Healing Overeating with Shamanism: Reclaiming Balance and Self-Love

 Healing Overeating with Shamanism: Reclaiming Balance and Self-Love

When Sarah (not her real name) reached out to me, she was at a breaking point. For years, she had struggled with overeating and emotional eating. Food had become her escape, her way of numbing the pain of stress, sadness, and self-doubt.

“I don’t even feel hungry when I eat,” she admitted during our first session. “It’s like I’m trying to fill something, but I don’t know what it is.”

Her words pointed to a deep truth: overeating often isn’t about food at all. It’s a symptom of something unhealed, a disconnection from the self, the body, or the soul. Through shamanic healing, Sarah embarked on a journey to uncover the roots of her behavior and reclaim her sense of balance.

The Spiritual Roots of Overeating

In shamanic terms, overeating can stem from a variety of energetic imbalances:

• Disconnection from the Body: Trauma, stress, or emotional pain can cause us to disassociate from our physical selves, leading to behaviors that don’t honor the body’s true needs.

• Soul Loss: A part of the soul may become fragmented during times of intense emotional distress, leaving a void that some try to fill with food.

• Unprocessed Emotions: Food can act as a shield, protecting us from feeling the full weight of grief, anger, or fear.

For Sarah, our work began with uncovering these deeper layers.

Reconnecting with the Body

Our first step was to help Sarah reconnect with her body in a safe and loving way. Through guided breathwork and mindfulness practices, she began to tune into the sensations of hunger, fullness, and emotional triggers.

I encouraged her to practice a simple ritual before meals:

1. Sit quietly with her food.

2. Take three deep breaths, expressing gratitude for the nourishment.

3. Ask her body, “What do you truly need right now?”

This practice helped Sarah distinguish between physical hunger and emotional hunger—a powerful first step in healing her relationship with food.

Shamanic Journeying: Discovering the Root Cause

During a shamanic journey, Sarah explored the deeper emotional roots of her overeating. She was guided to a memory of her childhood, where food had been a source of comfort during difficult family dynamics.

She realized that overeating wasn’t about weakness or lack of willpower, it was a coping mechanism she had developed as a child to feel safe and soothed. This insight shifted her perspective, allowing her to approach herself with compassion rather than judgment.

Soul Retrieval: Reclaiming the Lost Pieces

In a subsequent session, we performed a soul retrieval to address the sense of emptiness Sarah felt. During the ceremony, we called back a part of her soul that had fragmented during her childhood.

When the lost piece returned, Sarah described feeling an overwhelming sense of fullness, not in her stomach but in her heart. For the first time in years, she felt complete.

Creating Rituals for Balance

To support her healing, we incorporated rituals that honored her emotional and spiritual needs:

• Fire Ceremony: Sarah wrote down the emotions she had been suppressing—anger, sadness, and shame. By offering them to the fire, she symbolically released their hold over her.

• Earth Ritual: She planted a small herb garden, nurturing it as a reminder of her own ability to grow and thrive.

• Moon Rituals: Sarah began a monthly practice of setting intentions during the new moon, focusing on self-love, balance, and mindful nourishment.

The Transformation

Over time, Sarah’s relationship with food transformed. She began to eat more intuitively, savoring her meals rather than rushing through them. The urge to overeat diminished as she addressed the emotional wounds that had been driving her behavior.

Most importantly, Sarah reconnected with herself. She learned to listen to her body, honor her emotions, and approach her journey with patience and love.

The Bigger Lesson

Overeating is rarely just about food. It’s a sign that something deeper needs attention,whether it’s an unprocessed emotion, a fragmented part of the soul, or a disconnection from the body. Shamanic healing offers a holistic approach to uncovering and addressing these root causes, helping individuals reclaim balance and self-love.

For Sarah, healing wasn’t about restriction or discipline, it was about discovering the sacred relationship between her body, mind, and soul.

If you’re struggling with overeating, know that there’s a path to healing that honors all parts of you. Together, we can explore the deeper roots of your behavior and create a journey of transformation.

~Shanti Freedom Das