Soul Retrieval Exercises for Shamanic Healing
Have you ever experienced being caught up in a traumatic situation? Do you feel like you were never the same right after the incident? Then you are probably experiencing what is called a soul loss.
In the shamanic worldview, soul loss occurs as a result of a traumatic event or stress. In the face of danger, or trauma, the energy body fragments, and parts of the soul disperse, and remain adrift in the world, lost in other dimensions, or trapped in the locale of the event.
Everyone in the world experiences soul loss to some degree. Not everyone is able to heal soul fragmentation and return to wholeness on their own, even with the support of a psychotherapist. If the persistent feeling of loss plagues you after a traumatic event has long passed, if disturbing memories of the event and the people involved continue to replay in your mind years later, soul retrieval may help you heal those wounds and return to wholeness.
MUST READ: Shamanic Soul Retrieval: What Is It & How Does It Work
Why Is it Important to Heal Soul Loss?
Soul loss is a spiritual survival mechanism, where the soul fragments, some of which separate from the energy body, in order for the individual to cope better with the pain. Symptoms of soul loss include feelings of fatigue, weakness, anxiety, depression, and emptiness. When unresolved, from the shamanic point of view, soul loss can can evolve into more serious physical, emotional, or mental illness.
This is because the soul fragments contain essential energy needed for health and vitality. In the Bon shamanic tradition of Tibet, this energy is believed to be comprised of the 5 elements – space, fire, water, air, and earth. When the lost soul fragments wander off to other realms, alternate realities, or possibly even be possessed by spirits, the individual has lost essential vital energy. In shamanistic point of view, when these soul fragments are not recovered, not only does the person tend to feel drained or incomplete, they may even succumb to physical or psychological illness. For this reason, it is important to heal soul loss.
However, soul retrieval may be practiced daily, as a way of connecting with your authentic, divine nature. According to Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, Bon Tibetan meditation teacher, soul retrieval is a powerful way to connect deeply with your authentic nature and heal your soul, so you can lead a more joyful and fulfilling life. His book The True Source of Healing offers practical guidance for overcoming feelings of disconnection and dissatisfaction, and reawakening your inherent creativity, playfulness, and sense of ease. When soul retrieval is practiced daily, these transformative practices can help you:
- Overcome difficult life challenges
- Done daily, these transformative practices can help you:
- Overcome difficult life challenges
- Clear negative emotions and cultivate positive qualities
- Revitalize your personal and professional relationships
- Feel more engaged and productive at work
- Experience healing on all levels—physical, emotional, energetic
- Bring happiness and well-being to others
While doing soul retrieval practices as a daily exercise can be valuable, many shamanic practitioners believe that it is necessary to seek the assistance of a shaman when performing soul retrieval for trauma. This is because, the individual experiencing loss is not in a state of wholeness, so performing soul retrieval on themselves may not yield the desired results. The person might feel good after the practice, but then quickly sink back into depression, despair, anxiety, or emptiness. That’s because it’s difficult to successfully perform soul retrieval on yourself when you yourself are fragmented.
What Is Shamanic Soul Retrieval?
Shamanic soul retrieval is a way to bring back the lost fragments of the soul to the afflicted person. This is done with the help of a shaman or a contemporary practitioner of soul retrieval, many of whom can be found online. Sandra Ingerman, teacher of contemporary shamanism, describes in-depth soul loss, soul retrieval, and includes many stories of soul healing over decades of helping clients with this ancient shamanic practice, in her book Soul Retrieval, Mending the Fragmented Soul.
This is what you can expect from a soul retrieval session: the shaman will work to enter into trance state with the person who wishes to retrieve his lost soul fragments. Shamanic soul retrieval will involve journeying into the spirit world with the help of spirit helpers. Shamans will usually narrate what they see in the spirit world to their client or could also use visualized active imagination. In these spiritual journeys, there may be encounters with unknown dark energies that may manifest as monsters, dragons, reptiles or other beasts. These beasts function as guardians of the soul. Their very presence is the reason why people may have trouble accessing the fragmented souls on their own.
After retrieving the soul, the shaman will then reintegrate the fragments back together, done in varied ways, an example of which is by blowing the energy back into the body.
The shamanic soul retrieval journey can have different results for everyone. Some reported feelings of joy, curiosity, sleepiness after the ceremony, and expansiveness.
How to Prepare for Soul Retrieval
Similar to most things in life, the success of soul retrieval often lies in preparation. If you are preparing to go through a soul retrieval ceremony, here are some tips that will help you optimize the benefits of your session:
- Make sure to schedule the soul retrieval in such a way that you have some time for yourself afterwards.
- Do not consume alcohol or other toxic substances 24 hours before the soul retrieval.
- Set the intention that you may be allowed to have a healing dream to help you receive your soul essence a night before the actual session.
- A quartz crystal may help you catch the soul essence during the soul retrieval ceremony.
- Surround yourself with nature before and after the soul retrieval.
- Thinking of a visual metaphor like a flower basking in the sun will help absorb the light of your soul essence.
- It would help if you have someone who can be there for you during the soul retrieval, welcoming or even driving you home if needed.
- Think of the looping patterns in your life and consider releasing them altogether.
- If you know some light visualization or energy practice, then do so.
Soul Retrieval Exercise to Call Your Soul Fragments Home
If you want to do soul retrieval on yourself, here’s a meditation exercise you can try. Simply follow the steps below.
- Determine how many soul fragments you wish to return back to you during a particular meditation exercise. __(number)
- Get any of the following for the ceremony – stone people, sacred objects, or images of holy people.
- Go to a quiet, beautiful place. Then sit or recline and close your eyes.
- Relax. Inhale some deep breaths through your nose, releasing them through your mouth.
- Imagine yourself surrounded by the Holy Spirit’s white light.
- Invite the “Golden Veil of Peace” to come to you.
- Next, imagine yourself enveloped in a rose pink light.
- Ask the Creator Father Mother God to assist you in retrieving the __ lost fragments of your soul.
- Then call on your Higher God Self to assist you in retrieving the __ lost fragments of Your soul.
- Invoke Shamanic Animal Helpers. If you have no idea who they are, you can just call on your favorite animals since they usually are one of your totem animals. Ask them to retrieve your missing soul fragments. A pendulum could help you find your totems.
- Call in your very own Guardian Angel and request for assistance. You can also call for Archangel Michael for assistance.
- Call in other helpers that you feel should be present for this sacred ceremony. You could say the following – “I call on Father Mother God, my Higher God Self, my Animal helpers, my Guardian Angel, and Archangel Michael. I ask that each of you help me find and bring back and reestablish my __ missing soul fragments right now. I also ask help in reestablish the missing soul fragments within me in a gentle way and in the “right timing”. Furthermore, I ask that you assist me during and after the ceremony should I encounter dreams or memories because of their return.”
- Welcome back your soul fragments and thank your helpers for assisting you in retrieving them then close the session.
- Do some grounding and continue with your day.
Do take note that integration of lost soul fragments will vary from one person to another. Confer with your inner guidance how long it will take you to integrate and adjust to the returned fragments. While it’s possible for this to take months, most people will integrate in just a few days or a couple of weeks. You can repeat the exercise as many times as you desire.
However, if repeated attempts do not resolve the feeling of loss, it may be time to consult a professional. Check out Sandra Ingerman’s directory of soul retrieval practitioners and shamanic teachers who have gone through her training program.
What Is Soul Entanglement & How Does It Happen?
Soul loss is not the only thing that could drain you of life force. There’s also what is called soul theft, where one person holds on to the energy of others in order to maintain their own life force. This is also called soul entanglement, something that happens to many of us.
Soul entanglement often happens between family members, done unconsciously. Many people engage in it without knowing that they are already doing it.
There are so many reasons why people could become entangled in the life force of others. One of the common causes is envy. This could also happen as a result of wanting to become someone else or idolizing someone. Judging a person could take the power of that person. Similarly, over caring for people can make them dependent on you, making them lose the will or strength to support themselves.
Soul entanglement poses different kinds of problems. Involved parties could experience life-force energy drain. It’s also possible for the other party to feel the emotions of the other person, where decisions could be influenced by the feelings of the other. Because of this, it is imperative to return the life forces to parties involved. This can be done through soul retrieval.
Soul Retrieval Exercise to Release Soul Entanglement
If you suspect being entangled with the life force of another, a fire ceremony is one of the simplest ways to conduct soul retrieval. This should take about twenty minutes of your time. You can do this alone or with others although some say that this is very healing when done together with friends. The others can support you with their gentle drumming, rattle, or chanting.
- Choose a location, preferably outdoors, where it’s safe for you to handle fire. For an indoor ceremony, you will need a ceramic or metal bowl as well as a candle. Improvise if these are not available.
- Write down the names of the people in strips of paper whom you suspect have a soul entanglement with.
- With the burning fire in front of you, invoke the spirits and request for their assistance.
- State your intention for them to help you release the soul parts of others that you may be holding on to.
- Then, burn each of the strips while at the same time imagining that you are releasing the other’s soul part from you and returning it to its rightful owner.
- After burning all of the strips, make an offering and thank the spirits for helping you out. You can also add sage or pinch of cedar to the fire.
People who return life-force energy of others often feel a sense of completion or general feelings of satisfaction.
After the ceremony, you might remember more names. You can repeat the ceremony and include the names of the new ones that you remember.
How Do You Know if Soul Retrieval Has Worked?
It’s important to take note of the effects the soul retrieval session had on your physical and emotional well being immediately after the ceremony, as well as in the following days and weeks. It is a spiritual healing process, so results may feel subtle and be revealed gradually over time. Typically, a successful soul retrieval will manifest the following benefits:
- You’ll recover from traumatic experiences
- You’ll be reconnected to your true self
- You’ll have a clear sense of purpose
- Heart energies will be opened
- Chakras will be balanced
- It will become easier to release the past
- You’ll be more willing to forgive
- You’ll be released from being “stuck”
- It will be easier for your body to heal itself
- You’ll feel that it is easier for you to be joyful and love other people
- You’ll have emotional and mental clarity
- You’ll establish healthy boundaries
- You’ll feel connected to the divine and all living things
- You’ll have an expanded consciousness
- You be connected to spiritual guidance
- You’ll experience more comfort, courage and faith
Trauma creates afflictions of the soul that need healing through soul retrieval. The information above should help you retrieve your soul fragments of return life-force energy that does not belong to you. Feel free to use the exercises above and please share your thoughts or results in the comments below!
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