What is Shamanism? Many people hear the word or read it while about there studies but it has been one of those subjects that have never really been discussed in great detail. Although there are certainly reasons why that may be. Shamanism is an ancient practice and spiritual journey, it is believed to be one of the oldest paths to this day. No shamanism is not a religion or even necessarily a tradition, however it is one could say a journey of spirituality, enlightenment, wisdom, and nature.

While I have personally read many books and articles on the subject, I find it difficult to process. The thing about shamanism is that, like I said before is that it is a spiritual journey. Which in my belief means that being a shaman is not necessarily about which path or tradition you follow, what religion you identify with, or even what culture you belong to. Shamans exist in almost every single culture and belief system. Shamans like most spiritual people are called to their journey. It is considered sacred and highly honorable to be called by the spirits.

Being a shaman is about connecting ourselves to the universe, the cosmos, and nature. It is about being aware of our surroundings but not just the surroundings of the physical world but also being aware of our surroundings in the spirit world. As a shaman we learn that everything in creation is connected. From mountains and rivers, lakes and trees, from ourselves to elk, and fish and bird; and even things such as our homes, and the things we use every day.

One of the many things I have learned while on my path and my journey is that "now" in our time; we have allowed ourselves to be pulled away from nature and from the spirits. We are constantly over looking that there is more to life than our everyday lives. We have let things such as jobs, shopping, mundane tasks take away parts of life that go by every day unseen or forgotten. How often do you go outside for a walk and while on your way stop to take in that smell of fresh air; or stop to admire a beautiful garden. Of course many of you will say sure I did that yesterday. But the truth is that many people don't; why, because they are in such a hurry to get back to watch there favorite tv show or to hang out with their friends or to get back to the computer to check their latest tweets and Facebook pages. I sometimes let myself get caught away by such things, however fortunately with help from my guides, the spirits, and my beliefs I have been able to recognize that life is much more beautiful and is about so much more than we tend to let ourselves see.

Shamanism from a historical perspective has it roots worldwide, while technically the word shaman come from the Turkic word saman, which has several translations. Shamanism, today has become a growing popularity especially with new age beliefs, as well as old world practices. To accurately describe the beliefs and practices of shamanism one would have to be specific to the path of the shaman; meaning that one would have to ask a shaman from his or her specific tribe, belief system, or culture. There is no doctrine or set guidelines or beliefs that make shamanism, and in my opinion it is more about communing with nature and the spirits in whichever way one would see fit. Today there are many people that discuss shamanism and divide shamanism into many different branches. Some people believe that much of the growing popularity in shamanism is neo-shamanism, and while that may be true to an extent. One should consider that spiritual beliefs and practices should never be confined to the age of such beliefs and practices, because neither of which makes such beliefs or practices any less significant, true, or spiritual.