Josephine Heals

My Shaman, Josephine.

    My grandmother who lived to be 99 used to tell me that anger caused cancer and that grief would make your body older than your years.  She meant these things literally, that the body suffers and holds onto emotions you refuse or are unable to process and that by doing so your body becomes damaged and susceptible to disease.  Despite her sage advice I still developed some unhealthy habits.  Like any habit good or bad, it was mostly through negligence or convenience that I quit taking time to deal with my emotions.  It is true that I suffered through some traumatic experiences and that when I even considered trying to process all of it; I imagined digging myself out of an avalanche.  As a mother, and thankful beyond words to be one, I also felt that it would be selfish to take time away from my family just so I could grieve.  There are probably a multitude of rationalizations to insert here, but the reality is a habit is a habit, and I made a habit of shoving my pain down as far as it would go.  Until I couldn’t breathe.  I spent months visiting allopathic professionals for a host of ailments; pneumonia, pleurisy, bronchitis, injured and bleeding bronchia.  Each diagnosis brought more medications, but little relief.  I was on steroids and using inhalers to breathe at all. I started suffering panic attacks, waking in the middle of the night scared and unable to breathe.  In order to breathe at all while I slept, I had to sleep sitting up propped by pillows. Meanwhile, my immunity completely dissolved. As an early childhood educator, I was suffering from every sickness that came through my classroom; pink eye, strep throat, sinus colds and infections.

    Josephine offered to help me.  Josephine heals with therapeutic massage.  That however, is only one of the many paths to healing that she offers.  Josephine began my process of healing by connecting with my energy to interpret how to balance me with the support of essences; at a microbial level and at an energetic level.  She also worked to open my chakras. I have had people work on my chakras in the past, but I have never had an experience like this. Josephine used a combination of touch and vocalization. Her voice is hypnotic, like the sounds of ancient tribes wailing to your soul. As she worked, I was able to see huge, multi-faceted jewels before me. They seemed more made of light than of beryl. As Josephine worked through the chakras the jeweled lights changed colors, but remained huge and spinning before my eyes whether my eyes were opened or closed. Her vocalizations carried me through many healing spaces. I felt as if I was moving through time and space, long gone caves and hogans and huts, but I always felt safe and nurtured. When Josephine found one of the biggest pockets of stored up grief she stopped and we discussed several approaches to healing me. She gave me descriptions of how each approach might feel and how I might feel. This mass of unresolved emotions was literally crushing my lungs. I could not breathe. I chose one of the more intense paths that Josephine offered me. Rather than peeling away pieces slowly like layers of an onion, I asked if we could, metaphorically, take a railroad spike and crack it open like a coconut.

   After my first treatment with Josephine we made a plan for my continued healing. It’s been several months since that  first session. My lungs are healed and I no longer use inhalers or steroids to breathe. My body is stronger and I sleep peacefully, lying down on only one pillow. I have made some other changes in my life, my lifestyle and my health habits.  The main thing I notice is that the overwhelming sense of dread and fear that accompanied all of the health problems, is gone as well. I start my days optimistically and feel peaceful often.  I know I still have some repair work to do for this broken body and broken soul, but I have found a Shaman who is going to help me with that.

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