Hello everyone! I’m thrilled to introduce you to my good friend, Renee Lavalle McKenna. Renee is a shamanic healer and trauma therapist who has profoundly impacted my life through our work together on inner shamanic journeys. This work has not only helped me gain clarity on my life’s direction but has also given me the courage to pursue my passions with confidence. In fact, this very website wouldn’t exist without the insights and courage I gained from our sessions.
In this interview, Renee shares her wisdom on the transformative practice of shamanic journeys. Whether you’re new to the concept or have some experience, this conversation offers valuable insights into how these ancient practices can help us connect with our true selves, heal old wounds, and align with the greater spiritual reality that surrounds us.
What is a Shamanic Journey?
Renee explains, “We live in a plane of duality where everything is kind of binary or has two aspects. We have day and night. We have men and women. We have up and down… Within ourselves, as humans, we have two parts. I mean, there are many more than that, but basically two—which is our intellect, and then there’s our intuition. There’s our more physical self, and then there’s our non-physical self.”
She continues, “In the modern world, we spend a lot of time in our intellect, which could also be considered the masculine… And then there’s the non-rational, the non-physical, which is actually interesting and is reflected in technology that we’re spending a lot—now we have a lot more reality in virtual reality. And that, for me, is a rudimentary mirror for what’s actually happening on what we might call the spiritual or the transpersonal or the intellectual.”
Renee further elaborates, “The shamanic journey is one of these technologies. They’re all very similar and it’s accessible to all people. The work is to have the intellect and the intuition both working together so that we have more wholeness, more empowerment, we have more access to all of the information and energy… that’s available to all of us as humans to be more whole and empowered in who we really are.”
Who is Renee?
Renee Lavalle McKenna is a shamanic healer and trauma therapist who splits her time between San Francisco and New York. With a deep passion for helping others, Renee’s work focuses on guiding people to express, discover, and support their authentic selves. Her mission is to empower individuals by teaching them how to apply grounded spiritual practices in their own lives, whether they are seekers on a personal journey or practitioners looking to integrate these tools into their professional work.
Renee’s approach combines ancient and modern spiritual technologies to help people connect consciously with the larger consciousness system, or what some might call the spiritual realm. Through her work, she bridges the gap between the intellectual and intuitive aspects of the self, enabling a deeper connection to one’s true nature and the greater reality around us.
In her own words, “My passion is to help people to express and discover and support their own authentic self and their own passions in the world, and also to teach other therapists and healers and practitioners how to apply grounded spiritual practices and tools in their own work.”
Renee’s work is rooted in the belief that spirituality can be practical and accessible, providing tangible benefits to those who seek to explore it. Through her sessions, courses, and teachings, she offers a pathway to wholeness, empowerment, and spiritual growth.
If you would like to know more, you can visit her website here.
How Does a Shamanic Journey Work?
Renee describes the mechanics of a shamanic journey by explaining, “In a traditional way, you listen to some kind of a rhythm—it might be a drum or a rattle or a didgeridoo if you’re in Australia—and that helps to create an theta state in your brain. And, you know, there’s different brain states like alpha, delta, beta… and those different states give us a different experience and access to different levels of consciousness.”
She continues, “This is a very light meditative state—can be very much like daydreaming. It’s very comfortable for the most part, and with some simple instructions, we conceptually leave ordinary reality and we travel into what, in shamanic terms, is called non-ordinary reality, which are different levels of consciousness that we can access.”
“The intention in the shamanic journey,” Renee explains, “is to travel to levels of consciousness that have only our highest good in mind. Now, there are many levels of consciousness that are available to all of us, and not all of those levels of consciousness do have our highest good in mind. But our intention really is a rudder and a driver. And so we set that intention, and it is pretty amazing and life-changing what is actually available to us in clarity, in a high resonance that is trustworthy, unconditionally loving, infinitely compassionate, and incredibly wise.”
In a Nutshell
Understanding that not everyone may be familiar with spiritual terminology, Renee offers a more straightforward analogy for the shamanic journey:
“It’s a bit of a mystery to the spiritual and intuitive realm, but the shamanic journey is a tool that we can use to be able to access deeper wisdom, however we understand that. That wisdom may be understood as our own higher self. It may be understood as God or goddess or source or the larger consciousness system—whatever people’s conceptualization is of our connection with the larger reality.”
She further simplifies, “It’s very much like turning on a light switch. You don’t have to understand it in order for the light to go on if you turn on the switch.”
Is a Shamanic Journey Safe?
When it comes to safety, Renee is candid about the potential risks involved in shamanic journeys. She explains, “The answer is yes, they can be dangerous. And one of the things that is happening right now, particularly with the use of psychedelics, is that people are really interested in expanding their consciousness and having a different experience. They’re aware that there’s more happening here than just working and making money… And in these realms of consciousness… there are such things as hell realms—there are.”
Renee emphasizes the importance of intention: “This is why our intentions are really important in creating our reality and our experience. The main danger is to not travel far enough and to only go partway into these realms of wisdom and higher consciousness and divinity.”
She adds, “The very simple marker is that there’s some kind of a transition… As we conceptualize ourselves traveling either up into the upper world or down into the lower world… Once we get into those places, truly anything that happens is for our highest good. We can trust that whatever happens there is for our evolution, our healing, and our own growth and wisdom.”
Renee also highlights the importance of how it feels during the journey: “The most important marker is how it feels… If it feels trustworthy, if it feels safe, if it feels grounded, then it is. And for many people, they’ve never even had that experience of feeling grounded, safe, or supported. And so that in itself can be transformative.”
Who Should Try a Shamanic Journey?
Renee explains that people are often drawn to shamanic journeys for two main reasons: “The main two reasons that people come to this work is because they want to relieve their suffering and they haven’t found another way to do that, or they want to grow.”
She adds, “For many, the journey starts with a desire to find guidance or to heal from something specific. Over time, as they begin to see the benefits, the focus may shift towards personal growth and spiritual development.”
For those who feel stuck, lost, or in need of healing, or for those simply curious about exploring their inner world, a shamanic journey can offer a pathway to deeper understanding and transformation.
Starting Your Shamanic Journey
Renee offers practical advice for those interested in beginning their own shamanic journey: “The first thing is to relax. It’s interesting because that’s one of the things that all the great traditions tell us to do, right? That’s what meditation is about—relax and come out of our mind and be present.”
She continues, “Once you’re relaxed, it’s important to set an intention. Although there’s nothing wrong with gallivanting around in non-ordinary reality—and it can be fun—when we set intentions, really clear and powerful insights and experiences can happen.”
For beginners, Renee suggests starting with the basics: “If you’re a real beginner, there is kind of a series of steps to connect with guides and teachers and to get grounded in non-ordinary reality. So, for a real beginner, like we did with you, we connect with an element. Most people have a primary element or two that they really connect with—water, earth, fire, sun, tree.”
She explains that these initial connections are foundational: “Once you have those initial pieces in place, kind of like the legs of a table, then you can start to ask much more directed questions about yourself through these guides and teachers and elements and experiences.”
Whether you choose to embark on this journey alone or with a guide, Renee assures that “divine guidance is available to all of us.” She has even created self-guided resources, including digital courses, for those who want to explore shamanic work on their own. However, she also acknowledges that having a guide can be beneficial, especially when navigating confusing or challenging experiences: “There may be places or things that happen that are confusing, or you may hit your own inner blocks. So having a guide or a teacher can be really helpful.”
My Shamanic Journey
My shamanic journey with Renee was a powerful and transformative experience. It began with Renee guiding me into a state of deep relaxation, where I was encouraged to connect with my inner self and let go of any tension or distractions. This grounding was crucial, as it prepared me for the journey ahead, where I would explore realms of consciousness that were both familiar and new.
We started by visualizing a staircase, a symbol of ascent in my journey. As I moved upward, I noticed a shift in my awareness—a feeling of lightness and energy that grew stronger with each step. At the top of the staircase, I encountered a portal, which led me into a different realm, filled with light and a sense of peace.
In this realm, I connected with a powerful guide. The presence of this guide was intense, almost overwhelming, yet reassuring. The imagery was vivid, and I felt a strong sense of heat and energy, which seemed to radiate from the guide itself. This guide communicated with me in a way that was both direct and symbolic, offering lessons that were profound and unexpected.
One of the most impactful moments was when I felt the pressure in my chest—a symbolic arrow that represented something deeper within me. Through Renee’s guidance, I explored the meaning of this symbol, leading to a realization about my own strength and autonomy. The experience was liberating, offering both clarity and a renewed sense of purpose.
Throughout the journey, Renee’s presence was calming and supportive. She asked insightful questions that helped me delve deeper into the experience, uncovering layers of meaning that I might have otherwise missed. The journey was not just a passive experience; it was an active exploration of my inner world, guided by both Renee and the spiritual entities I encountered.
This journey left me with a profound sense of empowerment and understanding. While the specific details of the journey are deeply personal, the overall experience was one of transformation, leaving me more connected to my inner self and more aware of the path ahead.
