After weeks of journeying by plane, bus, boat, mini-vans, metros and on foot, a traveling bloke can get a little run down. A dose of tender loving care is sometimes in order. When a tune-up is called for, the need cannot be ignored. What better way to get one's spirits revived and energy reguvanated than a trip to the local Shaman?
Tuesdays and Thursdays a Shaman woman is at her station in the local market building. There was a bit of a wait as the Shaman worked over a squalling toddler. Next came the older sister, who only shed a few tears. I was next in line, eagerly awaiting my turn.
The Shaman nodded me to the low stool in front of her as her daughter bundled up a big bunch of flowers and sweet smelling herbs. I took my place on the low stool, which put me at about and even height with the short but stout indain woman who was about to make me right with the world.
The first step in the process is the flogging. The woman buried my face in the bundle of herbs and flowers. Holding my head tighlty into the bundle, she mummered an "espirito sancto", touched my head at some key points, and then began wailing the bejesus out of me with the greens. I can see why the little kid shed a few tears. The flogging actually felt great, like birch branches after a sauna. No part of my body was spared from a good vegetable thumping.
Here is a video link to the Flogging:
Following the flogging, I was placed back on the stool and we began phase two of the process: The Egg Roll. Reaching into her magic bag of tricks, my Shaman produced a raw egg. She proceeded to rub the egg over my body in a very thorough manner. Shirt up, shirt down, stand up, sit down, working the egg over my head, in my eyes, aross my face, up and down my legs, etc. The idea of the egg roll is to draw whatever is ailing me out of my body and into the egg.
My Shaman doing the Egg Roll with her daughter behindus making new veggie bundles.
More egg rolling.
I was glad the egg got warmed up a bit before this part.
Here Is a video link to the Egg Roll:
Once I had been thoroughly Egg Rolled, the Shaman broke the egg into a glass and examined it. she proclaimed her diagnosis, which sounded like "Muy nervoso," and showed me the bad stuff the egg had pulled out of me. I have to admit that the egg rollling felt pretty good. i don't know about the "muy nervoso," but she's the Shaman, not me.
The last step in the process was the Final Rinse. The Shaman took a long pull of some white liguid in a plastic bottle. She then aerosolized the stuff in her mouth and shot me in the face with a huge spray. You need to keep your eyes closed during this part. Just a helpful hint. The mouth spray was repeated, with great vigor, on my back, stomach, and then more juice was poured on the top of my head. After giving the juice a good rubbing in, I was annointed with a charcoal-like substance on my forehead, belly and back. The tune-up was finished. I paid my bill of five bucks and offerd my thanks and farewells.
Bracing for the spray on the back.
More juice on the head for good measure.
One dot on the back.
Another dot on the forehead. Too bad the juice doesn't grow hair.
Here is a video link to the Final Rinse:
The whole experience was fun and fascinating, but here's the thing: I felt great. I understand that all of what follows can be chalked up to the power of suggestion, the placebo effect, or the weakness of my own mind. That said, I really did feel good. i was experiencing a sense of lightness and well-being. My body was tingling and I felt happy and at peace. All of these sensations continued for hours after we left the market. Whatever the real effect of the Shaman's work, the perceived results were very much worth the five dollars paid, not to mention the really wild cultural interaction.
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