Shamanic Energy Medicine

FAQs

How do I know if Shamanic Energy Medicine is right for me?

Have you tried conventional treatments without getting the results that you’re looking for and want to try something new? Then Shamanic Energy Medicine could be right for you. Get still and try to discern if it’s where you want to invest your time and resources at the moment. If you get a strong “yes,” then sign up. If you don’t, then keep looking. There are lots of paths to well-being out there. Find the one that feels right to you.

Are you simply curious or do you feel drawn to this practice for reasons you can’t explain? No need to second guess yourself. It’s likely right for you.

Do you think you landed on this page for a reason and the Universe is trying to tell you something? Then sign up. It’s definitely right for you.

Do you think this is dumb, a waste of time, or otherwise unseemly? Then please don’t sign up. A session together won’t be fun for either of us.

How will I know if it’s working?

You’ll know if it’s working based on how you feel. In Shamanic Energy Medicine, “we measure success by increased well-being, by a sense of newfound peace, empowerment, and a feeling of communion with all life.” - Alberto Villoldo

If you feel better—more peaceful, content, at ease—then it’s working. If you don’t, then it’s not.

Please note: in some instances (as with all healing), you may briefly feel worse before you feel better. This is commonly called a “healing crisis.” If that happens, know that your energy is shifting and a transformation is coming. Treat yourself kindly—take a nap, go for a walk, immerse yourself in water, rest—and it will pass.

While the effects of Shamanic Healing sessions are frequently felt immediately, the full impact takes time. Give yourself a full moon cycle (roughly 28 days) to feel the full effect.

Do I have to worship the moon or believe in anything woo-woo for Shamanic Energy Medicine to work?

No. While the medicine men and women that developed these healing modalities believe that we are luminous star beings journeying through multiple lifetimes, you don’t have to believe anything to benefit from these practices.

In fact, some of the biggest transformations I’ve seen have come from decidedly non-woo-woo people. Real meat and potato types.

One offered his Spirit Animal Guide beef jerky in a journeying session…

He then texted me days later raving about the inner peace he had found, in awe that “this hippie shit” actually works.

Are you a shaman?

I am not a shaman. I do, however, consider myself to be a qualified Shamanic Energy Medicine Practioner. It’s a nuance, but one that matters to me.

I haven’t made the sacrifices necessary to meet my personal definition of being a shaman. The shamans I’ve worked with have dedicated decades of their lives to mastering their craft. They’ve done vision quests, completed dietas and undertaken deep personal healing while studying extensively under teachers who have blessed them to carry on the lineage.

One day, I may do those things…or I may not. I live in the present and know that, in this season of my life, spending months on end in the Amazon or Andes isn’t a good fit (even though I would love to!).

I completed the Four Wind’s Shamanic Energy Medicine training to deepen my personal practice and elected to offer sessions once I saw the results of this powerful modality. I’ve seen transformations that, frankly, have blown me away.

I consider myself to be a good entry point to the world of shamanism. I’m safe, accessible and relatable. If you, like me, can’t currently hop on a plane to South America as often as you’d like, I’m a great choice. If you want to go further down the path after working together, I will help you identify next steps.

What is your training and lineage?

In 2021, I trained under Alberto Villoldo and Marcela Lobos to become a Shamanic Energy Medicine Practioner through the Four Winds Society. My class was led by Karen Johnson and Larry Furstch.

My program was a comprehensive training that combined modern neuroscience with traditional healing methods. It was specifically developed to make shamanism accessible to Western audiences.

For more than fifty years, Alberto, the founder of my school, has worked closely with shamans in South America, first as a medical anthropologist, then as a student of shamanism. After decades of meticulous study and devotion, the indigenous wisdomkeepers of the Andes and the Amazon assigned him an important task: be a bridge and conduit to share these ancient teachings as widely as possible.

The indigenous healers who have protected these teachings for generations believe that now is an important time in humanity’s evolution. By sharing the practices widely, they are fulfilling a prophecy that their grandparents’ grandparents’ grandparents have passed down for hundreds of years.

Alberto built the Four Winds Society to honor the sacred task he was given and his wife Marcela expanded the teachings to include practices from female lineages. By studying under them, I have also accepted the sacred responsibility to:

1. Honor those who guarded this wisdom for generations

2. Contribute to sharing these healing practices widely

3. Work with integrity and a commitment to the good of all beings

Is this the kind of shamanism that includes working with Ayahuasca or plant medicines?

The Shamanic Energy Medicine that I offer does not include working with plant medicines, but my journey into shamanism began by traveling to South America to work with Ayahuasca and San Pedro in safe and secure settings, guided by fully trained vegetalistos (shamans who are trained to serve the medicines).

In that setting, plant medicines can work miracles. People say that one Ayahuasca retreat can provide the equivalent of a decade’s worth of therapy and that was true for me. However, working with the medicines in the wrong setting can have the opposite effect. This is serious stuff. Treat it that way.

Please, for the love of all that is holy, never drink Ayahuasca in someone’s basement or pick a plant medicine retreat off the Internet and show up hoping for the best.

In the future, I hope to organize excursions to bring people to Ayahuasca and San Pedro retreats with talented and trusted healers. If you are interested in joining or want some help finding a retreat, please send me a message.