Release the Body, Raise the Spirit
T
he shamanic burial of the physical body in order to commune with and raise the spirit is an age old tradition, practised in many diverse cultures for healing, insight or vision quest, renewal, as a rite of passage or to generate insight into death. The ceremony can be practised above or below ground and causes no physical discomfort. It is a night spent in darkness, in stillness and in communion with the earth.
The notion can be formidable but all who have spent a ceremonial night in the earth attest to the profound and often joyous experience. Shamanic burial is a gently challenging experience, seen as an essential component on the path to freedom and an expression of willingness to surrender to the earth. Beyond the challenge is the preparedness for receiving messages from the earth. In the earth there is poetry, beauty: all the wisdom of our earth mother. Only we can choose when to take the opportunity to quiet ourselves and make preparations to commune in the most intimate way with nature and her untold grace.
Through the burial we have an opportunity to experience a profound reconnection with mother earth, to allow her to cradle us in her arms and to give us deep healing, to show our reverence for her and our gratitude for all that she gives.
Ego plays brilliantly on our fundamental fear of losing control and of the unknown. It is to reduce the effect of the ego on our lives that many undertake to release the body for a short while from its habitual patterns and its familiar way of being. The vision quest, the retreat, withdrawal from the world-elements of all these and more are present in the release of the body in order to raise the spirit. The message of the earth is simple. To receive the message we have to overcome our fundamental desire to be in apparent control of our lives and enter the unknown. The earth, in the role of mother, does not reject this offering.
The Earth's Healing Energy
On the physical level, the earth’s healing energies have long been recognised and availed by ancient cultures. Certain cultures have maintained to this day the ancient practices of their ancestors, attesting to the efficacy and power of the practice. The beautiful woodland in which the work takes place has been ceremonially prepared and is used only as sacred space.
Careful preparations are made, both physical and spiritual. These make ready the being to receive the appropriate experience. The preparation develops intent and participants may focus on matters that are appropriate to their own circumstances be they physical or in the realm of spirit and energy.
At one point during the night, at the sound of a bell, the coldness fell away and I was left in a cocoon. It was hard to say what exactly I was feeling throughout the night as much of it was ineffable, but so much came up and so much fell away. The earth took it. I felt that.
Understanding and experiencing stillness is central to finding deep peace in ourselves. Finding stillness amid the unknown and maintaining it in equanimity is a tool which if carried in our ordinary lives will transform every situation that we might ordinarily find disturbing, upsetting or unbalancing. Participants will learn relaxation & breathing techniques which in themselves can be transformatory. Time will be spent learning the elements of making sacred space and engaging in offering. We will learn the meaning of the Toltec "nierika" what this implies and how it finds its place on the path to freedom and in our ordinary life. The work is gentle, nurturing and relevant to our time.
Previous participants or those with previous experience of shamanic burial may take the opportunity to undertake the work either as part of a group or by themselves, with appropriate guidance in relation to preparatory work and focus for specific issues. Such work can usually be undertaken over the course of two days and those in need of private or urgent work are invited to telephone directly to discuss their needs.
Ram Chatlani has undertaken shamanic burials with groups and with individuals in the mountains of Mexico and in the UK in all seasons. He learnt the Toltec method of burial during extensive training in Mexico and has diversified his experience through his own private study of diverse cultural methods.
When's the next Release the Body, Raise the Spirit workshop?
To be confirmed – please contact us for more information
For bookings and pricing information please go to Workshop Dates & Bookings
For more workshops and information about Toltec Shamanism and Taoism please go to Workshop Dates & Bookings.
