Wright - The chakras in shamanic practice : eight stages of healing and transformation

To my mother, Jane Alice, who set me free to be my authentic self, and to my daughter, Kelly Claire, who has captured my heart for eternity.

Acknowledgments

Id like to express my sincere appreciation to all who supported the process of this book at Inner Traditions; especially Jon Graham, who encouraged me to go as deep as I dared to find my truest voice, and Vickie Trihy, who used her creative expertise to deftly arrange the emergent intricate songs of my spirit. I am thrilled that many people will now read the music of this book and sing their own songs of beauty.

Thank you to John Perkins for your enthusiastic responses to the earliest seeds of this book and your masterful feedback and tireless encouragement. This is my tree, John!

Thank you to all my teachers, students, clients, and friends for the opportunity to keep learning, refining my skills, growing, and enjoying.

The sacred circle of living goddesses that surround me fill my heart with poetry. I am deeply grateful for all their support. Thank you Rebecca Kane, Leigh Reeves, Sara Rubin, Lynne Berrett, Robin Kupietz, Cathy Sweet, Shelley Volk, Andrea Cannistraci, Rhona Wexler, Andrea Ossip, Geri Pelliccio, Marion LoGuidice, Roberta Omin, and Kelly Jamieson. I am also nourished by the memories of those living afar, including Renie, Cat, Wendy, Mary, Bee, Naomi, Shirley, Andrea, Rivka, Lauren, Steve, Susan, Liana, Seleka, and Hermene, and the dead, including Betty, Frank, Margaret, Spoof, Evgen, and Patrice.

Thank you to my strong and sweet brother, Kevin, for surviving childhood with me and expressing interest in this book, and to Francis, my daughters consistent and devoted father. And thank you to Eric for your patience, Scott for your loyalty, and especially my dear Mark, for your amazing expandable heart.

Thank you, Pachamama, for life itself, and thank you to the substance and spirit of the trees that hold these many words.

Foreword

Late at night, the surf thundered against the Florida beach. As I struggled out of the water I thought I heard the sound of drumming. Peering toward the dark land, seeing nothing, I concluded that it was an illusion, the breakers echoing off sand dunes and distant buildings.

It was the next-to-last night together for our group of about sixty men and women who had spent the past three days in a workshop dedicated to transforming the world into a better place. We had just shared a powerful ceremony, connecting with the earth of the beach, the fire in the stars, the air from the wind, the water of the ocean, and what the Shuar of the Amazon call Arutam, the Quechua of the Andes, Ushai and the Tibetans, Ether. This Fifth Element is known by indigenous cultures around the world as a force that enables us to change our individual consciousness and, in doing so, the world. Many of us had ended the ceremony by plunging into the Atlantic.

I stood on the beach for a moment breathing in the salty air and admiring the moon that was rising phantomlike from the waves, nearly full, an orange beacon that seemed to pull me out into the universe, like a physical confirmation of the shamanic belief that we are all one, there is no separation. I thought of a similar night when Don Esteban Tamayo, the great Otavalan shaman from the high Andes of Ecuador, had seen the moons reflection on the ocean for the first time in his life. El camino del Yachak, He exclaimed. The shamans path.

The drumming grew louder. There was no longer any doubt in my mind that it was not the surf. I turned away from the moon and followed the light it cast up the beach, toward that sound. My eyes adjusted; a shadow materialized. Moving. Dancing. Slowly at first, then quickening with the rhythm of the drum. Faster and faster, bending, swirling, gyrating in the moonlightflying along the shamans path.

I took several steps toward this apparition, wondering if I had somehow emerged from the ocean into another dimension, another time or place, and knowing at the same time that I had not. I was on this beach, bathed by the wind and the moon, experiencing the magic of a special moment.

As I approached, the outline of the drummer seated on the sand joined that of the dancer. Several other shadowy figures clustered around them. Someone came up and nudged me. Susan Wrights dancing the elements, a womans voice purred. Isnt she incredible?

I had known Susan as a therapist and devotee of shamanism and shapeshifting, a student of mine and a beautiful, compassionate soul who reached out to heal and comfort those in need; but this was a side of her I had never seen before. I stood on the beach that night, transfixed, as she danced the elements in the light of the moon, accompanied by the surf and the drum.

Afterward I walked her back to the hotel where the workshop participants were staying. Its my passion, she said with that contagious smile of hers. Dancing is shapeshifting and healing. It doesnt matter how old you are or what physical condition youre in, you can always dance in one way or another.

The next morning, at my invitation, Susan led all of us at the workshop through the Dance of the Chakras. She was right; she taught us moves that were easy for everyone. Not only was it invigorating and fun; it was also extremely powerful, transformational work.

Since then Susan and I have cofacilitated several workshops. For me, it is always an ecstatic experience. Her creations epitomize the true meaning of magic. They take us to new levels of consciousness, empowering us to accomplish goals we previously only imagined, to realize our deepest dreams.

I am so pleased that Susan Wright now is sharing herself and her magic with a wider audience, through this wonderful book.

Read, learn, enjoyand shapeshift yourself and the world.

JOHN PERKINS

John Perkins is The New York Times bestselling author of Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, Shapeshifting, The World Is As You Dream It, Psychonavigation, The Stress-Free Habit, and Spirit of the Shuar.

The Chakras and the Energy Body

Introduction

Evolution of a Shaman

I often tell people that after my devastating childhood, I had to rebuild myself from toothpicks and gum, matchsticks and tape, because what was left was so fragmented and fragile. I frequently felt as though I was building a model without any kit or plan. I worked hard at it, with diligence, consistency, and passion, and am now essentially whole. Because of this fragmentation and conscious reconstruction I have been blessed with practical knowledge about healing that generalizes to other people. As a shaman I can support people only in making connections I have already made for myself; I can safely take people only places I have already gone.

This book presents a process for healing that has been many years in the making. It is rooted in the teachings of the shamans from indigenous cultures, but also integrates wisdom drawn from diverse cultures and spiritual orientations. While its underlying concepts of developmental crisis are drawn from Western psychology, the tasks we will use to address and heal these challenges are derived from the earth-centered practice of shamanism. These ancient practices and ceremonies effectively address the unhealed wounds we all hold in our histories that keep us from moving forward as individuals and as a humane culture.