SHAKING AS MEDICINE or healing through ecstasy to awaken from our unconscious state of being

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1 SHAKING AS MEDICINE or healing through ecstasy to awaken from our unconscious state of being by Sadhya van Os Article published in Dutch professional magazine for Naturopaths, VAKBLAD VOOR DE NATUURGENEESKUNDIGE issue 4/10 November 2010, number of readers 7,000 In issue 3/10 of the professional magazine for alternative healing Ria Teeuw has written about several forms of meditation which are excellent for modern man. In this article I would like to zoom in on one of the active meditations that were mentioned in her article: shaking or bringing your body in a deep state of trembling, an ancient method, which is being used successfully since about 15 to 20 years by Ratu Bagus, an enlightened master from Bali. SILENT MEDITATION TECHNIQUES Meditation is traditionally seen as sitting silently while observing the phenomena that arise in consciousness with or without making use of visualization, a mantra or another form of focusing the attention so that finally the focused attention may submerge into that which is always present: our essence, the source, the divine, the light, atman, the unspeakable or however it has been named. This is a very valuable pathway, and meditation has meanwhile been widely accepted as a means towards relaxation and a way to prevent and cure diseases. More and more people appreciate its value, even health insurance companies have started to refund the costs for people who participate in meditation courses. Silent sitting, peace and doing nothing is one side of the coin of being human and the self healing capacity that we all carry inside of us. The other - equally valuable side to promote healing is the arousal of the life force in the body, the mind and the soul. Life energy moves between these polarities, so we need to take both sides into account when we investigate how a human being can come to healing and balance. For modern man it is often an impossible, time consuming and frustrating task to sit still, because we are so full of stress and tensions. Many people also live - energetically speaking - on a very low level, because they are centered in the head and the emotions, which accompany the thinking, with all the obvious consequences for the body. Thinking forms a very tiny part of being human and of what we potentially - can be. Let me say that I have no objections to thinking, except that thinking has become the master in our lives instead of a very valuable servant. THE TWO POLARITIES OF ENERGY

2 Doing something active alternated with being inactive and restful has proven to be a valuable and successful way to transform restlessness and stress into silence and balance. Osho was the first person in my life who made me aware of this. He worked very consciously with these two polarities: his active meditation techniques which combine Western bio-energetic methods with Eastern forms of meditation meanwhile have created a revolution around the world in the field of inner growth. His methods are being used in many ways all over the world, in companies, schools, prisons, spiritual centres and you name it. Shaking is part of his famous one hour kundalini meditation, which consists of 15 minutes shaking/trembling, 15 minutes let go into dance and spontaneous movements, 15 minutes silent sitting or standing and listening to music with a high frequency and 15 minutes lying down, just being and watching whatever takes place. SHAKING, AN ANCIENT TRADITION Like other forms of active meditation, shaking tackles both the issue of stress and tension as well as the low energy level people often experience. It is in fact a very simple method whereby the body is brought into intense shaking or trembling. Shaking has been used down the ages by tribes, cultures and different spiritual traditions and is a way to wake up our life force, our bio-energy and to tune ourselves to a universal energy, grow in awareness and come to the realization of that which we truly are. Shaking is therefore an invitation to let go of the control of the thinking mind so we may access our inner capacity for ecstasy, to open ourselves to other dimensions and realms that feed our humanness. In his book Shaking Medicine (2007, Destiny Books, Vermont), Bradford Keeney a systemic theoretic and psychotherapist, professor in marriage and family therapy and Honorary Senior Research Fellow of the Rock Art Research Institute at the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, as well as an initiated shaman and healer writes extensively about the cultural and spiritual traditions spread around the world in which shaking is used as medicine. Since about 36 years he practices what he calls the shaking medicine and he received initiations and teachings from the Kalahari bushmen in Namibia, the Shakers of St. Vincent in the Caribbean, the Guarani Indians from the Amazon, masters of the Japanese healing tradition Seiki Jutsu, and he has been recognized by elders from all over the world as shaman and healer and holder of the sacred power. His book shows that throughout the ages shaking has been used in different ways: some traditions tend to regulate the process of shaking whereas others leave it completely free, all depending on the surrounding society and its rules, laws, values as well as the hierarchical structure. FROM CONTROL TO ECSTASY Shaking is a way to come to a state of uninhibited passion and free expression of our ecstatic nature.

3 As soon as we reach a high frequency of being, illnesses of the mind, the body and the spirit, which always have a lower frequency, start to disintegrate and disappear. This loss of control is for some an enormous attraction and a deep longing; for others it is a reason to avoid this way of working with oneself. But it is exactly that loss of control which brings freedom and makes fundamental healing possible. Both Ratu Bagus and Bradford Keeney are in favour of allowing the shaking to be completely free, although both find it important that the shaking happens with a focus, as I will explain later in this article. It is in this way that the life force can be free to create whatever is needed for healing to occur on all levels of being. The fact that shaking and moving in a free, uninhibited manner is a taboo for many people even today, is for the major part due to the fact that many groups in the past who practiced shaking, were opposed, persecuted, imprisoned and sometimes even tortured by the establishment and the institutionalized religions, as Bradford Keeney mentions in his book by highlighting different examples throughout history. Also scientists who did research on the workings of shamanistic rituals, like the Bushmen in Namibia, contributed - in their ignorance and misunderstanding of what was taking place - to the stigmatizing of ecstatic forms of healing ceremonies by calling them expressions of disturbed, crazy people, even assuming these people were possessed by evil. In addition to the above, some people object to shaking because it might stimulate the kundalini energy to such a degree that it could disturb the energetic balance of the one practicing the shaking. Of course too much of one or the other is never a good idea; however the fact that you are moving you are shaking! - is in itself a guarantee that the kundalini energy can be transformed in a safe way. Osho used to say about his dynamic meditation that the very fact that you enter your inner madness in a conscious way is a guarantee that you never go crazy. As soon as the life force starts to flow freely, she can purify and renew us, give us insights, and heal us from all kinds of diseases, physically, psychologically and spiritually. In this process qualities like unconditional love, joy, ecstasy, sexual strength, connection with one another, with the earth, nature, our divinity, peace and silence are regularly experienced and these experiences find their expressions in numerous ways: through dance, ecstatic movements, through expression of all kinds of sounds, screaming, laughing, crying, lying down or sitting in silence. JOURNEY AROUND THE WORLD AND MEETING WITH RATU BAGUS In 2008/2009 I traveled around the world. It was a healing journey that followed on a deep crisis and break up of one of the most important relationships in my life. During these travels I came in contact with shamans, healers and spiritual teachers from South America, New Zealand, Australia and India. My journey also brought me to Bali and the ashram of Ratu Bagus, where my life took a one hundred eighty degree turn. On his website I saw there was a schedule of three times a day three hours of shaking and I knew Oh, my God! that I was about to start on a

4 very profound journey. I was at a point in my life where I knew: it is now or never! So, I took the chance and went for it. I ended up staying two months in his ashram and during this time I cleared many unresolved issues. Most importantly, I started to love myself really for the very first time. As soon as Ratu greeted me near the entrance of the ashram, where he happened to be, I knew instantly that again I was meeting an enlightened being, someone who radiated such a joy, light, silence, unconditional love and wisdom, that all I could feel was a deep love, respect and gratitude: I was in good hands. In the course of time I got to know Ratu as a true shaman and healer, someone who has access to enormous healing capacities and applies these powerful energies in such a way, that it never takes away the responsibility of the shaker or meditator. FOCUS In his ashram shaking happens with the accompaniment of inspiring music. While shaking, the attention is focused by looking at a picture of him, and speaking the mantra: Om Swastiastu Ratu Bagus. This mantra means: I greet you great soul, I bow down to you great king. In other words: may that small I dissolve into the universal consciousness. So, it is a deep intention to awaken from our deep unconsciousness. As I am writing this, I realize that some readers might start to feel a certain resistance: looking at a photo of Ratu Bagus and saying his name, it appears you have to adore Ratu Bagus. Let me assure you, that this is not what Ratu is about. The photo s, sometimes showing him with a smile or closed eyes, sometimes pointing a finger in your direction, are only mirroring your state of being in each moment. The photo of Ratu seems to mirror each movement in consciousness in a perfect way, because the mirror itself is empty. Of course it is wonderful to look at his face, especially if you feel a connection, his face shows so much inspiration and unconditional love. By the way, that too is a reflection of the one who is looking. Ratu Bagus is against people adoring or worshipping him. His only wish and intention is that those people coming to see him shall wake up and realize their true nature! THE POWER OF LOOKING To give you an example of what the photo can do for you: Often when I was shaking for some hours, the feeling arose that it was enough, I was finished and just wanted to go sit on the toilet or drink some water, in any case find an excuse to be able to stop. I would then ask the photo to give me energy, focus and the courage to continue, and within minutes I was shaking again, full of energy, or I would encounter the pain I so badly wanted to run away from. Although it appeared that the photo gave me that energy, I actually asked my inner being or inner master to generate energy, courage and focus. By looking at something or someone intently, which in India is known as tratak, one can explore and experience the depth of one s being. In fact you do the work yourself. Ratu often says: I can only help you if you yourself do the work and shake... AND THE MANTRA

5 As looking at the picture helps to focus the attention, so does saying the mantra Om Swastiastu Ratu Bagus, because you have to breathe in and out to be able to speak the mantra. Saying the mantra invigorates you with the intention of wanting to wake up. HELP FROM RATU BAGUS Ratu Bagus walks around in between the shakers and oftentimes helps you in exactly the right moment to give you that little push to really encounter your pain or to dissolve it, or burst into laughter and take yourself less seriously. Ratu offers inspirational talks at the end of most shaking sessions and he speaks and responds to the issues that are actual in this moment. Also he works with people to show them what he means by the life force. His way of working is filled with humor and wisdom, whatever he says always hits the target. Having said that, it is my experience that I can feel the life force wherever I am on the planet. All it takes is my attention, intention and willingness to open the door and keep it open. SHAKING: A METHOD OR NOT? Shaking is aimed at arousing your spontaneity. Life energy is spontaneous, moving energy; that is why it carries the name life energy. This energy expresses itself differently in each person, all you need to do is follow yourself and no one else. Shaking often moves into surprising and spontaneous movements that seem to arise from a deeper place inside: sometimes you may find yourself spinning around, whirling, rolling over the ground, screaming, laughing, crying, singing, jumping with the control of the rational mind completely gone, while at the same time being fully conscious. Other times you may feel a very deep silence or ecstasy. All these inner and outer movements are expressions of the soul liberating itself, letting you do exactly what is needed to experience that inner freedom and releasing any old baggage. One could call shaking a non-method, because it is all about your process, which is always unique in each moment, duplicating it is impossible. The flexibility which I have started to experience both inside as well as physically have gained me many compliments about my young looks, even though I am only 54 years. PROCESSES AND HEALING CRISES Through shaking many processes start happening, oftentimes very uncomfortable. For example there was a time I could not eat for four days. Seeing food almost made me vomit. Meanwhile I continued shaking every day and after some time that nauseous feeling would disappear.

6 I met a woman in Bali who started to get a really painful rash on her hands. She had been smoking for years and stopped while in Bali, and now through the shaking this smoke - energy found a way to leave her system. A year later I met this lady again during a retreat with Ratu Bagus in Rome. She used to be quite large and now she had lost a lot of weight. In fact she had become a totally different human being, fluid, playful and soft. People told me they have healed from allergies, fears, aggression, depression, heart problems, addictions, osteoporosis, illnesses of the immune system and so forth. Bradford Keeney also mentions in his book several cases of healing through the shaking medicine. FINAL GIFT On the last evening of my stay in Bali, during the shaking, Ratu put smilingly a cookie in my hand. Just these last days I had started to feel rather sick again and even though I used all my energy to speak the mantra and to focus and shake, I honestly felt too weak to shake that evening. I was finished, or so it seemed. As soon as the cookie landed in my hand, I was suddenly pervaded with an immense powerful energy and my body started to spin so fast, that my thinking could not cope and my mind let go of all control. The energy completely overtook me and I shot like a comet through space and started to experience an incredible ecstasy. The sense of having a body was completely transcended. All sickness disappeared; suddenly there was only light, openness and liberation from any kind of worry. This made me see the freedom that I am, and with this insight I burst into laughter, fell on the ground, jumped up again, started to whirl again, there was simply an endless source of life energy available, moving me, regardless of what was happening to my body. I realized in that moment that I am this endless source of life energy and that this inner freedom is always present, no matter what challenges I am faced with. SHAKING IN PRACTICE: A MONEY SAVING ALTERNATIVE I often advise clients who come to me with back and neck problems, have pains in their joints or suffer muscle pain, to shake and to do it daily and start with 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes in the evening. For people who sit a lot or stand a lot, or feel low energy and tiredness, this is a fantastic thing to do in order to give the body a new impulse and be refreshed. All my clients benefit from this practice and have helped themselves get rid of all sorts of complaints. That is what I love about shaking: it empowers the self healing capacity and this is what naturopathy is all about for me. The only contra-indication I see thus far is for women who are pregnant less than three months. I have seen pregnant women shake until just before the childbirth, considering the fact that they shake as vigorously or as softly as they feel to do.

7 I suggest people to always follow their intuition and listen to what the body indicates. Shaking is for the practicing naturopath a wonderful thing to do in between sessions, or to start and/or end your working day. Shaking can offer a real alternative for all sorts of medications. Whenever a client wants to get into this shaking medicine, I always say to them to consult with their doctor or naturopath to see if they can diminish or even stop their medication in a safe way. Let me say that many people have been able to stop taking their medication altogether. A real money saver. For shaking you do not need much: interest, a CD-player, music which activates and stimulates you to shake, a space in which you can move, and a (big) photo of Ratu, or you could even use another focus which feels good to you, as long as it inspires you to shake. You can shake at home or in a group. You can go to Bali or see Ratu Bagus in Rome where he gives a retreat twice a year. If you feel drawn to shake, I suggest you participate in an introductory evening or afternoon before embarking on this journey by yourself. It is a well-known fact that meditating in a group is very inspiring and motivating. Our classes and training of Ratu Bagus Bio-Energy Shaking Meditation take place every Friday at 7 pm Venue: SOLAROM Octagon at Karuna Flame Holistic Health Centre, Cloonloo, Boyle, Co. Sligo, Ireland You can call Kris for directions at For more information about shaking, Ratu Bagus, and classes in different parts of Ireland you can visit