Shamanic Healing Power of Soul Retrieval
- Brainz Magazine
- Oct 1
- 5 min read
Ash Miner's passions for music and animals resulted in 2 bachelor's degrees and 3 master's degrees before she applied that knowledge to shamanic healing and teaching. A self-published author of the book The Answer to Everything: Earth Wisdom & Beauty, Ash hopes to one day found a healing sanctuary for people and animals who have survived trauma.
Welcome, dear reader. This is the third installment of 11, where I will share what I have learned of shamanism and spirit healing with you. These articles are based on a series of teaching stories, as was done in the old days, where a story offers not only entertainment, but essential lessons in a way that is palatable for the mind to absorb. Each story builds on the previous ones, so I encourage you to begin with my first article before reading this one if you’re new.
Sandra Ingerman pioneered the revival and western popularity of a shamanic healing technique known as soul retrieval. Having trained with Sandra, as well as my teachers, Zara and Jonathan, at the Scandinavian Center for Shamanic Studies in Sweden, I will say this technique should only be performed by someone who has extensive training, experience, and evidence of positive results. This article is in no way meant to be an exhaustive instruction guide, and should not be used as such. Soul Retrieval training lasting less than 5 full days in person is insufficient. If you would like to be trained in Soul Retrieval, ShamanicTeachers.com has a list of excellent teachers all over the world, and I will be offering my own in-person workshop in Santa Fe, New Mexico in early 2026. Visit my website for course schedule updates.
This story picks up where we left off as shamanic practitioner, Mel, is about to begin a soul retrieval on Raven, who has suffered soul loss and is now ready to have that soul essence brought back to life.
Teaching stories, Part 2
Raven, lying on the sacred nest of cushions and blankets that Mel had made for her, prepared herself with deep breaths to receive the healing Mel’s Spirits were offering. “Focus on being willing to receive, being ready to receive, and envision receiving. That is your only responsibility for now, be the great ocean this drop of yourself returns home to,” Mel had instructed. Raven understood the premise that when her dog died, the part of her soul’s essence that couldn’t bear the grief fled to safety, waiting to reunite when the worst had passed. Mel’s Spirits had said it was time for this essence to return, and they recommended Mel perform what was called a soul retrieval. “Be the ocean, Raven. Be the ocean,” Raven chanted in her mind.
Mel was rattling around her own body, clearing herself of her day’s events to be ready and present for the work ahead with Raven. She felt the familiar connection to her Soul Retrieval Spirit Teacher growing within her, even before the journey began. Mel began drumming for her own journey, using her soul senses to follow the familiar trail to the Spirit World. Mel’s Spirit Teacher helped her to find the missing essence of Raven’s soul. This essence presented itself as a different age, much younger, who proclaimed, “I came here to love life, not to lose it.” Mel smiled at this self-awareness and said, “Then I am here to help return you to the life you love. Without you, all feels unfamiliar and without love, lost at sea. When you come home, you will know love again, I promise to tell this to the part of you who stayed.” The little girl nodded, and agreed to return with Mel to life as Raven once again. Suddenly, a squirrel spirit appeared at the little girl’s feet. The squirrel explained, “I have kept the soul of her dog company since she died. I will come back to help this essence integrate, and remind Raven what there is to love about life, play time.”
Mel brought herself back to this Earthly life, her drum seemingly changing beats to the callback on its own. Raven’s soul’s essence and the squirrel power animal in tow, Mel knelt beside Raven on the floor, grasping for the soul essence first, pulling it into life, and then blowing it in at two places, Raven’s head, and Raven’s heart. The head, so Raven may know the soul essence returning. The heart, so Raven may feel it. Following this, the accompanying squirrel power animal, also in the head and the heart. Mel then began to sing healing songs, allowing her sacred instruments to volunteer to assist her as the soul essence and power animal began to settle back into their home in Raven’s body. This went on for about 20 minutes before it felt as though the work had been completed.
“Welcome home, Raven,” Mel said, lovingly, “How do you feel?”
Story teachings of soul
As we can see with Raven, a soul retrieval is done after a trauma, but the soul essence that returns may not match. Very often, the reason an event is so triggering is because of something else that happened in our lives before. Soul retrievals can sometimes sort out the first domino to fall that created the traumatic experience, and that may be the soul essence that is ready to come home.
When soul essence returns, very often, though not always, a power animal will come to help this part integrate into the whole. Here, we see the mischievous and delightful energy of squirrel come to help Raven, as its mission so beautifully aligns with the soul essence. Power animal retrievals are incredibly powerful healing techniques all on their own, so the combined power of soul essence with spirit power is a potent combination. When working with power animals, keep in mind that they typically embody the spirit of an entire species, not the soul of an individual animal who has died.
Notice that this work was done with what I refer to as “soul senses.” This isn’t an ecstatic experience from a psychedelic, or a spontaneous vision. This happens with the inner sight, when brain waves shift from beta to theta via the monotonous drumming, and can include all of a person’s senses. Some will see, some will hear, some will know, some will feel, some even taste and smell in their shamanic journeys. All senses are valid in shamanic work, none more important or valuable than another, each unique to the practitioner. If you would like to learn how to do a shamanic journey, I am about to offer an evergreen, online, self-paced course, which will be available on my website by November 2025.
In the next article, which I will publish sooner after this one than the usual monthly schedule, I will go over how we emphasize integration work post-soul retrieval for clients. The soul retrieval ends that feeling of loss and lack, and begins the work of rebuilding one’s life.
Read more from Ash Miner
Ash Miner, MS, MM, Shamanic Practitioner & Teacher
Ash Miner's personal journey of healing PTSD led her to shamanism. Despite being a total skeptic, she knew in 1 session this was her path, and had been since she was a very little girl. Ash has spent years studying extensively, completing US training by Sandra Ingerman, as well as with Jonathan Horwitz and Zara Waldebäck in Sweden. She has found her true calling in teaching and offering shamanic healing to human beings, animals, and the Earth. Her extensive background in music education and performance, as well as animal behavior, provides a scientific framework for her soul work. She specializes in healing song and healing story. Her mission is to demystify shamanism to make it an approachable healing modality for all of humanity.
