Hummingbird Shaman

After returning from a busy conference this past weekend, and a day of travel, my focus today began as a day of resting. Awakening came well after the sunrise, and the day was surprisingly sunny. My first course of action was opening the shades and be a part of the light.

From there, where do I go? Where do I start today? This question is one that arises every day, but on this occasion it was a conscious one. Within a blink a bird pulled me away from my self-centered attention, and I turned to see what had so gracefully shifted my thoughts.

It was a thrasher, with his light speckled feathers, red patch on his crown and black chest. He landed on the primary branch of the small cherry tree that had been a resting place for the hummingbirds. His head turned to and fro, surveying his surroundings. I don’t often see the thrashers unless there is suet for them, and even then they flee if there is any movement around them.

The thrasher is in the woodpecker family, with a long beak used to gain access to insects deep within the rotting wood of a snag tree. The tapping is reminiscent of drumming, rhythmic and resonant. The motions move beyond what is on the surface, a place we should all venture towards.

I marveled at the coincidence between my thought, “Where do I begin”, and the appearance of the thrasher. Within a heartbeat or two one of my hummingbirds made his own appearance, and while he stayed clear of the thrasher, a bird that far outweighed him, he still took dominance, landing above the thrasher in a position that centered him within the tree.

Where do I begin? What better place than within. Do we actually listen to the beating of our own heart? Even if we treat this reference as symbolic we can still find intuitive or spiritual meaning.

I turn my head again to focus on the motion seen out the corner of my eye. The hummingbird returns to his feeder, followed by chickadees and sparrows in search of food. I’ve returned home to something I resonate with, and my day’s focus clearly includes reconnecting to my own purpose and direction. Where do I start today? With the beating of my own heart.

Estee Taschereau, Hummingbird Shaman, offers individual sessions by phone to clarify and clear your focus and find the beating of your own heart. For more articles on spirituality and metaphysical focus visit IntuitiveMeaning.com

The next Healing Drum Retreat in Yelm, WA is approaching!  We begin on Friday evening, September 19, with a drum making and moccasin making workshop. This evening event is open to anyone, attendance for the full weekend is not required.  The costs vary depending on the kit you choose, from $115 to $135.  The great part is that people will be transitioning in to their cabins for the weekend, and everyone will have the opportunity to socialize and see these classes in action!

The rest of the weekend will be filled with workshops, meditations, exercises in transitioning and release, and activities like a dream-catcher making class.  Each participant will have the chance to make their own dreamcatcher and take their creation home. 

This event, for the entire weekend, is only $160.  This price includes meals from saturday morning to sunday lunch, and lodging friday and saturday nights.  What a deal!!  The drum or moccasin kit is extra.  We will have ready-made custom drum beaters available for purchase as well, and a few custom-built, already made drums. 

Of course no Healing Drum event would be complete without drumming!  We will have the ceremonial drum and several drumming and singing sessions led by our Drum Making instructor Kaye Tahwakeena. 

Hummingbird Shaman’s own Intuitive Counselor Estee Taschereau will be leading a dream walk, guided meditations, and will teach tools for self awareness and maintaining your own energy in a busy world.  We’ll have healing demo’s, information about healing herbs, and a powerful group session on creating change in our patterns and thinking.

Registration is still open, you can register by calling the Brighton Creek Conference Center: 360-458-3910.

The Healing Drum Retreat is approaching!  This event is an opportunity to explore spiritual concepts and learn and practice tools for energy healing.  

We open the event Friday evening with a Drum Making Workshop and Medicine Bag Workshop.  These workshops are open to the public, and are optional for those attending the weekend event.  This will be a fun evening for exploration of your own abilities and life focus.

On Saturday we will have workshops on meditation, energy healing techniques and drumming, creating a synergetic experience and healing experience.  Meals and lodging are included for weekend attendance, and lunch is included in the day-pass.  Sunday will continue the healing process, with more drumming and meditations for self awareness and personal growth. 

Hummingbird Shaman Healing Drum Articles

Sign Up For the Healing Drum Events

Did you think “The Healing Drum” is all about pounding on a drum and finding a synchronized pattern, a rush of energy, a release through movement? To benefit fully from the tones arising from the drums we also need the silence in-between.

Our cultures have pulled us away from silence. We’ve filled our heads with commercials, traffic, music, and an endless loop of thoughts. This is a sad road to take, into the never-ending stream of activity contained within all this noise.

The Sound of Silence is a meditation process we will include in The Healing Drum, a weekend long event we will be offering in Yelm, WA over the Summer Solstice weekend of June 21-22, 2008. In this meditation we will guide you to a clearer, quiet space, where you can hear your own inner guidance.

To reserve for this event see our posting in the Marketplace section of this website.

The Healing Drum Retreat will take place in Yelm Washington at Brighton Creek the weekend of June 20, 2008 through June 22, 2008. This event will be an exciting one! We will begin Friday evening with optional drum making or medicine bag making classes. This event attendance is free for those attending either with a day pass or the full weekend pass, which includes lodging. The supplies are only $15 for a medicine bag, and for drums we have 14 inch for $115 and 16 inch for $125. Tahwakeena will be guiding us through our process.

Custom beaters will also be available for purchase, ranging from $10 to $30 each. It is advised that the beater be tested with the drum, and to let the drum have a voice in it’s activator. The Healing Drum marketplace will be open through Sunday

I’ve just acquired llama hair as an optional material for blessings and totem animal guidance in the medicine bags. This is an inspiration and support for those who wish to make a stronger stand for themselves, or bring protection into their lives. Llama’s are strong spirits that make their opinions known!

For registration for any of the events during this summer solstice weekend please visit our online store at www.shamanstore.hummingbirdshaman.com

Our first Healing Drum event was a success, with a good turnout and a lot of enjoyable activities for everyone. This event will be even bigger, and better, bringing in our experience from the December 2007 event.   This event is a weekend long event, lodging and meals included, in Yelm, WA. 

We’re still planning and scheduling, but here are some features we plan to include:

• Drum Making class – if you are interested in making a drum please contact us no later than June 1, 2008 to reserve your spot.  This class will be held Friday evening, June 20th, allowing time for your drum to dry for use on Sunday.
• Opening Meditation – the meditation at the December event was a big hit, everyone enjoyed the chance to release and relax
• Summer Solstice Prayer – this meditation and prayer is written by Estee, with steps each person can take to express gratitude and appreciation for all the season has to offer.
• Gratitude Ceremony – this will be a new feature, giving everyone opportunity to offer their wishes to Great Spirit and the Spirit realm, dream through materialization.
• Drumming and Song – led by Tahwakeena, our drumming leader and drum making teacher.
• EFT basics – taught by Estee, this basic energy movement and healing tool is anything but little
• Awareness and Release workshop – taught by Estee, this class will focus on connecting and centering, two powerful steps toward awareness and empowerment
• Energy Healings – Chakra/Aura healing, Reiki, Quantum Touch
• Clairvoyant Readings – Estee will be available for sessions ‘by the minute’

Stay tuned for more!!  If you have ideas, suggestions, thoughts, insights, we’d love to hear about it!!