Alternative Treatments: Shamanism

KATE O’BRIEN goes off the beaten track periodically to try alternative treatments created to reboot body and mind. So what the heck is Shamanism?

Shamanism is an ancient healing practice dating back 100,000 years that is believed to be the oldest spiritual tradition practiced by our species. The traditional shaman is regarded as a person of power, one who ?journeys? back and forth through territories of consciousness to retrieve insight into the true workings of energy. ?Today, Shamanism is an umbrella term to describe anyone who works with energy,? clarifies journalist and shaman Anna Hunt. Burnt out from her crazy London lifestyle, Hunt went to South America in search of healing. There she travelled to the darkest depths of her soul, a journey recounted in her book?The Shaman in Stilettos, published by Penguin.

As a shaman, Anna blends the ancient healing arts of Peru with cutting-edge quantum physics to enable clients to dissolve mental overload and re-discover optimal health and wellbeing. ?Shamanism offers a way of reconnecting with the natural world and our place in it, as all shamans work with the earth (herbs, plants, the energy of the earth),? she explains. ?I see myself as a bridge between ancient, tried-and- tested shamanic techniques and the modern professional who is responsibility-rich and time-poor. Clients come to me with a range of challenges, from chronic health issues and burnout to financial frustrations, and, of course, relationship/family issues, and I create a bespoke experience with the aim of enhancing health and satisfaction in every area of their life, and fostering sustained inner peace.?

CLOSE TO HOME

Martin Duffy is a transpersonal psychotherapist and shamanic teacher at the Irish Centre for Shamanic Studies in Co Meath, located at the heart of sacred Druid sites. Emphasis is firmly on connecting with your inner spiritual wisdom in indigenous Celtic fashion, shamanismireland.com.

FURTHER AFIELD

Anna Hunt runs regular retreats in London and worldwide, annahunt.

This article originally appeared in the February issue of IMAGE. The March issue is on shelves now.

LOVE this? Why not have IMAGE delivered directly to your door each month? Check out this month’s offer here.