A step-by-step shamanic guide to navigating the non-ordinary realms, locating lost soul fragments, and reintegrating them
Drawing on her more than 20 years’ experience working with present-day Mesoamerican curanderos/as and the ancient shamanic healing traditions of the Mexica and Maya, Erika Buenaflor, M.A., J.D., provides a step-by-step guide for the curanderismo practice of soul retrieval. She explains how the soul is a form of sacred energy that can escape when someone experiences trauma or is threatened by challenging and stressful situations. Its absence can be responsible for a host of negative conditions including physical ailments, depression, insomnia, and dysfunctional behavior patterns.
Exploring how to retrieve this sacred energy, or soul fragments, as well as resolve cases of soul theft, the author details how to journey through the non-ordinary realms of the Underworld, Middleworld, and Upperworld to locate lost soul fragments and reintegrate them. She explains how to enter a trance journey, providing instructions for shamanic breathwork practices, shamanic dancing, sounding and toning methods, as well as hand postures (mudras) to facilitate trance states. She explores how to perform soul diagnosis, create a loving and nurturing space for soul fragments to return, and work with the healing wisdom of the 5 Mesoamerican cardinal directions: South, West, North, East, and the Center, which marries the other directions and offers a portal to other worlds. She offers pressure point exercises to release the energies of traumas and contemplative exercises to continue the reintegration of soul fragments after the trance journey. She also explains how to connect with animal guardians to aid you in the soul retrieval process.
Revealing how to achieve a lasting retrieval of soul energy, Buenaflor shows how the dynamic process of curanderismo soul retrieval can heal many forms and degrees of trauma and help people move forward in life with more clarity, self-awareness, empowerment, and greater depths of authentic self-love.
A step-by-step shamanic guide to navigating the non-ordinary realms, locating lost soul fragments, and reintegrating them
"Soul Retrieval or Recuperacion del Alma is a traditional ceremony practiced all over the world, not only in the Curanderismo tradition. In this ceremony, the Curandera or Shaman goes into the spirit world to find your soul or different pieces of soul and brings them back. In addition, she will reestablish the life force and seal it in order for the soul or pieces of souls to stay with you going forward. Written by Erika Buenaflor, who brings 20+ years of practicing as a curandera, mentoring with curanderas/os and shamans in the Maya Yucatan jungle, and studying Mesoamerican Curanderismo at UCLA and UCR, this book offers readers a rich look into the fascinating world of Mesoamerican Curanderismo and Shamanism. Recommended."
