• Mood: contemplative

The Service of the Shaman

Last week I attended the class 'Healing Touch' taught by my shamanic teacher Standing Bear (Bear). While he was not wearing his shamanic hat for the class, his actions were a model of what service meant as part of the shamanic path. This was the class that I managed to miss the first day because I had suspected food poisoning and from this I ended up at the emergency room on Wednesday night. Both Bear and the class coordinator came by the emergency room after they had dinner. They both stayed with myself and wulfwalker while I was processed into the Emergency Department and began my treatment. Bear guided wulfwalker through some of the healing techniques she had learned the previous day and the methods really helped. Bear and company left our presence at about midnight and three hours later I was finally discharged.

Bear's visit with me was only a small example of the time he puts into the lives of those around him. The next day I was able to attend the class and was then able to complete the requirements of the instruction because Bear took the lunchtime hour to catch me up on the lessons. This is typical for Bear's time in a course as I've seen him spending time with students almost continuously during the class time and break times. He then goes to dinner with students or stays up and talks with those that he lodges with.

The typical daily class schedule is compounded with the fact that Bear is teaching something nearly every weekend. During the week he is doing healings or traveling from point A to point B. Why do all this? It seems to be his path of service as a medicine man, teacher and healer. Bear's example in service is a powerful tutorial of what true devotion to the shamanic path can mean.