Hello there! I used to carry around a medicine bag myself that I wore around my neck. It contained things like small crystals (smokey quartz is an especially revered stone by shamans), also things that you would find naturally such as bits of animal hair or a feather. Things that would remind you of that connection with nature. Sometimes a shaman would go out into nature and sit with the "spirits". As an offering in thanks to the spirits they would leave a small thing from out of their medicine bag as a gift. Even a piece of your own hair could be considered a gift to the spirits. It is just a form of respect. In return, the spirits may also "give" you something, although you may not realize it at the time. I find that I don't carry a medicine bag around anymore. The "medicine" comes from within. It is a gift and a form of self-sacrifice to the spirit world. Basically instead of leaving gifts, you offer yourself as a gift to the spirits. They work through you. Thanks for the questions, I hope that helped you out. Let me know how things work out for you.