00:14
Hello everyone. Thank you for your interest to listening to our wepaws recording for this session with Emily Shickley. Before jumping into this episode, I wanted to share a disclaimer. In this episode, we are going through a shamanic journey. It's gonna include some drumming sound. So for that reason, if this is not the right experience for you, please skip this one as there's a lot of drumming sound which may feel stressful or turbulent for some of you folks. Also, you can have a place where you can lie down nearby and maybe you may enjoy having something to cover your eyes during this experience. In the beginning, Emily and I, we have some intros and then after ten or 15 minutes we jump into the experience. So I hope you enjoyed this episode. 

 01:05
This episode actually is a recording of a session that went way longer, over 50 minutes, but we only have 30 minutes of the conversation and the experience. We intentionally cut the final parts as folks shared a lot of personal experiences that we wanted to keep it confidential. I hope to see you all in one of our future episodes of the Wepaws. If you want to sign up, just go to Wepaws space signup and you. 

 01:32
Can sign up to be part of. 

 01:33
All these free sessions going forward. And one last thing. In this session, just like so many other sessions we have, Emily shares a presentation. There is a link into the show notes where you can actually click and see that presentation as well. Thanks again and hope you enjoy this recording. 

 01:57
We have a few housekeeping items. I want to start with that and then introduce our very dear friend Emily who's going to lead a session today. So welcome to our Wepaws session. I'm excited for this one because it's going to be different compared to other sessions we had. I think today is going to be awesome. But before that, again, housekeeping items. Don't worry. To invite your friends. Just send them. Send me their email and I will add them to the list. And for my persian community friends, we have a wellness challenge starting tomorrow. It's called 8910 where we are doing three things at the same time for ten days. It's eight glasses of water, putting away our phones after 09:00 p.m. At nine and also ten minute meditation per day. 

 02:55
If you're part of our persian community or want to be part of it and want to improve your Farsi, if you're not farsi speaker, just send me a message. I will send you our telegram channel. That's where you can actually join these wellness challenges we have, which is very fun to be part of. And now I would love to switch gears and introduce our great friend Emily. Some of you know Emily because I see faces on the call. Some of you know her as our former coworker at course hero. She was our lead marketing person on the team and we had great time working together. But I know Emily more, not because of the work we did together, although we did something awesome, of course, but I know her more because of her. A very interesting approach to yoga and spirituality. 

 03:43
We always talked a lot about these topics, and I had her also like joining us as in one of the D ally show episode. Definitely tune in. It's one of the favorite episodes for a lot of you folk I know. So please tune into that. So I'm not gonna go more for the introduction because she always has the best intros. Without further ado, I will pass it to Emily and I hope you enjoy this session. 

 04:09
Aw, thank you so much, Ellie. So great to be in this community. So great to see some familiar faces. 

 04:18
So excited to be here. 

 04:20
So, it's funny, when Holly was asking if I would lead a we pause. I was like, yes, and how do you feel about me? Just like saying we're going to do something completely different and not try and couch it in the normal kind of corporate speak that I do when I hold space for folks who maybe are less used to engaging with spiritual practices in this way. And I thought, you know what? All these communities ready for it, so let's do it. So I hope you enjoy today. I do have some pre frames, so if you find that you are newer to approaching spiritual practices in this way, if you don't know what shamanism is, if you don't know your higher self is, it's all good. 

 05:03
And we're going to talk a little bit about that before we actually go into the experience so that we can feel oriented, comfy, cozy, and our nervous systems are nice and regulated. So I know that this is an audio recording. Predominantly. I do have some visual slides just. 

 05:21
To show for the folks who are here live. 

 05:24
And I will do my best to communicate as much audibly as possible. But since we do have some live folks attending, I think it's nice to just show a couple of visuals. So I have here a slideshow. It's like three slides. Quick little introduction to who I am, what I do, how I'm teaching this. I have a bunch of different certifications, including as a shamanic healer in the earth based shamanic tradition, which is predominantly following an indigenous tradition, as well as celtic shamanism, which is more in line with my personal lineage. I also am a certified life coach, a yoga and meditation teacher in the hatha tradition, a Reiki master teacher. And for those of you who maybe have heard of NLP, that's neuro linguistic programming. 

 06:22
So essentially, using the unconscious mind, the language of the unconscious mind, to release beliefs that no longer serve us. Hypnosis and emotional freedom technique, also sometimes called tapping time techniques, which is a really fun and playful technique in the body of NLP, where you kind of play on your own personal timeline to release emotion and a lot more. Those are really the highlights that I wanted to share. I do have a master's from the University of Chicago, so I have that academic background as well. And then for folks who like personality quizzes, I think I've taken almost all of them. I like to share that in the Myers Briggs, I'm an iNFj. In the enneagram, I'm a nine or a peacemaker. For those of you who know about human design, this is not in the corporate space type of design. That's human based, right? 

 07:22
This is more of an astrological system. But in human design, a three five manifesting generator. And in astrology, I'm a Taurus sun, a scorpio rising, and an aquarius moon. So if you know what any of those things mean, maybe you now know everything about me, or maybe you don't. But I like to share those fun little facts. Okay, so thanks for the hearts. I appreciate it. So let's just talk a little bit about how we absorb information. So let me back up for a second. When we think about connecting with our higher self, right? So what really is our higher self? And maybe we can even have some participation here, too. And if you're listening to the recording, maybe take a moment for yourself, but just kind of think about, like, what is your higher self? What is a higher self? 

 08:17
What's a true self? What's an authentic self? What might that be? Oftentimes, it can be a little bit of a trendy term, right? Higher self. As if we're implying that our human self is somehow less than or not as all knowing. I like to think of our higher self as really that core essence within us, that core essence that is that ancient wisdom that we can access if we remember how to access it. So oftentimes, you may come across this term in a similar discussion with intuition. So I like to think of your higher self as something that's within you. It's your intuition. It's not something that's external from you. So when we think about, well, how does this actually relate to living in a modern life? Like, why should I even be listening to the rest of this half hour? Right? 

 09:24
We oftentimes are so pulled in many different directions that we are so externally focused. And so when we're in a stress response, we are externally focused because that's a survival mechanism. We are trying to focus on how to escape or how to fight or how to survive that particular situation using one of our four stress responses that we miss out on internal signals. And those internal signals are actually our inner compass that can help us direct and make decisions in our life that feel more aligned, that actually are going to be from our quote unquote higher self, right? That are actually going to be in the best service to who we really want to be in all areas of our life, how we want to show up as humans. 

 10:20
So I really like to weave in this concept of higher self with stress relief, with intuition, to really paint this larger picture of how it all folds together. And one of the ways, just one of the ways that you can connect more deeply to your higher self is through what's called a journey. So, a journey. Meditation comes from a shamanic tradition, and it's really a version of a visualization practice in the form of meditation. And I'll be playing some live music to help take you deeper. And so we'll go into that experience in a moment. But I want to come back to a little bit of the science just to orient some folks who maybe feel a little bit newer to this idea of thinking about intuition, of connecting with higher self. 

 11:10
So when you think about your body, you have five senses, and those five senses are taking in 2.3 million bits of information per second. So we're taking in 2.3 million bits of information per second, as in the sound of my voice, the quality of my breath, whether I've digested lunch, how my feet are feeling, what the temperature of the room is, what the emotions of the person who's in the next room are. And so we're unconsciously taking in all of this information. But as you probably already feel, it's impossible for our conscious mind to grasp all of that. And so we delete, distort, and generalize all of that information down based on different parameters in our unconscious mind to 126 bits per second. So we go from 2.3 million bits to 126 bits. 

 12:18
And that 126 bits is what we're consciously aware of that informs our state. So how we feel emotionally, how we navigate the stress in our lives, which informs our actions and that impacts our results, or what we actually experience on a day to day basis. So that's all to say that if we actually give ourselves permission to tune inwards, to connect with potentially a higher self, then we can open ourselves up to greater understanding, to a different way of maybe perceiving our current reality. So on a practical note, if you can tune in deep within yourself, maybe you find that the person who you were conversing with is actually coming from a different place than what your conscious mind immediately assumed, and that can then foster a deeper heart connection. 

 13:17
Or maybe you find that actually the thing that's happening in the work environment or the thing that's happening in your body actually has a different meaning than what you're used to ascribing to it. And so this is all to say that. That when we think about all the possibilities of the information that we can take in when we connect to our higher self, that helps us really find the intuition that we need to make more aligned decisions in life. So that's the invitation. It's a lot of information that I just shared with you all. Please feel free to put questions in the chat. And we're going to move into our experience. So you can stay seated. If you're already seated, you can lay down if that feels supportive and available to you. 

 14:09
If you have something that you can use to cover your eyes, that can be really nourishing because that is really regulating for the nervous system to block out light. So it's up to you and how you want to play and then we'll get started. And feel free to. Yeah, you can turn off your video if you're here live. That's all good. You can keep it on. It's up to you. Okay, awesome. So it doesn't look like we have any questions. We're going to go straight into the experience. So go ahead and close your eyes. Take a big breath into your belly, exhale out your mouth. Take another big breath into your belly, exhale out your mouth. Begin to notice your body supported by your chair or the ground. Maybe feel into what's supported and what is free floating. 

 15:41
Begin to bring your awareness down from your head space to your heart space. As you breathe, you can feel your awareness arriving at your heart. 

 15:56
Now. 

 15:59
Maybe you have a visual here could be light at the center of your heart. Notice if you can feel into or. 

 16:12
Perhaps see a set of doors in your heart space. You can imagine that these doors are going to lead the way to a beautiful, safe space. 

 16:29
In nature. 

 16:37
Imagine what texture these doors are. Maybe they have a color. 

 16:49
Or maybe. 

 16:49
You'Re just aware that they're there. Begin to deepen your breath. Set your intention to connect to this inner part of you, this inner wisdom, your higher self. And when you're ready, allow yourself to open these doors and travel down a path. You can walk down this path, or maybe you fly, maybe you run, maybe you swim. Just allow whatever comes to your mind to guide you there. Feel yourself traveling to a place that's all your own. A place that feels safe, a place in nature. It might be a place that you have visited before in this life. It might be a place that's completely made up. See if you can get curious and trust whatever comes up for you. We're going to arrive in this beautiful, safe space on the calc. Three, two, one. 

 18:59
Give yourself permission to arrive in a place that's all your own. Notice if you can pick up any smells or hear any sounds around you. Even if you can't see anything. See if you can tune into your other senses. Maybe notice the type of earth that you're standing on. Notice how being in a safe space that's all your own, makes you feel emotionally. What does that feel like? To find a safe space inside yourself, begin to explore this space. Maybe walk around, noticing the different plants around you, or structures, animals. And then look ahead in the distance. In the distance, your higher self, your ancient one, your inner wisdom, weights. They're waiting for you. Walk closer, and as you get closer, you can feel their presence. The presence of yourself and that part of you that already knows what you need to do. 

 21:41
The part of you that's more regulated, grounded, expanded, abundant, whatever it is for you. As you get within talking distance with them, go ahead and find a seat. You can imagine chairs appearing, or maybe you sit on the ground, have them sit with you. You may not be able to see their features. You may simply feel or see a silhouette. 

 22:29
And that's okay. 

 22:31
Whatever you see is perfect. Whatever you feel is perfect. And as you sit there with them, go ahead and ask them. What would you have me know? You can even say this out loud sometimes that can get a clearer response. What would you have me know? Just say, open and curious to whatever comes. You may feel a sensation in your body. You may see a picture in your mind. You may hear a voice in your head. What would you have me know? And if you receive anything, when you receive anything, go ahead and confirm it and say, I see it, or I hear it. Thank you. It might seem completely random or bizarre. It might feel so obvious. So right, see if you can get curious. I'm going to play a little trust exercise with our intuition here with your higher self. 

 24:59
So go ahead and ask your higher self, preferably out loud. Please send me a sensation in my body so I can feel it. Please send me a sensation in my body so I feel it and then stay open. You might feel tingling, a swooshing, a temperature change. If you feel any sensation on your body that wasn't there before, go ahead and say I feel it. 

 25:57
And if. 

 25:58
You didn't feel anything, repeat it. Please send me a sensation in my body so I feel it. Then take a big breath. If you feel like you haven't received anything and you're feeling blocked, you can clap or snap around your head or. 

 26:44
Just kind of shake it off. 

 26:47
Sometimes we block ourselves from receiving our intuition, which is okay. You could come back to the recording when you're ready to try again. So now take a moment and thank your higher self for meeting with you, for any wisdom or connection that you felt. We're going to journey back so we're going to journey back the same way we came. So you can walk back to the path, just noticing your safe space and knowing that you can come back here at any time, even without being on your own, and start to walk or fly or swim or run down the path and you're gonna arrive back in your body in size 4321. Keeping your eyes closed. Take a big breath. 

 28:25
Take a big breath and maybe stretch. You can gently blink your eyes open. 

 28:49
Look up at the ceiling just reorienting. 

 28:52
Into the space and looking to your left. I'm just noticing one thing around you and to your right. Maybe notice one more thing to ground you into the present and then you can come back. Thank you all for journeying with me. I hope you enjoyed this little snack. Shamanic snack we'll call it. And if you are curious about learning more, I believe that Ellie's going to share some links out later. I have a mystery school that's now open for enrollment for the third time. 

 29:44
So if you're curious about that or. 

 29:46
You have friends who might be curious about that, you can check that out and feel free to share any reflections in the chat if you want. I don't know if you normally come off mute or not, but you're welcome to share what came up for you. If you have any questions, I'm happy to hang out for a minute or two and I appreciate you. Thanks for taking a break. A pause to connect, and it's really fun to hold space for everybody. 

 30:17
Thank you so much, Emily. This was so fun to experience that with you. We normally stay longer for those who want to stay, and we stop our recordings so that folks can share and chitchat the way they want. So for those who want to stay and share reflections, I think it would be great to hear everybody's reflection if they had any. 

 30:44
Thanks again. 

 30:45
It was so great. 

 30:48
Yeah, my pleasure. Yeah. If anyone wants to share, maybe what they received, if they had any challenges, especially if you're new to this type of experience, it can be sometimes frustrating for folks to see. 

 31:02
Right. 

 31:02
We're so, we put so much emphasis on being able to see the thing, but we have four other senses that are just as powerful. So even if you didn't have, like, this dreamlike, immersive visual come to mind, that doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong. You're just using different intuitive styles. And the more that you practice and cultivate a relationship with that type of experience, then the other senses tend to open up for.