Botanical Shamanism: Reconnecting with the Sacredness of Plants

Explore the shamanic perspective of plant medicines for the body, soul and spirit, and how you can establish heart-centered relationships with them to learn the medicine from the plants themselves. You will move deeply into the intelligence of nature, and learn how to access it through visioning, intuition, dreaming, felt sensation and breath. Various shamanic uses of plants, such as smudging, protection and power, offering, visionary, and ceremonial uses will be covered.

You will also explore the three worlds and the medicine wheel, and how plants can be better understood through their position on this cosmological map of nature. We will also study the specific plants used in North and South American shamanic cultures, including their botany, pharmacology, animal associations, habitat, geographic distribution, doctrine of signatures, medicinal uses, and shamanic/ceremonial uses. Finally, you will experience “greenbreath,” a very healing and transformative kind of focused breathing developed by Pam Montgomery, author of Plant Spirit Healing. This breathwork truly embodies the wisdom and medicine of the plant spirits.

Saturday’s workshop will focus on the shamanic context of perceiving plants – going into depth on the role of the shamanic figure, how to heal with plants, the cosmology and philosophies of nature, and exploring of North and South American plants commonly used in a shamanic ritual. Saturday will be mostly lecture and discussion to gain the theoretical framework of deepening our relationship and connectedness to the plants.

Sunday’s workshop will be a hands-on, interactive workshop which offers direct experience to further integrate the material from Saturday’s session. You will directly experience the intelligence of the plants through sensory awareness exercises, heart-centered plant meditation, toning, applying the doctrine of signatures, and “greenbreath.”

Upon completion of the seminar you will be able to:

• Describe what shamanism is and the role of the shaman within the community.
• Demonstrate effective protection work using visualization, felt sensation, and oils.
• Access the intelligence of plants through heart-centered awareness.
• Describe the different methods of entering shamanic states of consciousness.
• Demonstrate how to smudge, what its purpose is, and list which herbs are best used for this purpose.
• List the various ways a plant communicates through the doctrine of signatures.
• Describe the differences between heart-centered awareness and brain- centered awareness.
• Use plants in personal and professional life in a sacred manner.
• Explain why and how all plants are shamanic.
• Recite at least three powerful local plants that were highly revered by local natives.
• Describe the appropriate context for ceremonial use of plants.
• Experience the profound healing and transformation of focused breathing with plants.

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