicole's question. The answer is private so I won't reveal what I learned. I will say that she understood the message and that it was relevant.
Via Nicole, her guide sent this message: stop saying exactly what outcome I wanted as it may be different then I think. Don't be attached to the outcome, don't judge, and that my health was getting better. All that she said made sense to what I am going through right now.
We closed with another drum and gourd train rhythm.
The vibration of the drums when performed by a healer can range from a relaxing experience to core change at the spiritual level. Shamans are able to guide us to answers that we seek, visions, and harmony. They vary in what they use for guides. Strawberry asked for animals, which I am also in favor of doing. I hope that you will try out both drum healing and a knowledgeable Shaman on your spiritual journey. Guides help us to be more efficient and keep us on our path.
Namaste,
Heather Leigh
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