How I Changed My Life! A Journey From Engineering to Shamanism By Author Trevor Cowan
Cover Blurb
How I Changed My Life! charts Trevor’s spiritual journey unfolding as he searched for answers to his deepest questions. This is a memoir, of sorts, from childhood, through education, on to a career in engineering, before consciously stepping onto his path and being drawn to shamanism.
Shamanism is one of the oldest healing modalities on Earth, stemming from indigenous ways of living in harmony and balance with nature, based upon the inherent human connection to all life on this planet. Trevor’s journey from engineering to shamanism was dotted with signs and synchronicities, tragedy and joy, profound encounters and experiences, and an underlying curiosity to discover what it is that lies beyond our conscious selves. This has been the journey of a lifetime…
Other Titles By the Author
Trevor Cowan
Author Bio
Following university and several years travelling, Trevor’s twenty-five-year career in engineering and project management took him across the globe, working for a number of years in Hong Kong, Mexico and Brazil, before returning to the UK. However, like most on a spiritual path, Trevor knew there was something more he needed to be doing, especially as his health began to suffer. Digestive problems, coupled with acute tinnitus, eventually forced Trevor to leave work and seek his own healing path, as the mainstream healthcare offered was ineffective for him.
For over twenty years Trevor has been working consciously on himself, beginning with yoga and meditation, followed by forays into various other esoteric areas and practices, before coming to shamanism and nature-based spirituality. This, Trevor knew, was his calling, and led to him completing a two-year training course on the medicine wheel and qualifying as a contemporary shamanic practitioner.
Throughout this journey, Trevor filled many journals and knew he should share some of the profound insights he was privileged to have been given. From these writings, his book, Change Your Life! was born. Trevor is now based near the lovely town of Saltburn-by-the-Sea, in North East England, where he works with individuals and groups offering ceremonies and workshops, alongside private sessions for spiritual connection, personal development, healing and growth.
He has recently published his second book - How I Changed My Life!
The Book Tour
Day 1 - Favourite Quotes
Day 2 - Author's Message
Trevor Cowan first introduced us to his version of Shamanism in his book, Change Your Life! which I reviewed in 2023. This book expands on the theme, and chronicles his actual transformation process. Whether or not we believe in the shamanistic practice is immaterial. Cowan does, and explains his transformation process in great detail. He begins with exploring his early childhood for hints to his later quest for spiritual enlightenment, and takes us on his journey across Russia and the Orient in his early adulthood, culminating in the long process that became his Shamanistic training. He had several teachers along the way, and his enthusiasm for the knowledge each imbued him with shines through the pages. (Phoebe Wilby)
The author’s voice is unique and consistent throughout. He is honest and candid, and never pretends to be an expert at something he’s not. He does share where he does have experience, background and training, but never in a patronizing way. He talks at length about how his own personal journey led him on the road to shamanism. He talks about some techniques but has respect to not overshare (as he already has a book about shamanic practices, and some traditions from other cultures he didn’t want to divulge). His practices and outcomes are depicted organically in the book. He is obviously passionate about shamanism, and what makes it more authentic is how his journey to it was full of obstacles, doubt, chance meetings. He is candid about his beliefs, or disbeliefs and what he feels he needs to work on. (Sophie Jupillat Posey)
No matter whether you have read Trevor’s other book on this subject, it is apparent from early on that he is very knowledgeable and passionate about this subject. This is more than just a way of life for the author, he genuinely wants to help others by sharing his story. It was a fascinating and fantastic read. (Yvonne Marrs)
Day 3 - Favourite Excerpts
In the Philippines, we visited a Chinese cemetery that was like a small city, with a multitude of graves and mausoleums, some so big that they had front doors, plumbed bathrooms and kitchens for the relatives who came to visit. Outside the fence that surrounded the cemetery was a slum where many hundreds, possibly thousands, lived. Realising that each day the impoverished living there had to wake up and look out at these ornate, lavish, but empty (and hardly used) buildings that could house their entire family did not sit well with my soul. Poverty was everywhere, but, and somewhat unexpectedly, most of the people were still friendly, and the smiles never abated. (Phoebe Wilby)
This took me immediately back to my ‘share the love’ moment in 2006, when I was told to ‘Share the love!’ by a passing, very happy fellow reveller at the WOMAD festival. The sentiment resonated at the time, and I even wrote it on a bright orange card and pinned it up where I was living. Another coincidence and sign, pointing to the universal constant of love, and that, although this was a sad, painful, difficult, bewildering, and emotionally exhausting time, love was never far away and is big enough and powerful enough to banish any fear around loss, regret and death.” (Sophie Jupillat Posey)
That is one thing I have learned: that people overall have a trusting nature, and if they are told something by someone they respect, they are likely to believe it, no matter how improbable it may seem. If someone tells you something with such certainty and in such a measured and calm way, it is not human nature to distrust or query what you are being told. (Yvonne Marrs)
Day 4 - Video Interview
Day 5 - Reviews
Overall Star Rating: 5 Stars Trevor Cowan’s How I Changed My Life expands on his earlier self-help book, Change Your Life! by taking us along on his journey of exploration, his spiritual journey to enlightenment as he discovered his true vocation, Shamanism. He describes his book as ‘a memoir of sorts’ and states that there will be the ‘odd self-indulgence’ as he recounts his journey through the ‘wonderful, magical, sometimes tragic, sometimes shocking things’ he experienced on his spiritual journey. I would describe the book as a memoir, and there was a lot of self-indulgence. This is also a travelogue of sorts as he describes the countries he has visited while discovering and honing his shamanic practice, including Russia, Peru, Mexico, the States (Arizona in particular), Canada, India, Australia, and Spain. This doesn’t detract from the narrative; understanding Cowan’s background is essential to his journey to his own spiritual awakening. Cowan used his shamanic education to explore his and his family and friends’ physical ailments. His tinnitus was particularly difficult for him, but as nothing he did seemed to help, he wondered if perhaps it was evidence of a spiritual need, or if he had a genetic disposition given his mother also had tinnitus. He discovered that his love of ‘trance’ or ‘house’ music helped to create a trance state to meet healing spirits, leading to his belief that dances and clubs are akin to churches and temples in terms of peace, reflection and tranquility. Personal tragedies such as his mother’s death from a car accident, his friend, John’s death from lung cancer and his father’s eventual death from prostate cancer gave him opportunities to put his fledgling shamanistic practices to good use, helping his loved ones’ transition to ‘whatever comes after’, as well as providing peace and comfort to those left behind. When writing of his friend’s death, he said he was able to say goodbye, but not to help his friend release the pain and anger he had been hoping to, as his death was quick. He performed a shamanic soul release ceremony and wrote: “even in the darkest times there is comfort, support and magic in this world. Did the shamanic work I carried out help John? Did Spirit come and ease his pain and suffering? Where is John’s spirit now? I don’t know. But what I do know is that I was given an opportunity to use what I had learnt, conduct a soul release ceremony to aid John’s passing and hopefully help ease the family’s pain, and also to experience more of the Universe’s synchronicities or magic”. Similarly, the suicide death of a friend in Costa Rica and his subsequent ceremony to help shift some of the shock and emotion he and other hotel residents were feeling, was a direct by-product of his search for greater spiritual understanding and shamanic practice. While Cowans’s book is indeed a memoir, and a tad self-indulgent in its presentation, there is great value in the book. Whether the reader intends to follow the path to a Shaman or to explore and determine their own spiritual beliefs or practices, this book is well worth the read. As he states at the end “ … and remember it is, of course, about the journey and not the destination”. (Phoebe Wilby)
Overall Star Rating: 5 Stars How I Changed My Life! is a personal and engaging account of Trevor’s journey from engineering to shamanism. He explores his experiences, relationships, travels and losses and how they gradually changed the way he viewed himself and the world around him. One of the book's greatest strengths is his voice. His writing is warm, conversational and refreshingly open, whether he is recounting adventures around the world, reflecting on his spiritual awakening or writing about much more difficult experiences, including anxiety and the deaths of people he loved. I particularly appreciated that he doesn't present his journey as something polished or finished. Even towards the end, he acknowledges that understanding himself and his spirituality remains a work in progress. The book is also very well structured. Following Trevor's life largely chronologically allows us to understand how seemingly unrelated experiences eventually contributed to the person he became. His many travels are especially enjoyable to follow, but the quieter and more reflective sections are equally important. There is some repetition, particularly around themes such as our connection to nature, listening to ourselves, healing from within and the interconnectedness of life. These ideas are central to Trevor's story, so their recurrence makes sense, but occasionally I felt that a point had already been made clearly and didn't need quite as much repetition. Nevertheless, this is an absorbing and thoughtful memoir. Even readers who don't share all of the author’s spiritual beliefs can find plenty here about grief, change, curiosity, resilience and the unexpected directions a life can take. (Sophie Jupillat Posey)
Overall Star Rating: 5 Stars Trevor Cowan’s How I Changed My Life! reads like a memoir, filled with emotional events and travel stories from varying adventures around the world. Informing the reader of his early life and what pointed him to a path towards Shamanism, I believe that it is of interest to all readers, not just those interested in the Self Help/ Shamanistic genre. His author’s voice is smooth, leading us through the book in a laid back, easy to follow style, with excellent pacing. His message is interesting and informative, without being ‘pushy’ or self-absorbed. Many points of interest throughout the book I have noted for myself, as it resonates with a lot of people regardless of life experiences and beliefs. As a result of this, ideas from the book not only made a strong impression on me but stayed with me, and were especially engaging. This is a 5 star book all day long! (Yvonne Marrs)
Book Tour Reviewers
