I was asked to start a thread on this because it can help with dealind with stress, pain, and aid in the healing. I have to worn you that it can bring out feeling and emotions that can be tramatic when you let your body and mind take over and "you just get out of the way if it happening" When i first tryed this during cranial theropy i let my body talk to me by asking it questions and "letting" it answer me. it was powerfull! I started to cry and could not stop for at least an hour! not becouse i felt sorry for myself, but my whole needed to express its sorrow for what was lost. I never delt with the trama emotionaly and my body was paying the price. As for totems, we all need to find our own, it may not even be an animal! it could be a tree like the mighty oak, or a stone like amathest. it is what you are drawn to. somehow it always finds itself in your path no matter where you go. most people never notice untill the look. when you get a calm come over you you just may be neer your totem. there are a lot of good sites on the web about totems, just remember a totem chooses you not the other way around! but when you find it and do some research on it you will say...oh my god! thats me! a good place to start is http://www.whats-your-sign.com/index.html. but there are many sites out there just look for what feels rite for you. you dont have to be native for this, many cultures have this but just call it by other names. I hope this helps some of you, it helps me even at the darkest of moments.