& Sangoma (African Shaman)
John Lockley
Heal the pain, shame, and blame of your ancestral lineage to reconnect with your inner child, reclaim your authenticity, unlock the joy within your genes, and positively transform your life.
Surrender to the spirit of play and the power of ceremony, chants, prayers, and dreamwork through Earth-based South African shamanism — led by a Xhosa sangoma and lineage holder, the same lineage that gave us Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu.
Have you ever wondered if your current life situation — whether positive or negative — might be influenced by your ancestral lineages?
Respected sangoma (South African healer and shaman) and diviner John Lockley says we can realign with the best version of ourselves and our lives by healing our familial, cultural, and spiritual roots.
In doing so, we also become empowered to create a more humane world where all beings — including the Earth itself — can benefit.
John teaches South African shamanism, which focuses on ubuntu (humanness) — our moral obligation to care for others as we care for ourselves.
This responsibility is actually a blessing that extends to all of life, since cosmically, everything is interconnected…
… the pain, suffering, and challenges of our ancestors are imprinted upon us — as is their wisdom, peace, support, and joy.
During this transformational course, you’ll unearth the hidden potential that is buried in your ancestral roots through John’s potent fusion of ceremonial South African shamanic and Buddhist practices…
… including dance, drumming, dreamwork, meditations, and wisdom teachings and traditions to transform the heaviness and blockages within your familial, cultural, or spiritual lineages into love, peace, and empowered presence.
Fully initiated in the Xhosa lineage of South Africa, John spent 10 years in apprenticeship within that shamanic lineage.
John’s remarkable journey to discover his female South African teacher and eventually study within the Xhosa lineage as a white male, despite the constraints of Apartheid, is a testament to perseverance, cross-cultural understanding, and reconciliation.
You’ll journey into the pulsing healing heart of South African shamanism as John guides you into a visceral experience of your place in your familial line, our world, and the cosmos…
… instilling a felt sense of peace and connectedness with your ancestors, guardian spirits, nature — and your true self.
Using stories in the traditional shamanic way, John draws on his own life experience as a Zen and sangoma student…
… illuminating the deeper meaning of your embodied ancestral lineages and grounding you in the acceptance and love that is your birthright through evocative meditation and rhythm work that provide guidance, healing, and wisdom.
During this inspiring 7-module course, you’ll:
- Learn the ceremonial practices of the Xhosa shamanic tradition — woven with modern Buddhist interpretations to liberate and embody peace with your ancestral lineages
- Experience Heart-Beat meditation to connect to your inner channel and activate your life force
- Discover how to create an ancestral shrine or earth altar and connect more meaningfully with the land from which you originate
- Learn the South African “trance dance” or shaking medicine
- Explore the 3 levels of dreaming and how to identify ancestral or teaching dreams that help navigate your soul’s path
- Realize the importance of looking at ancestral stories in a balanced, nonjudgmental way to release the negativity from the past and help you move into the future
- Understand the importance of spiritual lineage — and discover how a variety of ancient spiritual principles have much in common
- Deeply connect to your purpose in life by befriending the 3 jewels of Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha
- Dive into spiritual initiation and the importance of tracking your dreams to activate alchemy and your ability to shine, or khanya
- Explore simple body percussion exercises to experience the importance of rhythm to connect to your higher self and ancestors
- Discover the leopard breath — a breathing exercise to energize the body and awaken the senses
- Fall in love with your own pulse and feel more deeply connected to the world’s heartbeat
- And much more…
John will guide you to connect with your ancestors during dreamtime and through the South African “trance dance.”
You’ll explore how to grow your spirit to become more empathic and intuitive and plant the seeds of nourishment for the roots of your tree of life…
… releasing the shame and pain carried for generations in these roots so you can heal yourself and all of your ancestral wounds.
You’ll learn revitalizing earth-based shamanic ancestral practices you can use everyday for healing and guidance to live a life of khanya — inner shining — and be guided to create sacred space by creating an ancestral earth shrine, symbolizing your sacred connection with the Earth.
As you begin to befriend your ancestral shadows and observe the parts of yourself that make you feel ashamed, guilty, or lacking in self-worth, the relationships you have with your ancestors and others will also begin to heal…
… and ripple into our world, creating a more vibrant and healed circle of life that nourishes the best in everyone and what’s truly possible for your life.
If you’d like to unlock the joy within your genes — healing your lineage backward and forward in time through ancient and deeply ceremonial shamanic practices that welcome your ancestry and all that you are in a transformational yet gentle way…
… join us for this immersive, heartfelt journey into the healing wisdom of South African shamanism.
What You’ll Discover in These 7 Modules
In this 7-part transformational course, John will guide you through the fundamental skills and competencies you’ll need to successfully transform your relationship with your ancestral roots to revitalize your life energy and honor your soul’s purpose.
This course will feature step-by-step teachings and experiential practices with John. Each session will build harmoniously upon the previous ones, so you’ll develop a complete holistic understanding of the practices, tools, and principles you’ll need to unlock the joy within your genes, rediscover your soul’s purpose, and positively transform your life.
Module 1: Invoke the Ancestral Tree of Life to Receive Its Blessings & Activate Your Life Force
What are the ancestral stories of your family? Are you proud of your people? What are the limiting beliefs or opinions that you hold about them?
Our DNA, bones, and blood are the sum total of thousands — possibly millions — of years of ancestors before us. Ancient shamans believe that all we need to do to access the vast treasure trove of memories and knowledge within us, is to say the names of our ancestors.
This class introduces South African cosmology and the concept of ubuntu (humanity) popularized by Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, both of whom are from the Xhosa culture in South Africa — the same tribe/culture that adopted and trained John Lockley to become a sangoma (traditional South African shaman).
You’ll be encouraged to see your ancestors as streams of consciousness, like a river or tree sap extending deep into the ground.
In this session, you’ll:
- Feel your innate rhythm during opening prayers in which John will chant and drum — helping you to connect to your inner channel of vibration
- Experience the Heart-Beat meditation to connect to your inner channel and activate your life force
- Learn to say your name and connect to the tree of life
- Invoke your ancestors with dignity
- Explore the importance of tree medicine and grounding into the Earth
Module 2: Learn the African Mindfulness Practice of Ubuntu to Connect With Ancestors, Guardian Spirits & Nature
Ubuntu is the circle of life. Only after first connecting with yourself and your soul can you then look to your ancestors and offer a prayer to them. Finally, you bow humbly to the Divine.
In this class, you’ll practice ubuntu and go into a deeper discussion of both blood and adopted ancestors, spirit guides, and helpers.
You’ll continue to pray and say your name, and invoke bloodline and spiritual lineages, as you’re guided to create sacred space in the form of an ancestral shrine — symbolizing that we are all made of the Earth and will one day return.
In this session, you’ll:
- Learn how to create an ancestral shrine or earth altar and connect more meaningfully with the land from which we come
- Explore how to pray and say your name using your authentic voice
- Experience a guided meditation with live African drumming and chanting to connect with your ancestors
Module 3: Explore the Art of Dreaming to Communicate With Your Ancestors & Manifest Your Dreams, Purpose & Destiny
Our dreams are a reflection of our lives and our lives reflect our dreams. How can you realize your destiny and reforge the road on which you walk upon?
In this class, you’ll explore traditional South African teachings of uvula ndlela, or opening the road, to invoke your ancestors in prayer and listen to the response from the other world — often appearing in the form of dreams.
You’ll learn how to communicate in the language of the spirit world, which speaks in riddles and metaphors.
As you connect more deeply with your ancestors, your dreams will change…
… and as you become more mindful of your dreams, you’ll learn to identify synchronicities and develop the capacity for experiencing more soulfulness.
In this session, you’ll:
- Learn the 3 levels of dreaming and how to identify ancestral or teaching dreams that help navigate your soul’s path
- Discover ways to manifest your dreams into reality
- Identify your “dreamprint” and explore your dream language
- Examine how many of your senses are engaged while dreaming
- Experience a guided meditation to connect more deeply with your dreams
- Invoke your ancestors and learn to become a better listener — both in your dream world and in your waking life
Module 4: Befriend the 3 Jewels of Buddha, Dharma & Sangha to Shine Your Light & Better Understand Your Life Purpose
In Buddhism, the three jewels of Buddha, Dharma & Sangha serve as vehicles to help people shine and connect to their purpose in life.
Buddha represents the enlightened or shining one, Dharma speaks about the teachings to connect to our inner shining, and Sangha represents the community that supports us along our journey.
These jewels complement an earth-based ancestral practice.
In this class, you’ll explore how traditional South African shamanism, khanya (shining), and khanya umsebenze (shining work) are pivotal to any ancestral practice, in relation to contemporary Buddhist and yogic practice.
In this session, you’ll:
- Explore the importance of elders and the notion of sacred respect and humility to strengthen the community jewel
- Understand the importance of spiritual lineage — and discover how a variety of ancient spiritual principles have much in common
- Balance blood lineage with spiritual lineage
- Learn a meditation to foster humility and openness
- Connect to your inner shining or soul
Module 5: Discover the South African “Trance Dance” to Access Your Soul Medicine & Spiritual Intelligence
In all traditional ancestral practices, movement and dance are used to connect to the physical and spiritual. As you move with rhythm and intention, your spine generates heat, which energizes the spirit.
Anthropologists maintain that all human life came from Africa, specifically Southern Africa. After the last ice age, our ancestors lived in coastal regions and danced in caves.
In this class, you’ll discover South African “trance dances” they performed that helped them connect to their higher consciousness and dreamtime — stimulating the growth of their spiritual intelligence.
These dances survived the test of time and form the bedrock of traditional spiritual practices in Southern Africa.
In this session, you’ll:
- Learn the South African “trance dance” or shaking medicine
- Explore simple body percussion exercises to experience the importance of rhythm to connect to your higher self and ancestors
- Connect to your own lightning rod through correct alignment of your spine, head, and feet
- Discover the leopard breath — a breathing exercise to energize the body and awaken the senses
- Become more connected to your nervous system, which serves as the gateway to the dreamworld and spiritual realm
- Fall in love with your own pulse and feel more deeply connected to the world’s heartbeat
Module 6: Befriend Your Shadow to Increase Self-Love & Ground Yourself in Gratitude
We live in a modern world addicted to constant updates, adrenaline, and movement. Many of us struggle to feel full or satisfied — what Buddhists call the plight of the hungry ghost.
People are frenetically trying to fill the void of spirit/soul that their ancestors moved away from since the Industrial Revolution.
For this reason, we must examine how we live today and what we might have inherited from our ancestors which no longer serves our greater life purpose.
In this class, you’ll learn how to befriend your shadows and look with understanding at the parts of yourself that make you feel ashamed, guilty, or lacking in self worth.
In this session, you’ll:
- Befriend your shadow through a guided meditation to feel inside yourself and explore ways in which this might be an ancestral shadow
- Notice ancestral patterns that have been passed down the generations
- Discover that which you have inherited from your ancestors and that which you can surrender
- Realize the importance of looking at ancestral stories in a balanced, nonjudgmental way to prevent the negativity from the past to move into the future
- Learn to slow down and notice what is within and around you
- Uncover superstitions and the limitations of cultural programming — and begin to see soulful elements with more clarity
Module 7: Listen to the Call of Nature to Understand & Embody Your Deeper Purpose or Destiny
As custodians of Earth, we are each responsible for the state and wellbeing of our planet. As we reconnect to one another in this world and make peace with our ancestors from the past, we complete ubuntu and connect more deeply with nature and our destiny in this life.
According to the Buddha, the point of life is to find our purpose. Oftentimes, this requires challenging, uncomfortable work as part of our spiritual initiation.
Once our human relationships are met and given voice, the next step is to face outward and connect with the natural world.
You’ll contemplate how nature calls you.
In this session, you’ll:
- Explore what it means to follow or connect to your destiny
- Dive into spiritual initiation and the importance of tracking your dreams to activate alchemy and your ability to shine
- Decode the role of animals in our human evolution and how they can teach us — when we allow ourselves to listen and learn
- Reimagine the power of being still — and moving from a place of doing to listening to the world around you
- Come to understand that manifestation is following spiritual intelligence that comes through dreams and intuition
The South African Shamanic Wisdom Bonus Collection
In addition to John’s transformative 7-module online course, you’ll receive this special bonus collection to complement the course and take your understanding and practice to an even deeper level.
Guided Heart-Beat Meditation
Audio Meditation From John Lockley’s Unreleased Album “Sondela Mama” (Come Closer, Great Mother)
Breathe in deeply, breathe out slowly. Relax and unwind to a guided meditation using John’s voice and Tibetan bowl to help connect you to “the little drummer” in your chest — your own heartbeat. Our hearts hold the rhythm to the natural world. All we need to do is stop. Listen. Let go. And surrender.
Traditional Teachings, Songs & Chants
Three Audio Tracks From John Lockley’s Unreleased Album “Sondela Mama” (Come Closer, Great Mother)
Track 13: Introducing “The Calling” Chant From South Korea “Kwan-Seum Bosal”
Kwan-Seum Bosal, “One Who Listens to the Cries of the World,” is the Bodhisattva of Compassion in South Korea, much like Kwan Yin in other parts of Asia and China. John speaks about his journey from South Korea as a Zen student under the renowned Zen Master Seung Sahn to the traditional Eastern Cape, South Africa. He recounts the beginning of his sangoma (African shamanic) apprenticeship under his teacher MaMngwevu, a well-known Xhosa medicine woman.
Track 14: “Kwan Seum Bosal”
Let this track take you on a spiritual journey to rediscover your inner truth. John begins with the chant of the Bodhisattva of Compassion, Kwan Seum Bosal, then moves into an “Ingoma” (African chant), giving strength to Mandela and his vision of “ubuntu,” or humanity. Amongst traditional South Africans and medicine people, sangoma chants are seen as gateways to the spirit world or the world beyond time, helping others connect with their souls, ancestors, and spiritual journeys.
Track 15: “UMoya Wam”
“UMoya wam” translates to “my spirit or soul” and is a call to wake up and connect to the divine and our ancestors. This track includes sangoma drumming, which is a specific beat within the genre of sacred music and different from traditional music in South Africa.
What People Are Saying About John Lockley…
— Laurie Cousins: “John Holds These Sacred Ancient Teachings in a Way That Embodies Humility and Grace”
— Paul Kilman: “These Teachings From South Africa Have a Lot to Offer Us Here in the West”
— Ethan Brown: “John Gave Me a Pathway to Carry My Ancestors’ Light Into the Future”
“The workshop participants experienced great shifts in their souls and a deeper connection to their ancestors through John’s guidance.”
Our mission is the conservation of Indigenous cultures, preservation of their territories, and the education of the public regarding the rich wisdom that they carry. We hosted John Lockley for a week and wish to express our gratitude to him for offering such truly powerful and authentic spiritual work from the Xhosa sangomas of South Africa. Everyone in the audience felt the presence of the ancestors in the room and left deeply fulfilled by the experience. We also offered a weekend medicine workshop and it was a beautiful experience for all who attended. The workshop participants experienced great shifts in their souls and a deeper connection to their ancestors through John’s guidance. I highly recommend his work to any organization that wishes to host a truly authentic elder from South Africa. In these times when many people are calling themselves shamans, we do a lot of searching for the authentic medicine people of the world. John offers the truly authentic wisdom we seek.
— Patricia Turner, founder of Tierra Sagrada, The Sacred Earth Foundation
“I've attended two of John's ceremonies and left each time feeling elated and hopeful that shamanic work can bring healing to the world.”
John Lockley, a traditionally trained sangoma, brings the rhythms of African shamanism to life. With song, dance, and drumming, he creates a spirit-filled atmosphere in which to honor our ancestors and exchange blessings between the worlds. If you get a chance to participate with him in his joyous celebrations, don't miss it. I've attended two of John's ceremonies and left each time feeling elated and hopeful that shamanic work can bring healing to the world.
— Tom Cowan
“John is clearly called into a life of serving as a cultural bridge as well as being a healer.”
I participated in John’s retreat at the Buddhist Retreat Centre near Ixopo. I had previously had one experience visiting a sangoma and had done a bit of reading but looked forward to an experience. The experience facilitated by John was both informative and powerful. John is clearly called into a life of serving as a cultural bridge as well as being a healer. He shows up to both with a great deal of integrity. As a teacher myself, I appreciated the way in which John handily facilitated a group of widely and wildly varied individuals who each had their own hopes, expectations, and intentions. As someone actively seeking healing, I appreciated the authentic, practical, and nourishing healing experience of those days. I’m writing these words months after the experience and it continues to feed me.
— Jon L.
“This was incredibly beautiful, heart-opening, and at times, mind-blowing as well.”
I had the blessing and honor of attending a ceremony and talk by Xhosa sangoma John Lockley. This was incredibly beautiful, heart-opening, and at times mind-blowing as well. He sings, chants, dances, plays the drums, flute, and bowl, and is dedicatedly determined to create (and did) a sacred space and give the people with him a glimpse of the shamanic state of consciousness from an African point of view. He does this with a sweetness, kindness, and compassion but also has the spiritual wisdom of a veteran lineage holder. I felt without a doubt that he is a deeply powerful shaman, and one who would always use his power for healing and the greatest good. A beautiful and divine ceremonial experience.
— Jacqueline Arnold, Colorado
“Working with John is giving me a profound experience of awakening; the drumming shook my soul and spirit and ‘I woke up.’”
I’m very lucky to have been a part of sangoma John Lockley’s retreat. Working with John is giving me a profound experience of awakening; the drumming shook my soul and spirit and “I woke up.” John’s medicinal herb foot wash cleansed my soul; my dreams became beautiful again and the nightmares stopped. I have been very fortunate to experience a number of John’s healing retreats, and I can say the more you work with him in the circle of life/unbuntu, the more your heart opens and you begin to become a happier human being. I feel it’s the antidepressant that works for the modern world we live in today as it helps you to love and heal the past.
— Anita, United Kingdom
Here’s What You’ll Receive
Seven 90-Minute Class Sessions With John Lockley
Experience a unique opportunity to learn from the founder of “The Way of the Leopard” teachings and sangoma (African shaman) John Lockley — from the comfort of your own home. Each class session includes a streaming video option and will guide you to rediscover your soul’s purpose, and positively transform your life.
Seven Transcripts of Class Sessions
You’ll also receive the entire class transcription after each session is completed. You can then review, print, and highlight the most important insights and practices you were given.
Exercises and Questions for Each Lesson
Between class sessions, you’ll have the option of completing related exercises, practicing new tools, and answering questions to accelerate your learning and integrate each lesson.
The South African Shamanic Wisdom Bonus Collection
- Guided Heart-Beat Meditation
Audio Meditation From John Lockley’s Unreleased Album “Sondela Mama” (Come Closer, Great Mother) - Traditional Teachings, Songs & Chants
Three Audio Tracks From John Lockley’s Unreleased Album “Sondela Mama” (Come Closer, Great Mother)
An Unprecedented Opportunity to Join the Online Course, South African Shamanic Wisdom
We feel honored that John Lockley has chosen to partner with The Shift Network to offer this exclusive online course. This is a unique opportunity to learn from the founder of “The Way of the Leopard” teachings and sangoma (African shaman) whose powerful insights and pioneering work are helping us heal and awaken ourselves and our world.
If you’re serious about healing yourself and your ancestral roots for increased harmony and vitality, then you owe it to yourself, your loved ones, and our world to take this one-of-a-kind course.
If you’re ready to take the next step in your own evolution, click the register button below to reserve your space now.
Your Satisfaction Is 100% Guaranteed!
Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed! If you don’t absolutely LOVE South African Shamanic Wisdom — or don’t feel that it meets your needs — please submit your refund request form 2 weeks from your date of purchase and we’ll happily issue qualifying customers a refund.
More Praise for John Lockley’s work…
“John Lockley is a white man that can dance!”
John Lockley is a white man that can dance! And he plays the skin drum like he was born to it. This is an extraordinary tale of a middle-class South African who had the dreaded African “calling sickness.” To heal, he went through years of rigorous traditional African spiritual training and ritual sacrifice. With great eloquence and sensitivity, John relates his wild journey, which takes him from his life as a Zen student in the East to his mystical studies in Ireland to eventually becoming an African sangoma. He combines his life’s work of spirit hunting in the brave and profound teachings he calls “The Way of the Leopard.”
— Craig Foster, filmmaker, Oscar winner for My Octopus Teacher
“A beautiful invitation to open your eyes and heart to whole new worlds of shamanic healing and spirit.”
A beautiful invitation to open your eyes and heart to whole new worlds of shamanic healing and spirit. A reminder to trust your dreams and inspiration, and to love, dance, and awaken to mystery.
— Jack Kornfield, author of A Path with Heart and A Lamp in the Darkness
“John Lockley shares a wealth of stories that will bring tears to your eyes as well as inspire you to want to learn more.”
Leopard Warrior is a truly remarkable account of the initiation of a white male in South Africa into becoming a sangoma. This is quite a sign, to be entrusted with these deep ancestral mysteries. John Lockley shares a wealth of stories that will bring tears to your eyes as well as inspire you to want to learn more. The exercises he provides are simple yet transformative. This book is brilliant!
— Sandra Ingerman, MA, author of Soul Retrieval and Walking in Light: The Everyday Empowerment of Shamanic Life
“John Lockley is the real deal.”
John Lockley is the real deal. I organized a group to travel with him to Africa to experience his teachings firsthand. His work allowed each person deep ancestral line healing. John’s teachings are profound and simple, the ultimate compliment.
— Linda L. Fitch, shamanic teacher and coach
“I wholeheartedly recommend John Lockley to anyone seeking a transformative and enriching experience.”
I am writing this testimonial to express my admiration and gratitude for John Lockley, who has made a significant impact on my life and the lives of many others through his book Leopard Warrior and his profound teachings. His story is incredible. I first became aware of John Lockley through his captivating YouTube videos, where he generously shared his experiences as a sangoma from South Africa. As someone who was undergoing my own journey as a sangoma while living in South Africa, I was immediately drawn to his wisdom and authenticity. His ability to convey profound spiritual concepts with such clarity and humility left a lasting impression on me. I was particularly moved by his genuine passion for sharing the teachings of his ancestral lineage. Through his songs, drumming, and powerful prayers, he evoked deep emotions within us, reminding us of our interconnectedness with the natural world. I wholeheartedly recommend John Lockley to anyone seeking a transformative and enriching experience.
— Nancy Rebecca, shamanic teacher and healer, founder of Intuitive Mind Programs
About John Lockley
John Lockley is one of the first white men in recent history to become a fully initiated sangoma (traditional African shaman) in the Xhosa lineage of South Africa. He was born in 1971 into a divided apartheid South Africa, with the mark of the sangoma on his face — a band of white birth skin around the eyes.
At 18, John was serving in the South African army as a medic when he had a strong, prophetic dream calling him to train as a Xhosa sangoma. He immediately began to suffer from the thwasa, a severe period of ill health that is inherent in all ancient shamanic cultures and which can only be cured through apprenticeship to a shamanic teacher.
Because of the restrictions of apartheid (which ended in 1994), it would take John seven years to find a Xhosa teacher. During the early days of his calling he trained as a Zen student under renowned Zen Master Su Bong, completing an intensive 3-month Kyol Che in a Buddhist monastery in South Korea. He was then invited by Zen Master Dae Soen Sa Nim to join his “monk army,” but the strength of his sangoma calling drew him back to South Africa.
Eventually, post-apartheid, John met MaMngwevu, a well-known Xhosa sangoma medicine woman, in one of the poorest townships in South Africa. She had foreseen his arrival in a dream and began his 10-year apprenticeship, giving him the initiated name Cingolweendaba, meaning messenger or connector between people and cultures.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is your refund policy?
A: Your satisfaction with The Shift Network and this course is our highest priority! We offer a satisfaction guarantee for a full two weeks so that you can try out the course risk free. The deadline to receive a refund is two weeks from your date of purchase. To request a refund, please click here to submit your Refund Application Form. Your refund will be processed within five business days and we will send you an email confirmation when your refund has been completed. However, we’d love to have a chance to address and resolve your concerns first. If there’s something we can assist you with, please email us at support@theshiftnetwork.com, and we’ll be happy to help!
Q: How can I reach Customer Support?
A: Please visit our Customer Support Center, where you should be able to find the answer to your question or the solution to your problem. And if you can’t, you can submit an online request form and we’ll get right back to you.
