Welcome to the first installment of the Skeptics guide to alternative healing in Indy. The so named skeptic would be me! Personally I have always hovered on the line between conformity and the unexplained always maintaining a distant, albeit passionate curiousness, when it comes to alternative healing. But it has become clearer that what the west coast is known for has begun to emerge more mainstream in Indy. So it is time to embrace my skepticism and venture into the unknown quantum non-physical matter reality and just see what happens. No person to strange no method too unnerving to try once, right?
So begins my journey to explore all that the alternative world has to offer but I remain committed to my skeptic nature as it has served me well. There are those out there who are out to make a buck just as those out there who possess gifts and talents that provide hope and healing to those in need. My first step into this world begins with Shelia. I have always been drawn to Shamanism and have even read a book or two about contemporary shamans in the US. Long gone is the image conjured of a barefooted bead wearing large ear hole native man wielding sticks and fire with background drums. Today it is about exploration of another realm. I found Shanti Journeys online through a Google search and found Shelia to be close and affordable. A quick email led to an appointment at her Broadripple location. Not sure of what I was expecting but keeping the preconceived ideas to a minimum, I rang the bell to find a slight; glasses framed face, evoking a sense of honest kindness. She led me to a room where we talked shortly about the expectations of the session. To me it feels more honest to reveal very little and see if what comes up connects with anything personal. In other words I don’t give too much information that can be used to fill the crystal ball. Again I have always been curious at my connection to birds as I see an inordinate number of them in my life. I have had one or two unexplained sightings of rare birds, behaviors and combinations to make me stop and wonder “Huh, what’s that supposed to mean?”. So I did mention my curiosity about that. She led me to another room and began to give me an idea of how she works and what to expect during the reading. She explained that she has always been able to see what she calls spirit guides and has grown to being able to talk with others guides to gain information.
Shelia is very soft-spoken which lends to her aura of gentleness so I felt totally comfortable and ready for what the other side wanted to tell me. I tried to not entertain the pessimistic thoughts of non-belief but rather made a commitment to suspend disbelief and go with it. In other words I was making a promise to be polite and no matter how farfetched anything seemed at the time, not giggle or behave rudely; be respectful. She described several guides and any messages that they expressed through her. At one point she described seeing a Centaur and mentioned that this appearance may have more to do with how other see me. Now to be honest I have spent most of my life as a horse person and instructor but did not tell her this. So this did strike a bit of a chord with me. She also went on to describe the scene of a past life and an old lover who came forward. I let out a giggle when she mentioned he was very good looking and a bit of a hippie. Ok so that is entirely possible seeing as I am/was a tree hugger! She also mentioned seeing a falcon beside one of the guides and that they remind me to look up. I thought that was pretty cool though maybe not the dramatic explanation I was looking for. All in all, I thought the session was very laid back and somewhat revealing to me. She also had someone in the room transcribe the session which she sent to me a few days later.
After the guides stopped coming forward she thanked all of them and came back to reality. She went on to explain that not all guides have something to say and not all make appearances. They reveal only what you need to hear at that moment. After I left there were so many things rolling in my head as I tried to recall every detail and process the experience. In hind sight, this was not as much a true soul retrieval more indicative of a Shamanistic experience but rather a gentle introduction into a world have not done more than dipped my toe in.
She provided a written transcript of the session a few days later by email which I found to be more meaningful than while I was there. Her comments were very thoughtful and relevant. I loved that she told me not to be creeped out by the hippie lover hovering around, according to Shelia he is more of an affirmation that there are those from our past lives that watch over us especially those that truly loved us. Awwww….. But what struck me most was again the message about the birds. She said that Birds symbolize freedom, not only on this earthly plane, but all planes of existence. Birds of prey symbolize this freedom and power. We spread our wings and fly to greater heights. Birds also have a larger view of this world. She said that if you look at your life “from above” perhaps you will gain greater perspective. We could all use a little bit of that perspective in our lives! Until the next encounter, keep your mind wide open and the possibilities will be endless!!!
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