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Curanderismo Soul Retrieval: Ancient Shamanic Wisdom to Restore the Sacred Energy of the Soul
A step-by-step shamanic guide to navigating the non-ordinary realms, locating lost soul fragments, and reintegrating them
• Explains how the soul is a form of sacred energy that can escape when someone experiences trauma or stressful situations
• Explores how to work with the 5 Mesoamerican cardinal directions to connect with lost soul fragments, create the ideal space for them to return, and ensure a lasting soul retrieval
• Details how to enter a trance journey for navigating the spirit realm through shamanic breathwork, shamanic dancing, toning methods, as well as hand postures
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 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.
• Explains how the soul is a form of sacred energy that can escape when someone experiences trauma or stressful situations
• Explores how to work with the 5 Mesoamerican cardinal directions to connect with lost soul fragments, create the ideal space for them to return, and ensure a lasting soul retrieval
• Details how to enter a trance journey for navigating the spirit realm through shamanic breathwork, shamanic dancing, toning methods, as well as hand postures
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 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.
200 pages, Paperback
Published May 28, 2019
40 people are currently reading
307 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 2, 2021
What I loved about Buenaflor's first book about Curanderismo Limpia practices is that she drew a direct connection between indigenous practices from hundreds of years ago based on primary scholarly sources, and the modern day practice.
While there was some information on indigenous practices available in this book, it then jumps to using chakras, mudras, and other Hindu-based practices to embark on the Soul Retrieval journey in the modern day. My goal in reading this book had not just been to find out modern practices but, similar to the limpia book, understand where those practices came from.
While there was some information on indigenous practices available in this book, it then jumps to using chakras, mudras, and other Hindu-based practices to embark on the Soul Retrieval journey in the modern day. My goal in reading this book had not just been to find out modern practices but, similar to the limpia book, understand where those practices came from.
December 18, 2019
This was a wierd book for me. The christian references of angels and archangels definitely put me off. Did the shamans really knew these entities?
I can understand that these experiences and guides for soul retrieval are true by other sources, but I’m very cautious by the explanations given in this book. It seems that the author is trying to mix a lot of religions and disciplines into one. Talking about chakras, then about shaman tradition, and then about angels.
I wouldn’t recommend this book.
I can understand that these experiences and guides for soul retrieval are true by other sources, but I’m very cautious by the explanations given in this book. It seems that the author is trying to mix a lot of religions and disciplines into one. Talking about chakras, then about shaman tradition, and then about angels.
I wouldn’t recommend this book.
March 21, 2022
Unfortunately this book suffers from several issues which make it not useful. First, the term Shaman is Mongolian and a colonialism required for academia, but isn't a term used by indigenous people in either North or South America so why use it here? Also, the distinction between the beliefs and practices of ancient cultures vs current practitioners doesn't make sense. The book is meant to talk about current practice and the ancient beliefs are what this is based on as the foundation so why not talk about what this is, one integral practice rather than two distinct and seemingly disconnected pieces? And the mixing of Hindu Chakra terminology to describe a similar but different and valuable understanding and practice around human energy centers is a disservice to the source material. Yes, it makes things easier for the average reader in theory, but it makes the subject seem much more trite and less authentic.
Lastly, where is the actual practice of soul retrieval? Things which are necessary for the process are described and some brief mentions on how to find, acquire, or recognize them. But the actual practices necessary to perform soul retrieval are so brief as to be negligible. There is nothing about how to create space to do the work, how to hold space for the client, what happens if things go well, if they go poorly, how to do after care, what the client can expect before/during/after each session and so on. The basics of actual soul retrieval.
I would love to know what the practice is for the various cultures the author mentions or even one. Hopefully this is just an introductory text and the author will bring out this information in later books.
Lastly, where is the actual practice of soul retrieval? Things which are necessary for the process are described and some brief mentions on how to find, acquire, or recognize them. But the actual practices necessary to perform soul retrieval are so brief as to be negligible. There is nothing about how to create space to do the work, how to hold space for the client, what happens if things go well, if they go poorly, how to do after care, what the client can expect before/during/after each session and so on. The basics of actual soul retrieval.
I would love to know what the practice is for the various cultures the author mentions or even one. Hopefully this is just an introductory text and the author will bring out this information in later books.
April 3, 2019
This is a beautiful book on shamanic soul retrevial. It guides us to retrieving parts of our soul we may have lost. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in shamanic healing and soul retrieval.
I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.
I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.
September 17, 2019
Fantastic resource for anyone who wants to heal and explore themselves.
June 16, 2021
Curanderismo Soul Retrieval does exactly what it claims to do. It’s step-by-step shamanic guide to navigating the non-ordinary realms, locating lost soul fragments, and reintegrating them
It goes on to explain how the soul is a form of sacred energy that can escape when someone experiences trauma or stressful situations while exploring to work with the 5 Mesoamerican cardinal directions to connect with lost soul fragments, create the ideal space for them to return, and ensure a lasting soul retrieval
Well done guidebook.
It goes on to explain how the soul is a form of sacred energy that can escape when someone experiences trauma or stressful situations while exploring to work with the 5 Mesoamerican cardinal directions to connect with lost soul fragments, create the ideal space for them to return, and ensure a lasting soul retrieval
Well done guidebook.
October 28, 2021
I loved Cleansing Rites of Curanderismo so much and find it to be a wonderful point of reference that I know I will be going back to for years to come. I was so excited to start this new book and learn more about Soul Retrieval. Unfortunately I found myself skimming this one. Lots of talk about Hindu practices and other religions. There were some good parts that I enjoyed including recipes, however, I don’t think I will be referencing this book specifically for soul retrieval. I just didnt find it to be as informative as I would have liked.
March 26, 2022
Great book!!
I love these books and I can’t wait to start my healing journey and to help others. Highly recommend for my Latinos/Hispanic family to heal all the generational traumas.
I love these books and I can’t wait to start my healing journey and to help others. Highly recommend for my Latinos/Hispanic family to heal all the generational traumas.
January 24, 2023
I have been looking for authentic shamanism that is written by someone who has all the proper merit! This is it! These explanations have helped to inspire my own journeys and I will be looking into her other writings as well!
July 27, 2022
A lot of interesting information unfortunately this book did not resonate with me.
April 30, 2023
Accessible knowledge in terms of complexity - author provides clear instructions
August 29, 2024
Sadly I got nothing from this book.
August 27, 2025
'Curanderismo Soul Retrieval: Ancient Shamanic Wisdom to Restore the Wisdom of the Soul' written by Erika Buenaflor
I bought the paperback because I wanted the photos & illustrations. I wish the photos were better quality, although it may not be the fault of the photographer, maybe it's just poor quality of the worn down condition of the original stone subject matter...after all, the artifacts are ancient, dug from tombs in Mezzo-America.
This subject matter is about connecting with ancestral knowledge in ways that can be helpful not only to oneself, but also to other family/tribal members and to others following a path of spirituality and healing.
Initially I thought this was going to be a good reference book, but have since changed my mind, mostly due to the author's confusing mish-mash of cultural appropriation, which didn't make sense to me.
Example: Why introduce the terminology "chakras", which is Hindu/Indian/Ayurvedic, into a reference book supposedly about South American/Mezzo-American healing techniques? It's not that South American healers, etc, aren't aware of those energy centers, but they would not be using that terminology.
It's same with the term "shaman" although the term is now so widely appropriated, (including myself here) that many practitioners in the healing practices use it because it's more well-known now.
But I digress...
There's not a whole lot of useful info in here for people wanting to learn more about spiritual combined with practical healing practices, as this book isn't very well-written nor clearly explains how to learn this path. It's muddled info can be confusing, especially to those just starting out on this path.
My suggestion is to do your due-dilligence in exploring this spiritual path by reading as much as possible and asking people you know and trust if they know of connections for teachers on this spiritual path, and finding a well-respected teacher with whom you can further your spiritual-healing education.
All-in-all, I do not recommend this book as a good source of Shamanic instruction, although it may suffice as a starting point. There's not enough depth of information in here for anyone wanting to follow a healer's path, just enough to whet one's curiosity
...besides, this type of info & training absolutely needs to be done under the guidance of a qualified teacher.
May All Be Auspicious, Optimal Health & Well-Being to all!
I bought the paperback because I wanted the photos & illustrations. I wish the photos were better quality, although it may not be the fault of the photographer, maybe it's just poor quality of the worn down condition of the original stone subject matter...after all, the artifacts are ancient, dug from tombs in Mezzo-America.
This subject matter is about connecting with ancestral knowledge in ways that can be helpful not only to oneself, but also to other family/tribal members and to others following a path of spirituality and healing.
Initially I thought this was going to be a good reference book, but have since changed my mind, mostly due to the author's confusing mish-mash of cultural appropriation, which didn't make sense to me.
Example: Why introduce the terminology "chakras", which is Hindu/Indian/Ayurvedic, into a reference book supposedly about South American/Mezzo-American healing techniques? It's not that South American healers, etc, aren't aware of those energy centers, but they would not be using that terminology.
It's same with the term "shaman" although the term is now so widely appropriated, (including myself here) that many practitioners in the healing practices use it because it's more well-known now.
But I digress...
There's not a whole lot of useful info in here for people wanting to learn more about spiritual combined with practical healing practices, as this book isn't very well-written nor clearly explains how to learn this path. It's muddled info can be confusing, especially to those just starting out on this path.
My suggestion is to do your due-dilligence in exploring this spiritual path by reading as much as possible and asking people you know and trust if they know of connections for teachers on this spiritual path, and finding a well-respected teacher with whom you can further your spiritual-healing education.
All-in-all, I do not recommend this book as a good source of Shamanic instruction, although it may suffice as a starting point. There's not enough depth of information in here for anyone wanting to follow a healer's path, just enough to whet one's curiosity
...besides, this type of info & training absolutely needs to be done under the guidance of a qualified teacher.
May All Be Auspicious, Optimal Health & Well-Being to all!
June 17, 2022
Very detailed text about the history and culture the Maya/ Mexica peoples and their traditions of shamanism. Also includes easy to follow exercises for healing yourself through the use of these techniques.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews