OŚRODEK TU I TERAZ / WARSZTATY / April 2022 / 28.04.22 - 03.05.22

KNOW NATURE AND THE ELEMENTS, KNOW THYSELF, KNOW THE ENVIRONMENT - CREATE BALANCE AND HARMONY IN THE WORLD AROUND YOU!

Join us for a transformative workshop from the Nepalese tradition introducing us to Shamanic Connection with Nature, Elements and Elemental Spirits.

The basis of Nepalese Shamanism is the relationship we have with the Elements and Elemental Spirits (called Panacha Mahabhuta). The five elements are essential to all life. As it is the role of the Shaman to restore balance and harmony, we examine the condition of the Elements in the environment and within the body itself, seeking the best means to heal.

This course is designed to transmit an in-depth working knowledge of the Elements which comprise our Universe and pervade all aspects of our lives through rhythms, syllables, dance steps, prayers, creation of ritual sacred space, mapping in our own bodies and ways to keep balance.

During the workshop we will discover and explore the Elements in our environment, including those in our bodies. We will look for the best ways to shamanically heal those parts of ourselves and Nature that need healing. We now understand the Environment and Ecology as significant globally, and it is even more relevant to the Shamanic work that we understand and integrate work with the Elements into our ceremonies and our personal lives.

Bhola Banstola will introduce us to the secrets of this knowledge through shamanic rituals and ceremonies of the Elements, Shamanic Journeys to the rhythms of drums and singing of sacred songs, ritual dances, prayers, creating ritual sacred space, sacred syllables. Will teach us how to embody and map this ancient shamanic knowledge in our bodies.  It will show ways to maintain balance and harmony in the surrounding environment, Nature and in ourselves. It will help to heal what needs healing in us.

Bhola Banstola's message also includes learning the extremely powerful shamanic techniques of our Ancestors to access wisdom beyond the reach of our earthly senses. No plants or mind-altering substances are used in this tradition.

Shamanism, as humanity's oldest spiritual healing practice, helps us to heal the past, enrich the present and vision the future. Widely recognised, spiritual healing supports our emotional and mental health.

For thousands of years, Dhami-Jhankri Shamans have used their gifts and sacred tools to heal emotional trauma, relieve anxiety and depression, reduce physical pain and help communities live in safety and confidence.

Shamanism is still a living tradition of the Nepalese people today, helping us to connect with the deep sources of Power and tap into the infinite potential of the soul. It helps us face the challenges of the modern world more easily, feel more fulfilled, confident and joyful.

Workshop participants will also learn how to use proven methods to effectively receive guidance, visions, insights and healing tools to empower themselves and help others through rituals, dances, sacred chants, active travel, mantra chanting, drumming.

SHAMANISM - RELATIONSHIP WITH NATURE

Shamanism brings us back to the eternal, primal and natural. Because nowadays we have lost contact with nature, the elements and our planet - shamanism restores our respect for Mother Earth.  It restores our primary connection with the forces of Nature, with the elements: fire, water, earth, air/wind. It reminds us that it is time to return to our roots, to nature, the forest, to what civilisation and cities have cut us off from.

Shamanism, through contact with Nature, restores our deep connection with the cycles of nature, the seasons, the eternal cycles of life and death. And through this, it restores our inner balance and harmony, helps us to find our place in the Universe. It teaches us to be present, attentive to what is here and now - the breeze on our face, the rustle of raindrops, the rustle of leaves, the warmth of a fire...

In all shamanic traditions, a very important message has always been care for Nature. Both the closest one, which surrounds us, and the one understood very broadly - as taking care of our Planet, Earth, Water, Air, Animals and Plants.

According to shamans, everything that exists in nature is animate and has a soul. Minerals, plants, animals, rivers and even the whole universe has its own spirit or soul. Everything that lives is filled with energy and is connected to each other. We are connected by energy to everything around us, not only to people but also to all of nature, which forms the Circle of Life. Shamanism teaches that everything is connected by an invisible energy network, everyone influences the others, the surrounding world, other people, nature and the elements. No one is separate. We live in a network of energetic, spiritual, social, mystical connections. Our every slightest movement, every thought and decision, introduces vibrations into this network, a new vibration. The natural landscape is the animated Mother Earth and nature is sacred. Shamans are able to perceive and use the energy of stones, plants, mountains, rivers and animals in their practice. They assume the constant presence of the spiritual world in all manifestations of nature.

NEPALI-DHAMI-JHANKRI- SHAMANISM

• Introduction of what a Dhami-Jhankri-Shaman is and their role in society today. Creation of a sacred shamanic space (Thaan) and preparation of ritual offerings (Chadaunu) according to the traditional methods
• The Jhankri's spirit realm and Transmission on five gross natural elemental spirits and our relationship with them
• Transmission of forms of active shamanic trance states by rhythmic drumming and sacred chants
• Invocation of Jala Devi(the water spirit) for self-healing and healing others
• Creation of a sacred shamanic healing Mandal using flour to represent different realms. (Rekhii)
• Causes of disharmony and diseases from the traditional shamanic perspective and a group healing ritual
• Bhumi-Devi (Mother Earth) empowerment and Transmission of sacred Mantra
• Protection, individual empowerment and conclusion.

INTRODUCING NEPALI-KHASA SHAMANISM. THE ANCIENT AND PROFOUND SHAMANISM OF NEPAL HIMALAYAS

- BHOLA BANSTOLA

My name is Bhola Banstola. I am a Nepalese Jhankri shaman and I come from a shamanic family. My greatest desire is to preserve the shamanic tradition and pass it on to the next generations and people who practice shamanism. I support the traditional line of knowledge (param-para). I help poor and needy children learn by enabling them to attend school regularly. I believe shamans should always serve their community in the best way they can.

In Nepal, shamanism is based on animistic belief that honours Mother Earth, the elemental beings, and respects the Spirit that is in all living beings. This universal worldview is essential for ecological balance and for bringing peace to human relationships, building Sisterhood and Brotherhood in our communities in a visible and invisible way.

The shamanic sources of power come from honouring the Ancestors, the lineage protectors , teachers, Mother Earth, and the Spirits. At the site of the ceremony, the shaman must call the Guardian Spirits of the Earth, who become partners in the ceremony. In the rhythm, vibrations, and the cold and heat in the body, the hidden and sacred speech of the Earth and the Spirits is manifested. Understanding this message, the shaman always honors the spirits and deities of the place where the ceremony takes place and asks for their permission and blessing.

The Elements in the body and those of the land are strongly connected to each other. This connection is an integral part of the Shaman's work.

THE SHAMAN PATH - BHOLA BANSTOLA

I grew up in a shamanic family. I learned from my grandfather, father, from both human and spirit teachers, from dream instructions. I also drew from my own experience and of course from the powerful knowledge and signs of Nature.

All our group or individual ceremonies, rituals and practices are adapted to the chosen places, situations, times as well as specific materials related to a given place. It all contributes to maintaining the tradition and authenticity of the process.

According to Nepalese initiation shamanism, the call to the shamanic path (Deuta-Aunu) can be done in four ways:

The first method is the calling of blood, call the ancestors. The initiation may take place already in childhood, or the shamanic gifts may appear later in life.

The second call is through a sudden illness that can arise in childhood as well as in adulthood. The strange disease does not respond to the treatment, and sometimes the sick person experiences kind of the battleground during which he has to choose following the spiritual path or succumb to illness.

The third type of Shaman initiation, the most common, is dream visions and transmissions that lead the chosen person to seek the human teacher.

The fourth possibility is to be kidnapped by the primirdial Shaman, Banjhankri (in the mountainous regions of Nepal. Banjhankri is also called Banaskhandi or Ban-Deo - the one who inhabits the plant kingdom. From this being comes one of the most common shaman words - Jhankri.

Shamanism can be understood and viewed in many ways. When the availability of specific supplies changes, ceremonies and rituals can also be adapted, songs, chants, dances, and rhythms can change. The formation of sacred geometric diagrams, the ways in which rituals are conducted, may also vary. Our shamanic tradition is dynamic.

So healing ceremonies can be conducted in a variety of styles and forms. Important in shamanism is the evolution and development of singing based on the intimate relationship between the spirits and the Shaman. Each Shaman builds a powerful bond with his personal spirits as well as with those of the ancestral lineage.

Traditional shamans sing songs about events related to the life and migration of ancestors from one place to another place on earth. These chants always refer to such events, but the manner in which they are performed may differ.

The Nepali shamanic worldview is so complex that there are myriad descriptions of people we consider to be Shamans. For a neophyte called within a family lineage, the support of the elders and shamans from the same clan is a must. However, for all types of empowerment, it is essential to associate with a human teacher and mentor to reach a successful conclusion.

Moreover, Nepal is a small country. It is home to various ethnic groups with many traditions and cultures. Nepal is one of the richest sources of shamanism in the world. All these groups cultivate the oral tradition, passing on the knowledge of their ancestors, human teachers and spirits. Most people still visit shamans and spiritual healers before reaching the conventional medicine, because the main cause of the disease is the loss of spiritual connection and dissipation of energy. Therefore, we focus first on the spiritual aspect, and only then - if there is such a need, we engage conventional medicine. (Shamanic techniques do not replace traditional medical therapies, but can work in harmony with them).

As part of our ancestral lineage, ancestral deities are a source of protection and power for Nepali shamans of any tradition and group. Bloodline ancestors, both on the part of the father and mother, are very important. Without the blessing and help of ancestors, it would not be possible to heal as well as maintain a balance in our daily lives.

My wife Mariarosa Genitrini (Mimi) has influenced my shamanic life a lot. From the moment I have met her, we started sharing and strengthen the knowledge of Nepali shamanism. We soon expanded our mission to cover the entire European continent, North America and the entire world. We did this to create a bridge between ancient healing techniques and the modern world. We not only share the wisdom during weekend workshops, conferences, and retreats, but we also escorted and lead groups to Asia, especially Nepal and the Himalayas, so that students have the opportunity to learn directly from different teachers and sources.

As Shamanism is a process of empowerment and spreading knowledge rather than teaching, all weekend workshops, lectures, retreats, and one-on-one sessions are designed to empower the student and deepen their knowledge through travel, ceremonies, rituals, and healing processes.

Our ancestors have left behind deep-grounded and authentic practices in the form of stories, sacred songs, chants, mantras, rhythms, dances, rituals, ceremonies, plant and mineral medicine, sacred geometry and geomancy that honour Nature and her rhythms and changes. We wish to preserve this living tradition for future generations.

May you all be benefitted from this Path of a Jhankri lineage Nepal Himalayas!

Sarva Mangala Shuvam

(my all be auspicious)!

Bhola Banstola

The Nepalese Shamanic Path BOOK by Bhola Banstola

Following the devastating earthquake in 2015, Rysdyk and 27th-generation Nepalese shaman Banstola decided to safeguard the ancient spiritual traditions of Nepal with this guide. They include authentic Himalayan techniques for physical and spiritual healing, shamanic journeys, advanced ceremonies, exercises to meet your ancestors, and practices for negotiating the spirit world safely.

WHAT DO PARTICIPANTS HAVE TO BRING?

The participants have to bring their ritual objects including their personal sacred objects, drums, rice grains, some small coins, colour pen or pencils (yellow, red, blue, green, black), six coloured cotton threads for sewing (yellow, blue, red, green, white and black- each thread about 5 meters long), water glasses, sacred plant boughs from their locality, a stone, some soil, water from the nearest river, a feather or feathers of any birds, candles, note writing materials, comfortable dresses, etc.

WORKSHOP HELD IN ENGLISH & TRANSLATED INTO POLISH

Details of the workshop