Why Live Shamanic Journeying Sessions?
We have always included doing live, shamanic journeys together as part of our courses. The feedback we get about the live sessions, consistently and overwhelmingly, is that people get a huge amount from them.
- People love the sense of connection and community the sessions can bring, especially as many people don’t have many (or even any) people they can discuss shamanism with in their everyday lives, and often feel isolated as a result.
- They love how discussing and sharing with their peers helps clarify the teachings and deepens their shamanic practice and experiences.
- They love how much they get from listening to other people’s shamanic journeys.
- They say the sessions greatly help with keeping engaged and motivated with the shamanic work.
12 Live Sessions
£60
Or, get a 50% discount off the Live Sessions with the Embodied Shamanism Course.
Closed
A NEW OPORTUNITY!
Previously, the live sessions were only offered as part of a course. Starting in 2025, though, we are going to offer them alongside our courses. This means that, as long as you are a student with an account with us and have completed our First-Steps course, you can sign up for the live sessions whether or not you are currently enrolled on a course. In doing this, we hope it may help people who aren’t currently on a course to stay motivated and in touch with the college and with shamanic journeying, even if they are taking a break from the courses themselves.
What the Live Sessions are, and what they aren’t!
The live sessions are not teaching sessions.
Instead, they are about doing shamanic journeys, and then sharing and discussing these with fellow students. Please be clear about this. The format usually is:
- 10 to 15 minutes in breakout rooms, usually of between 4 to 6 students, to (1) introduce yourselves, and (2) share what you want to journey on, and ask for help with anything clarification you may need.
- 5 to 10 minutes back in the main room, to ask the tutors if any additional clarification is needed, in terms of how to do a particular journey.
- A 20 minute journey, then time to write it up.
- About 45 minutes or so, back in breakout rooms, to share your journey and to listen to other people’s journeys, and then using whatever time is left to unpack the journeys and discuss further.
- About 15 to 20 minutes at the end, back in the main room, to ask questions and get further clarification around the journeys.
They are about taking part and discussing.
They are, in other words, about community, and being willing to share and discuss with your peers. If this isn’t for you, then the live sessions are not for you.
They are for practicing this approach to shamanism — Therapeutic Shamanism.
If you want to just do your own thing when journeying, or follow teachings from other approaches, then these sessions are not the place for that. It is not that we necessarily have anything against other approaches, but there are plenty of more general shamanic journeying groups around. Instead, we want to create a space where people can really focus on and explore this approach.
practical DETAILS
Entry Requirements. As a minimum, you must have completed the First-Steps course with us before you can book on these Live Sessions.
Dates and times. The next block of Live Sessions is a block of 12. They are on Saturdays, 2 pm till 4 pm UK-time. The dates are Feb 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, and March 1st and 8th. Then a seven-week break then six more on May 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th, 31st and June 7th.
Fees. The cost for booking all twelve is just £60. That is just £5 per session, making them way cheaper than most two-hour yoga classes or a two-hour session in the gym! In addition, if you sign up for them at the same time as signing up for the Embodied Shamanism course, you can get all 12 live sessions for just £30 (just £1.25 an hour!). [Please note, the sessions can only be booked as a block of 12, and cannot be booked as individual sessions. Nor can we offer discounts because someone can’t make some of the dates. Doing this would just be too complex and time-consuming to administer, so please don’t ask!]
Facilitators. The sessions will be managed by Paul, Cat, and Kaja. Two of the three of us will be at each session.
THE CURRICULUM
(MIGHT BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
Part 1: SOUL LOSS & SOUL RETRIEVAL
We’ll start with soul loss and shamanic soul retrieval. In our culture, the word “soul” is often used imprecisely, meaning different things to different people. In original animist and hunter-gatherer cultures, there were specific words to describe different aspects of the soul.
Our first task is to clarify what we mean by soul retrieval and differentiate it from other concepts like power loss, which can appear similar but have distinct causes and remedies. We’ll also examine shamanism as a parts-of-self model, recognizing that we consist of various aspects. We’ll discuss the differences between the middle world soul (small ‘s’ soul), the lower world soul (capital ‘S’ Soul), and the upper world spirit. Additionally, we’ll clarify the distinction between spirit and the aware self or witness, which are often conflated. Understanding these distinctions will help us determine when soul loss is relevant and how to address it.
We’ll explore traditional soul retrieval techniques from indigenous practices and consider complications that may arise, such as intrusions, possessions, entanglements, and ancestral or family burdens. We’ll also address modern challenges in soul retrieval, particularly when parts are resistant to returning. This issue, common in contemporary times but less so in indigenous cultures, requires insights from modern psychotherapy, specifically parts-of-self models.
Part 2: PARTS-OF-SELF MODELS
Shamanism is the original parts-of-self model in terms of recognizing there are different parts of us – our Middle-World self, Lower-World soul or Upper-World spirit, a body and so on.
There are in psychotherapy many other parts-of-self models as well that are incredibly useful. So we’ll explore some of these models, focusing particularly on Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, which is currently one of the most popular ones. While we’ll look at the IFS in a fair bit of detail, we’ll also compare and contrast it with other psychotherapeutic models. This comparative analysis will demonstrate how these models contribute to and enrich the shamanic understanding of the self.
Often, it’s not enough to perform a soul retrieval alone. If there’s a part that opposes the return of the lost soul fragment, integration becomes incredibly tricky, if not impossible. Therefore, understanding our inner system of parts is crucial for dealing with any opposing elements.
Part 3: SELF-COMPASSION PRACTICES
When performing soul retrieval, we may encounter resistance from other parts of ourselves. In psychotherapy, the idea that “there are no bad parts” is crucial—every part must be welcomed back. This requires us to practice self-compassion and loving-kindness toward all parts of ourselves.
Self-compassion often needs to be learned, especially in a culture where many people have strong inner critics. For soul retrieval to be effective and lasting, it’s not just about bringing the soul part back or integrating it through dialogue. It involves learning and practicing self-compassion. There is a wealth of knowledge on self-compassion practices from psychotherapy and meditation, and we will explore these practices from a shamanic perspective, focusing on shamanic self-compassion practices.
Part 4: EMBODIMENT PRACTICES
Finally, we will delve into embodiment and grounding practices. Being whole, having inner parts in harmony, and being properly present and embodied are interconnected. The body plays a vital role in integrating parts-of self.
The field of embodiment and shamanism is vast and fascinating. This course will serve as an introduction, with two follow-up courses planned for next year: one specifically about shamanism and the body, and another on the work of Wilhelm Reich, the founder of Body-centered Psychotherapy, and what shamanism can contribute to his understanding of the body.
SOUL LOSS & SOUL RETRIEVAL
We’ll start with soul loss and shamanic soul retrieval. In our culture, the word “soul” is often used imprecisely, meaning different things to different people. In original animist and hunter-gatherer cultures, there were specific words to describe different aspects of the soul.
Our first task is to clarify what we mean by soul retrieval and differentiate it from other concepts like power loss, which can appear similar but have distinct causes and remedies. We’ll also examine shamanism as a parts-of-self model, recognizing that we consist of various aspects. We’ll discuss the differences between the middle world soul (small ‘s’ soul), the lower world soul (capital ‘S’ Soul), and the upper world spirit. Additionally, we’ll clarify the distinction between spirit and the aware self or witness, which are often conflated. Understanding these distinctions will help us determine when soul loss is relevant and how to address it.
We’ll explore traditional soul retrieval techniques from indigenous practices and consider complications that may arise, such as intrusions, possessions, entanglements, and ancestral or family burdens. We’ll also address modern challenges in soul retrieval, particularly when parts are resistant to returning. This issue, common in contemporary times but less so in indigenous cultures, requires insights from modern psychotherapy, specifically parts-of-self models.
PARTS-OF-SELF MODELS
Shamanism is the original parts-of-self model in terms of recognizing there are different parts of us – our Middle-World self, Lower-World soul or Upper-World spirit, a body and so on.
There are in psychotherapy many other parts-of-self models as well that are incredibly useful. So we’ll explore some of these models, focusing particularly on Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, which is currently one of the most popular ones. While we’ll look at the IFS in a fair bit of detail, we’ll also compare and contrast it with other psychotherapeutic models. This comparative analysis will demonstrate how these models contribute to and enrich the shamanic understanding of the self.
Often, it’s not enough to perform a soul retrieval alone. If there’s a part that opposes the return of the lost soul fragment, integration becomes incredibly tricky, if not impossible. Therefore, understanding our inner system of parts is crucial for dealing with any opposing elements.
SELF-COMPASSION PRACTICES
When performing soul retrieval, we may encounter resistance from other parts of ourselves. In psychotherapy, the idea that “there are no bad parts” is crucial—every part must be welcomed back. This requires us to practice self-compassion and loving-kindness toward all parts of ourselves.
Self-compassion often needs to be learned, especially in a culture where many people have strong inner critics. For soul retrieval to be effective and lasting, it’s not just about bringing the soul part back or integrating it through dialogue. It involves learning and practicing self-compassion. There is a wealth of knowledge on self-compassion practices from psychotherapy and meditation, and we will explore these practices from a shamanic perspective, focusing on shamanic self-compassion practices.
EMBODIMENT PRACTICES
Finally, we will delve into embodiment and grounding practices. Being whole, having inner parts in harmony, and being properly present and embodied are interconnected. The body plays a vital role in integrating parts-of self.
The field of embodiment and shamanism is vast and fascinating. This course will serve as an introduction, with two follow-up courses planned for next year: one specifically about shamanism and the body, and another on the work of Wilhelm Reich, the founder of Body-centered Psychotherapy, and what shamanism can contribute to his understanding of the body.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
LIVE & PRE-RECORDED ONLINE TRAINING
- Zoom Online Sessions With Founder of Therapeutic Shamanism, Paul Francis.
- Live Shamanic Journeying.
- Study in the Comfort of Your Own Home.
SUPPORT BETWEEN SESSIONS
- Detailed Course Notes.
- Video Recording of Every Class.
- Submit Your Questions for the Next Session and Discuss with Peers.
- Learn at Your Own Pace.
YOUR SHAMANIC TRIBE AND COMMUNITY
- Meet Like-Minded People.
- Connect Between Sessions on Website Forum and (optional Signal group).
- Deepen the Connection in Break-Out Rooms During Live Sessions.
WHAT OUR STUDENTS SAY?
ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS
JOIN US!
To attend the ‘Live Shamanic Jourenying’ sessions, you need to have completed our First Steps course.
The closing date for enrollment is February 1st.
£60.00
Or, get a 50% discount off the Live Sessions with the Embodied Shamanism Course.