Native Americans believe that dancing is a spiritual expression. Dancing is performed before an important event such as healing, giving thanks, honoring an individual, event or blessing.

Neshi uses Native American dance for her clients to bless the client’s home. Neshi uses either the Healing Dress Dance for the home blessings.

Healing Dress

In October 1997, Neshi had a dream, a vision. In the vision, she wore a yellow dress that was beaded with white beads of different shapes and sizes. As she walked, she could hear the tinkling of the beads.

July 2002, Neshi began thinking about the dress and the vision. Neshi would find herself drawing out the construction of the dress. She had assumed the dress would be a Jingle Dress because of the tinkling sound in her vision. Neshi made the decision to make the dress in August 2002. The dress was on her mind constantly from July to December. Neshi listened to her guides when she was told that the dress was not to have metal cones attached to it, but she was to use shells. The dress was to be a Healing Dress for all people.

Neshi began thinking about what beads to use and the fabric. In October 2002, Neshi decided to use cowrie shells, snowy quartz beads, white mother of pearl beads, pearls, white seed beads and iridescent sequins on the dress. The fabric color would be yellow.

Prior to the use of metal cones, Native Americans used shells to adorn the Healing Dress. In Jingle Dress research, Neshi, found that the Jingle Dress dance was meant to heal people. This dance is also known as the Medicine Dress Dance. A person does not choose to become a Jingle Dress Dancer, they must have a dream about themselves dancing in this style or someone else must dream of you dancing in this style.

Neshi’s Healing Dress has 370 cowrie shells attached to it. Her Healing Dress will be used for its healing qualities for creating Space Sacred.

Meaning or Symbolism of the material used on Neshi’s Healing Dress:

• Smokey Quartz Beads
  Helps to process and release that which is no longer needed. Balances the energies of the mind and body. Protective and grounding.
• White Mother of Pearl
  Used to stimulate intuition, sensitivity, imagination and adaptability. Enhances clarity and promotes cooperation between self and others. Also promotes cooperation and clarity within oneself. Excellent source of cohesive energy for groups.
• Simulated Pearls
  Creative transformation. Signifies faith, charity, and innocence. Enhances person integrity and helps to provide a focus to ones attention. Provides a clear vehicle for advancing in states of wisdom and clean channel for the receipt of spiritual guidance. Known as the “Stone of Sincerity”, bringing truth to situations and loyalty to causes.
• Cowrie Shells
  An ancient symbol of creation, birth, and rebirth. Inspires creativity of excellence. Provides for both intuitive and intellectual control. Promoted achievement in aesthetics and artistic endeavors. Stimulates learning and retention capabilities. Assists in the recognition of the self as a vehicle for understanding, self-knowledge.Cowrie shells were used in the art of manifestation. Bringing fortunes and affluence to the user. The shells were used by coastal Native American tribes to indicate wealth. Represents Goddess protection which is very powerful and connected with strength of the ocean. Symbol of the power of destiny and prosperity. Symbol of fertility and the Great Mother.
• White Beads
  Activates purification, humility, purity, expansiveness, balance and Divine love.
• Yellow dress color
  Activates the intellect, communication, attention to detail, expression, freedom and sincerity.

Resource: Melody, Feng Shui for the Soul, Denise Linn.

The art of being a Medicine Woman has not been lost. There are more practicing Medicine Women alive today than ever before using ancient methods. Combining the ancient with new technology that has been developed creates a very meaningful ceremony for Neshi’s clients. As ancient Medicine Women have done for centuries, Neshi continues to care for her family and loved ones and clients with all the tools available to her so they can walk in balance, and live life in health and harmony. May it be so. Aho.