S1 E16 - Removing the Masks: Returning to Your True Self - LightSong Talking Stick Podcast
Co-hosts: Jan Engels-Smith and Micah Schwader
Welcome to the Talking Stick Podcast, where co-hosts Jan Engels-Smith—founder of the LightSong School of 21st Century Shamanism and Energy Healing and author of Becoming Yourself: A Journey from Head to Heart—and Micah Schwader—Transformational Writing Coach and author of Stumbling Into Grace: The Adventures of a Transgender Shaman—share shamanic teachings and lived wisdom to help you create a life aligned with your true essence.
In this powerful and reflective episode, Jan and Micah explore the masks we wear — the identities shaped by conditioning, cultural expectations, trauma responses, and inherited belief systems. These masks often form without our conscious awareness, yet they shape how we move through the world, how we relate to others, and how we see ourselves.
From their years of shamanic practice and transformational work, Jan and Micah illuminate:
• How masks develop and why we hold onto them
• The subtle ways these identities limit our growth and authenticity
• Shamanic tools and rituals for recognizing and releasing old layers
• Stories from personal and client journeys of profound identity transformation
• What it feels like to step into life unmasked — present, empowered, and soul-aligned
This episode is an invitation to gently examine the false identities you’ve been asked to carry, and to reclaim the truth of who you are beneath them. If you’ve ever felt like you're living a life scripted by someone else’s expectations, this conversation will help guide you back to yourself.
Come listen, reflect, and remember the you beneath the stories — the you that Spirit always knew.
For more information about Jan’s ReCreate Yourself class, visit https://www.lightsong.net/recreate-yourself/
For more information about Micah’s Shamanic Storytelling class, visit https://shamansezz.com/shamanic-storytelling/
For more information about Micah's memoir, Stumbling Into Grace: The Adventures of a Transgender Shaman, visit ShamanSezz.com/stumbling-into-grace-the-book/