An experiential guide to the shamanic spiritual practices of the Himalayas shared by a 27th-generation Nepalese shaman

• Presents step-by-step, illustrated instructions for authentic Himalayan shamanic practices, including physical and spiritual healing, shamanic journeys, and ceremonies

• Includes exercises to meet the ancestors in your shamanic lineage, techniques to use your voice as a shamanic tool, and practices for negotiating the spirit world safely

• Details shamanic chants and rituals, how to create an altar, and the sacred objects of the shaman, along with exercises and techniques for using them properly

There are few areas of our world where shamanic traditions have been preserved in their original context and form. Nepal is one of these rare and special places. In the shadow of the Himalayas Nepalese shamans, known as dhamis or jhankris, are still consulted for healing and divination, as well as for providing comfort and maintaining harmony. Following the devastating earthquake in Nepal in 2015, shamanic teacher Evelyn Rysdyk and 27th-generation dhami Bhola Nath Banstola decided it was time to safeguard Nepalese shamanic knowledge for future generations by recording the practices in a book.

With this comprehensive, experiential guide to the ancient spiritual traditions of Nepal, Rysdyk and Banstola present step-by-step instructions for authentic Himalayan shamanic practices, including techniques for physical and spiritual healing, shamanic journeys, and advanced ceremonies, such as the Kalchakra Katne, a shamanic ritual for removing toxic energies from an individual. They include exercises to help you meet the ancestors in your shamanic lineage, techniques to use your voice as a shamanic tool, and practices for negotiating the spirit world safely. They detail shamanic chants and rituals, how to create an altar, and how to use the sacred objects of the dhami/jhankri, including the mala, the magic mirror, the drum, and the Khurpa, the shaman’s magic dagger. Rysdyk and Banstola also examine the importance of Nepalese cosmology in shamanic ritual and spiritual deities such as Hanuman, Garuda, and the Nagas.

Illustrated with photos and Rysdyk’s artwork, the book also explores the history of Nepal, its culture and myths, and the different ways Nepalese shamans serve their communities. Written specifically to share the traditional Himalayan shamanic method with the Western world, this guide not only preserves these ancient teachings but also reveals how they are still relevant in the modern world.

Evelyn C. Rysdyk is an internationally recognized shamanic healer, teacher, speaker, and author of several books, including The Norse Shaman and A Spirit Walker’s Guide to Shamanic Tools. Teaching advanced experiential shamanism through her organization, Spirit Passages, she finds creative inspiration and renewal on the coast of Maine. Bhola Nath Banstola is a 27th-generation Nepalese shaman, or jhankri. With his wife, he teaches traditional Himalayan shamanic practices in Europe and North America and leads groups on shamanic tours of Nepal. He divides his time between Italy and Nepal.

Foreword by Sandra Ingerman

Our Prefaces

INTRODUCTION
The Shamanic State of Consciousness
Journeying Basics for Beginners: The Shamanic Bridge between Worlds

PART 1
Awakening

1 Everything Has a Beginning
Journey to Meet Banjhankri and Banjhankrini

2 Shamanic Awakening Is a Continual Process
Journey to Meet a Shamanic Ancestor to Ask for Empowerment

3 Dedicating Yourself to the Spirits
Journey to Experience a Personal Dedication Ceremony

4 The Four Aspects of the Human Soul
Journey to Have a Nepalese Shamanic Experience of Your Soul

PART 2
Flowering

5 Shamanic Sacred Tools and Ritual Objects

6 The Khurpa/Phurba
Journey to Clear and Empower Your Khurpa

7 Using Your Khurpa
Khurpa Mudras

8 The Dhyangro
Journey to Clear and Empower Your Dhyangro and Gajo

9 Aina: The Shaman’s Mirror
Journey to Clear and Empower Your Aina

10 The Mala
Journey to Clear and Empower Your Mala

11 The Trishula or Trident
Journey to Clear and Empower Your Trishula

12 Consecrating Shamanic Tools and Creating the Dhami/Jhankri Altar Awakening and Consecrating Your Shamanic Altar

13 The Dhami/Jhankri’s Costume
Journey to Receive a Vision of Ceremonial Attire

14 Working within the Nepalese Cosmology
Honoring the Elementals with Drumming and Dance

15 Ritual of Spring and Renewal
Creating a Renewal Ceremony

16 Using Your Voice as a Shamanic Tool
Giving Voice to Your Shamanic Practice

PART 3
Bountiful Harvest

17 The Cosmic Plan
The Mansaune Ceremony

18 Primary Feminine Deities
Journey to Meet Aspects of the Divine Mother Durga
Journey to Meet Kali
Journey to Meet the Divine Mother as Our Earth

19 Primary Masculine Deities
Journey to Meet Gannyap
Journey to Meet Shiva
Journey to Meet Vajrakilaya

20 Hanuman the Monkey God
Journey to Meet Hanuman

21 The Nagas
Journey to Meet the Nagas
Journey to Meet Nagakanya

22 Garuda
Journey to Meet Garuda

23 Local Deities, Protectors, Ancestral Guardians
Journey to Meet the Spirit of a Local Landscape Feature
Journey to Meet Your Protective Spirits

PART 4
Healing through Our Connections to All That Is

24 The Eight Fetters

25 Healing and Empowerment through Ceremony
The Khardga Puja Ceremony

26 Other Purifying Rituals

27 The Shamanic Ransom Ritual
The Kalchakra Katne Ceremony

28 Honoring Our Relationship with the Cosmos
The Graha Sarne Ceremony

CONCLUSION
Spiritual and Emotional Unification

Acknowledgments

APPENDIX
Celebrating Durga and the Customs of Dashain

Glossary

Index

About the Authors