At the beginning of my apprenticeship as a Shaman, I moved to a very remote little town where the healer I had been referred to lived. I spent six weeks there training with him. Almost every day, I would visit him, and we would just talk. Sometimes we would take walks; other times, I would help with simple chores typical of rural living. During my time with him, I had the opportunity to ask many random questions that later on in my journey proved to be key. One of those questions was what he would do if he found himself lost in an unknown, faraway forest. He replied that first, he would center himself. He would make sure he was sound of mind, pure of heart, acting with free will, and aware of where and when he was. Next, he said he would salute and honor the place and all the energies that composed it. He mentioned that he would talk, sing, pray, clean up, etc. The actions matter, he said, but your intentions are far more important. Lastly, he would listen and pay attention. He emphasized that our external world is always communicating with us, always sending us signs to point us in the right direction.

About a year later, I got lost in a Guatemalan jungle while searching for a specific Mayan ruin. I was alone, and three hours into the jungle, I only had one hour of sunlight left. I remember that my inner fear was the hardest energy to control. The thoughts of “What if…” and “What am I going to do if…” were the most distressing. I managed to calm down and reminded myself that regardless of what was happening, I was fine. Within a few minutes, a crow appeared and perched on a branch about 15 feet in front of me. I walked towards it, and then it flew to the next branch. I followed it again. We continued this for about 40 minutes, and eventually, I found my way back to a path that led me to a place where I could find transportation back to the town where I was staying.

Regardless of your path in life, there will be times when you will get, or at least feel, lost. From my personal experience, I’ve realized that this is one of the ways we explore new possibilities and outcomes. It is absolutely no fun to find yourself in an environment or situation where you are completely disoriented, but you are not truly lost. You have yourself; you have your mind, your heart, your will, and you have the moment and place you find yourself in. Coming from this acknowledgment, you will also have what surrounds you as an ally, even if it doesn’t seem that way at the beginning. We aim to achieve a state of stillness so that we can recognize the signs that will point us in the right direction. If you can’t discern any, then that means to keep doing what you are doing. Life as we experience it here is a means for your inner evolution. Wherever you are and whatever is happening around you or to you, the main objective, just like in nature, is to seek the most light. Be illuminated, be brilliant, and become a beacon of light.

Please, take a moment to think about a time when you felt completely lost, and then share the story of how you managed to find your way.

Note: In Andean Shamanism, rituals and prayers begin with aligning oneself with the seven directions: 1. Centering Oneself 2. Father Sky 3. Mother Earth 4. Family in the East 5. Family in the South 6. Family in the West 7. Family in the North.

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