HOLISTIC HEALING
The indigenous peoples of the Americas believed that the healing process should be holistic. Healing rituals included family members, in some cases the community. Dreams were analyzed and the important of cleaning toxins from the body through bathing, fasting, herbs, and colon cleansing were practiced. Prayers to higher powers were routine and preparation for the service that was enacted in an exact way, sometimes took the Medicine Man or Woman hours, or even days of preparation. The tribal healer took extra time to assure that he was as physically clean and spiritually reverent. Prayers often took the form of music, chanting, drumming, or dancing.
READING SIGNS
They interpreted signs in their environment. The Medicine Man or Woman, were prophetic and by watching the happenings in their community, the actions of birds and animals, and nature’s climatic movement and changes— forecast both success and possible hard times to come. The Maya, were experts in astronomy and often used sun and moon cycles and eclipses, and the movement of Venus to plan their activities. Prayers and requests for help were offered to higher deities and powers routinely. Protection was asked against evil forces thought to be coming from both inside (bad person) and outside the community. They understood the concept that all things, including vegetable and mineral, had a vibrational force. Animals were respected and only killed for food, then sometimes, asking for the animal spirit to be sent back to the animal kingdom.
EUROPEANS DIDN’T BATHE
In North America, before the government put them in reservations and gave them white flour rations, Native Americans practiced eating natural fruits and grains, and respected the buffalo and natural game available for meat. In other words, they had an organic diet, natural to their environment and plentiful. Europeans coming to the Americas thought taking baths make you sick, and didn’t use soap. They brought with them the diseases that wiped out, by some estimates, 94% of the population of central Mexico and 87% of the indigenous peoples in the Americas overall.
EASTERN SPIRITUALITY
The eastern spiritual philosophy involved recognizing a higher power and
communicated with the Divine through meditation and prayer. The importance
of taking pilgrimages, following rules of spiritual leaders and fasting brought one closer to the Divine Source. All creatures were considered sacred and esteemed as part of God’s creations.
RIGHT THOUGHTS AND RIGHT ACTIONS
Gautama Buddha, after experimenting, found that taking the middle road in spiritual practices was the most desirable. The spoken word was to be direct but hurt no one; thoughts were to be positive; Right actions were taken to accomplish the task at hand; a vocation was important, but again to harm no one. Both the eastern and western philosophies recognized the importance of thought. It could be used for positive or negative purposes with great power. In some cases INTENT of the person was more important that the actual deed. Purity of intention, even in error, was not held against the person.
THE UNSEEN WORLD
Both ancient Eastern and Western spiritual practices recognized the unseen world and forces that are prevalent but unaccepted by the “civilized” Western cultures. This includes the presence of angels, and energies both positive and negative that surround us in our environments. This included the DIVINE PRESENCE that is encompassing and always available. Lower level entities, negative earth lines and “earthbounds” that have not risen to higher levels inhabit the planet. There was an awareness that some people are “addicted” to their former life and relationships and have remained on earth until their angel guides them to their appropriate level.
LIFE AFTER DEATH
The Eastern religions, as has great men of all cultures, believes that the soul does not die but continues to live on allowing for expanded soul growth and enlightenment resulting in the eventual shedding of the physical body. The North American Indians did not have a specific theory of transmigration but respected their descendants and had a prolific mythic organization about the formation of the world and the future.