Michael Dunning "Scottish Shaman" Sacred Yew Institute

[Epiphany]

Michael was born in Glasgow, Scotland 1964. He gradually and painfully became aware of his calling as a shaman - healer following a series of near - death experiences in the late 1980's. The first of these involved an encounter with an Elemental (Sulfur) spirit in the far north of Scotland near Thurso (Thor's River.) A second occurred several years later in Edinburgh. The combination of these encounters with numerous others entirely destroyed his health. Michael began to experience visions, prolonged out of body and altered states of consciousness as well as intense physical pain. Managing his life on a daily basis became an impossible challenge. He was finally rescued by a friend who lived in a small cottage close to an incalculably ancient female Yew tree in the south east of Scotland. This marked the beginning of a 9 + year period of healing and the direct transmission of an initiation knowledge that took place under the vast enclosure of the tree.  Michael believes that he was led to the Yew tree. He also believes that the Yew sent him to US to communicate its message.

http://www.yewshamanism.com/biography.html

Michael emigrated to USA from Scotland in 2003. He currently lives in rural Western Massachusetts.

http://www.sacredyewinstitute.com/bio.html

There has never been a more exciting time to study Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy! There is a great depth and a sense of timely relevance to this work that is both fascinating and compelling. It comprises a growing community of committed practitioners and teachers who recognize that our culture requires new paradigms in the healing arts able to relate to the current level of suffering and trauma held in the collective psyche and soma.

http://www.sacredyewinstitute.com/biodynamic_craniosacral_therapy_foundation_trainin.html

A interesting conversation between Michael Dunning, Scottish Shaman and Sylvia Brallier, Director of the Tantric Shamanism Institute about the phenomenon of white people who have experienced shamanic initiation from life.

White Shamanism https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQjgqreng-g&list=FL3CRDv-L1am32fLT-prGC2A&index=2

[JeelyPiece]

Another video on Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EX_C3tKIQOQ

And a radio interview on "Whyshamanismnow" (why indeed):

http://whyshamanismnow.com/2010/06/the-initiation-series-michael-dunning/

A flyer for one of his lectures:

http://www.lastmaskcenter.org/calendar/may_15_2688328792.pdf

The knowledge of the Yew lineage was guarded and preserved – by the pre-Celtic Druids, during the Early Middle Ages by holy
hermits and from 12th century through incorporation into the mysteries of the Holy Grail. By 19th century it seemed all but lost.
Today this knowledge is returning to us. The ten levels of the Essence of the Five Trees Teachings represent the present-day form
of an unbroken Tree of Life Grail Lineage.

Do I really need to say that "pre-Celtic Druids" is just ridiculous? Then we have the usual Ancient Secret Knowledge surviving (with added holy grail thrown in). It's just complete tripe. That's about as polite as I can be as this guy.

[Epiphany]

He must be special, he spent 9 years under a tree:

Michael Dunning is a shaman, writer and spiritual teacher from Scotland who was led through a life –threatening and
transformative nine-year shamanic initiation beneath an ancient yew tree.

http://www.lastmaskcenter.org/calendar/may_15_2688328792.pdf




Here he says it took ten years:

He experienced a ten-year period of healing and a shamanic initiation through Nature, that took place under the vast enclosure of a yew tree.

http://www.futureprimitive.org/2012/07/live-at-the-fairy-human-relations-congress-2012-with-deborah-koff-chapin-michael-dunning/

This sounds like he is trying to spin off of the story of Gautama Buddha attaining enlightenment under a tree.