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Destination Spiritual Wellness - Shamanism for Power and Healing
Shamanism has been practiced in societies and cultures all over the world in myriad forms for thousands of years. At its core, Shamanism is about seeking wisdom and knowledge, and interpreting the voices of the natural world for the benefit and general good of the community. Often it involves achieving altered states of consciousness to perceive and connect with alternate realities and to enable interaction with the energies and spirits that exist in different planes from the physical world we live our everyday lives within. Shamans typically believe that everything has a spirit or soul, perception, and intelligence; this belief is central to their practice and is the source of higher knowledge that guides their work in interpreting the signs and symbols shared with us from the heavens above and the natural world, to the dreams of our sleep.
In this edition, let us take you into the mystical world of the supernatural, the world of the shaman in Asia. An important and integral part of many cultures still today, the shamanism detailed below is alive and well and practiced in Asia. Bring an open mind and explore the world of shamanism with us...but best finish your breakfast before reading!
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LAOS
Hmong’s Txiv Neeb
Shamanism is still widely practiced in all tribes of the Hmong. Closely connected to animist beliefs, the ritual practices of the village Shaman are conducted for the purposes of healing, divination, and control over natural events. The Hmong believe in a variety of spirits (neeb) that they live alongside, with these spirits associated with the home, the village, the land, some with nature, and some with ancestors.
Shamanism for the Hmong isn’t a skill one can practice to become a shaman, or a skill to be handed down. All Hmong shamans are chosen by...[ Read More]
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JAPAN
Miko
On a visit to any of the major Shinto shrines in Japan, you will be sure to see a least one young woman wearing red hakama (long divided trousers) or a red skirt, along with a white blouse or jacket and with her hair tied back with a decorative clasp of some kind. This is ‘Miko’. The Miko, or shrine maiden, is a type of female shaman-priest, at a Japanese Shinto shrine.
If you arrive at the shrine early in the morning you may find Miko cleaning the shrine grounds. The most common place to see them is in ... [Read More] |
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NEPAL
Jhākri
The Jhākri are Nepali shaman. Found in many of Nepal’s ethnic groups and within many ethnic groups living in the regions of Sikkim and West Bengal that border Nepal, Jhākri conduct rituals at weddings and funerals to ensure spiritual help and blessings for the families concerned, and also at key points in the agricultural calendar to seek spiritual help with the crops and the harvest. Belief in the spirit world is strong in these regions and so Jhākri are both in demand and very much respected members of the communities in which... [ Read More]
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VIETNAM
Lên đồng
Shamanism was widely practiced across Vietnam, from the Delta to the mountainous north, with shamans providing spiritual security to the community through various rituals until the government attempted outlaw and stop shamanistic practices with its ‘anti-superstition’ campaigns between the 1960s to 1980s. Labeled as charlatans whose sole aim was to fleece the people of their hard-earned dollar, the government made a concerted effort to stop and discredit all forms of shamanism... [ Read More]
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INDIA
Aghori
The Aghori are a small group of ascetic Shaiva Sadhus. They are one of the oldest sects in the Hindu Culture tracing their origins back for more than 1,000 years. There are numerous theories proposed for the Aghori’s origins with the most well-known proposing that they originated from the Kāpālika tradition a now extinct school of Shaivism. Another theory is that the Aghori arose from a merging between Buddhism and Hinduism. However, it is the practices of the Aghori that excites the greatest debate and wonder.
The Aghori are known for their extraordinary practices performed in... [ Read More]
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INDONESIA
Balian
Not just for beautiful beaches and stunning scenery of iconic volcanoes and verdantly glorious rice terraces cascading down steep hillsides. Bali is also famous for its long history of traditional healing therapies, known as Bali Usada. Balinese traditional healing practices use natural herbs and spices, holistic therapies, and ancient wisdom to heal emotional, physical and spiritual illnesses. Traditional healing modalities are prominent in Balinese culture today, which include natural herbal remedies, massages, and energy work.
The Bali Usada practitioners, Bali healers, were brought to the world’s attention when... [ Read More]
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So next time your ‘computer says no’, maybe an offering to the spirit world (no, that doesn’t involve opening the drink’s cabinet…although it’s a good start) is a better course of action than offering a stream of expletives at the Silicon Gods. There’s many the time when I have wanted to ritually burn my computer... go on, try another unscheduled update Windows, I dare you!
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...to start planning your Asian journey
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©SECRET RETREATS 2021 • Unveil the essence of Asia
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