Learn more about Siberian shamanism from Ahamkara

For centuries, elecampane (Inula helenium) has been a trusted remedy in folk medicine across Eurasia. While modern medicine doesn’t use it as widely, in traditional healing it is still considered one of the most powerful plants for supporting the lungs, digestion, and overall health.

The following exercises can be done by anyone. They are primarily intended for cleansing and enhancing the energy system. Some of them help you learn how to control energies. If any exercise releases too much energy, do not repeat it until the new energy integrates into your system.

In Tuvinians, the time code of shamanic kamlanie depends on the nature of the intended rite. Public prayers dagylga (consecration) or occasional rites performed by shamans were carried out in the daytime near the objects of veneration. In contrast to calendar rites, individual rites of shamanic kamlanie were conducted in the yurt of the client at night.

In contrast to the notion that a shaman is a lone wanderer, Siberian shamans are often closely connected to a certain clan, and the shamanic gift is transmitted within the family, although not always in a direct line. It is important not just to “inherit” the gift, but also to establish a connection with a certain totem animal, which acts as a guide, teacher and source of strength for the whole family.

The following exercises help to induce a sense of relaxation, which is necessary to enter a trance state. In appearance, they are very similar to autogenic training, but, unlike it, their goal is not just relaxation and self-hypnosis, but to achieve a state of trance, in which the main work begins. If you learn how to perform them well, you will have no problem with it.

Shamanic views on the nature of the Cosmos are very different from materialistic views, according to which the world around us exists separately and independently of everything else. The shaman lives in a bizarre and infinite Web, where everything is connected by threads of energy, like arteries and capillaries that carry blood to every cell of a living organism.

While in a deep trance, you can open your eyes without any change in your state. At the same time, you will be able to control body functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, digestion and body temperature. You will be able to give your limbs or the whole body absolute rigidity and firmness.

The simplest and most interesting beings that are in man are his organs: the heart, the kidneys, the liver. They live their own lives. Often they are sick or, on the contrary, they work well. If some organ of a person is sick, the Spirit of a person can address to this organ, ask it to work well and then this organ obeys

It is the accumulated negative emotions, and not some wrong deeds or views on life, that are the main cause of karmic problems in a person's life. A person can have any views on life, even the most extreme ones, i.e. it is not forbidden to be a nationalist, racist, communist, etc.

Everything around us is energy. It envelops surrounding objects, gives them power or takes away. For thousands of years, people have created egregors of totem animals. This is also energy, which has the characteristics of different animals, birds, insects. So, a totem is a guardian animal, a personal spirit, a guide, which unites with the human energy and endows it with the qualities it possesses, allowing it to gain protection and power.

Ulgen creates plants, people, stones, mountains, rivers in the Upper World and places them in the Middle World. Erlik takes all the creations created by his brother to his realm of the Lower World in order to make room on earth for Ulgen's new creations.

Awareness (awakening of consciousness) is a key practice for every human being, which, running as a red line through our lives, adds harmony, efficiency, clarity, accuracy and precision to everything we do. If there is a feeling that a situation is disharmonious and actions are wrong, it is necessary to simply awaken awareness. And that is the best way out of any problem.

The most remarkable thing about shamanic methods is that they are almost the same in every corner of the Earth. In Siberia and Central Asia, in North and South America, in Australia and South Africa, in Eastern and Northern Europe - everywhere we see a remarkable similarity in the methods used

Some of the souls specially enter our world from the Lower World, driven by lifetime resentment, hatred, jealousy, that is, having the purpose to take revenge on someone from the living. But it is not necessarily that the spirits tormenting a person are the souls of people, with the same probability it may be the souls of animals killed by human cruelty.

To develop a vivid imagination, it is necessary to perform special exercises to train the mind and awaken the subconscious mind. The basis here is the ability to concentrate consciousness deeply and uninterruptedly. Concentration, willpower and the ability to evoke visual images are closely related. When you acquire new skills in one of these areas, your abilities in the other two areas increase at the same time.

The symbolism of bird feathers is directly related to the way this or that bird was perceived in the cultural traditions of different peoples. This is also the basis of omens. Find a feather on the road — in most cases it is a good sign. And the find can be turned into a personal amulet, attracting good luck in your personal life and family prosperity.

When practicing mindful breathing, we simply allow our breath to happen. We become aware of it and enjoy it. Without effort. The same is true for mindful walking. Each step is enjoyable. Each step helps us get in touch with the wonder of life. Each step is a joy. It is possible.

One of the core beliefs of shamanism is the belief that there is a web of power that binds and runs through all things. Shamans believe that everything in the world is interconnected by invisible and intangible threads. It is the web of power that enables the interconnectedness of everything in the world.

Worry and anxiety have an extremely serious impact on our mental and physical well-being. However, there are a few simple steps that can help you reduce anxiety and regain harmony. From being aware of your emotions to focusing on what is in control, these steps will help you overcome anxiety and enjoy the present moment.

The practice helps you to let go of unnecessary thoughts, release clamps in the body, accelerate falling asleep and improve the quality of sleep. As a consequence, your productivity and concentration increases. A relaxed mind starts to think in a new way and the decisions you make lead to better results.

What we think about will happen to us, including what we wish for others. So, if we wish evil to another person because of some negative emotions, we program our life and future for the same. And vice versa. If we wish others good and success, we unconsciously psychologically prepare ourselves for the same pleasant events.

Sometimes the illnesses are very serious - cancer, sclerosis, heart disease, hepatitis and eventually we get to the aging, deformities and death of the physical body. From a shamanic point of view these are just effects. For true healing, it is not enough to just treat the effects and suppress the symptoms with drugs.

Among the Altai people, one can become a shaman by choice, while among the Tungus people, it is based on the will of the clan. When the choice is made by the clan, the primary focus is on the ecstatic experiences (trance, visions, dreams) of the candidates.

In shamanic philosophy there are no main and secondary elements - they are all equal and important. Take away one of them - the balance and equilibrium will be disturbed. By showing our respect for each equally, we take care of ourselves and others.

Calm and balanced people with an optimistic mind are less likely to get sick and live longer. A person is surrounded by an energy shell and imbued with energy. He constantly gives energy and receives it from everything that surrounds him and on what his attention is focused.

Mirror helps a shaman to “see the world”, i.e. to concentrate, to “localize spirits” or to reflect the needs of a person, etc. In shamanism, it is one of the shaman's guardians. In the Mirror reflects all the evil of the Lower World and thus destroys itself.

The next step in observing yourself is to return “in the moment,” to the “here and now.” To do this, simply make up a call and call out to yourself as soon as you find that you are not there. For example: “Return to the moment!” Or any phrase that will be perceived by you as a command.

Shamanic traditional rituals are extremely complex, and each of them requires tremendous mental and physical effort. The tension is sometimes so great that the session ends with a shaman fainting. Frequent practice can lead to complete exhaustion of his nervous system.

In old folk beliefs and customs, the knife appears as a faithful helper and friend, which at the same time demanded attention and respect. It serves as a symbol of a free and full-fledged man, as well as an amulet from evil forces.

Traveling through the worlds, a shaman meets on his way evil and good beings, benevolent and malicious spirits. With some of them he enters into mutually beneficial relationships, and some help gratuitously, some seek to harm or use the power of the shaman, and some share their power and skills.

Soul mates have met many times in past incarnations, they are connected to each other by karma and destiny. When these souls unite in harmony with themselves, they will find that their purpose on this planet is to create change and facilitate the emergence of the coming universal consciousness.

Shamans have a very different origin, their level is different, the spirits they communicate with are completely different. Sometimes, a shaman communicates only with the spirits inside the mirror. And he has no other helpers.

What is the loss or abduction of the soul and how does a shaman manage to save a person from near death? The soul is lost or stolen when a person changes internally. This internal change can cause distress, illness and even death.

Different peoples have different traditions of not only the design of the ritual costume, but also of dressing in it. Altai shamans wear their costume on a shirt in winter and on a bare body in summer. The Tungusi wear their shamanic attire on their naked bodies at any time of the year.

The paradox is that a Soul chooses its own destructive programs. And the wiser and more experienced it is, the more difficult tasks it will take for itself, and place itself in incredibly difficult conditions of play on this planet. Why? Because it has the potential to overcome those difficulties.

Practice meditation in nature. Sit or lie on the ground, close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Feel connected to the earth and nature around you. Visualize the energy of nature filling your body. Visualize yourself communicating with the Spirits of Nature, feel their presence and energy.

Conscious dreams (lucid dreaming) are dreams in which a person is aware that he is dreaming. This state allows him or her to control and change the dream plot. Conscious dreaming is studied both in scientific circles and in various self-development practices.

The cult of hunters among the Oirot-Altaic people is expressed in a special respectful attitude to wild animals. The spirits of many wild animals were believed to be equal to human spirits. Each clan-seok of the Oirot-Altai people had its common ancestor, the founder of an animal or bird, whose spirits guard and protect them from evil spirits and all kinds of dangers.

In shamanism mask is nothing but a means of obtaining qualities or skills of non-human origin. Obtaining qualities can occur during the rite of invocation - calling the spirit into the human body to obtain power. For example: Scythian shamans had masks dedicated to different deities.

No one can ever tell or describe exactly when the first divinations appeared. Probably with the first fears for our own life or our neighbor. Although, as, it is known from early sources, legends, oral stories, folk epic and traditions of the peoples of the world, that originally there were divinations on animal entrails, on bones, ram's shoulder blade and pebbles.

This is the most significant part of the rite of purification of the house, which can be carried out in two ways. In the first case, an akhanad (the leader in the ritual) plays a drum alone and makes a journey to the upper world on behalf of all those present.

The Altaic language is a defining language for many Turkic-Mongolian, Tungus-Manchurian, Japanese-Korean languages. Therefore, these languages are included in the Altaic language family of the peoples of the world, as well as other language families: Indo-European, Semito-Hamitic, and others.

There are various opinions about the correct construction of a shaman's drum. If the task is to become a real shaman — the approach is one, if just to have fun — another. Accordingly, the technologies of drum creation also change. The technologies offered here are several variants, depending on the possibilities and seriousness of intentions.

You can choose any trees to plant a sacred grove. Take, for example, an oak tree. After all, the oak is an incredibly energetically strong tree, capable of charging its power all around; secondly, the oak is dedicated to the Spirits of Heaven and Earth, Protectors and Benefactors; thirdly, the oak lives from 300 to 800 years and the planted trees can be admired by distant descendants.

In the old days, amulets were used everywhere. There is no culture on earth whose traditions would not have created whole "sets" of amulets used in various situations and accompanying a person throughout his life and after it. For example, in ancient Rome, each child was given a protective amulet at birth, and in Egypt an amulet was put in the grave of the deceased, as a sign that in the other world it will protect its owner.

Spirits, like humans, can be mortal. They have their own reincarnation system. When a person is engaged in urban planning, he sweeps away everything in his path. He's killing nature. So, not a few rivers and other reservoirs died, which "hindered" the buildings. They were just bombarded. And the Spirit of the River died. It was in the otherworld.

What is known about energy today? In general, energy is the basis of a person's life, his vital activity, this is what measures his movement and interaction. So it turns out that if a person has very little of this energy, then he feels a decline in strength, disappointment, apathy, depression, laziness and other ailments overcome him.

There are ancient shamanic practices of journeying to heal the soul. With their help it is possible to heal wounds and get rid of the burden of the past, to get abilities that will help to fulfill the destiny and not to be a puppet of evil fate. These practices will help to choose a future in which life will be fuller and healthier, without suffering from hereditary diseases and unhealed soul wounds received in childhood

if your child has had a few incidents that indicate that he or she has discovered a gift, it does not mean that from that day on he or she is great and powerful. The gift must be learned to subdue and tame, and the abilities must be developed and perfected. There are still decades of work and study, discoveries and accomplishments ahead.

The drum represents a microcosm with three spheres: Heaven, Earth and the Lower World. It is used to see the tools that help the shaman to pass through all levels and establish a connection with the lower and upper worlds. Along with the Tree of the World, the drum depicts a rainbow, and sometimes a bridge on which a shaman passes from one world to another.

Those who want to learn to communicate with plants need to be patient, because their pace of life is very different from that of humans: plants are immobile, unlike us, and very slow. It takes a long time to get in tune with them. Therefore, gardeners who like to work with the soil for long periods of time and communicate with plants get great results.

Sometimes there comes a time when a shaman feels the need for a new Spirit. It is better to go in search of a Spirit - a helper - in the daytime. Less trouble. You will not get lost, will not cause slanted glances of relatives. Of course, the ideal variant is evening, silence and a fire.

Get rid of old things. After all, what lies idle for more than a year, accumulates negativity. Conduct a revision of electronic equipment. Throw away what can not be repaired. Recycle newspapers and magazines. Check out all the dishes. If you notice any chips or cracks, throw them away.

In the early to mid-20th century, ethnographers recorded many texts of Altai shamans' rites to the deity Ulgen. Among other things, they indicate that Ulgen lives in the sky in a golden palace, the way to which lies through seven (or nine) barriers. Shamans have for centuries offered blood sacrifices to Ulgen, usually a three-year-old white mare

Erlik brings diseases in order to force a man to bring him a blood sacrifice. If a man does not satisfy his wishes, Erlik strikes him dead, and after that takes the soul of a man to his service in the underworld. Ordinary Altaians were afraid of Erlik and rarely called him by name, more often using various epithets (for example, kara nama - something black), while shamans treated the underground master with the greatest respect, calling him “merciful king”.

Minerals and stones can seriously affect a person wearing them, helping with the right stone, and hindering - with the wrong one. There are sets of stones, which hide huge forces, used in magic for the benefit of a person (healing, luck), as well as for harm.

This is a joint rite of invocation of benevolence and protection for each participant, usually all the inhabitants of the camp or settlement. The ceremony, led by one or more shamans, was most often held during or shortly after the White Moon Festival (timed to coincide with the Vernal Equinox).

After the disintegration of Turkic society, the totem also began to disappear. The image of totem as a symbol of the tribal union was also to disappear. The totem of this or that time became a separate organ or a certain color of animal. The Tatars were convinced that their totem animal, that is, their ancestor was the White Wolf. They considered the white wolf to be the guardian of folklore

Spirits are wonderful beings. Some of them - heal, others - protect the shaman. It is very important to know the names of the Spirits. These names should not be told to anyone, and should not be written down. When healing a client, with the participation of Spirits helpers, it is a pleasure to watch them work.

Smudging with juniper smoke is especially widespread in Southern Siberia. In Tuva juniper is an obligatory component of ritual practice. Any healing begins with the ritual of smudging - cleansing from evil. In general, any place where there may be evil forces is necessarily smudged. This is especially characteristic of funeral and memorial rites.

Everything around us is energy. It envelops the objects around us, gives them power or takes it away. For thousands of years people have been creating egregors of totem animals. This is also energy, which has the characteristics of different animals, birds, insects.

It is typical for a shaman to work in the dark, or at least with his eyes closed, in order to see clearly. For this reason, shamans usually practice at night. Some kind of shamanic clairvoyance can be performed with the eyes open, but this kind of perception usually has less depth. In the dark, unlike the light of day, the pressure on consciousness decreases, as a result of which the shaman has the opportunity to focus on aspects of unusual reality that are important for his work.

Since a shaman is an intermediary between the worlds of spirits and people, he must be appointed or chosen by the spirits themselves. In almost all peoples of the world, where shamanism has been preserved as a cultural phenomenon, shamans necessarily go through the stage of the "shamanic sickness", the result of which is the symbolic "death" of the chosen person and his "birth" already as a shaman

For understanding and further analysis it is necessary to know that paganism and shamanism are related beliefs, and more precisely, shamanism just in some places (geographically) evolved into pagan beliefs. And they are relatives in their cultural basis. And there are indeed many common features. But it should be clearly understood that paganism is a later form of understanding the world.

Any shamanic practice is a meditation. It can be static, i.e. the body is still regardless of what is going on inside the person. It can be dynamic, when there are many different movements, more often spontaneous dance, with changes in the rhythms of breathing, and also a person may well sing or hum some motifs that he or she has known for a long time or newly composed.

Probably now absolutely everyone is concerned about the question of strengthening their immunity. After all, it is on this depends on our well-being, especially given the identified viruses and new diseases. How to help yourself and your loved ones without undermining your health with a mountain of pills? Do not rush to the pharmacy for a long list of medicines.

What is energy? Who are energetic people? Simply put, energy is the desire and ability to do something. A more complete definition: energy is an information flow of harmonious existence and development. How to preserve and multiply energy? There are 12 natural laws, rules that show the sources of energy loss.

In Buryat shamanic ritual practice, the important question of life and death is closely connected with the question of the mythological function of the human soul, which is considered the guardian of the life force. Shamanic ritual actions dedicated to any event have both pragmatic and semiotic status. Significant in the ritual event is the connection of the upper, middle and lower worlds, shamans directly contacted the spirits of other worlds, or they themselves could reincarnate and find lost souls.

Shamanic journeying is a deeply rooted aspect of many indigenous cultures around the world. Its practice involves a ceremonial introduction, usually evoked by rhythmic percussion or chanting, that brings practitioners into an altered state of consciousness. Despite differences across cultures, shamanic journeying often refers to a metaphysical journey into other realms of reality (or inside oneself - introspection). However, in the modern landscape of psychology and psychotherapy, this ancient practice has found new uses - as a potential tool for psychological healing and growth.

Shamanic legends tell about the origin and history of shamanic clans, shamanic miracles, competitions, feats; about the birth of the first shamans, about receiving the shamanic gift. They allow us to identify a number of common features of the shamanic mythology of the peoples of Siberia:

More and more people are becoming interested in shamanism and even want to know how to become a shaman. Shamanism, often referred to as the oldest religion in the world, is based on spiritual discovery, powerful healing and self-realization. Shamanism can give meaning to circumstances that other religions sometimes struggle to explain away. It can heal long-standing emotional and even physical traumas. And, strange as it may sound, it can reveal the past, present, and future.

To say that the quality of life greatly depends on the atmosphere in the home is an understatement. If your surroundings are cozy and filled with positive energy, then you're lucky - you can relax and not be bothered by any difficulties in the outside world. However, when you start to feel suffocated, unable to relax, and constantly wanting to leave, it's time to cleanse the space.

Shamanism is the most rarely used term when it comes to anything to do with healing and spirituality. And yet shamanism is indigenous and ancient; it is an entire philosophy and practice. It is more than a term or pseudo-scientific phrase equated with other healing modalities, therapies or spiritual perspectives. It is a way of life, the essence of our being.

When we sleep, our soul embarks on a great journey, entering the subtle world and various planes. It can descend into the Underworld and find itself in our past, or ascend into the Upper World and be transported into the future. Dreams are the result of our soul communicating with different spirits: past, present, and future, both positive and negative.

Among the Mongols, malicious spirits (usually the souls of those who died unnaturally or sinners) are loosely differentiated in their functions and appearance, and their common "ancestral" characteristic is to bring illness to humans by inhabiting their bodies or capturing their souls.

The bonfire for the Upper World is built in the form of a 'shelter,' with a semblance of a table placed in the center where offerings for the spirits will be placed. The food is never placed on the ground. This type of bonfire is only lit during the period of open Heaven’s Gates, with its entrance facing east. Bright and gratitude rituals can be performed on such fire, and one can seek knowledge and skills from the spirits. Purification is not carried out on such a bonfire.

Why is it so important to wake up before sunrise? Because during this time, the energy of goodness and virtue descends upon the Earth. Nature is calm and peaceful. This time before sunrise is the most favorable for prayers and meditations, for working on oneself. During this time, you need to tune in to the current day, work with your thoughts, set intentions. And this mood carries you through the whole day. How you start the day is how it will go.

Each pose, each position of the hands represents a specific thought about the world. In pose and movement, we communicate with the world, with space, we master and capture it. Depending on the aerial expanse, we either embrace the air with the wings of our hands in flight, or connect with the earth on the ground. Space is infinite, and by extending our hand or leg, we give form to the space.

According to the beliefs of the Buryat shamans, the world is inhabited by a multitude of different supernatural entities. They all, in one way or another, have a direct influence on people's lives, which is why the well-being of not only an individual but also of the whole lineage often depended on proper communication with these spirits.

Although shamans often enter a trance state during their practices, not all rituals require this as a mandatory condition, and many tasks can be performed in a normal state of consciousness. In cases where altered consciousness is necessary, a shaman can use various methods, each of which can send him into an ecstatic trance. In this state, a shaman can acquire the abilities of the spirits, become clairvoyant, and embark on journeys to the spirit world. In most rituals, several techniques of entering ecstasy are combined to enhance the overall effect.

Most of the indigenous peoples of Siberia, like many other places on Earth, believe in the existence of three worlds in our Universe, positioned one on top of another. In general, the concepts of the Upper and Lower worlds are closer in spirit to the theory of parallel dimensions than to the image of worlds literally lying on top of each other like layers of a cake.

There are different types of spirits in the sky and in nature. Some of them possess great power, and shamans cannot control them, while others are relatively easy to manage. Spirits cannot be disturbed or forced to serve unless it is for the purpose of restoring balance in the world, let alone for trivial reasons.

In Siberian shamanism, the primary living beings are Tenger “Father Sky” and Gazar Ee “Mother Earth”. The peoples who worship Tenger venerate him in the form they see as the eternal, infinite blue sky. He does not take on a human form, although it’s believed that he has at least two sons. The cult of worshiping Father Sky and Mother Earth is common among all the peoples of Siberia, and is also found among many Native American tribes.

In different cultures, the definition of who can become a shaman varies. The main methods are considered to be the inheritance of the shaman profession and the summoning of spirits. But, for example, among the Altai people, one can become a shaman by one's own will, while among the Tungus people, it is based on the will of the lineage.

Spirits of various ranks were symbolized by zoomorphic and anthropomorphic images drawn on the drum, carved on its handle, or attached as pendants to the drum and the costume. Some of these images were interpreted as spirits-hosts of the corresponding cosmic zones, while others were considered spirits-helpers, who would enter their images during the ritual and help the shaman in his journey.

The outer surface of drum among the peoples of South Siberia was divided vertically into three parts, symbolizing the three spheres of the universe. The upper part depicted the sky with celestial bodies, a rainbow, clouds, and the Milky Way. On the left side, the sun, called "the mother," was placed, and on the right side, the moon, called "the father.

Have you ever had a recurring image of a specific animal in your dreams? Did it communicate something to you in a special way, perhaps talking to you or accompanying you in your dream? It could be one of your animal helpers trying to reach out to you at the direction of your spirit.

In the case that a person has lost his guardian spirit, a shaman is invited to heal him. The shaman makes a healing journey into an unusual reality, where he tries to find the lost guardian and return it to the client.

The search for one's path is what compels a person to delve into ancient sciences, to try on the costumes of different peoples of the world. The best way to begin acquainting oneself with the Spirit World is by finding a patron who will guide and protect in both worlds.

Shamanic attire with all its additions is a microcosm, a mystical that can only be understood in the context of shamanic worldview. Therefore, the process of putting it on becomes a sacred act, helping the shaman transcend the mundane space and enter the sacred realm where communication with spirits is possible

From astrology or other sources, you may know that there are five elements: fire, earth, air, water, and Spirit. All living beings and natural phenomena on Earth are combinations and interactions of these Five Elements. They influence each other and are connected by consistent relationships. All movements and changes in the Universe, manifested in events, people, and objects, are also influenced by them.

The typology of shamanism is influenced by how knowledge is transmitted and what the actions of the shaman are directed towards. Depending on the customs of shamanism, the types have slightly changed over time. The four main types are as follows:

Any form of violence (sexual, physical or emotional) can lead to the loss of a part of the soul. This can happen as a result of various circumstances, such as accidents, participation in war, terrorist acts, natural disasters, operations, drug addiction, divorce or the death of a loved one – any event that causes shock.

The preferences of spirits vary, depending on their level and nature. The lower spirits, for example, can feed on the smells of blood, suffering and sexual energy, while the higher spirits favor prayer, candle and bread.