Hidden Talents at Village
Meet Lisa S., Shamamamma
Perhaps you know Village parent Lisa S. for her incredible event-planning skills — her ability to elevate any party. From Village’s spectacular first Valentine’s Dance (complete with husband DJ Steve) to the End-Of-Year picnic to a farewell bash at the camping trip that was the talk of the town, Lisa brings her personal style and flair to most everything she does.
But what you might not realize is that Lisa is also a modern day Shaman. Using ancient spiritual traditions to restore physical and emotional well-being, Lisa brings balance and connection to others.
Lisa graduated from The Healing the Light Body School, and completed multiple advanced trainings in spiritual and shamanic healing methods. She was initiated into shamanic energy medicine practices in 2009 and received the full rites of the Inka Shaman in Peru from the Q’ero elders. Lisa always had an interest in spiritual practices and studied world religions in college, but it was about 8 years ago, when she when to hear a speech by Alberto Villodo (a psychologist, medical anthropologist and author), that she became awakened to the traditions of medicine men and women. Since then she’s had several teachers and mentors in her journey. Explained Lisa, “After I started this journey, spiritual leaders around the globe started falling into my life. It was amazing actually.” In addition to Villodo, Lisa was influenced by many more leaders in African Sangoma and Orishia traditional medicine.
Shamanic energy healing is an ancient healing tradition used to address imbalances on every level. The energy medicine that Lisa works with is based on Peruvian Inca traditions, which acknowledges that we all have a “luminous body” — an energy field that encompasses our entire body. When we have difficult emotional experiences or trauma, it creates dense energy in the energy body. Lisa’s guidance releases these dense energies by holding “sacred space” and calling in all that can heal, such as ancestors, nature, and the healing energies that surround people.
This practice is not religious. Though spiritual in nature, it supports all religious traditions. A person seeking spiritual healing through a Shaman does not have to understand or believe in these concepts for it to work, but must have the mindset of shifting into a sacred journey.
“Energy healing has profoundly impacted my life,” says Lisa. “A Shaman can enter a person’s life at a time of trauma, or after a series of smaller events, and helping to restore a person to their spiritual whole is very meaningful.”
Blocked energy can also manifest itself in symptoms such as fatigue, conflict or lack of harmony in relationships, negative thinking or creative blocks. Helping to heal can be a very rewarding process for Lisa, who loves seeing the profound effects of her work.
Whether through a Soul Retrieval, which reunites fragmented parts of your soul, or Remote Healing for those unable to meet in person, Lisa says that people experience a more harmonious feeling in their homes or businesses, improvements in their relationships, more relaxation and less stress.
“While my life is full on many levels, I found that I yearned for a deeper human connection,” said Lisa. “Through a series of experiences I uncovered that I have a natural gift for healing that I now share through shamanic work.”
Q&A
How did you first become interested in spiritual healing? What drew you to it, and what was your experience like?
I’ve always had an interest in spiritual practices. I studied world religions in college and had many experiences when I was younger. About 8 years ago, I went to see Dr. Alberto Villodo (shaman) speak in Colorado, and during that time I had an awakening, which led me down the road of study and exploration. Along the way, I started studying with the Four Winds and other modalities. Once I opened to this experience, I was introduced to many leaders in their fields of healing. It has been an incredible experience and I feel blessed that this has come into my life.
Did you have a mentor or someone who taught you?
Since opening up to this new life, I’ve been led by many teachers and leaders, primarily Dr. Alberto Villodo, Anand Mehrotra, Sadhguru, Khen Rinpoche Lobzang Tsetan, and many more African Sangoma and Orishia traditional medicine.
Can you share more about the practice of spiritual healing?
Shamans work with the whole person and what came before the initial ailment. Where western medicine looks at the ailment, the Shaman goes to a deeper place of initial trauma and releases the energy behind what is going on for a more complete healing. Western medicine goes hand and hand with shamanic medicine. It brings a link to ancient, ancestral knowledge, bringing balance back to the earth and back to where our own individual souls reside.
What happens during a session?
We sit together for a bit and we talk and feel into what’s going on. Then, for a first time session, the person would lie on my table and breathe deeply while I go to work on the energy body. People usually feel a lot of movement in their bodies while the healing is taking place. Each session is very different. I work with what is going on for each individual.
What would bring people to one of your sessions — what types of things would they be experiencing in their lives?
People come to see me for many reasons. Anxiety is a big one. People also come because they are wanting to feel better, heal, remove trauma, or just live a better life. I help people develop a deeper connection to themselves and others who want to shift their energy so they don’t get triggered in the same way. I’ve seen many people’s lives change after just a few sessions.
How did you come up with the name Shama mamma?
That’s funny — I was really skeptical when I went to school to learn this medicine. I didn’t really want to share my name at that point, so for me it was well “I’m learning to be a shaman and I’m a mom?” Shama mamma.
