Ekhaya's Sangoma Initiation – CRAZYWISE Interview Bonus

I get on a packed bus and make my way down for a four-hour trip to Baltimore Maryland where my Baba is my teacher and during that time I'm just really meditating and just preparing myself for everything that I am going to experience on my weekends because it is a lot of intense work beautiful work but very intense work and so you know at that time I'm just in a space of reflection in the space of meditation the sangoma training involves humbling yourself completely to your teacher and to your ancestors so everything that I do I must do on my knees if I'm speaking to my teacher or to someone I must be on my knees in doing so unless I'm at work because of the rituals and the ceremonies and going through the process the process of the sangoma training and the protocols that I have to go through all those things have made me so much stronger and helped me to realize my true power and has put me in touch with my Higher Self I learned other ways to cope I learned how to face my problems and deal with them on a different level a spiritual level that is what's really held me that's roots really brought me to a level of true understanding why all the problems that I was experiencing and what they meant when my mother first learned about this and called my training her first concern was you know Chiquita are you doing any witchcraft and unfortunately because we live in a Western society and because of media because of all the portrayals that you know the African experience our traditions are looked at as something negative which is something that I really want to advocate for and I explained to her you know it's it's it's not witchcraft you know we are healers we are no different from anyone else in a shaman in Asia or the Native Americans or in Russia or what have you you know I had a meeting with my a year evaluation with my director at work at Baltic Street and Community Links and she said Chiquita this transformation has been amazing the things that you were doing before as appear in the things that you're doing now I could see a complete difference in you you know so it's showing up in all aspects of my life and my work and my relationships you know I really truly value my life now and everything I do I put my full heart into and I have a focus and awareness that I didn't have before

Channel: Phil Borges

Views: 20,138

Rating: 4.9205298 out of 5

Keywords: Ekhaya, Peer Support, Sangoma, Shamanism, Recovery, Mental Health, Documentary Film, Phil Borges, Kevin Tomlinson, CRAZYWISE, Initiation, Traditional Healers Of South Africa

Id: EW7txnHpq8o

Length: 2min 53sec (173 seconds)

Published: Mon Nov 03 2014