82 /In the Shadow of the Shaman

months. Somehow, I no longer fit in my body. Indeed, I had found

myself walking down the hall one day as though I were in at least two
parts, probably more. The experience was so strong that I knew some
rebalancing was needed immediately. The demands of a new baby
had left me without the time and energy to accomplish this alone. I
sought the help of a woman whose work and energy I knew and
trusted completely.
She worked on my physical body first, carefully adjusting the
tensions and unknotting the muscles. When she had finished, she
guided me meditatively into the healing void. After floating In that
darkness for a time, I was asked to experience myself from within that
realm of consciousness. I immediately saw a silhouette of myself. It
was a dark form on a dark background. I could make out no details,
but I knew it was my own shape, my own shadow.
Holding her hands on the soles of my feet, she began chanting
soft vowel sounds. Though each one sent an energy current up my
spine in my physical body, my shadow image remained unchanged.
She reached the sound of om and chanted it several times, each one
with greater intensity.
Suddenly, my image created many outlines, silhouetted shapes­
all of me-all in the bright colors of the spectrum. Like neon colors on
a black background, they flashed and reflected my shape. As she
chanted the final om, all of the colored outlines slammed into the
dark shadowy shape that was me.