{"id":4315,"date":"2019-10-10T07:10:10","date_gmt":"2019-10-10T13:10:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/manyvoices.soundstrue.com\/?p=4315"},"modified":"2020-03-30T20:45:55","modified_gmt":"2020-03-30T20:45:55","slug":"5-types-of-imbalance-a-guide-to-illness-from-a-shamanic-perspective","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/resources2.soundstrue.com\/blog\/5-types-of-imbalance-a-guide-to-illness-from-a-shamanic-perspective\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Types of Imbalance: A Guide to Illness from a Shamanic Perspective"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n
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Being human means we suffer (yes, I took that little gem from the Buddhists). Our bodies are susceptible to injury and illness, and our minds struggle with emotional difficulties, addiction, and more.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

You probably have a pretty good idea of what\u2019s behind your challenges\u2014from viruses and bacteria, to brain chemistry and the microbiome, to emotional trauma and straight up injury.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

While these factors are important to understand and work with, from a shamanic perspective they paint an incomplete picture.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Shamanism holds that everything originates in the unseen world before it manifests physically\u2014and that includes illness and disease. By tending to the spiritual and energetic roots of illness in addition to whatever physical, mental, and emotional support is needed, we can heal more fully.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Causes of Illness from a Shamanic Perspective<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

On a basic level, shamanism views illness as an energetic imbalance of some sort\u2014either something is there that shouldn\u2019t be, or something should be there that isn\u2019t.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

That said, there are a few areas of imbalance that are helpful to understand:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Power Loss<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

In shamanic terminology, the idea of \u201cpower\u201d could be likened to life force, vitality, or chi. The late shamanic teacher and physicist Claude Poncelet also defined it as \u201cthe ability to transform energy,\u201d which makes sense\u2014when you are fully empowered, you are more capable of creating the changes you want to see.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

There are many reasons we lose our power\u2014it seems to be part of the human condition. A few things that appear to be connected to power loss are: having our boundaries violated, sacrificing our own integrity to get certain needs met, internalizing limiting beliefs about ourselves, and anything that disconnects us from our true divine nature. In some traditions, there\u2019s even the act of stealing power.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

How do you know if you have power loss? This often shows up as a lack of vitality or zest for life. If you seem unable to make positive changes or take action on your dreams, power loss could be at play. Other common symptoms of power loss include chronic illness, depression, fatigue, low self-esteem, poor boundaries, suicidal feelings, or ongoing misfortunes.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Soul Loss<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

This might sound scary, but it\u2019s actually very common from a shamanic perspective. Soul loss is when a part of your soul\u2019s essence leaves, usually due to some sort of emotional or physical trauma. This can be from a sudden shock, such as a car accident, or an ongoing difficulty, such as an unhealthy relationship.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

When part of your soul essence leaves, it does so to protect itself\u2014soul loss is a survival mechanism. And not to worry, your soul essence is never fully gone and is usually comfortably waiting in the unseen world for an opportunity to return.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

How do you know if you have soul loss? If you\u2019ve ever experienced an injury or trauma and never quite felt the same again\u2014even after your physical symptoms healed\u2014there could be soul loss. Other symptoms include addiction, PTSD, depression, a weakened immune system, dissociation, grief, or, in extreme cases, coma.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Entanglement<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Entanglement is often the result of power or soul loss. It occurs when we take on energy that isn’t our own\u2014this may come in the form of intrusions, attachments, cords, or even possessions. I\u2019ll go into more detail about what all these terms mean in future posts. For now, just know that this is all totally natural, even common, and very fixable with shamanic healing.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Symptoms of entanglement vary widely. You might have localized pain with an intrusion or enmeshed relationships that are sustained with energetic cords between you and another person.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Now, I know \u201cpossession\u201d sounds intimidating, and it kind of is. Yet, in my own healing journey, working with possessions has been one of the most powerful practices I\u2019ve experienced. Basically, some sort of spirit becomes enmeshed in your field with varying degrees of influence on your personality and life. It is an amazingly healing process to decouple from this outside influence and reclaim your sovereignty through shamanic healing.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Lineage Patterns<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Much of what we experience has actually been passed down through our lineages. This is a complicated subject, but in short, I work with three main types of lineage healing:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n