What is Shamanism and how can it help you?
What you need to know about this ancient approach to healing
Text: Tamsin Bradshaw
Tamsin Bradshaw hosting a shamanic fire ceremony in Singapore (Photo credit: Samantha Tracey)
It’s been around for thousands of years, it’s suddenly become hip to be one, and yet most people don’t actually know what a shaman is or what shamanic healing is all about. We speak to one of Singapore’s top Shamanic healers, Tamsin Bradshaw, on what you need to know about this age-old form of energy medicine and how shamanic can help you.
What is Shamanism?
The word ‘shaman’ is attributed to a Siberian tribe called the Tungus. It was then adopted by anthropologists to refer to spiritual and ceremonial leaders from indigenous cultures around the world. You could say that it’s another word for medicine (wo)man or energy healer.
‘Shamanism’ is really an umbrella term for a whole ream of different energy healing practices founded on the idea of restoring balance. It isn’t tied to one particular religion, culture or place. We often associate shamanism with indigenous cultures from Central and South America; however shamanic-based practices can be found all over the world.
Shamanic healing has ancient roots, preceding all organised religion. It draws on the power of nature to support healing – not just in people, but also in places, plants and animals. At the heart of many shamanic traditions is the practice of seeing the Divine (God, Allah, Source, Great Spirit… insert your word of choice here) in the world around you. It’s about connecting to that higher power through the natural world, and being in relationship with it always.
Some shamanic practitioners have adapted their healing work for the modern world, incorporating psychology, Buddhism and so on, with a focus on personal development (this is what’s called neo-shamanism).
How does it work?
Many shamanic traditions work with the four directions (north, east, south and west), as well as elements of nature (fire, water, air and ether) and animal totems (or archetypes) to deliver energy medicine. Nature is at the heart of the shamanic healing session; as we come into balance with ourselves, we come into balance with Mother Earth and restore cosmic order.
The shamanic practitioner is looking to bring that balance – ‘right relationship’ – to their client’s five energy bodies (physical body, energetic, mental, intellectual and spiritual). To get there, they may remove energies that don’t belong there. Or they may return energy to the body through practices like soul retrieval, where missing pieces of the client’s soul are returned to them, so they can feel more whole, alive and present.
Certain shamanic traditions choose not to see energy as ‘bad’ or ‘good’. They take the perspective that everything has its place, just as it does in nature. When an energy is misplaced, it can have negative consequences for the person or place it is inhabiting. When we remove it and restore that energy to its rightful place, everything comes back into balance, and right relationship.
Many shamanic practitioners work with people one to one to help them identify the root causes of and heal from physical issues, mental and emotional challenges, and to generally feel more empowered and balanced in their own lives. Some shamanic practitioners also work with groups, gathering people in ceremony, working with plant medicines like cacao, or with fire or water, to shift energy.
Shamanic practitioners work with sound and other healing tools to support their energy healing work (Photo credit: Samantha Tracey)
Is one session enough?
Healing is a journey: it’s not once and done. You wouldn’t walk into your first session at the gym expecting to come out 10 pounds lighter! Energy healing (and life, actually) is much the same. In a single session, you can probably figure out where some of the blocks are, whether that’s limiting beliefs, old fears, outdated narratives, or survival tactics passed down to you from your parents and ancestors. You can shift stuck energies, and hopefully you will come out feeling like you have lightened your load.
But if you want to make real, lasting change, you might want to commit to a longer-term healing programme – whether that’s working at regular intervals with a shamanic practitioner, or undertaking other personal development work, from coaching, counselling or trauma therapy to other forms of energy healing. Or a combination of these and more. The right action plan for you depends on your needs and your desires.
No matter what path we choose, real healing requires taking charge of our own choices. Real change happens when we’re willing to witness the patterns that are holding us back from living life as our best selves, and to choose a different way of being.
How do I find the right practitioner for me?
As a starting point, you could research shamanic practitioners online, exploring websites, Instagram profiles, reading blog posts and looking at healing centres in Singapore to see what’s available, and who resonates with you. To make sure you find someone who is practicing with integrity, check out their credentials first. Did they train with a credible shamanic energy medicine school or directly with a tribal elder?
Be cautious with people who are self-trained. They may well be the real deal, but there’s a lot to be said for working with people who have undertaken the discipline of learning from teachers and masters of their chosen practice.
And do they come recommended by friends, family, or by someone you know and trust?
These are all questions to consider when you’re looking for a shamanic practitioner in Singapore, or elsewhere in the world. Sometimes you have to trust your own judgment, too. If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. It doesn’t have to mean they’re ‘bad’; it might just be that they’re not the right shamanic practitioner for you.
Tamsin Bradshaw is a shamanic practitioner in Singapore (Photo credit: Samantha Tracey)
Tamsin Bradshaw is a shamanic practitioner and transformation coach in Singapore, where she works with holistic health and wellness clinic Balanced Living. She is dedicated to helping people make empowered choices so they can live balanced, loving, passionate and fulfilled lives. Tamsin also hosts shamanic fire ceremonies for the new and full moon. To learn more about Tamsin, visit Inspirited, and to book an appointment in Singapore, visit Balanced Living’s website.
[disclaimer]
Shamanic energy work is not a substitute for psychotherapy, counselling, or therapy for substance abuse; nor is it a substitute for advice and treatment under the guidance of trained medical professionals. You are entitled to seek the advice of your doctor if you’re unsure of whether shamanic healing is suitable for your current health situation.
