215 Glenridge Ave.
Montclair, NJ 07042
973.783.1036
Montclair@StarseedYoga.com

What is Shamanism at Starseed, by Jyoti Chrystal
The practice of shamanism comes to us from ancient and indigenous cultures that have always used soul retrieval, extraction, divination, journeywork and other tools to guide the tribe or community into a fulfilling way of living.  Contemporary shamanic work uses these same practices in modern way living to assist us in connecting to Source.

Shamanism will always promote an independent and autonomous relationship with Source.  It provides healing on many levels opens up communication with the Spirit realm and basically helps people to heal themselves and live with a sense of wellbeing.  It empowers people to create their own lives from a sense of interconnectedness and interdependence with all Life.

A shaman acts as an intermediary and connects one with the spirit world. “A shaman is usually more at home in the spirit realm than this physical world”, says Jyoti. "Our society does not offer us the tools to connect to the unseen or ethric world and we, as a society are suffering soul loss. We are a society of spiritually impoverished beings.  A shaman can teach and guide us in learning how to access the spiritual world.   This world is always at work supporting our lives.

Shamanism understands that the entire universe is alive with energy and that energy is Spirit, or Source. The shamanic view holds that everything has a soul, and is connected to every other creature and living entity. This connection and energy is alive and is always available to us.   Shamanism teaches us how to use this energy for the greater purpose of our lives.  We have assigned to us spirit guides, power animals, certain plants and elements that can assist us on our life path. The shaman knows how to use this intelligence and help direct us to do the same for the sake of bringing our lives more into balance and harmony with the earthly and heavenly forces.  It is the shaman’s job to re-establish the flow of divine life force within the organism for individual and community healing.

Many people seek a shaman for various reasons: depression, anxiety, chronic illness or a “diagnosis” from the allopathic medical community, an addictive pattern that is sabotaging their lives, listlessness, apathy etc. Whatever the reason, a shaman will always be able to assist you in opening the gateway to your Higher Self and help establish a long lasting relationship with your spiritual nature and perhaps even help you discover your purpose in life.

Shamanic  Rituals & Ceremonies at Starseed

-Meet Starseed's Shamanic Team -

Starseed is very proud of its shamanic team: all are highly trained, widely experienced, superlatively skilled practitioners of this ancient healing art that has brought health, happiness and hope to countless clients. Each of our shamanic team is involved in the offering of group shamanic works (Shamanic Journey, the Fire Ceremony, Shamanic Healing Circles and the Shamanic Trance Dance, along with Starseed's premier work, the Dreambody.

Jyoti Chrystal, Starseed's founder and Director, has 30 years of international teaching experience in yoga, meditation, and the healing arts, focusing on shamanism. Her early career has included study with notable teachers of global renown in all of those fields. While living in Brazil during the 70s and early 80s she apprenticed in various forms of shamanism and founded a yoga center there. Upon her return to North America she became a student of Angeles Arrian's Four Fold Way for 7 years and also worked with Alberto Villodo. Additionally, for 13 years she was a disciple of Jain master, Gurudev Shree Chitrabhanu. In 1988 Jyoti was initiated into the Peruvian shamanic lineage of the Andes by Don Calderon and has received second degree initiation into Amazonian shamanism by Don Austin Rivas Vasquez with whom she has been with since 1987.

Jyoti uses the shamanic tools of journeywork, sopla (Amazonian tobacco and sacred herbs), sacred songs, Gestalt therapy and the very practical use of the universal teachings of ahimsa in her unique Shamanic Empowerment Coaching to assist clients, individually or together as a couple, in their soul retrieval work. She believes in living a "life worth dying for." Her unique gift of being able to identify negative or dysfunctional root beliefs is immediately apparent in her work.

Jyoti is currently working with White Wind Weaver and is training in the Art of Life coaching method.

Dr. Jason Martin, co-Directror of the Starseed Center for Yoga & Healing, has a background in academia: he was educated at Yale University and the University of Rochester, and his disciplines include medieval studies and comparative literature. Jason has a particular interest in the esoteric significance of the Arthurian mythos and the Grail quest.

Jason studied Insight Meditation with Sri Gowenka in India and continues to study Shamanism in Peru with Don Agustin Rivas-Vasquez. He is a shamanic hypnosis specialist and Empowerment Therapist trained in Heart Centered Gestalt Therapy. He is certified in the areas of both Gestalt therapy and hypnotherapy, and he maintains a private practice in addition to his work at Starseed.

Alfredo Villela has studied pre-Columbian music for many years. He has focused his studies on Aztec music. With the help of Maximino Ibarra, one of the few who has inherited and mastered the craftsmanship of Aztec instruments, Alfredo has amassed an impressive collection of Huehuetls (drums) and Teponaztils (log drums). He has mastered the complex polyrhythms believed to be employed by pre-Columbian musicians in Tenochtitlan, present day Mexico City. Huehuetl drum in Nahuatl signifies “wise old man” and Aztecs believed these drums were gods with great powers. Alfredo is able to tap into this power and use it for healing.

Alfredo is Jyoti's assistant and partner in all the shamanic work. Together they are bringing new forms of healing to Starseed and the community with their collaboration in our shamanic offerings.