SHAMANISM JOURNEYS IN NEPAL
2024 PILGRIMAGES WITH THE SHAMANS
led by
Bhola Banstola Nepali Jhankri Shaman
Visit the sacred power places of Kathmandu Valley
Take part in Retreats with the lineage Shamans from different cultures
Participate in healing and other rituals
Witness ‘Jhaak’ – altered consciousness, magical feats, and out-of-body experiences
Immerse yourself in the Shamans’ music, drum rhythms, dance, stories and mantra chants
Bhola and his team have taught and led these learning experiences for decades, working with the local Shamans to bring authentic Nepali Shamanism to participants from many nations.
The events are open to all. You may be sure of a wonderful welcome from the people of Nepal as they share their culture with you.
1st proposal
Experiential Learning with Nepali Dhami-Jhankri Shamans
(including Mountain Pilgrimages)
August 24 – September 08, 2024
The word ‘unique’ is over-used, but here, we really do have a genuinely unique opportunity where the focus is totally on your experience of authentic Shamanism. This is not a programme for people to observe others but offers you total immersion in the Nepali culture and Shamanism. Shamanism always has a cultural context, a community that is served and shares the spiritual and moral backdrop, making these practices an integral and relevant part of Nepali society today.
Nepal is a sacred country where Nature, humans and the divine have a mutually supportive presence and play a responsible role in maintaining serenity, balance and harmony. From the massive Himalayas to the mid-Himalayan green mountains and the unending flat plains of the South, Nepal is a living museum of many human groups and sub-groups, vibrant cultures, year-round festivities, spiritual practices, art and architecture. Nepal’s identity and power centres around the old squares, temples and monasteries, vibrating with its rich culture and sacred energies.
The holy temples and shrines which house the male and female deities on the banks of Bagmati, Vishnumati, Rudramati and Hanumente Rivers, collectively called the Sacred Kathmandu Valley Mandal, have welcomed yogis, pilgrims, monks and ascetics for thousands of years, and still today continue to maintain that force of attraction.
The organizers of these experiential pilgrimages are Nepali and so well-versed in the local religious and spiritual practices, both written and oral. They will accompany you to these powerful places, wisdom keepers, and cultural heroes and help you immerse deep to unravel the secrets.
Your introduction to Nepal starts from the Kathmandu Valley, follows the trails to the villages, and accompanies you to the higher hills and beyond the mighty Himalayas step by step. Participants feel themselves becoming like local Nepalis, immersed totally in the culture.
Unlike the experience of a regular traveller, trekker or mountain goer, this program ensures that you participate and get first-hand knowledge from the local Nepali Shamans (male and female), learning their millennia-old lineage healing secrets and getting acquainted with the art of creating ritual spaces, rhythms and sacred chants.
You will be accompanied to the temples, shrines, and some of the powerful places of Kathmandu Valley and cultural and historical heritage centres to offer prayers and join local pilgrims.
The local Shamanic community will accompany the participants to introduce their power places, sources of power and healing. We will progress step by step through the realm of sacred Sayalung protective Kali Naga shrine by the water fountain, onto the Pheasant Rock shrine, and ascend onwards to the navel of the earth mother.
We will stop in every sacred spot where the Shamans invoke the spirits for protection, healing, and empowerment. We will also meet another group of Shamans, visit the local villages, and live with them for an authentic experience.
It is a rare opportunity to be with the elders and long-lineage carriers of different lineages, listen to them, converse, and receive healing and teachings.
(Participants must be physically fit to walk for three days, 6-8 hours each day, with stopovers for lunch and rest. The trekking pilgrimage starts at 2300meters/7546 feet, and the highest point reached is 3100 meters/10750 feet)
2nd Proposal
Nepal, the Heart of World Shamanism and Centre of Learning
September 9- 23, 2024
Since time immemorial, the Nepali people have preferred their habitations to be in the higher hills and mountains, far from the flat plains and close to heaven, to allow their souls to merge with clouds and otherworldly realms.
The towering height and vast open spaces of these uncontaminated terrains have influenced people’s characteristics, thoughts and ways of life for millennia.
The mountain deities and spirits are the grounding and protective forces that people invoke and propitiate in their everyday lives – whether to seek support or celebrate events. To these sacred lofty Himalayas, people embark on pilgrimages annually or semi-annually.
After spending two days understanding and exploring the Sanatana-Vedic-Dharma and Buddhist cultures of Kathmandu, Pashupatinath, and Boudhanath, the participants are accompanied to a serene and nature-immersed village for a five-day retreat. Here, the Dhami-Jhankri-Shamans (men and women) help us understand and navigate through their initiation, apprenticeship, rituals, healing sessions, divinations, creation of sacred protective amulets, fire rituals and hot water cleansing rites.
After five days of intense retreat, the participants will hike to Changunarayan and Bhaktapur (approximately four hours excursion) and stay in Bhaktapur for three days and nights, visiting the Mother Goddess shrines, Bhairung temples and some local healers.
On returning to Kathmandu, the participants will visit Patan- the City of Beauty, Budhanilakantha, Swayambhu Chaitya, and other places- and offer rituals in the power places.
On the final day of the pilgrimage, empowerment and initiation will be bestowed.
3rd Proposal
Nepal – An Experiential Journey
Including a week-long retreat and visits to sacred power places
September 28- October 12, 2024
Travel has long been recognized as a highly effective method for revitalizing the mind and spirit. Recently, there has been a notable surge in the popularity of spiritual travel, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic. People worldwide have experienced a significant shift towards spirituality, engaging in meditation and yoga and fostering a deep connection between their mind, body, and soul. This experiential journey takes participants to Nepal’s holy pilgrimage sites, serene homely retreats, the circle and company of elders, and more.
Such a journey can be a transformative experience, offering a profound connection to oneself, fellow participants, members of the family and the communities around us. Beyond the typical tourist destinations, spiritual travel takes us on a deeper exploration of sacred sites, ancient traditions, and inner growth. During this remarkable, immersive tour, you will meet Shamans of different ethnic backgrounds (both men and women) in their healing spaces.
This trip is focused on experiencing the multi-ethnic, multicultural, rich Shamanic healing traditions of Nepal-Himalayas. During your stay in Nepal, you will have the opportunity to learn in-depth Shamanistic healing practices in a beautiful indoor conference hall that was specially created for this purpose, and also outdoors in sacred places, temples and out in Nature, close to the Elements.
This trip coincides with Dashain, a national nine-day festival in Nepal popularly known as the Nava Ratri (nine nights) dedicated to the Goddess Durga and her nine most potent emanations. During that time, we will be working on myths, rituals, and healing aspects associated with her feminine power. We will participate with locals in visiting temples, power places, and Shakti Pithas to make offerings and receive blessings.
During this trip, the participants will participate in a week-long retreat with male and female Shamans. You will have the opportunity to fully immerse yourself in rituals and healing sessions and learn about their narratives, tales and evolutionary journeys as Shamans, which will be of unique value in helping you to reflect, remember, and deepen your practice. The group will stay for three days and nights in Bhaktapur’s historical UNESCO heritage city, visiting and participating in Shakti Pujas and rituals.
There are more opportunities to visit powerful places, medieval squares, palaces, shrines, and much more following the retreat.
The learning pilgrimage culminates in you receiving a final initiation and empowerment.
Email bhumi1008@outlook.com
For daily itineraries, please visit
NAMASTE
Please send an email to hold your place.
