Shaking

The Original Path to Ecstasy and Healing

By: Bradford P. Keeney

Narrated by: Bradford P. Keeney

Can ecstatic movement and sound be the next revolution in spirituality and healing? This is the premise behind Shaking, a radical audio-learning course from pioneering psychotherapist, world explorer, and author Bradford Keeney.

Forget everything you’ve thought to be true about spiritual practice and the healing arts. On Shaking, Bradford Keeney will take you to the very beginning, to the time “when all things were complete in matters of mystery and the spirit.”

Rediscovering the World’s Oldest Healing Tradition
Almost 20 years ago, Bradford Keeney was at the top of his profession, directing doctoral programs in family therapy, working at prestigious institutions, and writing books still deemed classics in the field of psychotherapy. Yet one day, he walked away from his career and traveled the globe to study the world’s indigenous healing arts.

For more than 10 years, Keeney regularly visited and lived with the Kalahari Bushmen of Africa—humanity’s oldest living culture—where he learned the practice of “shaking medicine.” On Shaking, this “American shaman” reveals the ancient use of spontaneous motion and vocal expression as a path to spiritual ecstasy and healing—and how this primal art is readily available to assist people in any culture.

Drawing on his popular international workshops, Keeney leads you through six provocative sessions of high-energy, full-body interactive learning. Unconventional exercises, improvisational drumming, and music will get you shaking your way to wisdom and well-being. And Keeney’s shamanic insights will challenge your deepest-held beliefs to access a long-forgotten opening for divine connection and healing.

Welcome to the "Church of Experimental Spirituality”
“This is your time to be with spirit, for spirit to knock and for you to say ‘Come on in!’” says Bradford Keeney. “And to do that, you need to step into the church of experimental spirituality, and take on the quake and the shake!” So put aside your thoughts about “right and wrong,” brush off your self-consciousness, and dive right in. Nothing in your life will be the same after Shaking.

An actual Drum Circle, Not a Book.

This was fun for a few minutes of what I thought was an artistic interpretation freeform prologue of sorts. No. this is hours upon hours of freeform spoken word drum circle with occasional random other sounds. It is an inspired work, no doubt about that!

Can't hate it – can't love it (sadly)

When I came across this audiobook and listened to the sample, my first reaction was to laugh out loud. This is just too damn intense and weird: Bradford Keeney on the mic, rambling off inspirational stuff about Kalahari bushmen, urging you to "mooo-vah!" (move) and "sha-kh!" (shake) like a gospel preacher intoxicated on a crystal meth + PCB combo.

But it got me intrigued. So off to YouTube I went. Found some some videos explaining what and why Keeney does what he does. He's a cool dude!

So I bought the audiobook. And I wanted to enjoy it.

Sadly, I couldn't. As a former musician and dj, I can't distract myself from the fact that the music literally sounds like you're in a music-gear shop, and someone is testing a sampler or beatbox machine by pressing all the knobs/pads, to hear and play with all the presets.

A crash! A cymbal! Oh there's a ride cymbal... and another... A handclap. A whistle even. And again. And a horn! And another horn! All jumbled up.

I get that it isn't supposed to make sense, logically or musically. It's supposed to be random. But still, it sounds too much like the above: someone trying all the presets on a sampler.

Furthermore, the recording, while quite clear, is in desperate need of a compressor and limiter. Bradford goes from whispering to shouting all the time, and I can't hear what he's saying when he's whispering. Proper compression and limiting would have solved that issue.

Another problem is that there are *no instructions*. The first track just starts right on, with Bradford rambling on top of the music. It's an experience, I get that, and while it *is* fun to "just go into full-spasm mode" I didn't feel much benefit from doing so, apart from the exercise value. HOW should I shake to gain the full benefits of this? There's no guidance.

For those reasons, I can't really recommend it. It's a nice to have, but more for the authenticity and artistic expression and laughs:)

Worth the listen multiple times for sure

I've listened to this book several times and I get something new out of it each time. New knowledge along with new openness