Rose Khalsa of The Polarity Center & Shamanic Studies, gives us a snippet of her spiritual encounters with Shamanism and how she works with her clients to empower them on a deep and profound healing journey.
What can you tell us about your spiritual journey and how it has brought you to where you are today?
It actually started when I was a very young child. I used to make altars all the time and was very spiritual. I went to my first Kundalini yoga class when I was 18 and within a couple of months of that, I moved into the ashram with my two-year-old son. I lived in this American Sikh spiritual community for 25 years. It was an incredible lifestyle, and I raised my three children here. I realized that prayer, meditation and yoga were vitally important to me.
After the traumatic birth of my third son, I realized that I needed more earth spirituality, and the ashram wasn’t honoring this deep-seated need of mine. I was invited to sweat lodges and one thing led to another, and I was introduced to Shamanism.
I found a shaman after the birth of my son as I was going through some tough times. She was the first person to see that I had no relationship to my grounding and my earth chakra wasn’t even there. This was the beginning of my wake-up call, and it was the doorway to earth spirituality for me.
How difficult do people find it to change, and what weight does change bear on our lives?
Where we are currently, both globally and collectively, shows us to be in the midst of deep transformation – the Peruvian Shamans refer to this as Pachacuti death and rebirth at the exact same time. This is what Covid has brought to our planet.
People have no choice but to change. However, if they don’t or can’t change, they become depressed, get into substance abuse, and perhaps even commit suicide.
Change is part of life, and what prevents change from happening is fear. Fear of the unknown and what may happen. Most people I work with, and when asked what their intention is, will be looking for some kind of change. This comes with many doubts and challenges, but there are numerous tools to facilitate that change.
When would you recommend a client be treated with Polarity Therapy and why?
Dr Randall Stone founded Polarity Therapy. The reason why it is so unique and powerful is that it takes into consideration the whole picture of the person.
Body work – we work with energetic nutrition – finding out the body types, what type of foods that person needs, cleansing and supporting the body through food.
Body Movement (Polarity yoga or Energetic Movement) – this is based on poses that Dr. Stone created and looks at the whole person and always sees the vision of their wellness as a whole person, even if they are dying. It is about empowering people and giving them tools to heal themselves and live a healthier lifestyle.
Anybody who wants to create positive change in any way can embrace Polarity Therapy. It uses the five elements (earth, air, water, fire and ether) in combination with the chakras and allows for a profound and powerful healing process.
How does Polarity Therapy differ from Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy?
Craniosacral Therapy supports the nervous system. I practice this on people with trauma although it is easy to blend both therapies. I have noticed that pretty much everybody is in need of craniosacral therapy because many people now have nervous systems that are extremely stressed, and they cannot settle. It is the best modality for anxiety and PTSD. I use Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy as a prerequisite when working with someone who is out of their body, before I do shamanic soul retrieval, which brings them back into their whole self.
When did shamanism first speak to you?
As I mentioned earlier, after the birth of my third son, I met a shaman and started going to sweat lodges. The man that was running the one sweat lodge I did at a women’s yoga retreat, actually told me he had received a message that I would be Sundancing one day and would become a pipe carrier. I knew nothing of what he was referring to, but I went with the flow and later in life, this materialized.
I started studying with the Shamans in Nepal, I studied Celtic Shamanism with Tom Cowan and much more. I developed my own way of working over the years and have been teaching shamanic healing and leading Ceremonies for many years now. I am extremely clairaudient and hear spirits talking to me all the time – this is just who I am and I use this gift to help others.
Why do you feel it is important to do a Vision Quest and what does one gain from doing one (them)?
In our society, we are all so connected to our screens and very busy lives. I have been leading vision quests for many years, and I feel like they are a very powerful tool for people to do deep inner work.
Nature is the reflection of everything we need; beauty, the mother earth and father sky, animals…but there are also amazing spirits living in nature that we don’t necessarily see. Going into the woods alone, fasting and praying, can bring about absolutely amazing healing.
When you get really quiet and still and carry out the practices that I teach people to do, deep healing can happen. On our vision quests we offer incredible support for the people out there and it really becomes an incredible experience of deep transformation.
How has travel influenced your spirituality and do you feel it is a prerequisite for growth and change?
I think it is only a prerequisite if you are going to places on spiritual pilgrimages or for yoga retreats, otherwise it is a simple vacation. I have been to many places for spiritual pilgrimages and healing, and I have experienced incredible spiritual growth – it seems to be my calling.
What can one expect from a session with Rose?
Transformation, support and guidance. Many people have never been heard and are unaccustomed to people listening to them with a neutral mind. I like to listen to people’s stories and reflect on how I can support them. It’s amazing how people can really open up and share on a very deep level and receive support from someone who has had 45 years of experience working with people.
I also work a lot with shamanism and soul retrieval. The energy work helps to clear things, and I use mantras and energetic protection. I meet people where they are and give them the tools that they need.
My Advice for Today: Today is the winter solstice. It is important to remember to bring in the light – to bring in love and light. All of us, as a collective, need to remember not to get stuck in the hole of fear and negativity that is currently surrounding us, but to share and love and serve others. Use love and compassion to help. This will open the portal to a greater good for all. The key word is Transformation.
Rose Khalsa is the author of The Bone Mother: A Memoir which is a life history of a woman who is a healer in many different modalities and also her personal journey of healing the loss of two children.
