I met a Nahuatl medicine man once who told me there are three types of maladies. Physical maladies require physical medicine. Maladies of the heart can be healed by talking. But maladies of the spirit can only be healed through magic.

If you’re reading this, maybe you’re as desperate as I was. Maybe you know what it’s like to be unable to see beauty in the world, to know you have an overall good life but what’s the point, to feel like there’s a part of you that’s missing.

I guess you could say I found my magic in that cabin. My “medicine”. And funny enough, it had been in me all along: it was stories.

But they were stories that poured from a Dreamworld inside of me that I was not aware of. For lack of a better term I’m currently calling this technique a “Soul Story Meditation”, and the closest way I can describe it is like a lucid dream but you’re awake, or an ayahuasca vision without the brew. I still don’t know how this works (although my psychologist friends say there are all sorts of explanations), but it has worked for me.

I still have a long way to go, but I have come so far, and the journey has been kind. Difficult, often. Painful, sometimes. But kind. Believe it or not, when healing is lived as a fairytale, it can even be pretty fun.

I started experimentally guiding friends to access their own soul stories with some astounding results, and also began training with a shamanic practitioner, who works in a very similar way. Little by little I’ve started working with more and more people, and you can read some of their experiences below if you like.

This is also something you could do on your own; that’s how I did it. It’s deceptively simple though, and hard to believe anything could come of this until you experience it for yourself. I’ll tell you how to do it right now; if you’re interested just READ TO THE END.

I think, however, that if I had had a bit more guidance, it needn’t have been so hard, and I may not have taken so long to get as far as I have. If what you’ve read so far peaks your curiosity and you think you might like me to help you try it yourself, I may be able to offer some 1-on-1 coaching or small group workshops. I hope to be useful to you, at least in the beginning, so that you can gain whatever you need to keep growing on your own. As always, Live bravely Achira

1. Find a location where you feel safe, have darkness, and will not be interrupted.

2. Ask a question

3. Follow the story

All the information you encounter comes from inside you, so only ever ask questions you could reasonably answer from within yourself. Examples could be, “show me the root cause of my anger”, or “why do I keep repeating the same patterns”, or “how do I regain my spark”. (For those of you familiar with shamanic journeying, this is very, very similar.)

Once you state your question/intention, whatever images, feelings, thoughts pop into your head, go with that, and let the story unfold. It may feel like you’re making it up—but you’ll discover that you’re not making it all up.
It’s easier for some more than others, but so far I haven’t worked with anyone who has been unable to access this “Dreamworld”.

I understand this technique as a direct line of communication with your subconscious, who can often only speak through stories or symbols. But just as a nightmare can affect our waking life, the fact that it’s all in your head doesn’t mean it’s not “real”. Sometimes it may even get dangerous. As always, it’s EXTREMELY important to have a support network when embarking on an emotional healing process. I am not a trained therapist; I prefer to work with people who are actively already going to therapy or have already begun a healing process in some other way.

If you’d like to try this technique and would like me to coach you through the process, here is what I offer:

•INTRODUCTION to Soul Story Meditations: The Magic Forest

I’ll walk you through a guided visualization in which you’ll encounter specific objects. Later we will discuss how what you encountered could relate to your real life. This is an excellent introduction to experience for yourself how the process works and whether you feel it can give you real value. It also can be used as a convenient springboard to delve deeper if you decide to continue the journeys, whether on your own or with me.

The session lasts between 1.5 and 2 hours, and is offered under voluntary donation. I suggest a contribution between 25-75 euros, but you can decide what the experience was worth to you and pay according to your budget and the value you feel you obtained. Everything you donate helps me travel further and spread more stories! 😊

• A QUEST TO HEALING: Level 1 (5 sessions)

If once you’ve done the Magic Forest introduction you’d like to begin working with me to pursue a spiritual goal, I’ve developed 5 one-on-one coaching sessions to help you prepare for your epic journey. As a true storyteller, I’ve designed these sessions following the structure of many grand fairytale adventures: you are a hero on a quest. You will encounter difficulties, and need some help. You don’t know if you’ll succeed and gain the treasure, but you know you must, must try.

In these sessions I’ll seek to help you discover what your spiritual goal is, what is holding you back from reaching it, what tools you’ll need to overcome those obstacles, and what part of yourself can you count on to guide you there.

• THE QUEST BEGINS: Level 2

From here on, it’s mostly up to you. You are prepared to embark on your own journey; however, if you wish, I can be available for periodic check-ins, and you can schedule a journey session together any time you feel you need a little extra insight. Each session will be personalized according to your spiritual goal and the stories you’ve encountered in Level 1.