Native American Spirituality

[Spirit Dancer]

Time for Wellness
A Self-Healing Day

A beautiful gift to yourself is a day of healing and nourishing just for you.


Human beings carry within themselves the seed of healing. Our choices affect us more than we realize, and it is because of this that we tend to place responsibility for our wellness in the hands of others. As beneficial as regular visits to a healer can be, we have the power to heal ourselves at will. When we dedicate a day to the pursuit of wellness, we can relax and renew ourselves in a nourishing and comfortable environment. A sincere desire to open ourselves to the highest realities of our physical and spiritual selves is the key to self-healing so that healing energy can flow into us unimpeded.

A self-healing day should address the vital needs of the self as a whole while directing healing energy where it is needed most. Solitude is an important part of the process as is the ability to take refuge in a space that is both beautiful and peaceful. Start your healing day by setting the intention that you are dedicating this time to healing yourself. Flowers, candlelight, incense, and music can guide our focus toward a more tranquil state. For a more intense session, try listening to music through headphones since tuning out can help you tune in. It is up to us to decide what we need to do to cultivate wellness in our lives. For some, it may be time spent in reflection. Others will turn to calming activities that help them remember their purpose, such as journal writing, being in nature, or studying. Our healing may even take a more direct form as we use color, sound, or crystals to balance and ground ourselves.

Ultimately, your wholesome intentions transform what might otherwise be a simple day of rest into a day of healing. Grant yourself permission to relax and savor the stillness. If you attune yourself to the calm around you, worldly distractions will be minimized and the unadulterated flow of your consciousness will reestablish itself in the forefront of your mind. The needs of the body, the heart, and the soul will then be revealed to you, empowering you to tap into the essential healing energy of the universe. The mechanism you use to channel this energy will be dependent on your shifting requirements, so each day of healing you enjoy will be unique. All will replenish you, however, allowing you to recreate yourself in a perfect image of health.

[Spirit Dancer]

"But each of us must find out for himself or herself what their gift is, so that they can use it in their life."
--Jimmy Jackson, OJIBWAY

Great Spirit
Allow us each to discover our inner gift.

[StrongButch]

It doesnt interest me what you do for a living?I want to know what you ache for,and if you dare dream of meeting in your hearts longing It doesnt interest me how old you are I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love,for your dreams,for the adventure of being alive It doesnt interest me what planets are squaring your moon I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow,if you have been opened by lifes betrayals or have become shriviled and closed from the fear of future pain I want to know can you sit in pain,mine or your own,without moving to hide it or fade it to fix it I want to know can you be with joy,mine or your own,if you can dance in the wilderness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tip of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful,be realistic,or to remember the limitations of being human It doesnt interest me if the story your telling me is true I want to know can you disappoint another to be true to yourself,if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul I want to know can you be faithful and therefor trustworthy I want to know can you see the beauty even when its not pretty everyday and if you can source your life from the Creators presence I want to know can you live with failure,yours or mine,and still stand at the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon Yes It doesnt interest me to know where you live or how much money you have I want to know can you get up after a night of grief and despair,weary and bruised to the bone,and do what needs to be done It doesnt interest me who you are,or how you came to be here I want to know will you stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back It doesnt interest me where or what or with whom you have studied I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away I want to know can you be alone with yourself,and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments "This was written by a native elder and is very heavy reading but beautiful"

[StrongButch]

The native prefers the soft sound of the wind darting over the face of the pond,the smell of the wind itself cleansed by a midday rain,or scented with pinion pine The air is precious to the red woman for all things are the same breath-the animals,the trees,the woman Chief Seattle

[StrongButch]

You walk in beauty Mother,Allowing all to see The glory of the Great Mystery That sets your spirit free Guided by the bliss inside of you,Walking it through your deeds,Never needing anothers approval,Your hearts truth takes the lead With focus and directness,You teach me how to walk,Balancing thought and action,Instead of misusing talk I stand straight in your presence,I hold my head high,With my feet rooted in Mother Earth,My arms embracing Father Sky-Jamie Sams

[clay]

I LOVE Oriah Mountain Dreamer...ty for posting!!!

Originally Posted by StrongButch

It doesnt interest me what you do for a living?I want to know what you ache for,and if you dare dream of meeting in your hearts longing It doesnt interest me how old you are I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love,for your dreams,for the adventure of being alive It doesnt interest me what planets are squaring your moon I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow,if you have been opened by lifes betrayals or have become shriviled and closed from the fear of future pain I want to know can you sit in pain,mine or your own,without moving to hide it or fade it to fix it I want to know can you be with joy,mine or your own,if you can dance in the wilderness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tip of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful,be realistic,or to remember the limitations of being human It doesnt interest me if the story your telling me is true I want to know can you disappoint another to be true to yourself,if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul I want to know can you be faithful and therefor trustworthy I want to know can you see the beauty even when its not pretty everyday and if you can source your life from the Creators presence I want to know can you live with failure,yours or mine,and still stand at the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon Yes It doesnt interest me to know where you live or how much money you have I want to know can you get up after a night of grief and despair,weary and bruised to the bone,and do what needs to be done It doesnt interest me who you are,or how you came to be here I want to know will you stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back It doesnt interest me where or what or with whom you have studied I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away I want to know can you be alone with yourself,and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments "This was written by a native elder and is very heavy reading but beautiful"

[Spirit Dancer]

“ We learned to be patient observers like the owl. We learned cleverness from the crow, and courage from the jay, who will attack an owl ten times its size to drive it off its territory. But above all of them ranked the chickadee because of its indomitable spirit. ”

— —Tom Brown, Jr., The Tracker

[Spirit Dancer]

[StrongButch]

May the warm winds of Heaven blow softly upon your house May the Great Spirit bless all who enter there May your mocassins make happy tracks in many snows,and may the rainbow always touch your shoulder-Also please watch on YouTube Wyte Doves Keep going the Lakota Way

[PaPa]

The Ten Commandments Of The Native Americans

1. Treat the Earth and all the dwells therein with respect.
2. Remain close to the Great Spirit.
3. Show great respect to your fellow beings.
4. Work together for the benefit of all mankind.
5. Give assistance and kindness wherever needed.
6. Do what you know to be right.
7. Look after the well-being of mind and body.
8. Dedicate a share of your efforts to the greater good.
9. Be truthful and honest at all times.
10. Take full responsibility for your actions.

[Glenn]

"A nation is not conquered until the hearts of its women are on the ground."-TRADITIONAL CHEYENNE

"Where are your women?"- OUTACITTY, CHEROKEE LEADER, UPON MEETING British Representatives, early 1800's.

"The United States has not shown me the terms of my surrender."-MARIE LEGO, PIT RIVER NATION,1970

"I try to tell our people that if it was'nt for women, we would not remain a distinct people. I want the world to know, my children to know, what our women have done. They're not squaws, man, they're heroes." - R. Means, OGLALA PATRIOT,1995

'Woman is forever, eternal. Man comes from woman and to woman he returns."- OJIBWA

"Woman Oh Woman I want you to know, you are my reason, for celebration."-Linda Shear

[Spirit Dancer]

“ The American Indian is of the soil, whether it be the region of forests, plains, pueblos, or mesas. He fits into the landscape, for the hand that fashioned the continent also fashioned the man for his surroundings. He once grew as naturally as the wild sunflowers, he belongs just as the buffalo belonged. ”

— —Luther Standing Bear

[Spirit Dancer]

Little Gurus
Learning to Follow

When we approach children with the awareness that they can teach us, we automatically become more present ourselves.


As grown-ups, we often approach children with ideas about what we can teach them about this life to which they have so recently arrived. It’s true that we have important information to convey, but children are here to teach us just as much as we are here to teach them. They are so new to the world and far less burdened with preconceived notions about the people, situations, and objects they encounter. They do not avoid people on the basis of appearance, nor do they regard shoes as having only one function. They can be fascinated for half an hour with a pot and a lid, and they are utterly unself-conscious in their emotional expressions. They live their lives fully immersed in the present moment, seeing everything with the open-mindedness born of unknowing. This enables them to inhabit a state of spontaneity, curiosity, and pure excitement about the world that we, as adults, have a hard time accessing. Yet almost every spiritual path calls us to rediscover this way of seeing. In this sense, children are truly our gurus.

When we approach children with the awareness that they are our teachers, we automatically become more present ourselves. We have to be more present when we follow, looking and listening, responding to their lead. We don’t lapse so easily into the role of the director of activities, surrendering instead to having no agenda at all. As we allow our children to determine the flow of play, they pull us deeper into the mystery of the present moment. In this magical place, we become innocent again, not knowing what will happen next and remembering how to let go and flow.

Since we must also embody the role of loving guide to our children, they teach us how to transition gracefully from following to leading and back again. In doing so, we learn to dance with our children in the present moment, shifting and adjusting as we direct the flow from pretending to be kittens wearing shoes on our heads to making sure everyone is fed and bathed.

[Spirit Dancer]

It is no longer good enought to Cry peace,
We must Act peace, Live peace and Live
In Peace. (Shenandoah)

[Tommi]

Originally Posted by Spirit Dancer

It is no longer good enought to Cry peace,
We must Act peace, Live peace and Live
In Peace. (Shenandoah)