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November/December 2006 Living Now
Becoming Yourself
An Interview with Jan Engels-Smith

by Connie Hill

Jan Engels-Smith is a shaman, teacher and the author of Becoming Yourself, The Journey from Head to Heart. She believes that we consciously create lives for which we are accountable, and as Gandhi said, "We must be the change we want."

Q How did you get started working with shamanism?

A I had a vision and was told that my life was going to dramatically change. As a psychologist, I wanted something different than long term therapy for my clients. I had been in therapy myself for many years. It made me sad that people were spending so much of their lives in therapy.

I was given Sandra Ingerman's book Soul Retrieval and it just felt right. Though I didn't have the vocabulary at first, I knew I had done this type of work in past lives. I asked my clients if I could use this method on them and see how it worked. All except one person said yes. I did it with these clients and in a month everyone was through with therapy. But I was a hard sell to the spirits. I did a hundred experimental soul retrievals -- people who came to my office and could only tell me their name. Through doing those sessions I built a tremendous trust because what I was receiving from the spirits was so accurate. The process made me a believer. It's how I teach my students to do soul retrievals, without knowing much. It builds trust in the process.

Q What is your definition of shamanism?

A Shamanism is a Siberian word that means someone who sees in the dark with their heart. Shamanism is not just one style. You learn to be a really grounded healer. Your senses are opened up and you become what you are actually supposed to be on the planet, which is alive, vital, aware and awake. It's a calling.

Q Can you say something about creating change?

A People have to realize they are in charge of the reality they create. So with that, thinking differently is an absolute foundational base point in helping you have a different life. You are not just one little ship on the ocean of life. You are the commander of that ship.

People tell me they want to be able to manifest, but they are already manifesting. Spirits say we all manifest 24/7. You are manifesting with every thought you think and word you speak, every action you take is going somewhere. You don't have to have anyone around, you don't have to be in a class, you don't have to be doing anything except asking where your thoughts are going. Am I taking myself on a downward spiral or am I moving things in a direction that I want? With manifestation, people manifest more things that they don't want than they want because the don't wants get more attention.

Beliefs are really important. Belief is a broadcast from your chakras which fills your auric field. The law of attraction states that whatever you broadcast you will attract more of that to you. Millions of people in this country are broadcasting that they don't have time. If this is your belief you are getting all of the stress from the others who believe it as well. It's huge, and magnetic, and we wonder why we're so anxious. We need to start the day off with intentions like "I have abundant time" or "Things are going smoothly for me today with peace and beauty."

Jan will be at New Renaissance Bookshop on Sunday, Jan. 14. Reach her at www.janengelssmith.com. Call 503-224-4929 or visit www.newrenbooks.com for information and to register. Connie Hill works at New Renaissance Bookshop and is a local astrologer. She can be reached at 503-224-5434 ext. 128 or gmnite@yahoo.com.