JOSE AND LENA STEVEHS^141Seeing the larger picture here is certainly something sha-
mans strive for. If you can show respect for another's place in
the scheme of things, even in the midst of a difficult situa-
tion, you have made the first giant step toward effective
problem solving. Shamans look at this process as the give-
and-take of power. They would say that if you delegate
power or empower someone else by respecting their posi-
tion, you become empowered in the process. This is not the
same thing as giving your power away—letting another take
advantage of you.
Here is an exercise that uses the spirit body as a tool for
communication and problem solving in relationships. It is ef-
fective with lovers, friends, family members, business
partners, peers, acquaintances, and anyone else you happen
to come in contact with.
The goal here is to set the ordinary-reality personality
aside and deal directly on the spirit level, where true power
lies.Exercise #2:Problem Solving with the Spirit Body
Identify the problem you wish to resolve. Start with one
that includes only one other person besides yourself. For ex-
ample, you may have a problem with someone at work or
perhaps your spouse or other family member. Make sure you
mentally ask the person's permission to include them in this
exercise.
Close your eyes, relax, and, using your shamanic vision-
ing techniques, re-create a vision or symbol of the problem
as it currently exists. Notice how you feel.
Let go of that vision and focus your attention on your
spirit body. Get a sense of it. Notice the area or areas that
are affected by the problem. This may show up as spots of
color in various locations, the absence of energy, or another
symbol. You will need to interpret this for yourself. An ex-
ample would be seeing or sensing a turbulent fiery red streak
around your gut area that you would recognize perhaps as
anger. If you don't understand something, ask your power
animal or your own spirit body to tell you what it means.
Ask your spirit body to pretend that your situation is re-
solved and to show you what it would look like. Sense what it
would feel like if this problem truly did not exist anymore.
Now envision the other person standing or sitting in front
of you, as if you were going to have a chat. Get a sense of
their spirit body. Ask it to show itself to you as it appears
when it is affected by the problem. An example would be