Nepal Shamanism Tour
Himalayan shamanism is as unique as each of the over 100 ethnic groups that live in Nepal. Many of the groups have their own form of shamanism, and culture surrounding spiritual healing. They all have a different process of spiritual healing along with different rituals they use to achieve a specific result or obtain guidance. Shamans are called Dhami Jhakri in Nepal. This article reviews shamanism in Nepal and how to learn from shamans on a Nepal Shamanism Tour.
The Nepal shamanism tour explores spiritualism and nature as we delve into ourselves, learning ancient rituals and preforming secret ceremonies. We visit sacred places to pay homage and strengthen our spiritual energy. We visit world heritage sites in Kathmandu and Lumbini and we receive one week of lessens from vetted shamans belonging to different tribes. We will be dhami jhakri at the end of the training. We also receive blessings from a Hindu priest in Pashupatinath temple. We stay in private accommodations.
The following information about Nepal shamanism is general and not meant to be comprehensive.
What is shamanism?
Shamanism is the connection between our inherent nature and the natural spirit of life inherent to all. Through shamanism, humans can strengthen their connection to nature and spirituality. It identifies the spirits of all plants, animals, and non-living elements such as earth, wind, fire, and water.
Rituals are preformed in shamanism that involve dancing, chanting, and wearing clothes and tools that protect the shaman from misbehaving spirits. The rituals and chants are often passed to an apprentice by an elder shaman. Chants or mantras can also be given to a shaman in a dream or while in the spirit world.
What is a shaman
A shaman is a spiritual healer. They can be male or female. They are considered priests and are often regarded as such. They enter the spirit world on a person’s behalf in order to heal the person’s spirit or perform rituals, which aid or guide spirits. In Nepal the rituals include energy healing, cutting the lines of fate, and others. They are mediators between the spirit world and the human world. On the Nepal Shamanism Tour these rituals are taught by experienced shamans.m
Nepali shamans have normal daily lives where they farm and take care of their animals. They often have families with kids that attend public schools. What makes shamans unique is their ability to connect to spirits and nature.
How old is shamanism
Scholars traced the origin of shamanism back at least 20,000 years; However, the earliest archeological record identifies the oldest burial to be more than 12,000 years old from the Czech Republic. Siberia is often credited as the heartland of shamanism.
A common misconception of shamanism is that it is a religion. It is not a religion. The shamanism tour in Nepal explores the difference between religion and spirituality while teaching rituals and visiting Buddhist and Hindu temples.
How are shamans chosen
Shamans can be chosen at a young age by their elders. The chosen kids or young adults often exhibit a connectedness or unique trait not normally found in the community. Shamans can also be chosen after having a near death experience where they make a report of the spirit world after dying. Reports of these accounts came from illnesses or poisoning, lightning strikes or natural disasters, and animal attacks.
Shamans can also be self-chosen. People having the natural or inherent connection to the spiritual world with an understanding of ecological processes may feel a calling towards shamanism. The “calling” may also be sudden and precipitous in the case of a vision or traumatic event, which throws the person into a spiritual state.
The shamans that are chosen for the Nepal shamanism tour have been screened and vetted through peer review and interviews.
Dangers of being a shaman
Most of the dangers of shamanism come from people’s misconceptions of what a shaman is and what he or she does. They are not soothsayers. They do not predict the future. They do not practice witchcraft or black magic. They cannot hurt people by casting spells on them. These misconceptions and others can lead people to attack shamans. The Salem Witch Trials are an example of what can happen as a result of others misconceptions.
Some of the misconceptions are attributed to “chicken shamans”. They are fake spiritual healers that mislead people for personal gain. These people are not connected to nature or spirituality.
There is no danger associated with being a shaman in Nepal. Nepali citizens are some of the most accepting people Ive met. On the Nepal Shamanism tour, you do not have to worry about being harassed for your beliefs. Until 20 to 30 years ago, Shamanism was used by a majority of Nepali people seeking treatment to health related issues.
How to Spot a Shaman
It is impossible to identify someone as a shaman based on the way they look. When trying to spot a shaman keep an open mind. They come from all types of backgrounds without limitation to race, gender, social class, wealth, sexual orientation and other factors. This is very evident on the shamanism tour in Nepal.
shamanism is a profession like a general practice doctor, but for spiritual conditions. Dhami jhakri will charge money for their services. Do not expect it for free. Unlike most medical doctors though they will not have and ego. Their focus is to help you develop your spiritual intuition.
Jhankri are clean and sober. Anyone who is under the influence and claiming to heal your spirit is not a true shaman.
A shaman will never cure you but guide you to your own ability to heal a spiritual bond. They are realistic about the help they provide.
Controlled Substances
Cannabis, alcohol, tobacco, opium, and hallucinogenic honey are the only controlled substances in Nepal. Please refrain from using these during your spiritual journey. These will only hinder your spiritual progress. The only place you will likely come across these is in Kathmandu.
Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu has sadhus, who routinely smoke cannabis. Outside of pashupatinath you might be approached by “street vendors” just ignore them and they will leave you alone. If you talk to them, they will not stop harassing you.
Shamanism Symbol in Nepal
Each culture has its own healing traditions. Himalayan shamans do not have a unified symbol that identifies Nepal shamanism because of the many different ethnic groups in Nepal. There are two religious items that are becoming popular symbols of shamanism. They are Shiva’s trident, and the dhyangro.
Dhyangro
The Dhyangro is essentially a Phurba with an attached drum. A Phurba is a Tibetan Bon Buddhism tool. It is a three-sided nail or knife representing “heroic power”. It is associated with the deity Vajrakila. Vajrakila is roughly translated as “the hard or mighty one.” The Dhyangro is only found in Nepal and is a symbol of Nepal shamanism. They can be found in antique stores in Kathmandu Nepal and in Pokhara Nepal. New ones and special orders are also available.
Trishula
Trishula is Shiva’s trident. It is also held by the deity Durga. The trishula is believed to be the tool Shiva used to cut off the head of his son Ganesh. The points on the trident represent the known trinities. They include creation, maintenance, and destruction; past, present, and future, body, mind, and soul…
The trident is a well-known symbol of Hinduism in Nepal. It is also becoming increasingly recognized as a symbol of Nepali shamanism. Hinduism in Nepal tends to absorb other spiritual practices such as Buddhism and present it as one.
Other symbols include Melong mirrors/ aina, japamala (beaded neckless), masks, and feathers. Melong mirrors or Aina are polished brass discs worn by shamans to reflect the spirits bad deeds.
Nepal Shamanism Tour
The shamanism tour in Nepal brings the spirituality of Tibet, Bhutan, India and Nepal into one location. True dhami jakris are invited from different ethnic groups from around Nepal to teach their process of spiritual healing in Pokhara. This tour visits monasteries, sacred caves, shrines, stupas and temples including Pashupatinath temple. The shamanism tour also visits temples in Lumbini, which is the birthplace of Buddha and the monasteries and temples dedicated to him..
This tour in Nepal provides accommodation with western style amenities. During the lessons jhankri and students will live side by side while learning. In our training room, each shaman gives a demonstration on a ritual then provides instructions on how to perform the technique while monitoring your spiritual health. Our staging locations in Kathmandu and Pokhara are at a low altitude but close to the Himalayas for amazing mountain views and short trips to spiritually dense locations. Any person with any fitness level can join this tour.
It is a misconception that to visit Nepal people need to be fit or be hikers. To visit Nepal and learn from the local shamans the only thing that you need to have is an open heart and good intentions because the shamans will do an evaluation of your intention and abilities for these teachings. They will help you to discover what you need to “fix” in your life in order to become a practitioner of Nepali shamanism. Usually after the ceremony of evaluation it follows next day a ceremony of spiritual healing and fixing what the prospect students need in order to receive the teachings
The Nepal Shamanism Tour guarantees a healthy and safe learning experience from true Nepali shamans. The classes are in Nepali and translated into English. Only a small group size can receive the training because the shaman can provide focused attention. The classes are held in a safe environment for westerners where the focus is clean healthy food, beds or accommodations.
Cost
The cost of the Shamanism tour in Nepal is $3,200 through Upper Himalayan Treks and Adventure. The cost includes everything once you arrive in Nepal. All your transportation by land and air, meals, hotels, bilingual guide, tips, training with shamans, entrance fees to monasteries, and world heritage sites, a Hindu blessing ceremony, a welcoming flower garland and a goodbye surprise gift to remember Nepal. The tour does not include extra meals, drinks, souvenirs, spiritual tools, or anything acquired while shopping. Please bring extra money for anything you want to purchase that is not included on the trip.
Shamanism Tour in Nepal Itinerary
On the first day of the shamanism tour in Nepal Upper Himalayan Treks and Adventures picks you up from the airport in Kathmandu Nepal. We take a rest day in Kathmandu and go on a walking tour of Thamel for shopping and food. Upper Himalayan Treks and Adventure treats its guests to a welcome dinner the first night. The following day we fly to Pokhara where we settle into our rooms and meet the shamans. We make introductions and start the classes. Classes continue for 6 more days. On the 9th day we fly to Lumbini where we tour sacred sites and stay in a temple for 3 nights. On the 12th day we return to Kathmandu and continue the shamanism tour in Nepal by visiting Boudhanath stupa and Pashupatinath. In Pashupatinath we receive a blessing from a Hindu priest. The shamanism tour concludes in Kathmandu on the 14th day.
The trip can be extended into a hiking tour to Poon Hill. Poon Hill is an excellent destination to reflect on the shamanism tour. It is a mountain retreat with close up views of the Annapurna mountain range.
What to bring
Here is a list of things you will need on a Nepal Shamanism Tour. You will need a current passport, a visa, which is obtained at the airport, comfortable clothes, comfortable shoes, dust/face mask, and toothbrush and paste. You do not need to bring any spiritual tools. They will be provided on loan during the training