My Mantra for the Coming Year

Last week, I turned 44. In preparation for it, I embarked on a 44-Day Mental Cleanse, which included taking a break from social media, having boundaries around email and technology use, and slowing down to listen to my inner guidance instead of all the noise we get bombarded with.

Keeping with the cleanse theme, I decided I wanted to really clean house as I got ready for a new year of life. So the night before my birthday, I found myself cleaning my bathroom, reorganizing things in my kitchen, and moving furniture because I was having carpet cleaners come in the morning.

As I was listening to music while getting my home spruced up, the following words came to mind: “I can figure ANY shit out. No fear. Pure courage.” I suddenly felt a powerful surge of energy rush through me, and I went to write this down on the white board in my home office. This board has my top priorities on it, and I face it each day as I work at my desk. I wanted to make sure I didn’t forget what felt like an important motto for the coming year.

The next morning, I woke up early, did an energetic clearing of my home (see blog post on space clearing for how to do this yourself), vacuumed thoroughly, and had the carpet professionally deep cleaned. It felt so good to get a fresh, clean start to the year. Later, I went out for a celebratory meal, and then had a healing session with one of my teachers.

It was really such a blessing to get a healing session on my birthday, and during the session, she asked me one of my favorite question, “If you knew you couldn’t fail, what would you want to create in the coming year?” Before I could answer, she pointed out that this didn’t have to be something material or external. It could be something personal and internal.

The words “Unwavering Courage” came out of my mouth, and thus, my mantra for the coming year was set in motion.

To be honest, I’m a bit intimidated with this intention because I know it will mean potentially uncomfortable changes ahead. In my experience, when I set a firm intention and commit to it, a process of transformation gets set in motion, and I need to release what’s not in alignment with the new state I want to welcome in. This means I have to let go of old ways of being, which can be uncomfortable and challenging.

But I’m also very excited because I know it will mean a new level of personal growth and self-realization. I know it will mean a new level of TRUST, especially trust in myself. During my 44-day cleanse, I became acutely aware of how much we are bombarded by messages of fear. These messages have us question our abilities, our worth, and our choices.

In stepping into this mantra of “Unwavering Courage,” I don’t have any plans to do anything dramatic or daredevil-like. My intention is to continually move away from the external noise and messages of fear, and instead, listen to my heart and soul and come to trust myself more deeply.

Trust that I am strong and capable. Trust that no matter what, I can figure anything out. Trust that though I can’t control what happens around me, I can handle the surprises life brings. Trust that I can make the choices that are best for me even if they are different from the “norm.” Trust my body, my intuition, my heart, my spirit, my soul.

With this deep trust, I believe courage comes more naturally. When we trust ourselves, we can take greater risks. We can make decisions from a place of inner knowing and authentic truth instead of a place of fear. We can let go of patterns and energies that don’t serve us and provide a false sense of comfort/security. We can dare to live lives true to our essence dreams and heart’s longings.

Just writing that makes my heart sing! If any of this resonates with you, and you’d like to share any aspect of your journey and/or intentions with me, or if you have any questions, I invite you to email me at heal@shamanicsoulcenter.com.

I’m excited to see what the coming year brings and feel so blessed to share the journey with you. Thank you for being part of the Shamanic Soul Center community.

Big hugs and blessings to you,

Parminder

5 Ways to Boost Your Happiness

Are you one of those people who was born happy? Do you just sail through life naturally feeling happy and blessed? If so, this blog post is not for you. You don’t really need it.

If, on the other hand, you have longed to feel happy but all too often find yourself struggling to do so, read on.

You see, I’m not one of those born happy and cheery people. Quite the opposite. For much of my life, I would experience cyclical bouts of depression and/or anxiety.

And although I definitely experienced many times of joy during my life, it was not until late into my 30’s after some years of being on this healing path that I can say I became more consistently content and experienced a higher baseline of happiness.

There are two things that have helped me increase my overall sense of joy: 1) releasing trauma, pain, and suffering through the healing work I have done 2) cultivating thought patterns and behaviors that enhance my state of well-being and happiness.

These practices and the awareness I gained through the process took time to learn. They feel natural and effortless much of the time, but there are still (and always will be) times I need to pick myself up from a low mood and put greater focus and attention on cultivating a higher frequency, better feeling state of being.

Because I am not alone in this, I wanted to share one of the resources I find helpful on this quest. It’s a hilarious and helpful talk by Shawn Achor (watch below). In the talk, he shares 5 simple ways we can train our brains for greater happiness.

The techniques are simple and make sense. But for them to be effective, it’s important to actually do them and not simply know about them. He recommends trying them out for 21 days.

If you decide to give the practices a go, be honest and gentle with yourself. You know yourself better than anyone, so explore the techniques in the way that is likely to be most effective for you.

You know if you’re more likely to sustain something for the long-haul by going full force and doing it all at once or whether it would be more effective to integrate one small change at a time. So, do what works best for you and let me know how it goes by emailing me.

I hope you enjoy the video and practices. Big hugs and blessings to you, :)

Parminder

An Antidote to Stressful Living

I recently returned from a week in Costa Rica, the land of Pura Vida, a relaxed, “don’t worry, be happy” way of life that has made Costa Rica one of the happiest countries in the world. 

Having this trip come so close on the heels of my journey to Peru’s Lake Titicaca and the Stone Forest was a true blessing. Some of you may have read my post-Peru reflections in my AYNI blog post in which I shared how the trip inspired me to slow down and live more mindfully.

My recent journey to Costa Rica built on that theme and gave me an opportunity to step back and consider ways I can live life with greater ease and grace, to integrate some of that Pura Vida vibe into my life.

Coming back to city life in the US after each of these journeys made me realize what a fast-paced, anxious world we have created. They also made me see how easy it is to get caught up in those stressful energies even if we know we value a more simple, healthy way of life. 

But I have come to see that we don’t have to get caught up in the mad rush to always be doing more. We can opt out of the frantic pace in ways big and small. 

Because prolonged stress contributes to many forms of dis-ease, it is important for us to look at how we can reduce stress and live life with greater ease. This is extra important for those of us with more sensitive, empathic natures. 

If we are highly sensitive or empathic, we are more attuned to and more easily influenced by the energies around us. Therefore, it’s important to create personal boundaries that protect our internal state and enhance our well-being. 

Here are two books that I have found to be inspiring and helpful in living life at a more relaxed, sane pace. While their titles have a similar theme, the two books present very different approaches:

I first read Slowing Down to the Speed of Life when I was in my early 20’s. I was only a few months into my first job out of college and found myself overworking and feeling incredibly stressed. At the time, I found the ideas presented in the book very helpful and comforting.

Since then, I have read the book several times. Each time, I gain a better understanding of how profoundly out thoughts impact our perceptions of our world. This book is not about fixing anything on the outside; it’s about becoming aware of thought patterns that lead to stress and unhappiness.

SLOW: Simple Living for a Frantic World is new to me. It’s about one woman’s journey to change her life after being diagnosed with postpartum depression.

After seeking help for her depression, the author comes to the realization that her hectic lifestyle was contributing to her ill health. This book offers many ideas on how to simplify one’s life and live more true to one’s values.

I believe we all deserve to live lives full of love, laughter, joy, and ease. And I feel it’s within our power to transform our internal state and our external realities to create the lives that will make our hearts sing. 

If these ideas resonate with you, I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to email me with any questions, comments, or to share any of your personal experiences. Big hugs and blessings to you. 

AYNI - a Key Insight from My Recent Journey to Peru

Being on the Shamanic Path has given me the opportunity to experience many adventures and learn a great deal. My recent trip to Lake Titicaca and the Stone Forest definitely ranks up there in terms of the magic and wonder I experienced. As you may have read in my last blog post (Shamanic Journeying for Guidance and Support), I was guided to go to the Stone Forest during a Shamanic Drum Journey I did last year.

I didn’t know exactly why I was told to go there, and it may take me quite a while to integrate the blessings and wisdom from such a powerful journey, but I am incredibly grateful for the way the experience has served to bring me to a deeper level of soul-searching and an even stronger desire to align my life with the spiritual values I hold most dear.

I first awoke to this spiritual path through an incredibly transformative spontaneous healing I experienced in January of 2010 while I was getting a Masters degree in Peace and Justice Studies. (I wrote about it in How I Came to Be a Healer.) I went back to school because I felt disillusioned by the educational system I was a teacher in and wanted a new way to be of service. 

My goal at the time was to gain skills to be able to do work in developing countries. I grew up in a very poor, rural environment in India, which provided me with many blessings but also many hardships. Lack of basic human needs such as medical care and personal security can take a tremendous toll on the heart and psyche. Those early experiences evoked in me a lifelong desire to alleviate suffering and be of service.

One of the classes I took while I was at the School of Peace Studies was Environmental Justice. It was quite disheartening to learn so much about the environmental and human consequences of our modern way of life. The class and the research on consumerism I did for my final paper affirmed a longing in me to live a more simple and sustainable lifestyle.

Given my simple upbringing, my heart has always been drawn to simplicity, but living in the modern Western world, I find that I easily get distracted and/or excited by things and ideas and end up piling too much on my plate. I can get caught in the mad dash of modern life and fill my life with too much stuff and too many things to do. And I can find myself going on automatic instead of being mindful and present to all the beautiful, simple moments of ordinary life.

Being at Lake Titicaca and the Stone Forest reminded me of the incredible beauty of this magnificent Earth we call home. It got me back in touch with my deep love for this planet and my desire to live in a way that honors the precious gift we have been blessed with. I was reminded of the sacred law of AYNI, something I learned about years ago.

Ayni is a Quechua (an indigenous language spoken in the Andes) word that refers to the sacred reciprocity that is the natural way of life. For the Q’ero people of the Andes, this is the most fundamental law. It guides us to live in reciprocity, harmony, and balance with each other, with the Earth, and with the whole cosmos.

Shamanism recognizes that we are all interconnected in a beautiful, sacred web of life/energy. And our actions have consequences for the positive or negative on ourselves, each other, and the whole Universe we are a part of. When we practice ayni, we strive to live in mutual harmony and reciprocity with all beings.

We don’t take anything from the Earth without asking permission and making an offering in exchange. I was taught this by the first Indigenous healer I studied with. He would say, you can’t just go around traipsing wherever you like. You have to ask permission of the spirits of the land. You have to ask them for protection. You have to bring them an offering. Just like you would if you were going to someone’s home. You wouldn’t just barge in rudely and not ask permission or give thanks.

I have been practicing this way for a long time now. It feels beautiful to ask permission of the lands I am visiting, to take little offerings of cornmeal, sage, tobacco, sweets, flowers to give thanks. And in my morning prayers, I give thanks for the spirits of the land where my home is. I thank them for welcoming me there and for their protection.

This trip reawakened in me a longing to integrate the teaching of ayni more deeply into my day to day life. I can do this by slowing down my thinking and living more mindfully. I can pay greater attention to the impact my words and actions have on the world. I can think of how what I do today will impact the next 7 generations.

I can do very simple things to consume and waste less, to send more loving-kindness and gratitude to the Earth, to simplify my life more by being a more conscious and thoughtful consumer, to care for and bless this beautiful planet and all the beings I get to share it with. I can be more intentional about remembering what a sacred gift life on the Earth plane is and take more time to appreciate it.

I feel a greater sense of peace and serenity since I have come back from my trip, and I think that comes from making progress in aligning my life even more closely to my most cherished values. I believe that is one of the blessings of striving to live in ayni. It reminds us we are part of a beautiful, interconnected whole. Simply remembering and honoring that sacred connection brings a sense of peace and well-being to our hearts and souls.

(The photo above is of the paqo (Andean shaman) beginning a ceremony. At the start of all ceremonies, he would give thanks to all the nature elements (Earth, Sun, Moon, Spirits of the Mountains, etc.) and call on them to bless the ceremony.)

Shamanic Journeying for Guidance and Support

Shamanism is the oldest form of spiritual practice. It teaches that everything has spirit and is alive. All of life is seen as one, interconnected through a web of energy or spirit. The physical plane or ordinary reality is not the only reality there is. 

There are other realms of existence we can journey to in order to receive guidance, healing, assistance, and support. One way to access the spirit world or “non-ordinary” reality is through shamanic journeying with a drum or rattle.

This is a wonderful way to step outside of our ordinary lives and gain wisdom and guidance from the spiritual plane. Although I often receive guidance in the midst of prayer, a meditation, while performing a healing, or just going about my day, I also do formal journeys to ask for specific guidance or assistance.

Sometime last year, I embarked on a journey that led to a very surprising outcome. I don’t recall what the specific purpose of that journey was. I’m sure I was seeking guidance, but I don’t remember my specific intention, only the outcome because it was so surprising. 

When I do this type of shamanic journey, I typically journey using an audio recording of the steady beat of a drum, which allows for accessing an expanded state of consciousness that opens the way for connection to the spirit realms and the guidance that our allies and spirit helpers can provide.

I started this journey in my usual way of traveling with two animal spirit allies and journeying through a tunnel to reach a spirit realm. In past journeys, I have received guidance from spirit allies, journeyed to magical lands, experienced very unusual healing rituals, and gained helpful insights and ideas.

In this particularly surprising journey, I was told I needed to travel to the Stone Forest in Peru. The guidance appeared to come out of nowhere because it did not seem at all related to anything going on in my life at the time. 

Plus, I really knew nothing about the Stone Forest, so I was rather perplexed. But I figured there must be some reason I was being guided to travel there even if the reason was not yet evident to me.

So, I began to explore the idea and learned that the Stone Forest is a mystical and powerful place. It’s a place full of ancient wisdom at a very high elevation. It’s a place where one can more easily connect to non-ordinary reality to receive wisdom and guidance.

Because of that shamanic drum journey I did over a year ago, I am now gearing up to travel to the Stone Forest in a couple of weeks. Truthfully, I’m quite nervous as it’s a trip that’s not for the faint of heart I’m told.

I’m still not quite sure why I’m going other than that I was instructed to do so in a journey. This is the power shamanic journeying has for me. Although my logical brain often questions my sanity and my decisions, I trust the guidance I receive from shamanic journeys and ceremonies. 

Shamanic journeying has proven to be a very powerful way of navigating this sometimes confusing journey of life. If you would like to learn more about shamanic journeying and experience a drum journey yourself, please join me for this month’s Shamanism, Spirituality, and Energy Medicines class happening at 6pm Pacific Time on Monday May 6th.

If you can’t make the live session or are reading this after it has already happened, you can catch the recording of this and many other wonderful classes by signing up for the monthly class. 

After I return from my trip to the Stone Forest, I’ll be teaching a class on June 3rd on Exploring Places of Power and sharing my experiences from the Stone Forest and Lake Titicaca (which I will also be visiting on this trip). Please join me for this and future classes by signing up for the monthly Shamanism, Spirituality, and Energy Medicines class.

My Shamanic Pilgrimage to Sacred Huichol Sites

I have been a spiritual seeker all my life. As far back as I can remember, I have been fascinated by the world of spirituality and religion. I grew up in a very spiritual environment, and I found such peace in the prayer room of my childhood home and the temples we regularly visited. 

I loved the smell of the incense, the beautiful sounds of kirtan (sacred Sikh songs), and the indescribable feeling of something special I felt in those places. I didn’t have conscious knowledge of energy at the time, but I could feel the sense of reverence, the energy of prayer, and the peace of meditation in the air.

Places hold the energy of whatever activities have taken place there, and as living beings made up of energy, we can feel the energy of a place. This is why going on pilgrimage is such a special treat for me. The fact that people have traveled to Cerro Quemado and Wirikuta for eons to take part in ceremony and prayer is awe-inspiring for me.

As I shared in my previous blog post about this special pilgrimage, this was my 4th annual journey to these sacred Huichol sites. And it’s very difficult to describe what a beautiful blessing the whole journey is. This year, I had the joy of traveling with two dear friends and seasoned veterans of this healing way, and I was so grateful to be in their company.

A classic part of pilgrimage is that we encounter challenging situations along the journey. The challenges can be due to external circumstances and/or internal conflicts. The way one handles the challenges and what one learns from them is a part of the wisdom gained from the journey.

My travel companions and I handled the unexpected and unnerving delays and detours we experienced on the way there and back with calm acceptance, which made the journey much more peaceful than it would have been otherwise.

It can take weeks, months, or even years to fully integrate the benefits of this type of pilgrimage, but there is one experience that stands out to me from this year’s journey that I’d like to share with you now.

The all-night sacred ceremony that is part of this pilgrimage is a time when one can say prayers and ask for healing, guidance, and support. In the past, sometimes this ceremony has been quite challenging and at others full of beauty and radiance for me. 

This year, it was a mix of both. There are five stages to the ceremony, and at times my heart felt so open and connected to Spirit, and I was experiencing the beauty of being in a deep state of prayer. At other times, I felt less inspired and uplifted. 

During one part of the ceremony, I was asking Spirit for guidance around a personal dilemma, and I found myself feeling anxious and worried. After what was likely just a few minutes but felt much longer, I realized I had gotten stuck in my thinking, and instead of being open to guidance, I was trying to figure things out with my head.

Once I had this realization, I knew I had to get back to my heart. So, I placed both hands on my heart and took a couple of deep breaths. I visualized beautiful rays of divine light filling my heart and began giving thanks for all the blessings in my life. I felt an immediate shift in my energy, and the answer was clear: 

It was simply to love…to love myself, to be gentle and compassionate with myself, and to extend that love and compassion to everyone else. Tears of gratitude rolled down my eyes as my heart filled with love and light. 

In that moment, I realized there was no problem, no dilemma to be solved. Everything was exactly as it should be. All I needed to do was allow myself to come back to my heart and come back to love. 

Getting back to my heart reminded me of how incredibly blessed I am, and I felt such gratitude for the gift of life. It was beautiful, and I felt I had come back to myself. In that moment, I asked Spirit, “Well, what do you pray for when there’s no problem to solve and nothing to be fixed?”

The answer that came is, “You give thanks.” So, I set the intention to simply give thanks for the remainder of the ceremony. And my intention coming back home is to deepen my appreciation and enjoyment of life.

I have come to see enjoyment and appreciation as spiritual practices and have a favorite question I like to ask myself when I feel out of sorts: “What if I were to enjoy and appreciate this moment?” 

When I pause and ask myself this question, my perspective changes, and I get reminded that what I may be seeing as a problem is often part of a much bigger blessing. If I pause a bit longer and place my hands on my heart and tune in, my heart is typically very content and fulfilled.

The heart sees the bigger picture; it doesn’t get caught up in the details our heads get overwhelmed by. The heart connects us to our Essence, to Spirit, to the energies of love, compassion, and kindness.

And the spiritual journey, whether it takes place during a special pilgrimage or an ordinary moment in our lives, is the journey from the head to the heart. It’s the journey back home to our true nature, and the practices of prayer, meditation, gratitude, and ceremony help take us back to that space and live there more and more.

Here are a few photos from my recent pilgrimage. In my next Monthly Healing Circle taking place Thursday April 18th, I will be guiding you through a journey inspired by my pilgrimage. It will include brining in grounding mountain energy and journeying to your heart. Learn more about the Monthly Healing Circle and don’t hesitate to email me with any questions. Big hugs and blessings to you.

No Salt, No Sex - Preparation for Sacred Pilgrimage

Next week, I will be traveling to central Mexico for my annual pilgrimage to Wirikuta and Cerro Quemado, sacred lands of the Wixáritari (Huichol) people. This is year four for me, and I consider the opportunity to take part in this sacred journey one of the greatest gifts I’ve been blessed with in this lifetime.

Traditionally, Huichol pilgrims would take about 40 days to make the 300 mile trek from their homes to the sacred valley of Wirikuta and then hike Mount Quemado on foot. They would stop at sacred shrines along the way to perform rituals and ceremonies of preparation and purification.

Where there was once only untouched land along much of the route, now there are highways, private property fences, and cities. But the Huichol pilgrims still make this journey, working around the challenges modernization brings.

The purpose of the pilgrimage is both personal renewal/purification as well as the performance of ceremonies and making of offerings aimed to keep harmony and balance in the world. 

For the Huichol. these sacred sites are honored because this is where the sun rose for the first time and where their ancestors come from. Making the journey and honoring Tatewari (sacred Fire spirit) and Kauyumari (sacred Blue Deer spirit) helps the pilgrims remember where they came from and renew/strengthen their connection to Great Spirit.

I feel incredibly blessed and fortunate to make this sacred pilgrimage each year. Along with my annual journey to Peru in the Fall for participation in traditional Shipibo plant dietas (discussed in this previous post), I consider this annual pilgrimage an absolutely critical part of my ongoing training and growth. 

Though the journey I participate in is much shorter than the traditional Huichol one, the power and blessings are still immense. When I was preparing for my first pilgrimage, I asked one of my teachers to assist me with setting good intentions. He said, “Ask to have really powerful prayers. That’s the whole point of the trip.” 

That was clear enough, so I followed his instruction and began praying and asking for assistance in having really powerful prayers during my pilgrimage. I was left stunned at the power and beauty of the pilgrimage and the incredible power of the prayers said on that journey. 

It’s impossible to describe in words how healing, inspiring, and empowering the pilgrimage experience is. Taking part in an all-night ceremony under the guidance of a Mara’akame (Huichol shaman) and then hiking up to Mount Quemado for more prayers and ceremony is one of the most amazing experiences I have had. 

I feel transformed and strengthened with each successive journey. And I witness incredibly profound, positive shifts in my life (personal and professional) after each pilgrimage. But such rewards don’t come without a price.

Most spiritual traditions advocate various practices and rituals that require some sort of sacrifice in order to gain spiritual growth and insights. Think of the different fasts various religious traditions encourage/require. Or the solitary journey into the unknown that an indigenous vision quest entails.

For this pilgrimage, the preparation requires a 30-40 day period of refraining from any use of the sacred sexual energy and two weeks of a no salt diet. The purpose of the no sex is to conserve the sacred sexual energy for spiritual purposes and to store up qi for this special pilgrimage. 

The purpose of the two weeks of no salt (one at the beginning of the preparation period and one at the end) is to do a physical cleanse of the body and dissolve any negativity stored inside. Salt acts as a preservative, so by eliminating it, we are able to eliminate the energetic residue collected from past pain, stress, and toxic patterns.

The most important part of the preparation for me is the saying of prayers and asking for guidance, assistance, and support for my pilgrimage. As part of the prayer process, I make four flechas (prayer arrows) to take with me on the journey. The flechas are made in a meditative, prayerful way, and they carry the intent of the pryers I will say on my pilgrimage journey. (The ones in the photo are from my first pilgrimage.)

So, the preparation period takes some effort in getting oneself ready both physically and spiritually for the powerful journey of pilgrimage. I believe that the more sincere we are in our preparations, the higher are the rewards of the journey. Our commitment and dedication is always rewarded a thousand-fold.

And this applies not only to spiritual practice but everything else in life. The more sincerely and earnestly we commit ourselves to something, the more rewards and blessings we receive. Experiencing this in such a special, sacred journey inspires me to carry this lesson into the rest of my life.

One of the things I most enjoy about my journey is being able to carry your prayers and offering them on your behalf during the beautiful ceremonies I participate in. So, if you would like for me to take your prayers with me, please send me your prayer requests via this Prayer Request form.

When I return, I will be teaching a class on How to Pray Powerfully and Effectively. In that class, I will share more about my pilgrimage and what I learned from my journey. The class will be at 6pm Pacific Time on Monday, April 8th. It’s part of my monthly Shamanism, Spirituality, and Energy Medicines class, and you can get more information and sign up here.

I hope you can join me for the class. If you can’t make it live, you will have access to the recording. I feel so blessed and honored to share this journey with you. Thank you and have a beautiful day.

Wintertime Healing Energies Meditation

Winter is associated with the direction of North in the Shamanic medicine wheel tradition I work with. It’s a season associated wth strength, life force, vitality, personal power, self-directedness, and self-determination.

Sometimes, Winter can be a challenging time due to the cold and lack of sunshine. It’s important for us to pay special attention and take good care of ourselves during this season. To allow our bodies some time for hibernation and rest yet balance that with gentle movement so as not to feel stuck or sluggish.

It’s also a time of introspection and discerning what is of greatest value in our lives and having the courage to align our lives to our priorities and not simply be swayed by whatever is thrown at us. It’s a time to claim our personal power and to make choices that serve our highest and best good.

I hope the guided visualization below will help you connect to the healing energies of the Earth, water, crystals, and starlight. I hope it will help you to experience deep relaxation and rejuvenation. I'd love to hear from you after you listen to it, so please email me and let me know how it felt to you. And if you have any friends or family who would enjoy this meditation, please spread the blessings and share it with them.

Big hugs and blessings to you,

Parminder

Reiki and Shamanic Healing Post Car Crash

Reiki and Shamanic Healing have been constant sources of comfort and support for me for several years now. In addition to getting Reiki and Shamanic Healing sessions from fellow practitioners, I have a personal practice of doing healing work on myself. 

It is such an incredible blessing to enjoy the benefits of these healing ways on an ongoing basis and to be able to turn to them in times of need. One time I felt especially grateful for having access to these tools was after the brakes on my car failed back in October of 2014. 

I had taken the Honda Civic I drove at the time to my mechanic earlier in the day. He had worked on the brakes as well as other things. That evening, I was driving to a meeting in Hillcrest and was in a crowded area with lots of traffic and many pedestrians out and about. (University and 6th for those of you familiar with the area.)

Suddenly, I realized my brakes were acting funny. I was needing to push all the way to the floor to get any traction. As you can imagine, my heart started pounding and my mind started racing. I was driving through an intersection and decided I would pull over at the first opportunity.

But the cars in front of me came to a standstill, and I had no idea what to do. Luckily, I was driving slowly and had put distance between me and the car in front of me when I realized my brakes were not functioning right. But if I didn’t act quickly, I would crashed up crashing into it.

I quickly scanned the scene and was terrified I’d crash into something or someone because the streets were full of people. Suddenly, I noticed a big concrete planter on the sidewalk to my right. I steered towards it and drove my car into the concrete block.

I was so thankful the block stayed put and no one was hurt, but tears started pouring down my face as my system registered the shock of the crash. I was shaking and people had stopped on the street in shock as well. I could barely speak but dialed the phone with with shaking hands.

I called AAA, my mechanic, and my brother, all while trying to keep my tears in check. It must have been quite a scene for the people on the street. After a few minutes, I got out of the car to wait for the tow truck to come and explained to the street cop and people who asked that my brakes had failed. 

It was not a scene I would want to repeat. After dropping my car off at the auto shop’s parking lot, getting a ride home, and calling the insurance company, the shock really set in. I collapsed in tears on my bed with my whole body shaking.

After a good bout of release with the tears, I recalled some of my shamanic training. I had learned that when we experience any sort of trauma, a susto (energy of shock/trauma) can get lodged in our bodies. It’s important to clear out the shock/trauma because it can create dis-ease for us, and it can also attract more similar energies.

This is why sometimes people will experience repeated incidents of similar traumas/shocks. Knowing this, I did a shamanic healing and felt some relief. We often need 24 hours after a shock to really clear things, so I knew I would have to do more work the next day. 

When I woke up in the morning, I felt quite out of sorts. That day, I went for a walk and sat  on the earth with my back against my favorite eucalyptus tree. This tree is huge, and I used to pass by it regularly on my walks when I lived in that area. I would always pause to say hello and touch its beautiful trunk. 

This time, I sat underneath it seeking solace, grounding, and healing support. After a few moments, I began doing Reiki on myself. I did Reiki for a while and let myself also soak up the healing energies of the sun shining on my body, the grounding energies of the earth, and the medicine of the eucalyptus tree.

After a bit, I felt myself come back to center. I could breathe easy again. It was an amazing experience that left a lasting impact on me. Later that day, I did schedule healing sessions with a colleague and one of my teachers.

And a couple of days later, I went back to the accident site to clear the area of the trauma as well, so it would not attract other similar incidents/energies. I must have looked quite interesting blowing tobacco smoke into the are, one a concrete planter, and surrounding area, but I’ve gotten used to that. :)

Having access to Reiki and Shamanic Healing practices and wisdom were such a saving grace for me during this time. It’s moments like these when I feel the power and magic of these healing ways that give me the desire and determination to share the magic and beauty of Reiki and Shamanism with as many people as I possibly can.

I feel so blessed to have opportunities to do through teaching classes and share bits of the magic through social media and my writings. Thank you for taking the time to read a bit more about my experience.

If you would like to learn the magic of these healing modalities for yourself, please see the Reiki classes and Shamanism classes pages for more information. And if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

With gratitude and blessings,

Parminder

Reiki, I Will Always Love You

I first heard of Reiki when I was in my mid-twenties. My favorite physician from my college days and a friend in my local community both told me they had learned Reiki and were practicing it. 

I remember not understanding what it was and being a little confused when they told me about it. And, to be honest, when my local friend told me about how amazing it was, I was more than a little skeptical and thought it was weird and couldn’t possibly heal in the incredible ways she was describing. 

Fast forward a decade, and I had my own out-of-this-world amazing spontaneous and very miraculous healing experience, which I wrote about in an earlier post titled How I Came to Be a Healer. Once I accepted that what I was feeling in my hands might be healing energy, I started to look for a healing modality to study.

Since this whole world of energy and spiritual healing was new to me, I had no idea what my options were. But I was paying attention to the signs the Universe was sending me, and one day, as I was driving, I saw a car to my right that had a Reiki bumper sticker on it.

I remember feeling a spark of excitement and curiosity. I did not remember at the time that I had heard of Reiki before, so I bought a book and searched for Reiki classes to learn about it. 

I took my first class in February 2011 and fell totally, madly, deeply in love! I absolutely loved the simplicity, gentleness, and beauty of the healing energy. It felt AMAZING…so incredibly relaxing, calming, and uplifting.

I then shared it with as many friends as were willing to come over and try something new. It was so much fun! And their feedback about how magical and good it felt was so exciting. I was completely hooked and took more classes and became a Reiki Master Teacher.

I have now been sharing the beauty, power, and magic of Reiki for 8 years. I cannot express what a blessing it is to share this healing goodness with clients during individual healing session, my monthly healing circle, and my annual Reiki classes.

In a subsequent post, I will share a couple of stories of the transformation I have personally experienced as a result of doing Reiki on myself. One story will talk about how Reiki helped me after the brakes on my car failed and I had to drive into a concrete block to get it to stop. In the other, I will share about how Reiki helped me heal a very old childhood wound. 

For now, I want to leave you with this super short and sweet video that I absolutely love! It was taken over a year ago after a Reiki class and shows the natural joy and delight Reiki brings out in us. If you have any interest in learning more about Reiki, you can learn about the benefits of Reiki and the classes I’ll be teaching this year at this link. Big hugs and blessings to you.