Tomorrow at dawn I go to wake up the bear. I dance with Native Americans several times a year in an ancient bear dance. The bear dance may have started 10,000-80-000 years old in Europe. Many tribes in California have bear danced to heal for thousands of years. The people in Southern California who I dance with hold the bear dance three times a year to heal the people of the local community. In their explanation, people come to the dance to heal illness, and release what needs to be released. The bear dancers dance in a bear skin in a complex ceremony,  They believe that the illness leaves the person and goes to the bear spirit. The illness then is swept up by eagle dancers and then goes away. The Dancer invites bear spirit to come for the dance. This healing is probably the most ancient form of spiritual healing technology. 

We put the bear to sleep in December, to rest the medicine. We wake it up in March for the rest of the year. Its good to rest your medicine. I am happy I did it. I am very ready to wake up now and excited to go.

A northern carving of a bear dancer