S.2 E.9 Your Shamanic Medicine Transcript
Samantha
00:00:01.040 - 00:00:04.913
Hey, you. You're tuned in to the Skirts up show with Samantha and Melissa.
Melissa
00:00:05.009 - 00:00:11.009
Join our mission to normalize failure, but still uncover the positives at every twist and turn.
Samantha
00:00:11.097 - 00:00:13.805
Skirts up, but keep your panties.
Melissa
00:00:27.275 - 00:00:29.675
That was really cute and funny, and I wish I had a video.
Samantha
00:00:29.755 - 00:00:32.491
Too bad that wasn't on. Oh, yeah.
Melissa
00:00:32.523 - 00:00:36.587
I wish I was literally recording. How did you even do it? We couldn't even make it up again.
Samantha
00:00:36.691 - 00:00:45.827
I could not do that again even if I tried. What's up, Skirts Up Squad? It is. Samantha and Melissa and I just did a sick ass move with the microphone.
Melissa
00:00:45.891 - 00:00:50.155
She did. It looked like it was on purpose. It was like she's so smooth spinning the microphone.
Samantha
00:00:50.195 - 00:00:53.803
It was like a Michael Jackson, like, Usher type move. Sure, but with my hands.
Melissa
00:00:53.859 - 00:00:56.811
Yeah, you could say it was a breakdance move with the microphone.
Samantha
00:00:56.923 - 00:00:57.695
Love it.
Melissa
00:00:59.295 - 00:01:00.875
While sitting on your ass.
Samantha
00:01:02.175 - 00:01:10.007
All right, so I have to tell you guys a funny. While I was at the park with the kids. You ready for this?
Melissa
00:01:10.071 - 00:01:11.595
I'm so ready for this one.
Samantha
00:01:12.015 - 00:01:12.463
Okay.
Melissa
00:01:12.519 - 00:01:13.743
I think I know what it is.
Samantha
00:01:13.839 - 00:02:00.627
So I don't know if a lot of you know how awkward I am in person, out in public. Like, I don't know how to talk to people. And so it's really new to me since this podcast. So it's been, you know, I guess, almost a year of.
Of just walking up to strangers and trying to have a conversation. And we're at the park, there's this mom that's, you know, playing with Nora, and Nora's trying to play with the kid.
And so then the mom starts small talking with me, and it comes up of, what do you do? And I was like, well, I have a podcast called Skirts up with my friend. And she goes, that's so cool. What do you guys talk about? And.
And so I was like, oh, we talk about, like, spirituality.
Melissa
00:02:00.731 - 00:02:06.175
We have since. Real quick. We have since worked on our elevator pitch for. For the podcast, haven't we?
Samantha
00:02:06.475 - 00:02:08.579
Particularly me, because I'm awkward as fuck.
Melissa
00:02:08.667 - 00:02:18.403
No, but just. Okay, but it's true, guys. It was hard to kind of, for a while explain, like, what is our podcast about? So this is Sam trying to do that. Okay.
Samantha
00:02:18.539 - 00:02:57.515
Yeah. So I was like, oh, spiritual stuff and finding yourself. And she goes, oh, okay. Well, what's, like, a topic you guys have talked about?
And so the first thing that comes to is, oh, lucid dreaming. That was really cool that you. And then. So then she goes, well, what. What brought up the lucid dreaming?
I go, oh, honestly, it's funny that you say that because it started when I started deep diving into the evil eye because I thought that my mother in law had put an evil eye curse on me. And she's looking at me and her jaws just dropped and I go, oh, don't worry though, I have an evil eye in my house.
Laura
00:02:58.555 - 00:03:00.155
Sam is, okay, keep going.
Melissa
00:03:00.195 - 00:03:00.779
I'm so sorry.
Samantha
00:03:00.827 - 00:03:13.059
It's hilarious. So then she looks at me and she goes, oh, that's what Jesus is for. And walks away. And I look at Simon wide eyed and I was like, what did I just.
Melissa
00:03:13.107 - 00:03:13.507
What happened?
Samantha
00:03:13.531 - 00:03:16.139
He goes, samantha, he's like, let me explain.
Melissa
00:03:16.267 - 00:03:17.575
I saw it coming.
Samantha
00:03:18.115 - 00:03:25.891
He was like, I was looking. He said, no, abort mission, abort mission. He was like, you can't say things like that to people. Like, you gotta fill them out first.
Melissa
00:03:25.963 - 00:03:26.855
Like, no.
Samantha
00:03:28.115 - 00:03:41.703
Oh, I just saw my PODC because people love me. I thought conversation is conversation. I thought that's how you know if you jive with someone.
He's like, no, you give it a minute and then you like, then you stick in the crazy. I was like, I didn't know it was crazy.
Melissa
00:03:41.759 - 00:04:07.815
It's like a first date, you know, you don't like, you're like, no, but this is my favorite part is, yes, you did. You know, it's crazy one. It's not crazy crazy, but it's not. It's on fringe. It's fringe for sure.
Okay, okay, but what my favorite part about the whole thing is how you're like, but don't worry, I have an evil eye now because you saw her face changing and you're like, what? Whatever could she be thinking? Well, clearly she's worried about me not having an ev in my house.
Samantha
00:04:08.995 - 00:04:36.965
Oh my God. And I, that's just. I'm so awkward that random stuff like that is what comes out of my mouth. So she could have asked, she could have asked me.
And this is what I usually, this. Is what I used to do.
And Simon was also like, you can't do that. It's not normal. Like when people be like, would ask me and Simon about, oh, how'd you guys get together? How long have you guys known each other?
You know, give some background. I immediately go, oh, this is my husband Simon. He grew up in a cult.
Melissa
00:04:39.305 - 00:04:40.673
And he always looks at me and.
Samantha
00:04:40.689 - 00:04:47.857
He goes, you can't tell people that. And I'm always like, but why? And he goes, because you're like, that's.
Melissa
00:04:47.881 - 00:04:49.153
The most interesting part.
Laura
00:04:49.209 - 00:04:49.497
Exactly.
Melissa
00:04:49.521 - 00:04:51.485
You were built for the podcast world.
Samantha
00:04:51.945 - 00:05:06.299
I'm like, that's how you start a conversation. You give Them something interesting. And I was like. And then there's conversation.
I was like, without the wow factor, my conversation would be staring at them, asking if they like bananas.
Melissa
00:05:06.387 - 00:05:16.095
Aw, that's so cute. Like, I feel like the part that's cute, I think, is you're like, no, they need a wow factor. I've got to make them entertained.
Samantha
00:05:16.795 - 00:05:18.419
Maybe that's my flaw.
Melissa
00:05:18.547 - 00:05:21.619
No, it's sweet. It's thoughtful.
Samantha
00:05:21.747 - 00:05:33.763
Oh, my. Yeah. So I've learned not to start off with lucid dreaming, because apparently that also is against religion. I have found out. But anywho. So now it is.
Melissa
00:05:33.899 - 00:05:38.135
We are about normalizing things that are hard to talk about.
Samantha
00:05:38.475 - 00:05:41.363
And apparently things I didn't know wasn't normal to talk about.
Melissa
00:05:41.419 - 00:05:55.027
That's fair. I'm learning that, Sam, you will never leave a conversation with her unentertained. I mean, she gives you the wow.
Samantha
00:05:55.171 - 00:05:59.227
Keep taking away my wow factors. And, no, there will be no entertainment.
Melissa
00:05:59.331 - 00:06:04.955
We're not taking away them away. I'm not. I'm loving this. Sam might not. Or Simon might not be.
Samantha
00:06:05.295 - 00:06:06.791
I just keep him on his toes.
Melissa
00:06:06.863 - 00:06:07.911
Yeah, that's right.
Samantha
00:06:08.023 - 00:06:11.711
What have you been up to? Any fails? So, a little bit.
Melissa
00:06:11.743 - 00:06:48.923
And I wasn't going to share this as a fail, but it's kind of funny that you brought up the evil eye, because I just made a plate in pottery, and it was, like, just a little square, like, tchotchke thing. Like, it will hold rings or something.
But I drew, like, a really cool symbol in the middle of it, and then I had, like, these rays going out from it, but I didn't like it at all. I was showing it to my friend, saying, I think I'm gonna throw this away. I don't like it.
And she's like, yeah, but no, it has really cool evil eye energy going on with it. Yeah. And then I was like, well, I'm gonna throw it away. And she said, no, and she took it and she kept it. So a fail and a success. I guess.
Samantha
00:06:48.979 - 00:06:50.851
So was it finished? Like, you colored it finished?
Melissa
00:06:50.923 - 00:06:57.787
It was completely colored and done. And then I thought of you. I was like, well, maybe I should give it to Sam. But I just didn't think it was that pretty. So it's not a Sam gift.
Samantha
00:06:57.811 - 00:06:58.555
Did you take a picture?
Melissa
00:06:58.595 - 00:07:01.763
She needs something pretty. I will see if I can find.
Laura
00:07:01.819 - 00:07:02.123
Okay.
Samantha
00:07:02.179 - 00:07:05.587
I did promise someone that I would give them a shout out.
Melissa
00:07:05.651 - 00:07:06.455
Ooh.
Samantha
00:07:07.075 - 00:07:21.907
So we talked about on our last episode, you know, the awkwardness of a colonoscopy every time I have to get my blood Drawn well, particularly when I have to get a catheter put in. I. They will try 13 to 15 times to get a catheter in me.
Melissa
00:07:21.971 - 00:07:23.145
Are you awake for this?
Samantha
00:07:23.275 - 00:07:35.341
Yes. And they'll blow all the normal veins that they can get in. They'll blow my. The tops of my hands on both of them.
They'll blow the crease of my arm on both of them. And so then I always have to get a catheter, like really weird on my wrist or like on my arm.
Melissa
00:07:35.453 - 00:07:39.025
Catheter. Yes, you know, a catheter for pee.
Samantha
00:07:39.885 - 00:07:40.981
Blood catheter.
Melissa
00:07:41.053 - 00:07:42.125
They're called blood catheters.
Samantha
00:07:42.205 - 00:07:42.765
There's blood.
Melissa
00:07:42.845 - 00:07:48.587
Yes, of course they are. When I think of catheter, I think of the. What they stick up your foot.
Samantha
00:07:48.701 - 00:07:49.071
I'm not.
Melissa
00:07:49.103 - 00:07:52.415
Vagina of your pee pee. Why? Because that's a catheter.
Samantha
00:07:52.535 - 00:07:54.799
That is a catheter. Oh, interesting.
Melissa
00:07:54.847 - 00:08:13.159
I don't know, I used to. This is a hilarious miscommunication. I used to babysit or not babysit, that's the very unworthy, unfair word.
Because she was in her teens, but I used to help watch and take care of a girl who had spina bifida. And yeah, the catheters, okay, but me.
Samantha
00:08:13.207 - 00:08:20.603
Working in medical field, I deal a lot with blood catheters. And okay, I want to know what.
Melissa
00:08:20.619 - 00:08:23.339
Is, what comes to mind when the public hears of a catheter.
Samantha
00:08:23.427 - 00:08:24.427
That is so funny.
Laura
00:08:24.491 - 00:08:24.803
Okay.
Samantha
00:08:24.859 - 00:08:34.535
I love it. Okay, so no one can, I mean, multiple times they blow all the veins all up and down my arm.
Like I still have bruises from even the blood draw like three weeks ago.
Melissa
00:08:34.835 - 00:08:36.699
And oh, they were gnarly.
Samantha
00:08:36.867 - 00:09:18.643
You saw the tape bruised me the catheter. So this lady comes in, she goes, all right, I gotta put the catheter in so that we can inject the anesthesia for the colonoscopy.
And I just looked at her and I was like, I need the best person here. And so of course, when someone says that to you, they're always like, I am the best person. And like, flex up. Because I would do the same.
And when I worked with animals, I'd be like, no, I got it. And she, I told her, everyone blows my veins. This is what I look like. Well, where do they usually put it? She asked.
And I said, usually in my wrist or my forearm is where they end up having to do it. And so she goes, okay, she got it on the first try on the side of my wrist.
Melissa
00:09:18.779 - 00:09:19.555
Holy crap.
Samantha
00:09:19.635 - 00:09:24.335
Uh huh. So her name is Tiffany. Shout out Tiffany. I told you I would Skirt.
Melissa
00:09:25.595 - 00:09:29.603
Oh, I'm so happy for giving a shout out because of her awesomeness.
Samantha
00:09:29.739 - 00:09:37.575
Yes. Tiffany from Piedmont GI In Loganville.
Melissa
00:09:38.235 - 00:09:40.499
Nice. Tiffany, you're the best.
Laura
00:09:40.587 - 00:09:41.295
Whoa.
Samantha
00:09:42.835 - 00:09:46.075
All right, so what do we have today? All right, today.
Melissa
00:09:46.195 - 00:10:07.827
So Melissa Walker is, as you know, one of my best friends. And she was like, you guys have to speak to Laura Martinez. Laura is a intuitive shamanic practitioner, and she did not disappoint.
No, it was an awesome conversation with her.
Samantha
00:10:07.891 - 00:10:21.905
I know you guys hear me say this all the time, but it was a favorite. And we did point this out in our live show that Lottie will make sense after this episode. Yep. You guys will understand.
Melissa
00:10:21.985 - 00:10:26.313
This is the original point where we decided Lottie is all of us.
Samantha
00:10:26.409 - 00:10:34.953
Yep. So cute. Yeah. So you'll get to hear how that really came about, and it's really cool. And so here she is.
Melissa
00:10:35.009 - 00:10:35.913
Give it up for Laura.
Samantha
00:10:35.969 - 00:10:38.931
Laura, go ahead and introduce yourself.
Laura
00:10:39.073 - 00:11:37.635
Thank you for having me. You too. Such an honor to be on today. A little bit about me is I'm a shamanic healer that's been in my bloodline for a long time.
Also have a master's of education in clinical mental health. So have that clinical aspect that I put in my private practice, and also have a pretty good background in neuroscience.
Before going into private practice, I was a director of the neuroscience treatment center for about eight years. And so I like to merge those three types of modalities. The shamanism, the clinical mental health, and the neuroscience.
And so I have a private practice here in Fort Worth, Texas. Mostly I see people online, like, pretty much all over the world, which is such a cool thing, and with the Internet.
And I also host retreats and workshops, and I always do an international retreat every year, and I always do several local retreats in the year.
Samantha
00:11:38.775 - 00:11:40.159
What are these retreats?
Laura
00:11:40.287 - 00:12:12.123
They're different. I have one actually coming up in November, and it's a shamanic training retreat.
So teaching other practitioners how to use shamanic medicine merged with whatever practice that they have.
Like, I have a mental health therapist that's coming on this trip, and then I've got a doctoral student who's coming, and then a yoga instructor and then a Pilates instructor. So all looking to merge shamanism in the work that they do. So this one that's coming up is a shamanic training retreat.
Melissa
00:12:12.219 - 00:12:40.723
Okay, can you give us just, like, a real quick rundown a little bit about shamanism?
I did want to ask one specific question when we were talking to you, like, before we did our little interview and with each other to See if we'd be good match for each other. And one thing that you had said was, I am a shamanic practitioner. And you said something to the effect of like, you don't go call yourself a shaman.
So I was wondering if there's a difference there.
Laura
00:12:40.819 - 00:13:32.565
Yeah. You want to be really. You want to treat the shamanic medicine with a sense of sacredness and not a sense of ego.
So when people label themselves as any label. Right. That can. That's already an ego statement. It's an identification of what you think you are. And so I just like to say that I work with shamanic.
Shamanic medicine instead of saying I'm a shaman, because that comes with a lot of implications in it. And I would never call myself a shaman, but I do work with the medicine. I think that for me, it's in my bloodline, and it's something that.
It's been done for many, many years. And it's just something that you hold sacred. And sometimes people use labels to get some sort of esteem. That makes sense.
Melissa
00:13:33.585 - 00:13:45.281
Yeah, no, it does, actually. I wondered if it had anything to do with maybe like, appropriation of some sort. But it sounds like it's been in your bloodline anyway.
So it's more about the sacredness.
Laura
00:13:45.393 - 00:13:46.205
Oh, yeah.
Samantha
00:13:46.585 - 00:13:54.873
With that, can you explain to all of us what the shamanic practice looks like for you and how that differs from the traditional therapy?
Laura
00:13:54.929 - 00:14:54.681
Sure, yeah. So shamanism is. A lot of people think it's. It's a spirituality or a religion, and it's not really anything like that.
It actually is a mechanism of healing, and it's a belief that we have all the resources on our body and in nature to heal ourselves. So my job as the shamanic practitioner is to help the client find their own internal medicine and heal themselves.
And so what that might look like is looking at the resources they have on their body.
Like, of course, our breath is such a powerful mechanism of healing, and the way that we breathe is going to substantially change the way we live our life. So using the breath, using nature, using a belief system, perception.
I also love using ceremony and ritual, which is allowing the client to have some sort of intention in the work that they're doing. Right. So I'll give you an example, because people love examples.
Samantha
00:14:54.753 - 00:14:55.485
Thank you.
Laura
00:14:56.025 - 00:15:01.215
Sometimes it can sound so abstract if you don't have an example, but. But it does.
Melissa
00:15:01.295 - 00:15:01.695
Yeah.
Laura
00:15:01.775 - 00:16:56.581
At one time I had a client and who was just totally out of alignment with their purpose and their medicine. So what I believe is, I believe that each person has medicine that's unique, almost like a fingerprint. That's how unique our medicine is.
But we have this tendency to replicate the same careers, right? And we do them the same way.
If you're a mental health therapist, then you're going to go to school and you're going to get an education and then you're going to go get licensure, and you're just going to fit in these boxes that have already been formed. Right.
And so this client in particular was a lawyer, and he had become a lawyer for generations because of what his father did, what his grandfather did. And he was just absolutely miserable. And it wasn't just only the career, it was also the way he was living his life as well.
So I really like to take a client and figure out how we can go into alignment with the way they live their life.
So that's everything from what are you consuming on tv, what are you eating, what are you drinking, what kind of people are you surrounding yourself with? How can come back to your authentic self by being in nature, by changing the way you breathe, by changing your morning routine.
So really looking at how can you really tap into authenticity inside of you? And so I think a big part of that is really going into alignment with the way that they live their life and how that feels good for them.
So another example of that is almost like I had a client that was like, okay, I've been waking up, I've been doing yoga, I've been journaling, and I've been meditating, and I still don't really feel good. And I said, well, do those things feel good to you to do? And she said, no, not really. I said, then why are you doing them?
And she, she said, because that's what I've. You know, what I hear feels good. I'm like, no, you gotta find what.
Samantha
00:16:56.613 - 00:16:57.981
Feels good to your body.
Laura
00:16:58.053 - 00:17:07.505
Maybe that's going outside on a walk in the morning, or maybe it's just like having a complete silent home for five minutes. Like, whatever. It is, like you have what a life is.
Melissa
00:17:08.005 - 00:17:36.751
Yeah, we're kind of. We are really learning that there are just so many different ways.
It's kind of like a kid in school, not all the kids are going to learn the same, Right? And we're like that in our adult lives also.
And there are so many things that can be useful and good practices, maybe they're amazing for one person and maybe they're not amazing for another, but you kind of have to find what works for you. And it sounds like that's what you do with your shamanic practice a lot is trying to find that authentic self.
Laura
00:17:36.863 - 00:18:37.517
Yeah, yeah. So that's kind of like the surface of it for sure, is getting people into alignment.
And then we start doing work like finding spirit guides and spirit animals, taking them on a shamanic journey, which is also the flight of the soul. And so in the shamanic practice, your soul has the ability to leave your body. Right.
Your soul is inside of your body, but it has the ability to fly into Rome. And so with the shamanic journey, we're really attempting to allow that soul to take flight.
And usually what happens in shamanic journeys is things come up that need to be worked with. So whether that's inner child work, or maybe this is the cathartic, beautiful spiritual experience that somebody needed. Right.
And finding a relative that's passed. And so all kinds of different things can happen during a shamanic journey.
But, yeah, the surface of it is really getting someone into alignment and starting to live their authentication life, and then we can dig deeper.
Melissa
00:18:37.701 - 00:18:38.505
Okay.
Samantha
00:18:40.325 - 00:18:41.213
Okay.
Melissa
00:18:41.389 - 00:18:43.117
That's amazing, actually.
Samantha
00:18:43.301 - 00:18:53.505
So what is the ritual part of that? Is that the ritual part is just finding what feels good to you? Or is it like actually a practice of something?
Laura
00:18:53.965 - 00:20:34.769
So, yeah, rituals can be basically anything. It just really, the whole purpose behind a ritual is to be intentional about it. So. So I'll give you an example.
I had a client who was having a hard time with a breakup, and the breakup had been about three years, and he could not stop thinking about this woman. And in evaluating, from a clinical mental health standpoint, the relationship was really toxic. And it was not.
It wasn't like a type of love story that we seen in 80s movie where you should go after the girl with them, stand with the radio on top of your head. Like, it wasn't relationship at all. Like, he was an active addiction.
And there was all kinds of toxic things that he played a role with, with being very codependent in that relationship. So, you know, we did a ritual on, okay, how can we let go of that person? And what does this person mean to you?
Like, there's some sort of symbol that that person has that has you locked in, because it's not the actual relationship. The actual relationship was. Was no good. And so in a ritual, what we're looking at is what does she represent to you?
And so she, for him, represented romance. His parents had been married for a long time, and he really wanted that long romantic relationship.
And he had put all of his hope that this is the one that was going to give him that.
And so once we're able to find the symbol of what the person means, the trauma event means, what a situation means, then we can kind of unlock that imagery in the mind. Right.
Melissa
00:20:34.937 - 00:20:35.645
And.
Laura
00:20:36.025 - 00:20:36.805
Okay.
Melissa
00:20:37.465 - 00:20:41.977
Because we do have a problem as humans with wanting to label everything. Right?
Laura
00:20:42.081 - 00:21:10.685
Yeah.
Like, if we've met, you know, in dating, for instance, I have a lot of clients that are dating right now, and they'll go into the date and they'll think, is this my person? Is this my person? And we were really trying to break the symbols of that. Because really, that person in front of you is a copy of you. Right.
It's a mirror image of you. And so the point of dating really is to figure out what's wounded inside of me that needs to be healed.
Melissa
00:21:11.025 - 00:21:11.765
What?
Samantha
00:21:12.825 - 00:21:52.865
No, that actually. That's actually very interesting that you say that, because now it makes me think.
So I would think that our listeners as well, you guys can agree with this, that a lot of times when we are in the dating scene or, you know, interviewing for jobs, we go into each day, in each interview with, this is it. Like, this is my future. This is my forever. And then once you leave it and you're like, that sucked. I didn't enjoy that at all.
Then you get depressed and in that, like, funk of like, man, what did I do wrong? Instead of just living in the moment and being like, this is anxiety experience, we're just filling this out. We're just being curious.
Laura
00:21:54.245 - 00:21:56.905
Yeah, I love. Yeah, exactly.
Melissa
00:21:59.685 - 00:22:44.385
I was just going to say really quick, sorry, because I know there's the lag that I. So, okay. She's getting excited.
I'm getting excited because when I moved out here to be with my now husband, one of my very best friends was like, I don't know about that.
Like, that just seems like you're throwing a lot of really good things in your life away to go out and live with and be with somebody who you don't know if it's going to be the thing and going to work. Another friend came to me and said, so say you get married. Say you don't.
He's like, why can't you just go out there and experiment and enjoy each moment of each day with that person while you have it? And I was kind of like, yeah, I can do that. And so it's.
It's this mentality sometimes we forget where we just put so much pressure onto ourselves, I think.
Samantha
00:22:44.425 - 00:22:47.659
But it has to go right. It has to be perfect. But does it?
Melissa
00:22:47.777 - 00:22:51.235
Life is not about that. I don't believe anymore.
Laura
00:22:51.655 - 00:23:26.517
Right. And the whole point of, you know, living life is to really enjoy it.
But we're so busy living in the future of what it needs to be or how we need to live our life. And, you know, a Buddhist practice is. Or a Buddhist awareness is that our root of suffering is attachment.
And so all of that really is just attachment attaching to what we think the outcome will be or what we want the outcome to be. So a lot of the practices that we do with rituals is allowing yourself to let go of that. Right. Surrender.
Melissa
00:23:26.621 - 00:23:27.265
Yeah.
Samantha
00:23:27.605 - 00:23:41.365
Skirts up, squad. Let that sink in for a second because I got goosebumps. Like, this is. That's a big thing to take in.
Stop putting pressure on everything to be perfect the way you think it's supposed to be. Enjoy what you're doing and in the moment.
Melissa
00:23:41.445 - 00:23:47.791
That's true. I do love that. It reminded me of one of our very first episodes, actually.
Samantha
00:23:47.863 - 00:23:48.635
Laura.
Melissa
00:23:48.975 - 00:24:20.385
We were talking and I think I said something to Sam like, well, you know, one of the things that they teach in Buddhism is we don't own anything. Like, anything that we have can go away at any given moment. And I think that it's.
That what you were just talking about is we can get really attached to things. And you also mentioned living in the future.
I feel like we get attached to things that haven't even happened and then we can put a lot of expectations and expectations can really hurt you if they don't get met.
Samantha
00:24:21.765 - 00:24:35.985
Oh, my gosh. I'm just thinking of all these times that, like, you've got us all profound here. You have us all profoundly. This is mind blowing.
All these times where I'm like, oh, this is it. This is important. But it's not really important, like, because it's just experience.
Melissa
00:24:37.405 - 00:24:41.229
Maybe that's the important thing, I guess, is what we're kind of realizing as we.
Samantha
00:24:41.317 - 00:24:44.939
As we are here. Yeah, well, it all. It will have already happened.
Melissa
00:24:44.987 - 00:24:47.363
Everyone's watching and hearing our light bulbs go on.
Samantha
00:24:47.499 - 00:25:17.233
They are. It's our. When this episode comes out, this will obviously already have happened. But we have our first live event going on.
And let me just tell you, I keep going back and forth with, oh, my gosh, this could be life ruining. There could be crickets. We could just zone out and this could be like the worst thing ever.
Instead, I should stop holding on to what I think the outcome should be and how I think it should play out and just be like, we're going to be fun on a stage.
Melissa
00:25:17.289 - 00:25:20.673
Like, we're going to be on a Stage. We're going to be honest on a stage.
Samantha
00:25:20.849 - 00:25:30.233
Whatever comes out, comes out. Yeah. Hopefully it's good, but if it's bad, we experienced what we were supposed to experience and we'll learn something, could grow from it.
Melissa
00:25:30.329 - 00:25:42.555
Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Thank you, Laura. I'm really, I'm really learning a lot here.
So I want to kind of get back to what Sam had asked about what shamanism looks like to you.
Laura
00:25:42.715 - 00:25:43.035
I.
Melissa
00:25:43.075 - 00:25:50.547
We've. Maybe you want to just kind of go into like some of the things that you had heard recently from somebody who is a shamanic. Do you mind?
Samantha
00:25:50.731 - 00:25:55.235
Oh, you are talking about a conversation I had with my father in law.
Melissa
00:25:55.275 - 00:25:55.611
Yes.
Samantha
00:25:55.683 - 00:26:22.655
Oh, okay.
Well, so my, you guys know that my husband, for those of you who don't know, grew up in a very untraditional religious community with strict beliefs and strict ways of living. My father in law came to visit and asked about the podcast and what we talk about and what, what do we have going on.
And I said, actually, I know it's a little weird and not for everyone. Come to find out, she's not calling you weird.
Melissa
00:26:22.735 - 00:26:31.367
No, our podcast. Yeah. And so I mix to be clear, just clear. But you know, people will give you.
Samantha
00:26:31.431 - 00:27:18.865
Like, looks like when you start talking about things like spirituality and stuff, they're like, okay, what kind of woo woo stuff are you about to say to me? And he didn't. And he goes, oh, I know a lot of people who believe on the side of shamanic beliefs and practices.
He goes, but what does she believe in?
Because he said that when you look back into the history of where shamanism began and what shamanism is, which was typically the belief that everything is its own being, the wind is a human. The like, you know, each natural thing is an actual being that you're trying to understand and learn.
He goes, so, so what does that mean for someone like Lara who says that she practices shamanic beliefs?
Laura
00:27:19.325 - 00:27:30.385
Yeah, I mean, that is definitely one of the, the beliefs of shamanism is that everything is alive, every single thing. And also everything is you.
Melissa
00:27:31.005 - 00:27:31.821
Oh, wow.
Laura
00:27:31.893 - 00:28:43.355
Yeah.
So, you know, whenever we do shaman, like this shamanic training that I'm going to do in November in South Padre island is teaching people how to become a tree and teaching people how to become animals and teaching people how to, you know, we call it transforming into that energetic state.
So I'm also, you know, like I said, I have a background in neuroscience and learned a lot of physics when I was in school and academia and, and it's true that we are energetic states in that we can become energetic, any energetic state that we want to become. So for me, when you ask what I believe in, I totally believe in that.
I totally believe in everything is energy, and that we are a part of that energy. We are living in a collective where, you know, I'm Sam, I, you know, I'm Melissa, I'm everywhere, and you are me.
And if we can look at life that way, it makes it a whole lot easier to be in the present moment. Right.
Or if you're frustrated at someone else, then you need to really analyze what is it about that person that's inside of me that's frustrating me.
Melissa
00:28:45.255 - 00:29:11.569
Okay, I think you kind of answered my question because I was going to ask for some of our more literal thinkers. When you say, I am Sam or I am Laura, are we saying, like, how do I. How am I Laura?
I guess it looks like you're saying, let me just make sure I understand. It's because of our perception. Like, we're going to see things in you that we need to see inside ourselves kind of a thing, is what you're saying.
Or we attracted you to our life because of the energy that we put out.
Samantha
00:29:11.657 - 00:29:14.105
Or is it more of put yourself in their shoes.
Melissa
00:29:14.265 - 00:29:14.561
Yeah.
Laura
00:29:14.593 - 00:29:23.525
All of their. Sony, I'm. Yeah, I really mean in a literal sense, that we are each other. Like, we are pieces collected.
Melissa
00:29:23.565 - 00:29:23.997
Okay.
Laura
00:29:24.101 - 00:29:45.117
And we see each other as separate because that's the way that our perception is, and that's the way that we've been kind of set up in the human world. But we are part of the same being that exists, the same energetic state that exists. So, no, I virtually mean we are literally each other.
And I know that sounds like, Okay.
Melissa
00:29:45.181 - 00:29:46.665
I actually love that.
Samantha
00:29:46.845 - 00:29:56.129
And it makes us sound less crazy because when people ask, what is Lottie and what is Lottie? Don't lie. We're like, lottie is us. We are Lottie. Like, we're all Lottie.
Melissa
00:29:56.177 - 00:29:56.553
Yeah.
Samantha
00:29:56.649 - 00:30:01.325
And people are like, crickets yell or cuckoo.
Melissa
00:30:02.065 - 00:30:10.529
No, I think that's amazing. I really like how. Okay, it made me think of how, like, as women, we should be straight in each other's crowns.
Laura
00:30:10.617 - 00:30:10.913
Right.
Melissa
00:30:10.969 - 00:30:34.053
Instead of, like, putting each other down, let's lift each other. It's so much easier when you look at somebody. I think maybe it's kind of like a mother's love, too.
Like, you can think as a child, that came from you. We all came from the same thing. I can look at my beautiful friend Sam here and just be like, wait, she is a part of me. I'm a part of her.
If she succeeds, I succeed. Like I want her good things for her.
Samantha
00:30:34.109 - 00:30:34.397
Right.
Melissa
00:30:34.461 - 00:30:42.509
Like, I just think maybe this individuality we have going on, like you said, that's taught to us in our world is sometimes detrimental. Maybe.
Laura
00:30:42.557 - 00:31:32.311
Well, yeah, maybe, as I see can be. And help me out here. I think if we looked at every single human being like that, where we want the best for every single human being, I mean. Right.
Yeah. I don't want to get into political stuff or anything like that because that's totally not my jam. But it is a device that is dividing us. Right.
Like we've we so divided right now. And that's opposite of what the shaman belief is. It's like we are just. It's. It's two sides of the same bird.
We're the same bird, but we're looking at throwing, you know, rocks at each other. And that's really goes against the principles of we are humanity. Even the ugliest parts of humanity.
Like the stuff that you don't want to admit, that's not me, that could never be me, but it is you because it's a part of the collective.
Melissa
00:31:32.343 - 00:31:33.767
And you're right.
Laura
00:31:33.911 - 00:31:34.675
Yeah.
Melissa
00:31:36.215 - 00:31:46.393
Oh, wow.
And just as much as that stuff influence us, influences our internal selves, I'm guessing that there's parts of our internal selves are just influencing the outside just as much.
Laura
00:31:46.449 - 00:32:06.943
Oh yeah. Oh yeah. And you know, I say something to clients I.
Because they're like, I don't know why I keep attracting these certain people in my life, you know, and it's what you earlier is. Oh, you're calling that in the universe is just responding to your energy. That's all it is. Like it's not.
Melissa
00:32:07.079 - 00:32:07.655
Okay.
Laura
00:32:07.775 - 00:32:30.035
It's not, you know, because of this or that. It's just respond. It's simply just responding to the energetic state.
Everything, everything you get on accident, it's responding to your energetic state.
Once you learn that in shamanism that you are energy and you can change your energy and everything is responding to your energy, things get a lot easier.
Samantha
00:32:32.145 - 00:33:01.867
Okay, how does that correlate with the soul and the soul's journey?
Because one of the things that we had kind of learned about or you know, a potent, a potential thought is that the soul has one potential purpose in that it's going to repeat its same mistakes, it's going to repeat its same habits until it finds that purpose and changes the trajectory. How does that relate to the energy and what that's attracting?
Laura
00:33:02.011 - 00:34:17.705
Yeah. So there's a lot of beliefs on Your soul picks a spiritual curriculum before it gets here, right?
Or a soul journey, like you said before, it arrives and you kind of have a mission or you kind of been signed up with the same set of souls. And I really do feel like that's something that is so innate in our soul that we a lot of times don't have a lot of consciousness to it. But I.
I think it relates in the fact that there are things going on in your psyche and your soul and your subconscious mind that obviously you're not even aware of. And so these things really do attract certain. It's. It's just like doing therapy work, right?
If you're working with this belief system, and let's say that that belief system comes from a young age of I'm not good enough, right? That's in your subconscious, and you're going to continue to attract that lesson every single time.
So I think that our does, in our subconscious, in our psyche, does warehouse a lot of belief systems. And we are coming from that belief system without even the knowledge of it. And we attract a lot of what we bring into our lives.
Melissa
00:34:17.825 - 00:34:55.142
That brings me back to what you were sharing earlier, the example about the lawyer. Um, it sounds like maybe you're saying he had this idea of what he should be because of social expectations, and you kind of helped him figure out.
I guess my question for him, for you, about him was, did he stay in lawyer work? Was it about the fact that, like, I felt like you were saying it didn't have to.
It didn't really matter so much what he was doing, but how he was going about doing it? Did you. Did he stay a lawyer and just change his thoughts and ideas around it? Or he actually, like, have a different life journey?
Laura
00:34:55.198 - 00:36:04.865
Oh, yeah. From there, completely different direction. He was. Oh, wow. He actually was actively suicidal for a little while there.
And he was able to really get knee deep in the work that we were doing. And he just completely changed his life. I mean, from. He was living in Louisiana and he ended up moving from Louisiana and he is now a ceremonialist.
So he actually journey. He does soul journeys in Mexico. And I laugh because it's so different from what he was doing before.
Groups of people who, like, from the US that come and will take them to Mexico and he'll do ceremonial work with them. And he's gotten really deep into learning about plant medicine and taking people through these journeys. It's pretty amazing.
So when you ask that sometimes you can stay in the same career, right.
And change your perspective on the career but if you really do a deep transformational work of getting to know your internal medicine, a lot of people, people change their life completely.
Melissa
00:36:05.725 - 00:36:06.905
Interesting.
Samantha
00:36:08.575 - 00:36:37.495
So I want to see, and let's see where this goes.
When you said that everyone is everything and that you can help teach people how to become anything, how to become a tree, how to become an animal, what does it look like? Can you explain to us and walk us through how you would teach someone how to be a tree? Like, what does that look like?
And what does someone typically expect experience from that and maybe walk us through it?
Melissa
00:36:37.535 - 00:36:38.115
Sure.
Laura
00:36:38.415 - 00:36:39.955
So that's a really.
Samantha
00:36:41.375 - 00:36:41.879
It.
Laura
00:36:41.967 - 00:37:56.755
It. There's. There's this classic answer where it says depends, right? In that if in there, that's fair, like the answer to everything.
Well, you know, it depends. And so you're asking me a question for someone that's imaginative, that I don't even know who, I don't know what their barriers are.
But I'll take you through like a, you know, a classic, A classic. Becoming a tree.
Basically what it is, is if I were to take somebody to feel and become the energy of a tree, it would probably be because they needed to be grounded because they're probably a little bit spacey, right? And a tree is a very. It's rooted, it's in the ground. And so the tree has chakras like we do, right?
So you have the crown chakra, you've got the third eye chakra, the throat chakra.
And so usually what I'll do is I'll take somebody out on a walk and if they're very spacey and they're very like, they can't keep their feet on the ground and they can't be grounded. We'll go on a walk and I tell them, okay, I want you to just find a tree that you really like.
Have you guys ever gone out in nature and been like, oh, I don't know, I really like that tree? Something about that tree.
Samantha
00:37:57.495 - 00:37:58.751
Yes, I do all the time.
Laura
00:37:58.823 - 00:39:43.115
So I would have them go out and they pick a tree and first thing I'd have them do is just look at the tree. Just like observe it. Just. What do you like about it? Look at the leaves. Look how tall it is. Connect with it. So that first one is awareness, right?
Awareness of what's in front of you, right. Really looking. It's so rare that we actually look at something instead of just. Just were just so true, observant.
And then I'd have them go up and touch the tree, right? And go feel the energy and Close your eyes and see what you're picking up from that tree. It's really amazing.
You're bringing me to a woman that I worked with, and she was having a really tough time in her life. She just went through a divorce and kind of lost.
And we did the tree, and she went up to the tree and she put her hands on the tree and she said, oh, my gosh. I don't know what it is, but I feel like a ton of sadness from this tree. Like, it's. I feel like there's a lot of grief here. I don't know why.
And I said, okay, keep. Stay with that. I was like, just. Just feel it. Just be with it. Don't. You don't need to change it. Just be with a tree.
And she started crying, and it was almost as if the tree was allowing her to release her own grief. Right? Yeah. And then I said, okay, now I want you to connect with each chakra of the tree.
And I kind of showed her how to do that, and she was able to bring that energy in. And I said, don't worry, no one's going to look at you. I'm here. If people look at you, that's their own shit. Like, don't. Just. Just pay attention. So.
Because we're so self conscious. Right. About what we're doing here.
Melissa
00:39:44.135 - 00:39:44.615
Totally.
Laura
00:39:44.655 - 00:40:57.243
And so she's doing this energetic exchange, and then she wraps her arms around the tree. And she was like, oh, I feel like this tree is my friend. And I said, can you allow yourself to become like, the tree rooted.
And she took off her shoes. Like, she just did all this instinctively took off her shoes and she was with the tree.
And she was like, oh, I feel so good and so grounded and completely shifted her energetic state. Yeah.
And the marvelous about this is we, after we did the shifting of the energy because she completely shifted the way that she was feeling just with the tree. And we were walking and there was a plaque on the. It was a huge tree. There was a plaque on the other side of the tree.
And it was a tree that had been memorialized for a person that had passed. And there was like a bench there with a little. And she said, oh, my gosh.
Do you think the grief I was picking up from the tree was maybe other people coming and, you know, crying over the person that had passed? I said, oh, I bet. So. So energy is everything. We are energy. We can pick up on energy. We can transpose our energy like she did with the tree.
And so I hope that answers your question. It's a little bit more complex than.
Samantha
00:40:57.259 - 00:41:41.825
That, but yeah, it does. No, that is perfect.
My question to that, though, would be, when you're describing the situation like this is perfect to visualize and understand what's happening. And I love it. I love it so much.
With the example that you gave us, it kind of feels like, to me that maybe when she starts connecting with the tree, it's a mirror of what emotion was actually needing to come out of her. How does that.
How do you know that you're picking up on the tree sadness and what the energy of the tree is versus knowing that this is just a mirror of what I needed and that you're just finding that outlet, if that makes sense.
Laura
00:41:41.945 - 00:41:42.385
It does.
Melissa
00:41:42.425 - 00:41:45.177
I actually have a thought on it, too, but I want to see what Laura says.
Laura
00:41:45.241 - 00:42:09.015
Well, I think that that's the point of doing the work, is that the things that we see out here are actually the things that are going on in here. And so when she said grief, right.
I knew that she was having this internal experience with her own grief because she was able to identify the grief outside of her. So.
Melissa
00:42:09.435 - 00:42:09.963
Gotcha.
Laura
00:42:10.019 - 00:42:37.185
So I guess the answer to that question is anything that we see out here that we think, oh, I bet that that's what's happening. We're just connecting to our own emotions around what's going on. Right. And in neuroscience, that's actually.
We're using something called mirror neurons when we do that. And people with autism don't have a whole lot of mirror neurons, so it's really hard for them to relate to somebody else's emotion.
Samantha
00:42:37.265 - 00:42:45.845
So does that mean she was drawn to that tree because they were relating, Their neurons were relating? Is that kind of what you're saying?
Laura
00:42:46.385 - 00:42:52.045
No, I think she was drawn to that tree because she needed that experience with that particular tree.
Samantha
00:42:54.005 - 00:42:54.805
Okay.
Melissa
00:42:54.965 - 00:43:15.149
So I was actually kind of thinking in the line of. In the vein of what Sam's talking about.
I didn't think of it until she asked the question, though, when you were talking earlier and you said, we are everything. Like, she is part of the tree. The tree is part of her. So, like, all of the things that you were saying, Sam, and Tell me.
Samantha
00:43:15.157 - 00:43:17.389
If I'm wrong, Laura, I see where you're going.
Melissa
00:43:17.437 - 00:43:18.545
You see where I'm going?
Samantha
00:43:18.925 - 00:43:19.757
Like that.
Melissa
00:43:19.821 - 00:43:29.489
I think that she was able to pick up on whatever that tree was putting out because of the energy, because it's also part of her. And then she was finding that same thing inside of her. I think that's all of it.
Samantha
00:43:29.537 - 00:43:30.185
Oh, wow.
Melissa
00:43:30.265 - 00:43:30.849
Yes, all.
Samantha
00:43:30.897 - 00:43:31.601
Yes to all.
Melissa
00:43:31.673 - 00:43:32.805
That's how I see it.
Samantha
00:43:33.185 - 00:43:35.645
Is she now shamanized? Is that a word?
Melissa
00:43:36.945 - 00:43:40.089
Am I wrong? Laura, though, please do put me. Put me down on my place.
Laura
00:43:40.177 - 00:43:54.085
The way you two balance each other, like one of like Sam is like concrete and analytical and then you're very abstract and like. Yes, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yes, exactly.
Melissa
00:43:58.025 - 00:43:58.585
Okay.
Samantha
00:43:58.665 - 00:44:09.201
It's exactly how we are. She's trying to free me up from my boxes and I'm trying really, really hard. And then sometimes I have to be like, whoa, whoa, whoa.
We need to focus here. Yes.
Melissa
00:44:09.233 - 00:44:17.739
She helps me come down and be grounded from my spacey ness. So, yeah, we're pretty lucky to have each other.
Laura
00:44:17.867 - 00:44:19.575
Each other for sure. Yeah.
Melissa
00:44:21.915 - 00:44:22.895
Thank you.
Samantha
00:44:23.195 - 00:44:30.731
Oh, I love this conversation. I swear to God, every fucking conversation we have with everyone, I'm like, this is the best conversation ever.
Laura
00:44:30.803 - 00:44:31.155
I know.
Samantha
00:44:31.195 - 00:44:32.795
I can't get any better. They're the best.
Melissa
00:44:32.915 - 00:44:43.807
Yeah, I feel that way too. You know what, Laura? Maybe your energy and our energy, like you, it was. We were brought together because we needed you. Absolutely.
Laura
00:44:43.911 - 00:45:12.395
I think so. Yeah. I really. I always say yes to doing these sorts of things because I always feel like they're meant to be and they're supposed to happen.
So I think so. Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah.
And it's been a while since I've been able to like, really talk about like the details of the work I do because, you know, most people want like an outline of what you do, but they're not like asking these like specific questions. So I love talking about this. Yeah.
Samantha
00:45:12.475 - 00:45:13.011
Thank you.
Laura
00:45:13.083 - 00:45:13.531
I.
Samantha
00:45:13.643 - 00:45:25.819
For me, like you said, I. I need to understand the actual in depth details of like, what the experience means for me to be able to grasp and picture.
So these examples are perfect for me and you.
Melissa
00:45:25.987 - 00:45:42.011
You talked about mirror neurons, but I wanted to know more about. You said you work with clinical mental health, you work with a shamanic practice and you work with the neuroscience side of things.
So I did really kind of have a little bit more of some interest in hearing about the neuroscience side, if you wanted to share.
Laura
00:45:42.083 - 00:45:46.095
Sure, yeah. Is there any specific thing that you want to know about it?
Melissa
00:45:46.395 - 00:46:16.051
Yeah, I'm kind of curious, like, because I feel like now this is probably my confirmation bias wanting to kick in. Like, I feel like I believe in a lot of energy things and then I want the neuroscience to back it up and tell me I'm right.
So I don't know if it's really about that though. Like if I really take my confirmation and my own ideas aside or put those aside. What Is the neuroscience aspect of it as a standalone maybe.
Laura
00:46:16.123 - 00:48:00.523
Yeah. So that's one of the really thing things that I love the most about my job is being able to have this spiritual awakening or spiritual experience.
And then they're like, what happened? What was that? And I can really tell them what happens from a neuroscience perspective.
So, for instance, with the shamanic journey, which I was talking about earlier with the flight of the soul, my instrument that I love to use is the drum.
And the reason I love the drum so much is because when you're hitting the drum over and over again, you're creating an alpha brainwave form in the brain when you first start the drum process. Okay. What happens with our brain when we hear a frequency? Our brain wants to mimic it and match it.
So, yeah, so if we listen to music, our brain is attempting to match the frequency of the music. It's why a song gets stuck in your head, right. And you listen and you. And you sing it all day.
It's because your brain really paired with that frequency. And so when you're doing the drumming and there's that alpha brain waveform, when they get into alpha is a state of relaxation.
So that means that they're starting to get into a meditative state. Now the drum, you go into theta brainwave. Theta is high brain creativity.
It's whenever we are in actually in REM sleep, But it's also whenever artists are creating something, you know, and they're in that highly imaginative, creative space. So the theta then go, their brain starts to match that theta, and they go into what I call a trance state. Right. And this is not hypnosis.
Melissa
00:48:00.619 - 00:48:00.875
Right.
Laura
00:48:00.915 - 00:48:14.995
This is much different than hypnosis because hypnosis, you're kind of suggesting to the client where they need to go. Whereas a trance state, they're going anywhere they want. It's almost like a dream state. That's the best way I can describe it.
Melissa
00:48:15.035 - 00:48:18.953
It's like, oh, that. I feel like some of my meditations end up that way.
Laura
00:48:19.089 - 00:48:19.961
No, no, that's okay.
Samantha
00:48:19.993 - 00:48:20.705
Yeah, that's perfect.
Laura
00:48:20.785 - 00:48:33.445
Because it is a meditate. It's a very highly meditative state. And so they go into this trance state. It's almost like a dreamlike state. Right.
Other people would define this as lucid dreaming, if you've ever heard of that term.
Samantha
00:48:34.665 - 00:48:37.377
Yeah, we did an episode on that and it was very.
Laura
00:48:37.521 - 00:48:54.609
Oh, yeah, very cool. So you go in and I'm continuing to play the drum. And I play the drum until, you know, my shamanic ancestors tell me to stop.
So sometimes I'll be there for three hours. Okay. DRUMMING it just depends on what, how long.
Samantha
00:48:54.777 - 00:48:56.005
Like literally.
Laura
00:48:56.345 - 00:49:01.497
Like literally, I'm literally. Yeah. DRUMMING DRUMMING Bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum.
Samantha
00:49:01.561 - 00:49:01.825
Okay.
Laura
00:49:01.865 - 00:51:12.635
Yeah. And I guide them in the beginning too. Like we'll do like a guided relaxation and then we'll go on a journey.
And that's something else that I just, I'm kind of a vessel in those moments. So I will guide wherever my, my guides tell me to go. My ancestors, they're all different from one another.
I've never done a journey that was exactly the same. And so depends on the energy I'm picking up from the people. Sometimes I'll do 20, 40 people at the same times, and sometimes I'll just do one person.
Just depends. And so the neuroscience behind that is that theta brainwave form picks up, Right. And then you start to go into that dream state.
But it's a very spiritual occurrence where they're seeing imagery, they're experiencing different experiences that need to be had. Like, I did a journey last Friday and there was a woman there who came face to face with the lion.
And then the lion went inside of her body and she became. And she said, I could feel the power and the strength. And I saw her like kind of moving her body on the mat in a way that was like pretty cathartic.
And she was like, oh my gosh. And she was, you know, she was crying because it was such a beautiful spiritual awakening for her.
And so we can have all of these different experiences happen, but what happens when we get out of a journey like that is our brain wants to make sense of it, which is totally great. Right, okay. And so when you come out of a journey like that, you. I usually sit with people and ask them what symbols came up.
Because in shamanism, different symbols can mean different things. Like the energy of the lion is of course, power. They are the king of the jungle. So it's being able to step into personal power.
And so, yeah, I can keep talking about this, but wow.
Basically you can describe what's happening with the brain while somebody goes into a shamanic journey and it just validates their experience completely.
Samantha
00:51:14.175 - 00:51:26.787
That is. So that's the science behind it. Yeah, yeah. How your brain is responding.
So what you were describing, is that the same, this journey, is that the same as the soul flight, sending the flight, or the soul on a flight?
Laura
00:51:26.811 - 00:51:28.843
Uh huh, yeah, yeah. That's a shamanic journey.
Samantha
00:51:28.899 - 00:51:30.895
Okay. And then.
Melissa
00:51:33.315 - 00:51:47.111
Can I ask a question? Yeah, quick question I was going to ask is the Flight of the soul. A journey that you take to try to find out what your purpose is in life.
But then I'm thinking, well, maybe you take it for lots of different things that you're trying to figure out about.
Samantha
00:51:47.143 - 00:51:50.463
Yourself, like what you're missing, what you need.
Laura
00:51:50.639 - 00:51:51.783
Yeah, it could be anything.
Samantha
00:51:51.879 - 00:51:52.183
Yeah.
Laura
00:51:52.239 - 00:51:55.703
Be no reason at all. You just want to go on a journey and see what comes up.
Melissa
00:51:55.759 - 00:51:57.727
But really.
Samantha
00:51:57.911 - 00:52:09.075
Okay, how does she know what the lion was for her? Was that, like, how, how do you, how does she know that the line was saying she needs to take power? Or how do you know that it was saying that.
Melissa
00:52:10.215 - 00:52:25.575
Oh, I have a really good. Okay. When we were doing our lucid dreaming episode, Sam had a dream that we were kind of analyzing. And one of the things in it was snakes.
And if you look it up online, everyone says, oh, snakes mean this, this, this and this. And it was all negative connotation.
Samantha
00:52:25.655 - 00:52:29.271
I mean, someone's snaking in your life basically. Right.
Melissa
00:52:29.343 - 00:52:32.847
But for Sam, snakes don't have that connotation.
Samantha
00:52:32.991 - 00:52:33.599
Alligators.
Melissa
00:52:33.687 - 00:52:34.519
Alligators. My bad.
Samantha
00:52:34.567 - 00:52:35.975
Uh huh. Yes, alligators.
Melissa
00:52:36.015 - 00:52:55.175
So she's not scared of them. And so how do you kind of hear, like, help somebody figure out what something is supposed to mean to them?
Like do you just kind of ask like questions or do you listen to your spirit guides say, hey, maybe a lion for her means this?
Laura
00:52:55.635 - 00:53:29.581
Yeah, so I, I go into a highly intuitive state when I do these things. So absolutely, my guides are always with me, even with every client that I have. And my intuition is on, on point there. But yeah, some meaning.
You know, like actually a snake in shamanic medicine is actually transmutation, which is transforming into something completely different.
So if somebody were to see that symbol of a snake, it would be you're transforming into like there's a highly transmuting power going on in your life right now where you're changing.
Samantha
00:53:29.653 - 00:53:33.485
And there was. That's true, there was.
Laura
00:53:33.565 - 00:54:46.131
Yeah. And alligator can, in shamanism sometimes means fear. So I always tell people to go off of what your symbols are.
So for instance, a long time ago, I had a woman journey and she saw chocolate in a lot of her. In a lot of her journeys and roses. And so if you pair those two, two things together, they actually mean a maturation into womanhood. Right.
And she said, yeah, but my grandpa used to always leave me roses and chocolates when I was little. So that symbol for her was like more about her grandfather, not about the classic symbol.
So you always want to go off of what your symbols are inside of You. And to answer your question, okay, usually your soul knows what this is about anyways.
It just takes a little bit of interpretation and sitting with it. So I believe that the person always has the answers to their symbols. Like, no person can tell you what your symbols are. You know what they are.
You just need to have somebody help you uncover them.
Samantha
00:54:46.203 - 00:54:46.795
That makes sense.
Laura
00:54:46.835 - 00:54:47.195
Yeah.
Melissa
00:54:47.275 - 00:55:04.081
Yeah, I love that. I was kind of thinking while you were talking, so just because everyone is so different, that made me think of finding your medicine.
So it sounded like you were trying to tell us something about that being everyone has their own medicine. Can you describe what that means?
Laura
00:55:04.153 - 00:56:14.501
Yeah, I think that each human being, we have something that's really unique, that is our purpose and what we're supposed to be doing. And it doesn't only have to be career, it can be having a child. And you're. You need to raise this child in a certain way. Right.
But our medicine, like I said, it's as. As intricate as your fingertip. And I think that we're supposed to expand the way we do things in different ways.
You know, like, I could have decided just to be a straight up clinical mental health therapist, and I would be fitting into this box that it's. That's been replicated where somebody comes and sits on the. You know, on the sofa or the. And I just listen to them talk.
And they teach you in school, when you're in school how to do this, right. You take the words that they say and you just. Just regurgitate it back and you tell them what emotion they're probably experiencing.
And that can be very helpful. I'm not trying to discount that because obviously that's a skill that's very helpful, but a lot of people build a career out of that.
Instead of, like, what's unique to you and your soul and your heart that you can do, that's completely different than anything that's ever been done before.
Samantha
00:56:14.613 - 00:56:15.149
Right.
Laura
00:56:15.277 - 00:56:16.317
Does that make sense?
Melissa
00:56:16.381 - 00:56:23.261
Yeah, I like that it does make sense. I think it's kind of. Kind of part of the journey of this podcast.
Samantha
00:56:23.333 - 00:56:30.085
I think it's. Yeah. And I think it's everything that we talked about, the finding your medicine. It's everything that we talked about in this episode.
Melissa
00:56:30.985 - 00:56:55.743
Yeah. Yeah. I was just kind of thinking also along the lines.
I was thinking along the lines of sometimes thinking there's something that I should be doing, and I don't know what it is.
And I feel like in the beginning of the podcast journey, Sam was kind of there, and I feel like every episode, you Seem a little more clearer on the mission. Yeah. Like, where you're going and what you want to do.
Samantha
00:56:55.799 - 00:56:57.079
Yeah. Mm.
Melissa
00:56:57.207 - 00:56:58.863
But it's interesting.
Laura
00:56:58.919 - 00:56:59.567
Yeah.
Samantha
00:56:59.751 - 00:57:05.191
It has definitely been an evolving experience. This podcast for.
Melissa
00:57:05.223 - 00:57:06.127
Learned a lot.
Laura
00:57:06.231 - 00:57:06.915
Yeah.
Melissa
00:57:07.415 - 00:57:08.395
But, yeah.
Samantha
00:57:08.855 - 00:57:09.615
Is there.
Melissa
00:57:09.735 - 00:57:14.839
Is there anything that you feel like we didn't touch on that you want to hit before we say no?
Laura
00:57:14.887 - 00:57:22.967
I think you guys did a great job on asking me specifically. It was really great. I loved being on today. Thank you so much for having me.
Melissa
00:57:23.031 - 00:57:25.875
You're amazing. We are very curious people.
Samantha
00:57:27.575 - 00:58:09.337
Yeah. This definitely fed a lot of curiosity, and I really felt it.
And like I said earlier when we had our little pre interview and we're talking, my brain was literally like a cd, skipping, going, what? You can't. Well, you're not giving me an outline, though. Like, I need help. Like, I need help. I need, like, details on what we're talking about.
And you're like, no. Oh, no. Intuition. Like, my intuition will tell us what we're talking about. Like, it is fine. And I didn't stress about it. We got off the phone call.
I'm like, shit, I don't know how to feel about this. I feel very underprepared. And then today, like, we sat down, I go, melissa, four questions. That's all I got. We're going with it.
And I wasn't stressed.
Melissa
00:58:09.521 - 00:58:17.647
Oh, good. That means. I feel like. That means she felt, like, some calmness and security and talking to you, Laura.
Samantha
00:58:17.791 - 00:58:18.303
Yeah.
Laura
00:58:18.399 - 00:58:24.663
Yeah. I'm so glad. I love just seeing where we go, you know? And I think those are the conversations.
Melissa
00:58:24.719 - 00:58:24.999
Yeah.
Laura
00:58:25.047 - 00:58:28.951
Being able to, like, see where we flow. And I feel like you asked a lot of.
Samantha
00:58:28.983 - 00:58:29.463
Yeah.
Laura
00:58:29.599 - 00:58:40.235
Like, specifics. Like I said, that's great to ask, but it's.
They're hard to describe, but at the same time, once you describe them, then people are like, oh, that's what you mean when you say that.
Samantha
00:58:41.665 - 00:59:04.073
Yeah.
And I feel like I was able to experience during this interview and conversation, like, actual, like, energy flow of sorts because, like, I actually feel, like, spent. Like, I actually feel like, oh, I was feeling things.
I was exploring being curious, and now I'm like, now I just need time to just sit in it for a minute and just really think about what we did here.
Melissa
00:59:04.209 - 00:59:23.427
Yeah. Yeah. I feel. I definitely had some feelings, too. Like, just really, like, strong, goosebumpy style. Yeah.
When you were talking and I felt like you were speaking some truth. Are you taking on clients just for our listeners who may want to end up maybe doing a shamanic journey or something with you.
You said you do a lot of zoom.
Laura
00:59:23.531 - 01:00:15.705
Yeah, yeah. Calls and stuff.
I'm being very specific on who I take right now because I'm so busy, but I am taking on clients as far as, like, parachutes and workshops. And I have a lot of speaking engagements coming up where I'm starting to speak more out at conferences.
And so, yeah, I would love, if anybody is interested to follow me on Instagram @DFW spirituality altogether, like Dallas Ft. DFW spirituality. And if you're listening and you want to drop me a message, you know, you can also email me at DFW spirituality mgmtmail.com and my.
My lady who helps me will get it, but she'll. She'll kick it over to me so I can respond.
Melissa
01:00:16.325 - 01:00:17.385
Oh, awesome.
Laura:
I had so much fun this morning. Thank you too. So much.
Melissa
01:00:20.757 - 01:00:30.601
It was beautiful. Thank you so much. Laura, if you liked what you heard today, hit that, like, button or the subscribe button or whatever button it is that you hit.
Samantha
01:00:30.663 - 01:00:37.973
Have just hit it. To continue this conversation with us, join the Skirts up show on. What. What is it again?
Melissa
01:00:38.029 - 01:00:49.509
Well, we have Facebook, we have YouTube and Pinterest. And no, we do not have a Pinterest, but we have Instagram. You knew what I meant. Rate and review.
Samantha
01:00:49.677 - 01:00:50.645
Rate and review.