The Wind Is My Mother: The Life and Teachings of a Native American Shaman

Wonderful book written by a Cherokee Native American.A reread, forever treasured.Powerful Messages of Spiritual Growth. A MUST READ FOR EVERY PERSON!

I'm a big fan of Pema Chodron, and I read all of her books. I first read this book about 13 years ago, when my mind was in a bad state. it was evidenced by my general disregard for my appearance: slightly overweight, drinking a little too much, messy room, messy car, etc. i have adhd, and finding books that i'll read all the way through is hard for me because when i'm "off," i'm just not diligent about anything.then i read the wind is my mother, by bear heart. to say that the book changed my life would be an overstatement, but it was so kind in its message. he was an extremely disciplined individual and what was so cool about it was that he didn't psychoanalyze a bunch of reasons why he did what he did. it's almost as simple as the tao of pooh. it definitely helped me to remove my emotions from every single decision i made, helped me to be kinder to myself in regards to my self-discipline, and most of all, helped me to forgive myself for the way i had been living, because to forgive means to move on, and i was ready to move on, but for some reason, i was always feeling guilty about one thing or another, thus preventing me from moving on.when i began reading this book, i hadn't dreamed in months, or rather, hadn't remembered my dreams. then after i read on the first night, i dreamed i was running around the UNC track, which is blue in real life, and i was running and the track turned into a big ocean and there were live shrimp in there with me and we were all just swimming around. to say that it is cool to me that i remember a dream from 13 years ago is pretty bada$$. :)the message of this book is kindness. maybe i should say messages. kindness, honesty, and compassion. and in my opinion, if i am able to create these messages from within, towards myself, i'll be a lot easier on those around me. it's sort of a circle. a friend once told me, "you gotta give to get." and i really think that is true, but i learned through this book, that i need to start with myself. i need to give myself the compassion and honesty and then i can be true to life around me.also, from a non-self help standpoint, i loved the stories of bear heart's youth, and his stories of learning to be a medicine man. his manner of storytelling via text is very similar to a speech, and there are lots of playful, non-formal moments in the book that i cherish. i hope you'll consider reading this. i re-purchased it again just recently for my iPad and even though i remembered almost all of it, it was a joy to read over and over again. <3

Found a copy at a thrift store and purchased this copy for my mom as a gift and well liked by the both of us. Very insightful in that it discusses things you may know instinctively but never realized others knew or were aware of.

I am not really sure whom or what a Kirkus might be but the review does not do this book justice! At first I was going to bypass loading this on my kindle believing that the review might be accurate. Through an interesting chain of events I obtained the hard copy of the book. For those of you on a spiritual and philosophical path you will find this little book of great interest and beauty. Obviously the reviewer has no philosophical background and perhaps enjoys his knowledge being injected directly into his consciousness. I would not generally be so harsh but this type of review does not do justice to the beauty, truth, light, love, heart and soul that this book contains. It is being shared by an individual who walks his talk and gives beautiful, true life experiences, to share a point. It is not preaching, lecturing, or a dogmatic approach but rather a demonstration of cause and effect. Don't make the mistake of not giving this book a chance.

If your looking for a wonderful book to help u along in ur spiritual journey this book is going to help u. I gifted this book to a friend she Loves it

When I first read this book I was humbled by the simple eloquence and homely guidance of such a well educated individual. His words required listening. His many ideas, thinking and practice. I was impatient. I knew something of The Way. Now I wanted to know more. Give me more...and then I'll practice what seems right to my way of understanding. Bear Heart, said "no." He wrote this book so that people could listen and think. Practice and learn. See errors of heart and behavior and correct these through prayer to "All That Is." He teaches us about some ceremonies and some important tools. He does not teach us everything. That he leaves these for us to discover through our own spiritual travels is a test of our own fidelity. Fidelity to the Great Spirit,the Tribe and the Truth being the greatest measure of us all. This book needs to be read more than once by all who are of Native American ancestry. And, it belongs on the shelf of any thinking person, particularly those trying to figure out where things are out of harmony or balance.

This book reveals that people have much more in common than we do in difference yet also that those differences are crucial and how to respect them. It shares some much-needed context on the history of big events in Indian culture and the great love of a people for the land they steward.

I'm only half way though this book and truly resonate with Bear Heart's teachings and medicine. As a counselor, I also have a passion for helping people heal in both traditional and nontraditional methods. Bear's shared stories about healing were very close to my heart and own practice. I only wish he was still alive today, so that I could meet and learn from him.I was touched by the epilogue and how Molly said, he continues to walk, or walks again, and I agree. Bear continues to walk in all of us that read, listen and understand his teachings. Thank you Molly and Bear Heart. Love this book!

After reading and watching researchers, with 30+ years of experience, talk about NDE (Near Death Experiences) and how it transformed their spiritual views-- I have come to realize that Bear Heart came to understand the meaning of the spiritual self naturally. Bear Heart shares his wisdom which can help readers in all walks of life realize the spirit's potential. His book does require faith or first-hand experience of the supernatural to truly believe his words. Yet I still think his wisdom is worthy of attention of all spiritualists and those interested in spirituality.I do not regret this purchase and I feel like I need to buy more physical copies so I can share Bear Heart's wisdom with the ones I love in life. I basically read the entire book in one session and I still think about his words of wisdom and experiences. Bear Heart's "The Wind is My Mother" definitely deserves a spot in my personal library forever and I hope those interested in Indigenous spirituality will give it a read.

C'est une ode à La Vie. Un exemple à suivre .Un enseignement simple et accessible pour tous. Une pépite...

This book will take you to another level. A must read for those who wish to delve into the life and working of a native shaman.Another valuable lesson brought out is that all life on Earth is interconnected. Lifeforms can communicate. We only have to learn to communicate.

This book has been really amazing for me!I had no expectations about it - I was being curious about Bear Heart's life and certainly got nicely surprised when found a lot of practical advice. It is all really humbling and a joy to read.I don't view as a self-help book, though. I can relate to most parts but not to all. However, I still respect his experiences, even if they might be unusual. I am not sure why people would be buying this is they are not okay with mysticism. After all, he was a shaman and some of what he shares has no logical explanation. He perpetrated the traditional wisdom and rituals of his people as taught by whose that came before him.I had many "Aha" moments while reading and I am actually re-reading it now - I want to make sure I remember some of the words to reflect upon.Again, if someone is not familiar with Native American belief system, I would suggest to read about it first - so they know what to expect with this book.

I love this book. Coming from a completely different cultural background, I was amazed to find so many similarities with things I had been told when I was a kid by the older people I knew (e.g. how to behave with older people, how to "keep your spine straight with dignity", to be respectful towards people and the environment, etc.), and the way they did it (by speaking to each other while we children were around, listening to them talking and pretending to play at the same time)... so many memories brought back by Bear Heart's wise words, so many things to think about...It's an inspiring book, one way or the other, it leaves its mark on the reader.