I recently attended a two-day course in London which explored shamanic perspectives and processes in therapeutic work. Shamanism can be considered as an ancient healing tradition and a way of life which respects all beings and the power of nature. Shamanic work seems to be something that naturally can arise when we approach the world in a particular way and therefore it cannot be defined as merely a set of perceptual skills or techniques.

The course I attended involved exploration of a model of a shamanic wheel with the emphasis on finding balance between the four directions (South, West, North, East). We also experienced some journeying into the lower world, as well as practiced cranio-sacral therapy with a shamanic approach to treatment. Interestingly, I noticed how most of the animal figures I encoutered during the journeys were nordic, such as a wolf and a rabbit, linking me strongly to my roots in Northern Finland.

For a long time I have been interested in shamanism, but this is the first course I have attended of this kind. I feel that these two days enriched me as a person as much as it has done to my practice. It seemed that my unborn child enjoyed the experience too.