What Is a Shamanic Meditation — And Why I Use It Before Breathwork
Before almost every group breathwork session I facilitate, I guide people through a shamanic meditation.
It’s one of my favourite parts of this work because time and time again I witness how something so simple can become profoundly healing.
Every group I hold has a different theme — rediscovering your worth, letting go of anxiety, meeting your grief, surrendering control — but the truth is, the body always chooses what you actually need.
I’ve had people book simply because the date suited their schedule and tell me beforehand, “I don’t really resonate with this week’s theme.”
And then… during the breathwork, or while sharing afterwards, something lands.
Boom.
They realise that theme was exactly what they needed.
I love this about breathwork. It gently brings the unconscious into consciousness. It reveals what has been sitting beneath the surface waiting to be seen, felt, acknowledged or released.
And often, the shamanic meditation is the doorway into that process.
So, What Is a Shamanic Meditation?
For me, a shamanic meditation is a guided journey inward.
I use the rhythm of the drum to help guide people into a light trance state. The drum has a way of bypassing the overthinking mind and softening resistance. It helps people let go of the pressure to “do it right” and surrender into the experience.
From there, I guide participants into their inner world.
Sometimes they find themselves walking through nature.
Sometimes they are guided down a path, into another realm, or into a castle filled with rooms waiting to be explored.
And within these spaces, people begin to meet aspects of themselves.
They may encounter:
A younger version of themselves
Someone from their past
A forgotten memory
A moment that shaped their life
A feeling they never fully processed
Or even wisdom waiting to be remembered
I always encourage people to become curious.
To ask questions.
To listen.
To speak to the version of themselves they meet.
To offer compassion where there once was confusion, shame, fear or pain.
What continues to amaze me is what surfaces.
Memories people had completely forgotten.
Moments they suddenly see differently.
An understanding of why someone behaved the way they did.
Or a deep recognition that they have been carrying something for far longer than they realised.
And once something becomes conscious, it can finally begin to shift.
Bringing the Journey Into the Breath
After the meditation, we move into conscious connected breathwork.
This is where people are invited to breathe with whatever arose during the journey.
Sometimes the drum returns during the breathwork itself, helping people reconnect even deeper with their body and emotions. The rhythm becomes an anchor — something ancient and grounding that supports the release process.
Not everything needs to be analysed.
Not everything needs fixing.
Sometimes healing is simply allowing yourself to fully meet what is there.
To feel it.
To witness it.
To breathe with it.
And from that place, something begins to soften.
So Simple. So Profound.
What I love most about this work is that it doesn’t require people to have all the answers.
You do not need to be “good” at meditating.
You do not need experience with breathwork.
You do not need to force an outcome.
The body already holds immense wisdom.
The breath simply helps you access it.
And every single time, I am reminded how profound healing can be when we slow down enough to listen.
Join Me for an Upcoming Group Breathwork Journey
My group sessions are intentionally intimate, with only 4 participants per group, creating a deeply held and supported space.
Each session includes:
✨ A guided shamanic meditation
✨ Conscious connected breathwork
✨ Drum medicine woven throughout the journey
✨ Space to share and integrate afterwards
If you’ve been feeling the call to reconnect with yourself, release what’s been sitting beneath the surface, or simply experience the wisdom of your own breath, I would love to welcome you into the space. 🤍
Blessings,
Shanie
