The Bowl of Pachamama

Shamanic healing is a new concept to many Americans. For me, it's odd to go to parties and have people try to pin me down on what exactly I do. While I am pretty clear on what I do while I am in the healing room doing it, it's much harder to explain outside in the cold harsh light of ordinary reality.

So I thought I would share a healing visualization that I use. It creates a profound sense of sacred space all around us. It calls upon the elements of holy Nature to bring us balance, wholeness and peace. This is at the heart of shamanic healing: helping people find their way to a deep sense of connection to the beautiful world around us, and in doing so, to find peace.

A few words of explanation: Pachamama is a Quechua word that refers to the Great Mother, the Earth Mother. My shaman teachers from the Q'ero traditions taught me about Pachamama; she holds the world in unconditional and forever love.

Find a comfortable, safe place to do this visualization, making sure you are warm enough, and that the phone is turned off. You can make a cassette tape of the visualization, so you can listen to your own voice guiding you through it.

Finally, not everyone finds visualizations helpful. If it works for you, great. If not, let it go.

The Bowl of Pachamama

• Give this visualization a trial, as a possible sacred practice for you. It is deeply healing personally, and can also be used to create a listening presence for your loved ones. It calls in the deepest forces of nature, bringing them into the space, with a deeply powerful listening/healing.
• First, close your eyes and get comfortable. Find/imagine a beautiful open meadow: it could be at the mountains, the ocean, along a river, in the desert: someplace you know in out in the world, or in your dreams- a beautiful and special place.
• Now imagine in this space that there is an open bowl on the land, full of fresh-turned earth, maybe ten feet in diameter. You can see the fresh, rich clumps of earth, and savor the wonderful smell of healthy soil. Place yourself in this bowl, knowing that you are completely warm and comfortable, feeling the earth beneath you as it totally supports you. It is late afternoon.
• Now imagine the beautiful rain comes falling down, like a soft spring rain blessing you. Even though it is raining, you are still completely warm and comfortable.
• See the blue sky above, with fat white clouds providing the rain. Notice how the sun is now breaking through the clouds, shooting sun rays into the bowl and giving you its beautiful fire and heart warmth.
• Notice the wonderful rainbow that is created by these conditions: this rainbow bends and arches itself to land one end in your bowl. Let the beautiful colors fill you up.
• There is a soft wind blowing; it comes to your bowl and swirls around you, creating sensations on your skin.
• Off in the distance you see a dark cloud. Thunder and lightning show up in this cloud and they too bless your bowl. Remember that you are completely safe and grounded. Now notice the mountains in the distance: one of these mountains is a special guide and advisor for you. It sends a beam of love and beauty into your bowl.
• Now the late afternoon is turning towards dusk. Notice that the full moon appears out of the east and pours its healing light into your bowl. The stars are coming out, and they too shine in your bowl.
• All the elemental forces of nature are now in your bowl. They gift you with quiet, peace and love. They hold you now, and they hold you forever.
• Rest in your bowl until you are ready to come back. Thank these elemental forces of nature for their work.

Janet
Photo of Mima prairies by Dave Schiefelbein