Shamanism

Maia in front of Mt. Veronica, Chinchero, Peru.

I am a student of the Q’ero Shamans. Having met with them in the Sacred Valley of Peru, I find that their perception of reality sings well along with my own. They see the world as being made of energy. They see manifestations as personal responsibilities and they have a beautiful sense of gratitude and appreciation for all of creation.

Their sense of worldly order and of joy, is something I bring into all that I do.

Shamanism is the most ancient of human belief systems. It brings within its practices tools for personal healing and transformation, and for the healing and transformation of the planet.

It is not a religion, for you are to look within for guidance, and you are to connect with the physical and the ethereal world around you. Your council is with you. Your council is also with the mountains and the oceans.

The Shamanism way teaches us to see all things as interconnected, making it an inclusive belief system, not an exclusive one. It holds no judgment against others, but honors each person’s journey.

Shamanism teaches us to look beyond illusions and facades, to look into the heart and soul of another. It reminds us to see the world as alive and wondrous, to know gratitude and acceptance.

When we find something inherently true, it brings us peace, sustenance, and strength. To be taught ways to see life from the eyes of the present, and not with the eyes of the past is most empowering. To trust all that we know, even when we don’t know how we know it; to see the goodness in ourselves and in others, and to accept our humanness… it may well be what life is all about.

I believe that, as old as the Q'ero's understandings are, their time has come.

Maia is a Mesa Carrier and student with the Q'ero shamans of Peru. She offers:

The aim of the program is to help us grow in mindfulness:

• To achieve a deeper understanding of our connection to everything around us.
• To become a more loving and accepting participant in our own lives.
• To know, on a deeper level, our integral part in the unfoldment of our lives.

This one-year program is based on the teachings and cosmology of the Q’ero Shamans of Peru. It includes initiation rites in the lineage of these medicine people and the creation of a “Mesa” (medicine body). We meet for four full weekends (with the option of a shorter Meetup in between classes).

For information on scheduled events, please contact Maia.

To the shaman the cup is always full. According to Shamanic beliefs everything has a spirit, and all spirits are of equal value. A cup is not half full, nor is it half empty... it is always full. Half of the cup contains the spirit of the water, and the other half, the spirit of the air. There is reverence and appreciation for all of life's expression.

This is what some students have to say about the program:

Maia's apprenticeship is a wonderful program and perfect introduction to the work of a shaman. The class really brings you back to nature and the worlds around you. There are moments of pure magic that can not be expressed in words.

It was a truly amazing, powerful, transforming, unique, magical, unexpected, life changing experience. What a gift.

– Sarah

I took Maia’s Apprenticeship program and it has been a life changing event for me. Even though I felt I didn't have enough background in this type of work, Maia made it all very accessible. It becomes a way of life, a whole new way of looking at things and experiencing nature. I am most grateful for my cohort of colleagues, “paqos”, with whom we develop a deep spiritual connection.

– Debra