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EATING FOR CREATIVE POWER
Through self-observation, a shaman determines how to manage what food they eat and how they eat in order to increase their energy, clarity and creative powers. Shamans notice cause and effect of what they ingest then adjust their actions to gain the most energy E—Easily-digestible foods—Eat those foods that most easily digest, assimilate and integrate. N—Necessary fuel only—Eat only what is absolutely needed to function optimally. No excess. E— Empty before bed—Go to sleep with an empty stomach so your body and soul have the opportunity to rest, heal, balance and recharge. R— Real hunger—Recognize when you feel real, intuitive need to eat. Look to nature, music or other energy replenishing sources of nourishment to fill that "empty" feeling. G Gnash—Chew everything well before letting it go inside your body. Y Yummy in your tummy—Eat only to those foods that are truly exciting to you! The shamans’ way of eating food to gain power can be applied to every life exchange. Participating in those interactions that nourish you also expands your energy E—Easily-digestible exchanges—Take in those interactions, conversations, projects that most easily digest, assimilate and integrate. N—Necessary fuel only—Take in only those interactions, conversations, projects that are absolutely needed to function optimally. No excess. Touch the world lightly. E—Empty before bed—Go to sleep with an empty mind and a peaceful heart, so your body and soul have the opportunity to rest, heal, balance and recharge. R—Real hunger—Recognize when you need an energy boost. Look to nature, music or other energy replenishing sources of nourishment to fill that "empty" feeling. G—Gnash—Contemplate everything well before letting it go inside your world. Y— Yummy to your life—Be accessible, available only to those people, places and things that are truly exciting to you! POWER We have many powers within us that we can learn to use for our own benefit and for the benefit of others. From the shamanistic point of view, all power comes from within. Power comes from authorship (authority). Shamans become the authors of the creations in their world by freeing themselves of programmed and conditioned perceptions. In moving beyond customs, manners, rules and techniques, the shaman embraces the practicality of "What works, works." The shaman has little concern for how something works, only that it produces the results one intends. Shamans are the most flexible, utilitarian and efficient authors of their world. They take the shortest, quickest route to their goals, even if the path tramples on their own concepts or beliefs. One way people can experience this power is to look for proof in their own lives. Take love, for example. One way to increase the presence and power of love in a person’s life is to decrease the presence and power of judgment. Shamans notice that their attention cannot be in both places at the same time, and, therefore choose where they want to spend their energy. To spend energy judging that they harmed someone or that another person caused them harm would be a misdirection and waste of energy for a shaman. Eagle Feather explains more about the true nature of power, "Anyone looking for power over others or control over material processes is probably going to be disappointed by the teaching, which essentially define power as the ability to free oneself from one’s own perceptions and habitual patterns. The message seems to be that once you align with the energy, you’re no longer the master. Spirit is."
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The Practical Power of Shamanism
by Sulana Stone
