Shamanic lineage of the Andes and working in nonlocal states of consciousness

A trauma informed approach to holding space

There are many types of therapies these days such as CBT, talking therapy, somatic, EFT, EMDR, AIT, IFS, Psychedelic, Breathwork, Sound Healing, Craniosacral, Reiki, Shamanic practices and so on. They all have possible benefits and possible disadvantages. But what seems to emerge over and over again is that it is not the name of the […]

Ventral vagal nerve and windows of affect tolerance

As discussed previously, the state of fight or flight, controlled by the sympathetic nervous system, and the state of tonic immobility, controlled by the dorsal vagal nervous system, are both survival mechanisms and can be incredibly helpful. But both are supposed to be engaged short term. Ideally we want to live as much as possible […]

When stress turns to trauma – polyvagal theories

In my last blog I noted that when fight or flight have failed, we move from stress to true trauma. Instead of being hyper-activated by the sympathetic nervous system, we move to hypo-activation mediated by the dorsal vagal nerve of the parasympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system is controlled by the tenth cranial nerve, […]

The significance of stress – the sympathetic nervous system

Stress and trauma are gradually being recognised as the underlying causes of much physical disease and mental health issues. Bessel van der Kolk has been a huge contributor to this movement with his book The Body Keeps the Score, building on the work of Peter Levine and then followed by Stephen Porges and Stanley Rosenberg. […]

Eagle in the East of the Medicine Wheel

Eagle represents the East and the journey of the visionary, the direction of rebirth, where the life-giving sun rises each morning, bringing us an opportunity to meet our world anew. We can practice dreaming the world into being and participating in creation. This is similar to the classic mythical hero’s journey, calling us to leave […]

Hummingbird in the North of the Medicine Wheel

Hummingbird represents the North on the Medicine Wheel – transcendence, removing our underlying limiting beliefs, to free ourselves up to dream a new world into being. No labels, no stories: challenges become opportunities. Hummingbird makes the impossible journey. If, in proportion to his size, a man travelled as far as a Rufous Hummingbird does between […]

Jaguar in the West of the Medicine Wheel

Jaguar represents the direction of the West. The sun sets in the West. In the darkness, a sleek black cat moves silently. For the shaman, the jaguar is a potent symbol of the Divine Feminine. With no predators in the rain forest, the jaguar lives free of fear, taking just what it needs from the […]

Serpent in the South of the Medicine Wheel

In the traditions of the Q’ero of the high Andes and the teachings of Alberto Villoldo, there are four archetypical animals associated with the four cardinal directions of the Medicine Wheel. We start with serpent in the South. Serpent space is a very grounded and literal place, everything is as it seems, it is instinctive. […]

Idealism and transpersonal Consciousness

As I mentioned in my last blog there has been a resurgence in interest in The Perennial Philosophy. One of the leading anti-materialist philosophers is Bernardo Kastrup who posits the Idealist Hypothesis ‘that Self and world are manifestations of spatially unbound universal consciousness or mind. All reality unfolds in a form of transpersonal consciousness’. The […]

The revival of The Perennial Philosophy

Several years ago in the opening module of my Temenos Touch training, one of the students asked, “Is what we are doing magic?” In terms of how most people view ‘materialist reality’ then the answer is yes. For those of you who are interested I highly recommend Real Magic: Ancient Wisdom, Modern Science, and a […]

The five ways of living in the Andean tradition

In the traditions of the Andes, there are five ways of living. llankay, which is action, associated with the second chakra. It suggests the attitude of service through work. In its highest form it manifests as personal power and physical strength achieved through self-discipline. It represents right livelihood, a way of living that is ecologically […]

My shamanic practioner lineage

First of all let me state very clearly, I am not a shaman. At very best I am a shamanic practitioner. I do not want to engage in cultural appropriation, but rather cultural appreciation. I try to respect to the wisdom keepers who have kept the shamanic traditions alive through the ages and against the […]

Evelyn Brodie

Shamanic, Reiki & Craniosacral Healing Rottingdean, Brighton, East Sussex

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