Practical Shamanism

I'd like to make a case for optimism and hope about the future of humanity and the planet, even amid the loud, complicated times we're living in.  I'm not attempting to erase or disregard the gulf between a needs met, balanced, and sustainable world and where we are today.  But I am heartened when I look at the speed at which certain important things are changing for the better. Take apart times c...

I'm often asked how I came to make such a career pivot.  Often due to time constraints of the conversation, I share the short version.  But here's the longer version.  I share about becoming an entrepreneur, writing my first book, and falling in love with soul retrieval work.  I hope you enjoy it! Join my mailing list to learn more and receive additional free content : https://handsoverheart.com/c...

Some of our best mindfulness teachers live mindfulness throughout their waking hours.  It gives them a massive level of mastery and much wisdom to share.  However, I found that when I studied what they offered, my head got loud about how I wasn't being mindful enough of the day.  In this podcast, I explore the possibility that you could find a level that was enough mindfulness if you have a fundam...

In this podcast I share some of the stories about women I've witnessed and supported in calling in their baby in a way that aligns for them, both on a human level as well as a soul level.  I also talk about working on the soul level with women who've chosen not to have a baby at a given moment.  Spoiler: free choice is sacred and choosing not to complete a pregnancy doesn't cause harm to the soul...

Initiation of connection is something that is both a tendency and a skill.  Sadly, people sometimes keep score of initiation directed towards them.  They make the receiving of phone calls, text messages, or invitations mean something about whether they are loved, valued, and respected.  I would offer that it's useful to recognize whether you are someone who is more likely to initiate or respond to...

I share a shamanic framework from my guides for restoring personal power and reconnecting it to your voice. We look at learned helplessness, how it forms, and why it can make the open door feel closed. From there, I walk through power retrieval to call back the parts of you that stepped aside to keep the peace, and how to end the "chakra argument" that leaks energy. I also show how to reconnect po...

Despite many traditional cultures not having the concept of past lives, modern people interested in soul healing have found this to be a potent sort of work for health and freedom.  In this podcast, I share an overview of how past lives impact us and some tips for working with them on their own. I also explore this concept in my book, "Practical Shamanism: A Guide for Walking in Both Worlds".  htt...

Let's apply traditional means- shamanism- to a modern problem- that of credit card debt!  Or to whatever kind of debt is causing you grief. If you're like me, owing money on credit cards and seeing that amount remain stubbornly present or continue to rise evokes a lot of stress, frustration, and helplessness.  Or it may be student loans or a personal loan you just can't seem to clear.  It certainl...

In this podcast I open up about a date that reminded me how much harm opinion culture can do.  In this somewhat rambling and candid podcast, I talk about race and gender issues and some upgraded ways to navigate the world if you're not called to geek out about these issues, which is totally okay. Join my mailing list to learn more and receive additional free content : https://handsoverheart.com/co...

In twenty-one years of professional practice, I've yet to work with a client who didn't have energy to recover from the past resulting from endings that failed to create a full, clean closure.  Part of this is lack of training of drawing our energy and soul parts out of a relationship, situation, or endeavor when something is complete.  But, much of it is a culture that puts way more focus on begi...

As someone who was painfully shy and socially awkward who has become a person who mostly feels ease and confidence in interacting with strangers and friends alike, I'd like to share about that journey.  I hope that if you're feeling the pain and isolation of social anxiety or shyness, that this will give you hope that this doesn't have to be something that you always endure.  I break down some of...

Often, we don't experience the deliciousness of time to just be rather than do.  For me, this was because I didn't go to stillness and release of "shoulds" until I was exhausted.  And, in the stillness, I often was overwhelmed with a lot of emotions I'd been numbing and avoiding.  It made me bounce back into the perfectionism and overachieving that were getting me external validation. Over the yea...

In this episode I eventually share my choices about the COVID vaccine, but more than that, I invite people to see if they have tension around my agreeing with their truth in the matter.  I find that that both science and intuitive information are trusted sources in taking counsel before making my life choices. I recorded this on the same day as I experience a lot of grief over a long standing, hit...

Having a good relationship with yourself is complex because of the depth of shared experience.  The fewer conflicting needs and less complexity in a relationship, the easier it is for an average emotionally intelligent person to be successful with another person, given a similar baseline level of harmony.  I feel like certain words like "self-esteem" and "gratitude" can mislead us to an oversimpli...

The majority of people I work with are deeply moved by the desire of "may we all be well" with "we" being inclusive of humans, animals, and the planet.  How do we balance our empathy and desire for social and environmental change plus care for the vulnerable with being effectively engaged in our own lives?  All too often we leak emotional energy and suffer over the suffering of others in a way tha...

Ideally, you'll find a way to feel like you can have critical needs met in other areas, while actively and dynamically engaging with the things that your soul thinks makes incarnating worth it. If you're creating tension by going without enough of certain things, like safety or connection, soul purpose expression can become a tug-a-war with other parts of yourself. I want to support you in a both/...

For much of my life I had such a longing for a single teacher, mentor, belief system or facilitator that, if followed religiously, would lead to freedom from the confusion and pain that I was experiencing.  In the end, I found that I am complex and dynamic enough that I needed to draw from many sources for wisdom.  I got a lot out of talk therapy, but it doesn't address past life influences or my...

Get some tips to enhance your self-efficacy.  In other words, finding a graceful way to get yourself to do the things you're committed to without undue struggle.  If you are committed to doing something and find you're not taking action, it's valuable to ask what's in the way.  Sometimes we are too tired to take on a new endeavor.  Other times our instincts object to change.  And often a given pat...

When working to upgrade your life experience, one of the great introspective questions to ask is about where you tolerance for discomfort is too high and where it could be higher.  If your tolerance is high, you'll endure something that ideally would be actionable for change.  If your tolerance is low, you'll be apt to avoid important and necessary things.  Understanding this about yourself can he...

Making thoughtful moves in your life that support the long-term outcomes you desire is an important skill.  Our culture has a lot of narratives about dramatic change from hitting bottom.  But there's a more elegant approach of moving your life onto an upward spiral. Join my mailing list to learn more and receive additional free content : https://handsoverheart.com/contact-me/mailing-list/ Want to...

In this podcast I explore some of what neuroscience tells us about how the brain works in regards to objectifying other people in harmful ways.  If you aspire to cultivate self-kindness as well as sweep out harmful thoughts of racism, homophobia, sexism, etc. from your mind, this may offer some useful wisdom.  There are many reasons that calming the instincts is the most profound enlightened self-...

Some musings while hanging with grief…. Join my mailing list to learn more and receive additional free content : https://handsoverheart.com/contact-me/mailing-list/ Want to support my work and be supported by my team of guides?  Check out my Patreon offer: https://www.patreon.com/practicalshamanism Check out my online academy at https://academy.handsoverheart.com/   Sound editing by Kevin Young. ...

As we navigate life, we are constantly balancing choices of what to do with time, money, and energy to provide the best overall life experience.  We may long for things that aren't very attainable, often due to money constraints but sometimes due to time or energy limits.  This podcast provides a simple way to shift energy around these longings for things we can't have or feel it would cost too mu...

It's powerful to define what the minimum is for enough in any area.  What do you need to have enough money, enough health, to be a good enough parent, to be socially skilled enough?  What would it mean if you were slim enough or liked enough or had done enough for the day?  No matter how much we achieve, the instincts don't ever switch into telling us we now have enough money, safety, or status. ...

As a practitioner for whom the healing work I do is also my livelihood, people's relationship to money is something that comes up when they choose whether to work with me.  In this somewhat rambling podcast, I give an overview of 20 years of balancing my desire to be of service with my need to be able to pay my own bills.  I share some of the places where a longing for something I felt I couldn't...