Week 2 - Yufei Liu

Lor is a Hmong shaman. It's a calling that she struggled for years to understand, but eventually became a gift that she embraced. Much of her life was shaped by the Christian religion, a path that her brother chose to follow after the church helped to resettle her family in the United States in 1979. She grew up in Stockton learning about God and the Bible by attending church services with her older brother, with her sister and with missionaries when she was older. Lor's transition into a shaman happened quickly. She started practicing almost immediately under the guidance of another more seasoned shaman. I am very excited that Professor Valverde invited an actual shaman to our class. I was like once in a life time experience to learn about an actual shaman 's life experience and how she became who she is now. I would never have the chance or seek to talk to a shaman because I was not aware of shamanism before taking this class. It is truly eye-opening to see that things do happen for as reason. Likewise, shamans are chosen for a reason. The coolest part about being a shaman is that they get to walk in between the spiritual world and the world we live in. I cannot imagine something more amazing than being able to travel to a different dimension and even have the chance to talk to the people who have passed. Though I don't know if I truly believe in the spiritual world, I have always had this feeling that my grandfather, who passed away when I was a toddler, is still watching over me and bringing me good luck. I would go talk to a shaman again if there is a chance in the future. I would also like to read more about Hmong shamanism.

Kalantari, S. (February 17, 2016). In California, Hmong shamans work with medical professionals.

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