“without this work, I don't think I would be moving as well as I am!! Thank You, Nina!!!

This training has changed my life and opened me up to many different ideas and options that I never even knew existed. I have learned about myself recently and Thank You Both so much for the work that you are doing!! I have to say the 3 days of discussing Narcissism. opened my eyes and allowed me to finally realized that my mom is a narcissist and I live with her!! My whole life I walked around feeling bad because I didn't understand why things were the way they were and literally Friday I realized this !! Devastating!! Eye Opening!! and allowed me to understand myself and others so much better. I have realized that a lot of people that I have in my life are Narcissists. Super disappointing but made all the sense in the world after realizing it. Thank You This Helped me so much with understanding myself and others!! Overall this program introduced me to an innate healing power that we all have and reinforced my beliefs about money, Love, and healing!!! Best Class I've taken so I'll do it again and again!!! I Love you both!!”

“The process of the training during the past nine months together with the other work and
training and I have been doing as well as everything that has happened to me in my life feel
like part of one big training, the school of life is teaching me in finding my soul essence again.
At the time when I decided to take Jaguar Path, I was at a major turning point in my life. In the
past 18 months, I had been pushed through a major releasing process that included a big
breakup, the completely unexpected death of my mother, and taking care and finding caregivers
for my now 96 years old father with dementia. Additionally, I had lost my job in the event
industry, which I liked, due to the Covid-Crisis. So, I just knew that I was
about to do something completely different but did not know what.
Through all the trouble, I had also started to become to get in touch with my strong sense of
intuition, which guided me very clearly to the Jaguar Path through all kinds of different
signs. I was planning to sign up for a different training. So the impulse to sign
up for this training was very spontaneous, without knowing what to do with it. However, I
was sure that it was the right decision even before the training started, especially after
having seen the video of Nina and Ray, who felt so familiar to me.
Since then, I have continued to shed layers of my belief systems and traumas as well as
discovered that my whole way of thinking has always been shamanic in a lot of
ways, I just did not know that it was shamanic, as much of the thoughts and beliefs just seem
natural to me but did not seem to fit in the mainstream way of thinking. Another important
the aspect of the process that I really liked was observing how all the people in the training
developed and balanced out their female and masculine energies as I feel this very intensely
at the moment.
I feel like all of the tools have resonated with me, the ones that I feel most drawn to at the
moment is the I-Ching, Adrenal Decoupling as well as the Power Animal Journey.
The I-Ching
Since we learned the I-Ching in our training I have been consulting it almost daily. I love its
mysterious answers, which almost seem to capture a broader perspective of the context of the
question and why I asked it. I have also invited friends to ask questions and offered them my
help in interpreting answers. I mostly use the Online-I-Ching, but now also have a book with
the Chinese characters and like to look them up as well as each character is a little picture in
itself.
It is very interesting to me that I like the I-Ching so much now because I had known of it
since my childhood. My mother was originally from Taiwan and we spent most of the
summers during my childhood in Taiwan with her big family. In Taiwan, it is very common to
consult fortune tellers as well as oracles of all kinds, among them of course the I-Ching. My
mother sometimes tried to explain it to me, however, I have always had a huge resistance as
those sessions always turned into hour-long monologues of hers, explaining the meaning of
each Chinese character and then getting angry at me for not knowing them.
After having worked on my relationship with my mother I could finally release my resistance
and am happy to have finally found my connection to this beautiful tool.

What I loved especially about the way we learned the I-Ching in the Jaguar Path was that we
pronounced it the English way, ‚Ai-Qing‘ (instead of Yi-Jing in Chinese), because ‚love‘ in
Chinese is pronounced‚Ai-Qing‘ as well.
Adrenal Decoupling
Adrenal Decoupling is the tool I have used most in practice with other persons until
now. I very much agree that most of the people in the western, but also the eastern world
live in a permanent state of fight and flight, including myself. I now even realize how stressful
it is to engage in normal city traffic that includes cars and other loud machines. So I found
out that I myself as well as many clients or practice partners are mostly in a state of stress
when we arrive somewhere from the outside. Thus, I have used this tool almost always as a
start in all shamanic practice sessions I did. I have also used it with coaching clients when I
felt that they were very nervous. I love how the tool instantly calms people down.
Also, I love to use this tool with partners I get physically intimate with when I sense that they
are mentally and emotionally scattered. As a result, I have realized that it totally changes the
whole tone in which we interact with each other as we are much more interacting from our
own selves and less from a place of roles we play and are much more aware of it. Adrenal
Decoupling also increases the flow of energy between that are then much more in sync and
perceive sensations more intensely.
Power Animal Journey
The Power Animal Journey not only resonated a lot with me, the tool as well as the whole
Jaguar Path also helped me to rediscover my love and interest for animals. Although having
grown up in the city without a lot of animals around, I have always had great compassion
for animals - actually so much that I it always felt wrong to me to hold them as a pet or to sit
on one of them like on a horse because it just felt wrong to use animals as humans’ helpers
or for our entertainment. As a result, I did not have so much interaction with animals other
than dogs and cats.
I am so thankful to the Jaguar Path that it helped me to remember how awesome and
powerful animals are and that even watching documentaries about animals and watching the
birds in my surroundings make me very happy.
When I journeyed myself during the meditation my Jaguar came to me and has not left my
side since. I call it for support in challenging situations and it instantly helps me to remind
me of my real me and to be more confident. I have practiced this tool with some friends, who
liked it a lot as well and I also just love telling people about the Journey and the
wisdom of animals.
Conclusion
Last but not least I would like to mention Tai-Qi and the wonderful effects it had on me. It
helps me so much to center and feel myself. I could never imagine myself doing Tai-Qi as it
felt too slow, but I really discovered that this is exactly what I need and that helps me to
ground myself.
Now that the nine months of the training have concluded I feel so much gratitude for Ray
and Nina, the other members of the group as well as all the great energy we created. I feel
like the training was just the beginning of something that is yet to come. I am so grateful for
having learned tools to help myself and others discover themselves and for having had the
chance to share views and practice with people on the other side of the world and to
become one community. It helps me a lot to know that there are more like-minded people in
the world.

Shortly after the start of the Jaguar Path I also started a one-year training as a coach for love,
sex, and relationships. The training is based on tantric and Taoist teachings and its content
and tools complement the Jaguar Path really well I am already using tools from both
trainings during my practice sessions.
So altogether, the training was so valuable to me on several levels as it taught me tools to use
in my work as a coach, brought me in touch with a wonderful group of people and helped
me on my path to rediscovering myself and the role of humans on our planet.”

“A Journey to Connection
I first learned of The Jaguar Path while attending a zoom call organized by Ubiquity University. Upon hearing about the possibility of becoming an Earth Keeper, I was enthralled. As a disenchanted interior designer, my path over the past few years has been increasingly spiritual and nature-oriented. Becoming an Earth Keeper seemed like a beautifully evolving next step in my connection with nature. What I have absorbed as my most meaningful lessons over the past 9 months had mostly to do with energy and the transformation of personal energy. While we made connections with power animals, and earth materials and I felt a true connection to the ritual of opening sacred space, I have to admit, around the 5-month mark, I was longing for more connection with the spirit of the land. By the end of the 9-month certification what I have realized is that each of us will learn from this course what it is we are searching to find. My interpretation of what Ray was searching for was not only healing from cancer but from placing some of the importance of being, upon things that in the end may not matter or may even be harmful to us. We each have a wound to heal. The tools I most connect with to heal my wounds are Tai Chi, I Ching, and Word Deconstruction.

I first learned Tai Chi over 20 years ago from an 80-year-old master while living in Southern California. Having practiced for only a year, and not being in the same state of mind I am now in my 50s, I found Nina’s Tai Chi one of the greatest takeaways from the training. Slowing down enough to let the body sway like bamboo or move hands as clouds put me into such a meditative state that I am able to think more clearly and without judgment. Incorporating weekly practice into my morning routine has strengthened my mind-body connection, brought peace and balance to my daily life, and allowed me to trust more in sensing the external energies I sense with my body.

I was fascinated the first time I was exposed to the I Ching and got to use it. Although I feel this tool accesses the mind energy as opposed to the body energy, as a journaler I enjoy the contemplation aspect of connecting with the Divine. What I find most interesting is the opportunity to ask a question of a neutral party and receive ancient perspectives to embody and interpret. While I am familiar with basic Feng Shui, I did not know of the connection with I Ching, the Bagua, and the elements, and I look forward to learning more and applying it when working with land and environments in the future.

The words we think and speak create the reality we live in. For me, word deconstruction is such a valuable tool to help others, and myself, transform the words we tell ourselves from self-judging to self-liberating. Incorporating the different body movements from a snake belly to belly with mother earth, through the jaguar’s cat-like movements, to the condor's flight of freedom, all while allowing the words to flow freely is while a bit awkward, also capable of producing those a-ha moments. Being witnessed while working through the power of this tool is probably the hidden gem. I found that when I was the client, I was lost in finding words and once the words were repeated back to me I could feel into the transformation and the possibility of new words and stories.

In addition to all the tools I learned in this training, I also learned to pay attention to resistance. As a tai chi practitioner, I was able to see that my expectations were hindering my perception. Once I let that energy pass through I was able to see that I too am a bridge. I learned I could use this toolbox to become an earth keeper by my own definition and terms. In my terms, it means listening to the land, the animals, the insects, the plants, the rivers and oceans, the wind, the mountains, and the energy of the earth, to be an advocate for earth and her beings AND a mediator between humans and earth when moving forward with how we live upon Pachamama.

Favorite Quote from the training:
“Now that your ears have heard it, your heart will respond.”

Thank you both for all you have shared and are bringing forth into the world, Tami ”

“Over the past two decades, I received a very strong calling to explore the world of spirit,
energy, and the people of indigenous nations. Without a doubt, I know that this world
holds the key to my path and my mission. In answering that call, I have attended
numerous classes and seminars, including the study of shamanic traditions and
methods through various means, including several residential and online courses.
Although I had looked into several extended, advanced courses in other shamanic
schools, I chose the Jaguar Path, because I know that Ray and Nina Crist are masters
in their field, and they teach with great heart, passion, and a dedication to preserving
the traditions and tools of the Q’ero Nation. I love the class size and the structure, which
brings a level of intimacy and direct connection. I love that direct access! What a gift
that we can ask questions directly of Ray and Nina, and that we can connect directly
with the other students. Just as importantly, the Jaguar Path offers that same ability to
learn directly from the Pacos themselves, and I have had the privilege of developing
personal relationships with our beloved elders, Don Francisco, Dona Juanita, and Don
Wilbert. What an amazing opportunity and gift!
It’s difficult to select three tools out of our long list. However, in keeping with this
assignment, I choose these three tools as my favorites:
• Chakra Illumination
• Adrenal Balancing
• Word Deconstruction
Chakra Illumination:
I like the idea of narrowing what can be a long story into one word. It brings us to the
essence of the pain. Not only is that a valuable thing for the client to see, but it is also a
very useful tool that we can use with ourselves: what is the core issue of our pain?
Additionally, I think it’s very therapeutic to have the client blow that trouble into the
khuya. It gives them such a tangible means to give an exit to or release from that pain.
Finally, as the healer, we assist the process by pulling the energy out of the affected
chakra with our rattle. I see this tool as the one being the most engaging, thorough, and
foundational of them all.
Adrenal Balancing:
In today’s world, many of us live in a super fast lane, at a super fast pace. It can be very
difficult to slow down and disconnect from that frantic pace. The adrenal balancing is
something that can reconnect the human heartbeat back with the heartbeat of
Pachamama. It helps the client to slow down, and brings them back into rhythm with
nature. For several years I had been doing some energy work with veterans with PTSD:
in my understanding, it’s a condition wherein someone is stuck in fight-or-flight mode.
Unfortunately, the program is temporarily on hold, however, I’m really looking forward to
using this tool on these veterans, as I feel it could assist greatly with their healing.

Word Deconstruction:
I was unsure about this technique until recently during one of our break-out rooms. I
was guided to use this tool with my partner. It is so interesting to see how our
subconscious views a word, the energy behind it, and the path that the subconscious
mind follows. I was particularly moved by the emotional release that this client
experienced after having worked her way through the deconstruction of her word. It
struck me then, the power of this tool.
The tools we have been learning have been so simple yet very powerful. As I see how
they work for the client, I see what they teach me about myself and my own patterns as
well. The more I delve into this path, the more excited I become about the wisdom and
the knowledge that I acquire. In everyday life, I find myself thinking about and applying
the things I have learned in this course to everyday situations. Without a doubt, I know
that humanity as a whole needs to embrace these ancient traditions and lessons as
they hold the key to our survival on this planet. These ancient traditions have so much
to teach us about living a more compassionate life; one that is in harmony with the
planet and the universe of all life. Finally, I cherish the connections that I have made
with Ray and Nina, the other students, and the elders. You all are life-long friends and
family now!
Thank you, Ray and Nina, for all that you both do and bring to the training. It has been a
pleasure and an honor to follow this path with you both!

An article I was asked to write:
You must give before you can receive!
With much love and gratitude to all my teachers in this lineage: Ray (founder) and Nina Crist of the Jaguar Path; along with Don Wilbert, Don Francisco, Dona Juanita, and Don Pasquale, elders in the Q’ero lineage.

Last weekend I completed my nine-month class with the Jaguar Path Shamanic Training. In the training, led by Ray and Nina (with many guest appearances of the elders), we studied many healing tools and traditions from the natural way of life of the Q’eros. We also explored living with great reverence and gratitude for our beautiful planet and all life. We celebrated with a graduation ceremony and were initiated into the lineage as Pampa Mesioks or Earth Keepers.

In preparation for the ceremony, Don Wilbert, an elder of the Q'ero Nation, and one of our teachers drove up into the Andes to bring Don Pasquale back to Cusco, so that he could participate in our graduation and initiation through Zoom. Don Pasquale is the elder of the elders, so it was quite an honor to have him officiate our ceremony.

Before our initiation, we all participated in a Despacho. A Despacho is a ceremony that is integral to the Q'ero way of life and their beliefs. The Q'ero uses a variety of ingredients that have been precisely chosen as a means of showing gratitude to Pachamama — Mother Earth. In return, one asks for healings, blessings, abundance, love, or knowledge.

Despachos are always created with reverence and love, as the intention is to create ayni or to be in balance or right relationship with Mother Earth. As such, great care is taken in gathering the ingredients as we want to honor Mother Earth with the highest quality. After all, she supplies us so abundantly with everything that we need.

There are many types of Despachos or rather many different occasions for which one might want to offer a Despacho. The Q'ero offer a Despacho to receive blessings for all the important moments in life: birth, marriage, a new home, graduation, a big trip... Additionally, the elements that one uses in the creation of the Despacho vary and depend upon the occasion to be blessed.

I've seen several Despachos created, but what stood out the most for me in this initiation Despacho, was this simple phrase, this simple lesson, from the elders: You must give before you receive!

Imagine a world where we all showed more gratitude and reverence for all that our great mother, Mother Earth, provides for us every day, in every way.”

“I chose to take this training because after completing The Four Winds Society’s Energy
Medicine Course I realized that my inner healing was not complete and instead of repeating the
same material with the same teachers I felt it would be beneficial to receive training from another school with a different perspective. I met Ray and Nina at Deva Premal & Miten’s
Gayatri Gathering and made an immediate and strong connection. When I learned they operate
a shaman school I knew Spirit made that connection for me.
When I discovered the two programs basically came from the same lineage I thought it would be
a review of the same tools just from a different teacher, but I've found fundamental differences
that are well-suited for me. Without going into detail about the differences, I'll just say the Jaguar
Path protocols and methodologies put more control and emphasis in the client's hands, where
the healing actually lies. And this really resonates with me.
The three tools that most resonate with me are Chakra Illumination, Cord Cutting, and Soul
Retrieval because I feel these have the most 'bang for the buck. Most clients I have encountered need all these tools.
Chakra Illumination can be used to relieve the client of the stress of carrying traumas stored for
long periods of time or those recently acquired that haven’t had time to imbed too deeply to
cause long-lasting problems. The procedure is simple and quick and the client usually feels the
effect immediately. The times I have received Chakra Illumination I always felt a clearing, a lightness, and left feeling refreshed.
We all carry heavy energy from toxic relationships from the past and present. Until we learn to
not accept and take on others' toxicities, Cord Cutting is an effective tool to release energetic
connections to those toxic relationships. I was able to release unwanted energetic connections
from my own past relationships and that has allowed me to move forward with fresh energy
unencumbered by the drain and strain from unknown sources.
Soul Retrieval is one of the most rewarding tools we have to work with. The process involves the
client more directly and their participation is more impactful. The client has usually been holding
on to the experience of the incident most of their life so when relief is realized it is felt deeply.
After experiencing several soul retrievals, I personally felt the freedom of releasing old contracts
and understanding how important this tool is.

It has been my intention from the moment I committed to studying Shamanism to live my life as
closely as possible to what I believe it means to be a ‘Western’ Shaman. This is, of course, very
different for everyone. For me, it means ...
- to live as simply as possible, without many of the conveniences of western technology.
- to live as close as possible to Mother Earth and her plants and animals.
- to consume only the purest, unprocessed foods and leave no trace on my path.
- to be an Earth Keeper, to be a steward of our Planet, to protect our Home.
- to serve those without the means to pay mainstream fees, to receive an exchange based on
the client’s perceived value of the treatment, whatever they can afford, with whatever
they have - money, eggs, potatoes, a chicken, a poem, art, etc. :)
- to become no one.
- to always be in service.
During a two-week jungle dieta in Peru with Noya Rao and Aya, I received the message to also
be trained in sound healing and breathwork. I have since received those trainings as well as
facilitating Cacao ceremonies. What the Jaguar Path has provided is a framework within which I
now incorporate these other modalities in the same construct of sacred space and healing. I
often offer a power animal journey or another shamanic journey with sound healing to enhance and deepen the experience. Cacao is such a powerful plant medicine ally. When offered prior to a healing session, the heart-opening and self-connecting traits of Cacao allow the client to
more quickly and more deeply invoke their inner healer to receive the work.
Several years ago I began the journey to “find my true self”, my purpose, and why I am here. Such
a cliche, I know! Ha. I did make that discovery, but finding it and living it are quite two different
things. So began my journey to “Live my True Self” or “Avasan vaH jivatma” (almost became a
tattoo :) It was during the Jaguar Path ‘gestation’ that I was able to purge the remaining ‘big’
hurdles blocking my progress and grow into my true self. A self so different from the former one
that I barely remember him.
The integration of Taoism, Chinese medicine, Ayurveda and Tai Chi with Shamanism is so
unique and adds so much to the program. The healer’s harmony of Mind, Body and Soul is the
foundation of healing. If any are out of balance, the healer experiences tension and distraction
and is less effective. I’ve learned so many daily mantras, exercises, and routines to achieve this
harmony that I can’t remember them all. Tai Chi seems to accomplish this, so aside from a few
of my favorite rituals, it will be my primary daily routine to bring harmony into my life.
My personal mission statement is: “Helping others reach their highest potential.”
My personal vision statement is: “A world with less division and more harmony.”

Ray and Nina, I have so much love and gratitude for you both. Your degree of professionalism,
attention to detail, and love for your students and each other sets you apart from other teachers I’ve
had. You make serious work fun. You make nine months go by very quickly:) I look forward to
many more months and years of learning, expanding, and retreating together.
Enjoy BEing”

“It’s hard to describe what this journey has meant for me and what skills I find most useful in the
context of a five paragraph essay. I feel like there so much to say! This shamanic training has been
vitally important in providing knowledge and support needed at this point in my spiritual journey. I am
very grateful that the Jaguar Path in general, and this Shamanic Certification training in particular came
into my life when they did. It was tricky narrowing this essay down to three tools to focus on. I chose Tai Chi, I Ching, and Soul retrieval, but Chakra illumination, Power Animal Journey, and Passwords
were close contenders and I’ve found all the tools we learned to be useful.
Tai Chi has been enormously helpful in my life! My first experience with Jaguar Path was taking
Tai Chi with Nina and I remember two things I noticed right away first when an energy block would be
clearing my arm would shake so badly I’d try to keep it off screen so others wouldn’t see, and secondly, I
noticed times while not doing Tai Chi that I couldn’t detect any tremor in my hands, which was awesome
because I’ve had hand tremors since birth. I started to think of my body as a conduit of energies and
realize I could work with that. This was so important because in early 2021 I started having experiences
where my perceptions, especially my physical perceptions of energy felt extremely magnified. When
energy would surge, I would experience prickly sensations all over, feel and hear electric zaps,
experience tremors and my phone and computer would flicker and audio distortion would occur. To say
it was disorienting and uncomfortable at times would be an understatement! Tai Chi helped me learn to
work with chi and with my energy channels. It helped me discharge excess energy which was a huge
relief! The tai chi we have done during Shamanic Training has helped me further develop ways to
balance and move energy. I routinely use tai chi exercises during my day to balance my own energy. I
also have shown clients how tai chi can quickly calm the nervous system. This has been especially helpful
for some of my clients with PTSD who spend a great deal of their lives in chronic fight or flight mode. Tai
chi continues to be a blessing in my life in many ways and it is a tool I am eager to share with others.
I had no prior experience with I Ching before this training, but I felt immediately drawn to it and
have used it every day since it was introduced in training. I value it as a resource for advice and
predictions, but there’s more to it than that. The reflective questions stay with me throughout my day
gently shifting my perspective and helping me break out of rigid and unhelpful thought patterns and
behaviors. It helps me bring into conscious awareness the things that I have been doing unconsciously
so that I can make needed adjustments and not repeat the same painful patterns. I have done I Ching
readings with clients as well and it has helped them see their problems from a new perspective. It
seems to give them increased confidence when they are already on the right path, and other times it
makes clear where they need to let go, move on and stop wasting their energy. Clients have explained
that the feedback they have received from I Ching readings has made sense to them with what is going
on in their lives and has been helpful in making decisions.

Lastly, soul retrieval has been an important tool for me. I was interested in it for a while before
attending Jaguar Path training and I learned a lot from reading Soul Retrieval by Sandra Ingerman. What
I didn’t know prior to the training how to facilitate soul retrieval and I hadn’t been through the
experience myself. It’s interesting to me how this can help people achieve breakthroughs that would
take a lot longer through typical talk therapy. When I work with counseling clients I tend to just briefly
touch on the past event before focusing on the present, because I know how easy it is for clients to get
trapped in stories where they see themselves as a victim and it’s not helpful. On the other, hand I know
a lot of times the person talking about their present problems is really talking from the perspective of
the unhealed parts of themselves from childhood and not as an adult with a fully integrated self. Through
soul retrievals, I’ve been able to reintegrate parts of myself that were previously disowned from my
conscious awareness, and identify and release limiting beliefs or “old contracts.” This definitely is a tool I
intend to continue to use and explore.
This training has helped me continue to learn how to heal and thrive in mind, body, and spirit
and integrate these aspects of myself. This relates to the tools I chose to describe in this essay. Tai Chi
has helped me get into the wisdom of the body and the energy body, and align that with
source energy. That in turn helps me to help others learn to feel safe and secure in their bodies and
work with their energy bodies. The I Ching has helped me to calm and focus my mind giving it a sense of
direction. In this way, my mindset can be in greater alignment with the natural flow of things. Lastly,
soul retrieval has helped me to reintegrate parts of my spirit that were wounded and regain a greater
sense of wholeness and wellness. I am very grateful for the training and guidance I have received so far.
I know the ending of this training really marks a new beginning. I am eager to see where the path leads
next.”

“First, let me say, limiting what I learned about shamanic tools and training to 5 paragraphs will
be a challenge.
The larger, overall concepts I keep coming back to Zero Doctrine, Discernment, and living
from the heart. Also, the frequent reminder, we can ask for support, tools, and help, but for this
shamanic work, we can only heal ourselves, by going deep into the practices and stepping into the
changes we want to become. Like all the other students, I have patterns and issues that keep
repeating. Some I have really released, but a couple of big ones are still a struggle. What I do know, is
that it is up to me….
Another aspect that really works, for both me and my clients, is making the connection
between the shamanic practices and other paths of spiritual/personal growth, like Tai Chi,
Yoga, Doshas, Tapping, I Ching, Shiva & Shakti, and Gods & Goddesses. The integration is so
important and offers more insights and techniques for both myself and my clients.
Surprisingly, the Zoom interactions with Ray and Nina, and the students in the class became
really personal. I made some nice new friendships. I know the pairing was random, but the
universe kept putting me frequently with the same people. I was reluctant to do the practices
with another, but then came to look forward to them, and when I went to apply them with my
clients, I had the confidence and knowledge. Followed my intuition with adaptations for each
client, but I knew the process.
Many of the shamanic practices were reinforcement for what I have studied with The Four
Winds teaching from people who have done their training. I have also traveled to Peru two
times and worked with the shaman there (don Francisco, don Sebastian, don Mariano) I found
your practices added to those, like the Illuminations, Extractions, Cord Cuttings, and the
Chakana. I am also halfway through the Shamanic Reiki Worldwide Master Class, and the Jaguar
Path is 100% complementary and compatible. Love making all the connections! It just keeps
adding, complementing, and guiding me. I learned new techniques from this training and feel it
is just given me more ways to support my clients and myself.

By far, the most frequent tool used is the Illumination process. It seems to be the introduction
for most clients, and the most repeated. I loved looking for emotional words and passwords.
Breathing and releasing into the stone allowed the clients to really let go of the emotion around
their issue, and that continued to happen in subsequent sessions. I added the Adrenal
Decoupling and Rainbow Aura Clearing to many of the sessions. I taught the Adrenal Decoupling
to numerous clients who were experiencing anxiety and stress about an issue or illness. Of
course, about 80% of my client sessions include chakra clearing, with crystals, rattling, and
Reiki.
My second tool is the Animal Journeying and Installing the 7 animals into the chakras. I really
feel a strong bond to the energy transmitted and teachings of these animals. I often call on
them during the day for guidance, support, and direction. I have journeyed for myself for Power
Animal guidance and some animals repeat some are new. The 7 animals really help clients
understand the chakras and how they work. They also seemed more willing to call on the
animals for guidance and thus gain a deeper understanding of their self-healing and
releasing of stressful issues, experiences, relationships, and trauma. Clients also really like the
Power Animal Journey to find their power animal. The transmission is varied: sometimes I
journey for them, they journey with my guidance, or we journey together, which can be both silent
and out loud.
The third tool is, the I ching. I studied the I Ching back in college, (the ’70s) and had not really
used it since. I purchased the book Nina recommended and it is now my go-to for guidance. I
love the tossing of the coins, reading the Hexagram, the analogies in the book, and the changes.
Now I understand and integrate the answers at a new and deeper level. I also really like the
fast and easy asking through the online tossing, although my preference is the spiritual aspect
of coin tossing. I have used it with numerous clients, and they too, really like it. The
hexagram that comes up really answers and supports them, sometimes in directions and
understanding they were not aware of at all.
I want to add a 4 th tool, the Tai Chi. I loved starting each session with the Tai Chi and now can do
the beginning joint and basics of moving energy without instruction. I find it a delightful and
balancing way to start the day, especially when I feel off-center. I really am glad you are starting
the yoga classes back again, as yoga from the Jaguar perspective is my favorite!
This 9-month training has opened both my brain (for the new knowledge about the body and
electrical system and how it works) and my heart, for the constant reminder that all this works
when we are heart-centered. I took notes during the sessions, and every time I re-read them, I
realize the depth of both the information and application. I know I will be continuing to grow
and utilize all of this. I know this has to begin with me and then pass it along to my clients.
Thank you for this 9-month program. Sadly, I will not be able to attend the last session in
person. We have a family trip planned that starts Sat, June 9. I will be with you in spirit and try
to zoom in where I can. I will also be signing up for an individual session. ��
Munay sonqo, horpichai, Judith Andrew”

“Why I chose to take the training
The training came to me! It came at the precise and perfect time for me! I opened an email in December. After reading the email in December I contacted Ray for a private session not for the training. At the time I contacted JP, I felt like my mind and my life were unraveling…..not a good place to be. In the private session, I explained my situation to Ray. I felt like he totally understood what I was feeling and expressing. He got it so accurately, I was amazed there was a man alive in 2021 with this kind of perception! Hahaha! But seriously, I was so impressed with how he spoke, with the session and with our talk afterward. I decided to do the training for personal self healing. The three tools that have been most helpful (though hard to limit to three) have been opening sacred space, cord cutting and Soul Retreival. Jouneying and installing the power animals (not sure this is a tool but something that Ray talked us through) was also significant but I have to cut it off at three!

Opening Sacred Space
While this is not a tool per say, I began opening sacred space every morning as practice. I started immediately after the first training weekend I in December. I was in the Dominican Republic and every morning I get up before sunrise, walk down the beach, and at sunrise, honor the directions, feel the power animals then sit and meditate. The first day I did it to see if I remembered the directions, the animals, the things to say etc After that first morning, it became a practice in itself, a way for me to actually feel the directions, feel the winds and the magnetism in the elements, a way to feel the energy present and available to me, to feel the support of the animals, ancestors etc. I was on the sand feeling the earth, seeing the sunrise while the moon was still in the sky, feeling the wind on my skin. It was incredibly healing at a time when I was feeling heartbreak. I went from feeling I was spinning uncontrollably to feeling grounded, feeling supported, feeling my allies, and feeling safe. Opening sacred space and calling on the directions became the meditation itself, as I really slowed down to feel and savor the elements.

Cord Cutting This was the first tool that Ray used in the first private session I experienced. I felt a change immediately. While we cut cords with one particular person, I immediately felt my perspective change around several relationships. I clearly recognized the ways in which I was running the same stories/patterns with different people in my life. Same pattern, different people. At first, the story ws about the ‘other' people being the bad guys messing me up. Then I became aware that I was the one running karmic patterns. I realized the other players were running my own stories until I could somehow see them for what they were. I felt like all of a sudden after the cord cutting, boundaries came up. Not walls. Boundaries. I say all of a sudden because healthy boundaries became clear and obvious to me. I was in desperate need of boundaries. It was not a struggle to implement them. It was like boundaries were a force field that went up on their own after the cord cutting. Areas that had been leaking energy were plugged up. I felt I could stand up straight and felt my own dignity.

Soul Retrieval- I experienced this one in class and practice, as well as in a private session with Nina. It was an interesting journey each time. I came to see the situations in a different light. I could see how as a child, I had drawn conclusions and written contracts. At the same time, I realized that I no longer needed to do it that way. It was so obvious, so clear, it was a 'no brainer’. I also noted (and this might not be the same for everyone, but was the case for me) that while I had made contracts based on the experience of a child, still they were decisions that I made on my own. Other people benefitted from some of my unhealthy contracts but nonetheless, I was the one who had made those contracts. They were not imposed on me. They were my choice based on what I knew. It was a decision and a choice. Now, through the process, I realized I can make different choices. Once again, I am the only one who can make my decisions. I am in charge of my life. I do not need to continue unhealthy behavior. This has been empowering to make choices based on my current life and let go of the old contracts/ways of being. Several weeks after the soul retrieval with Nina, I was in a pilates class, not thinking of soul retrieval, but my mind had the inspirational thought that I could trust my body and I can trust my decisions. I trust myself and that I am safe. That is a game changing insight.

Summary

The training has been supportive as I have been navigating some painful family dynamics over that last 9 months. Being in the training has been invaluable. I was able to recognize that while painful, I was really tackling Karmic patterns. There was only one thing to do and that was to go through the heartbreaking experiences with an open heart in order to move beyond the patterns and conditioning. The opportunity to check in with other Jaguars, to practice, to learn and to feel supported in the group was a huge part of healing. I appreciate the way the scheduling left time for reflection and connection with others. BOth Ray and Nina are very loving and accepting of people. dFollowing my instinct to reach out and schedule a private session with Ray in December, proves to me that I have good intuition, that I can trust myself, that I don’t need to know everything before taking one step. I have been focused on self healing during the training. The training offered me a different way to be while in the midst of ‘crisis’. These tools provided not a healing from the outside but a profound change from the inside that has created the path to health. Now, I feel ready to be present and offer this to others.”

“I have a deep history with allopathic medicine, having run an Immunology
laboratory for 20 years. However, once I began my career in massage therapy, I
was introduced to the concept of energy medicine as a healing modality. After a
cancer diagnosis, I became even more curious about energy medicine and
alternative treatment regimens. I didn’t opt for a completely holistic treatment, but
I became more convinced that there is a need for the blending of both models as
a tool for bringing a larger awareness to people about the body’s innate ability to
heal and transcend traumas of all types. The TCM and acupuncture courses I had
in graduate school completely aligned with my desire to understand more about
energy and the body. I had heard about the Jaguar Path back in its early days of
creation (2006?), and then again when I started working in the Kripalu Healing
Arts Department. The chance occurrence to have Nina as my Kripalu YTT mentor
in 2020 was an opportunity placed in front of me to pursue more understanding
of how yoga, martial arts, and shamanism are conduits of energy healing, using
the body’s innate wisdom. The opportunity to do the training a second time was
something I couldn’t pass up. Every session I’ve participated in, every time I use a
tool/s, brings me closer to seeing and acknowledging my own unique, innate
power within. It’s an ongoing process.
The tools that I have gravitated to are the rattle, chakra illumination, and rainbow
body. Power animal. I Ching. They seem so basic, yet they deliver every time.

The rattle- I use my rattle to clear old energy and draw in new to any space. I also
use it to clear negative energy away from someone’s body, and in the rainbow
body, to smooth and balance someone’s energy field. I love the way the rattle
makes me feel when I use it. My client always comments on it. Using the rattle
creates patterns of energy movement through sound and motion that smooth out
the electrical transmissions running through space, including the nervous system,
creating balance, and opening the door to harmony within. I use the rattle to lift
and send intentions outward, to open my heart, and to ask for healing. Every time I
use the rattle as a tool to help someone else, it is also creating a healing vibration
within me. I just love it!

Chakra illumination-coupled with word deconstruction: I use chakra illumination
to help guide me as to where healing is most needed in someone. I think this
process helps the client to identify and name a block they are experiencing (I use
the word deconstruction here), and when the affected chakra is identified, it creates
an energetic space within that person to be able to receive the healing and move
past the block. I use this often as a part of a reiki or energy balancing session also.
Rainbow body- Another tool that I just love. I use this in every reiki and energy-balancing session that I do, as well as in Shaman healing sessions. It is so simple, but
profound in the way that it moves energy within the luminous field, clears out old
energy, and creates a balanced energy movement within. I always couple this with
adrenal balancing, since it’s all about the balance of energy, and shifting someone
out of sympathetic nervous system activation into parasympathetic.
There are so many takeaways from doing the Jaguar Path twice. I do not want to
lose touch with this group of healers and wisdom-seekers! Some of the tools I
have implemented in the healing practices I now do routinely. Others I
incorporate or practice with at times to begin to develop my own flavor of a
practice. Many of the Tai chi forms, the jaguar yoga, journeying, and adrenal
balancing I add into my yoga classes, with the thought of bringing awareness to
energy and the luminous field, and ultimately to one’s own inner ability to walk
through life in a healed state. I have much work to do for my own healing and
evolution, and I look forward to finding more and more of my voice and heart’s
desire through these practices.”

“I knew this was to become my direction after hearing Ray at Kripalu a few years ago. I have been drawn
to the Shaman concepts and practices, the wisdom and the work…the absolute magic…all my life. I have
also sat in fear about it all, and I have come to feel free of that now with the Jaguar Path and this past 9
mos. Thank You.
I had out-of-body experiences at a young age, plus amazing animal and spirit(visual) connections that
carried me through childhood. I journeyed in dreams to a tribal ceremony when I was in the Sacred
Valley headed for Machu Picchu many years ago… I was told by an aboriginal medicine man in Australia
that I knew what I needed to do… My Mom was a see-er…we are of native blood, and I am two-spirit.
The Shaman is within me and was without me as I lost my way to addictions and then to busyness.
Escapes? I don’t know. But I do know, I am here now. The training has validated so much for me along
with opening new pathways to seeing and understanding and accepting… I am grateful. The practices
dovetail with my 12 steps and yoga and qigong. The Tai Chi and all else I have learned from you two, and
others in this training, has filled my heart and soul and is evidenced in my daily life. Thank you.
Still finding my way with the tools. As I see things right now, I will use the tools/practices for myself and
with others as the calling emerges. I don’t see myself as a formal practitioner/healer in terms of
“hanging a shingle” ��… but this is now something that I have stepped more fully into. As I continue to
learn, who knows! I do know… I carry it, I share it…I am it….it is me….and it's now comfortable. Feels like
my heart and soul are fuller with awareness and love. I am connected to my world more
beautifully…and to others. My heart has grown more compassionate. I have more clarity. I find Letting
go is so much easier. I have a calmness that I have never had. There is a new quality to my warrioress…a
brighter and warmer light…but mostly there’s a feeling of expansion and depth inside and outside
me…in my surroundings…and in the all elusive concept of time…a greater slowing down(and I already
live on island time! Lol)as the Bear shows me the way …. I am loving it. Living my life as an Earth
Keeper… I am embracing my place as an elder, as a crone, and having a voice of wisdom to share as
asked and appropriate. Discovering, in increasing moments, what it's like to live with zero doctrine….and
craving more. All this and so much more. This has been amazing. Thank you again.
The tools I like and use include cord-cutting. I did this for a friend recently and I will say that it's
powerful to work with others in this way and feel the work as it works. Again, I am finding my way. I
LOVE the I Ching and am using it often, and have shown and done it with others. It's so telling and in such
captivating poetic language. It's fun to figure out the message. But----my #1? Journeying is my sweet
place. I've done a bit of this in the past…Guided, with drums… I melt into those places in every sense.
This is something I want to, and intend to grow. My other true loves: The opening of Sacred Space…the
Tai Chi practices which I have incorporated into my daily practices… Growing my Mesa… Ahhhh..and yes,
sand painting magic. It's all been magic, my teachers…my friends. I am full of Gratitude.
I hope to gather with you in person soon and continue this journey of the jaguar path. I will pop in and
up as I can, on zoom, to continue learning and deepening the connections in this fabulous community of
ours that you birthed.
Thank you, so very very much!”

“Early last November I let the Universe know that I was ready for the next stage
of my journey. A few days later I received an email from Deva and Miten that contained
a link to the Jaguar Path and it strongly resonated with me. I have known that the black
panther was my power animal for years. I have had many inner journeys that featured
shamans across different centuries and varied cultures. I finally knew the significance
and location of the large mountain reaching into the sky that frequently appeared at the
end of my meditations. I wouldn’t say that I chose the training but rather that the
training chose me, allowing me to come more fully into myself and discover more of the
truth of who I truly am. My favorite tools are 1.) Soul Retrieval Journey, 2.) Rainbow
Body 3.) Word deconstruction or Passwords.
I love the Soul Retrieval Journey because it reaches unconscious wounds,
raising them into conscious awareness and providing healing at the same time. In my
experience so far, these are early in life wounds resulting in profound changes to the
individual as healing occurs. When I have done this with friends they not only
experience the healing of the forgotten memory but it is a verifiable event that confirms
for them that the shaman techniques work and builds trust between us. Because you
gave us a method to handle the “no contract showed up” I can approach this tool with
complete confidence and that radiates to the individual I am working with. Physically
destroying the old contract and rewriting it is a beautiful expression of a personal
choice and determination for healing. It helps my friends cement that they are doing
and I am simply facilitating, ensuring there is no power imbalance between us.
Personally, I enjoy that I am able to work this tool on myself. Having experienced the
Soul Retrieval Journey during a weekend session I now recognize the “tug” of an
associated hidden wound when a mistaken belief flits across my brain. I have been
amazed that in the soul chamber, healing tools that are not appropriate for self-use, can
be applied by the divine beings present. I still believe it is important for me to work with
other human healers for my own journey but what an incredible gift to have a tool that
provides access to all the other tools.
The Rainbow Body is a fun tool that can’t fail to leave a bit of sunshine when it is
used. I experience receiving this tool like the sun breaking through the fog. The simple
tools can be quite profound. It is my favorite tool to use when someone is curious
about shamanic healing and is either tentative or inexperienced with energy healing. It is
easily explained with the “dirty windshield” analogy and is completely non-threatening. At
other times I use Rainbow Body when it feels like a healing has been at a very deep
level or relates to a more difficult memory of my client. I find it helps them make a
smoother transition back into this world. I have also used it when friends have showed
up for a session too tired or too stressed for me to use other healing tools that require
more of their input. The subtleties of when to use Rainbow Body or adrenal balancing
is what makes us shamans!

The third tool that resonates with me changes depending on whether I am self-
healing or friend healing. For myself, the word deconstruction is a valuable tool that lets me work easily with a charged word or emotion. I can viscerally feel the word moving in
my body as I shift through the various animal stages. Literally, I can feel the word

moving through my ego self and coming into divinity. The beginning and ending words/
phrases differ but the pattern is always the same; pain is transformed to love and I am
returned to my true nature. Many of the other shaman tools involve an inner journey or
quiet body experience. I love the physicality of animal expression with this tool, especially for strong emotions. For clients/friends, I find that word deconstruction needs
a lot of trust and a very private space, i.e. no possibility of family members overhearing
a zoom session because many adults are extremely self-conscious to let go in the
manner required. Therefore, my third favorite tool for working with others is the
password or reframing. I can use it in session, out of session, with friends who are
consciously following a spiritual path but also with those who aren’t. I can drop it into
conversations with strangers! It gives me an on-the-go tool to help a hurting person
right now. It is both subtle and powerful. As I use this tool in this manner I find that it
really helps me integrate who I am as a shaman. There is not a shaman Linda in a
session and another Linda who walks the world but rather one being who transits both
places.
I have found a tribe where I belong. I have been a shaman forever but prior to
this training, I wore the shaman-like an ill-fitting scratchy cloak. I had difficulty accepting
this part of myself with thoughts like “crazy”, “weird” and “you are making this up”
circling in my head. I was susceptible to the crossed-eyed, rolling eyeballs of others
even as I recognized what a precious gift I had been given. Now I wear the shaman-like
an old, comfortable pair of jeans, soft and supple, flowing with me. I stride
unapologetically in the world of being who I am, neither shouting it out nor hiding it,
simply being me and being of service.”

“I chose to participate in the Jaguar Path training this year to be more effective and
content in my life and to connect with a community of like-minded individuals. I participated in
previous Jaguar Path training and find that each time I engage in the training, I experience
greater insight into the teachings of the Jaguar Path, shamanic tools, and deeper knowledge of
myself. Most importantly, the Jaguar Path changes my way of being in life.
The regular practice of Jaguar Yoga and Tai Chi is essential in life. I find that when I
commit to practicing Jaguar Yoga and Tai Chi consistently, my way of being in the world shifts
and I experience a discernable increase in my energy levels, focus, effectiveness, emotional
regulation, and overall level of contentment in life. I find it easier to let go of what does not
serve me. I become more present and available to others.
Following the principles of Ayurveda and understanding that we are literally what we
eat is crucial. I have found that the food that I consume affects the overall health of my body,
my perception of the world around me, my ability to function effectively, regulate my
emotions, and see the larger picture of life. I have noticed that what I consume on an energetic
level, such as via media or books, is also impactful on my functioning in life.
Cord Cutting is another particularly powerful shamanic tool. Cutting energy cords with
people with whom I experience a negative dynamic or relationship is incredibly liberating. The
behaviors, attitudes, or general demeanor of the other person does not necessarily change, nor
is this necessary. Cord cutting releases negative emotions that I harbor over perceived
wrongdoings, past or present. At times, it leads to an end of a toxic relationship. At other times,
it results in a shift in my perception and a change in the way that I interact with a loved one,
leading to a much more positive relationship.
The Jaguar Path has changed my way of being in life. It has provided me with the
knowledge and tools that I need to shift my perception of the world. I find that when I focus on
myself, my desires, and perceived needs, life becomes more difficult, joy and happiness
dissipate, and problems appear almost insurmountable at times. When I utilize the shamanic
tools that I have learned, my focus shifts to living in service to others and mother earth, and I
become more content, focused, and effective in the world. It is easier to let go of whatever
does not serve me. I am more present, available to others, and better able to fulfill my Dharma in life. This is the reason why I have returned time and again to the Jaguar Path teachings.”