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www.shamansociety.org11heatandcoldsuchasstandingunderreezingwaterallsinthemountainsisrequentlyseen.Sotooissleepdepriva-tionandabstentionromsex.Medita-tionisalmostuniversalnamelydeephearteltprayerorthesingle-mindedocusonthepresentmomentstaskospiritualempowermentandenlighten-ment.Socialisolationusuallyinwilder-nessandespeciallyinharshenviron-mentslikedesertsandmountainsiswidespreadsuchasthesix-monthseclu-sionenduredbyCandombltraineesinBrazil.6raineesamongtheMenangka-bauonSumatragotoamountainandthoseamongtheAndamanIslandersgototherainorestbythemselvestoaskorvisionsospirits.Prolongedsittingincavesorsleepingonorneargravesiscommon.7DeepdarkcavesitsbyshamanswereinacttherstGanzeldexperiments.SomeSouthAmericanshamanswillnotprophesybeorespend-ingninedaysinsolitude.8Pilgrimagesonoottosacredsitesnallyareoundalmosteverywhereanddonotmerelyrepresenttheshamansjourneyromproanetospiritualbutinactactualizeit.Huicholapprenticesorexamplemustmakemanytrekstogatherpeyoteandvisitsacredplaces.Tesesevenpracticeswhileperhapsappearingastrivialoptionsinanumberoculturesareimportantrequirements.otheJapaneseshugenjaorexampleausteritiesarethemostimportantritu-als.9WhatsthePointButcantIjustgotoaworkshopSureyoucanorsoIusedtothinkbeoremyearlyteachersdisabusedmeothenotion.IwasstartingtothinkthatthespiritsregardedmeassospecialthatIdidntneedanyausterities.ButIeventuallyguredoutthatIwasmortalandneededtodotheworkiIwantedtobeallthatIcouldbeshamanicallyspeaking.HowsoFirstshamansthemselvesbenetspirituallyromausterities.Asceticismovercomesatendencytolazinesstheheavygravityoordinaryphysicalreality.Despitebeingarecover-ingCatholicIvecometoappreciatesomeotheteachingsthatthenunswhackedintomylittlehead.Oneinparticularisthespiritualdangeroslothacapitalsinnamelyonethatrotsoursoulsasterthanjustaboutany-thing.AsamartialartisttooIcametorealizethatthehardestpartotrainingwasovercomingslothhaulingmyinertbodyothecouchandintothedojotherestwasunandalmosteasy.Abstentionromoodanddrinkandsexandthelikethenwakensthebodytheepitomeoordinaryrealitytoaccessspiritnonordinaryreality.Wesurpasstheordinarybydiscipliningitother-wiseitwilllikelydisciplineus.Shamanscontrolordinaryrealitybynotlettingitcontrolthem.Astrongbodyinturncanhandlethehigh-voltageenergyotheotherside.Deprivationelicitsgratitudeornaturesgits.Returningtoordinaryreal-itysdeliciousoodinvigoratingwatercoolbreezeswarmsunandrereshingsleepreconnectstheshamantolie-giv-ingnatureatadeeperlevelthanbeore.Asceticismgetstherespectoourownspirit.Byovercomingourearsothedarkdehydrationstarvationhypo-andhyperthermiaandsocialabandonmentweenhanceoursel-esteemandrealisti-callyso.Austeritiesbuildsoulpower.ae-kwondopractitionerstraditionallystoodundericywaterallstobuildkitheuni-versalenergyorce.Asceticismpowersupthepractitioner.Itgivesstaminaenduranceorthelonghaulespeciallyorthedrytimeswhenthepathitselisquestioned.Sel-disciplinegivesocuspoweroverthemonkeymind.Teshamanicjourneyisdifcultespeciallyinthemoderneraoexponentiallyincreasingdistractions.Modernpeopleitalmostseemswelcomeinterruptionssotheycanmulti-taskandavoiddeepsoulsearching.Controloveronesattentionviasingle-mindedocusincontrastacilitatespowerultripstothearthestreachesotheotherside.Andasceticismenhancestherelationshipbetweenpractitionersandtheirhelpingspirits.Austeritieshumbleus.ByexposingtheweaknessandthedependenceotheshamanonSourcetheyoerauseulcorrectiontothemostdangerouspitallonthepathpridealsothegreatestothecapitalsins.Assuchtheyprovideimmunityagainstlossopower.Tespiritsseemtolikenothingbetterthanpullingthepowerplugonanarrogantshamanbutseemunlikelytodosoononehumbledbyasceticism.Austeritiesgettheattentionandrespectothespiritsshowingthemoursincerityaboutrelievingthesuferingsoothers.InsomeNativeAmericantraditionsvisionquestersandboundshamansinactintendakindospiritualblack-mail.TeideaisthisYouspiritsarecompassionateandnowyouseemesueringsonowyouhavetopitymeandhelpmypracticeInshortwevoluntarilysuerinordertogetthehelpothespiritsorthosewhoinvoluntarilysuer.Wewillinglysuersothepeoplewillnot.Tishappensbecauseweproveourcommitmenttothebusyhealingspiritswholetsaceitdonthavetopayattentiontousatall.Youhavetheamazingabilitytoalterthecourseofyourlife.AsashamanicpractitionerandpsychotherapistGeniewillhelpyouconnecttoyourheartyourinnerwisdomandyourpersonalpower.Bethepersonyouwereborntobe...powerfulpreciousbeautifulfreeahotheShamanicWayACCESSINGANSWERSWITHINGenieHobbslcswshamanicpractitionerpsychotherapistcoach720-940-3395genietheshamanicway.comhttpwww.theshamanicway.com