PlantShaman's Enlightenment Blog

Sometimes, the trail I follow to find the next golden door is so wrought with coincidence (as if there is such a thing) and magic, it leaves me awed – despite my many experiences with this gorgeous unfolding.  Sandra Ingerman is one of the latest revelations.

About a month ago, I began the quest to find my next shamanic teacher.  Following a tip from guru Pranananada, I started out by contacting a new friend in Sedona, AZ.  I had met her during the shamanic weekend in Vegas, the class I took from the Foundation for Shamanic Studies.  I asked her if she had any teachers should could recommend, and she mentioned one in particular that had worked with one Sandra Ingerman – a name I had never heard before.  The very next day, an email landed from Sounds True, a publishing company out of Boulder ,CO – they wondered if perhaps I’d be willing to review a new book and CD set, rooted in shamanism, written in part by. . .wait for it. . .Sandra Ingerman.  I researched Ms. Ingerman and was absolutely delighted at what I found – she’s both a therapist and shamanic practitioner with incredible experience, compassion, and skills – a renowned healer and author of books like Shamanic Journeying, Soul Retrieval, and Medicine for the Earth. After combing through her fantastic website, I also discovered she’s done us all a gigantic service – she’s listed out all the known shamanic teachers in states across the country.  I used this as my foundation for the teacher-hunt, and within about 3 days, I found exactly who I had been looking for.  This has resulted in the Earth Medicine Apprenticeship – and I’m just spilling over with gratitude.

Shamanic Meditations is a two-CD set audio delight, filled with cosmic journeys led by Sandra.  Each journey consists of Sandra’s calm, warm, motherly voice, guiding you through a very specific, eyes-closed experience.  The shamans were some of the first meditators, but they do so with a strong purpose.  This is not zen, no-mind meditation, although you do go way beyond the mind.  Shamanic meditations (or journeys) each encompass a single purpose, set by the journeyer before the dive into the experience.  The journeyer may visit the lower world (where the spirit animals tend to reside), the middle world (the place we travel to to overcome fears), or the upper world (home to other human spirit guides and teachers).  Each is normally accompanied by a strong, consistent tribal drum beat, which allows the mind to let go into the trance of the music.  Sandra’s journeys have an incredible drumming undertone, which she herself performs.  Each of her meditations are guided by her voice, her drum, and a very clearly stated intent.  The idea is to cover your eyes (complete darkness is extremely helpful), sit close to the sounds of the CD, make sure your environment will not be disturbed for the duration (on average, about 15 minutes), and just surrender into your experience.

Sandra’s Shamanic Meditations CDs are tailor-made for beginners looking for a clear foundation for deep journeying work.  Topics include allowing yourself to look through “spirit eyes” – which equates to a mergence with a helping spirit to open your perceptions to the invisibles amongst us, as well as journeys to connect you with your personal power animals and spirit teachers.  Others take you into shamanic initiations, such as the oneness experience, which actually brings you out of your noggin and into your true nature.  Each of the journeys truly is a healing experience, there to help you integrate ancient wisdoms and knowingness deep within the soul, which is then released and allowed to permeate throughout your conscious awareness.

I’ve journeyed with Sandra now, via these CDs, many times, and the results are rather interesting.  I feel far more skilled as a shamanic meditator, and can honestly say I’ve felt a real level of direct healing and opening within.  I didn’t connect to all the journeys, but then, my set and setting weren’t always full of clarity.  While Sandra will lead you through the experience, she certainly can’t do the work for you, and make no mistake, this is work – of the most divine nature.  I recommend really setting up your environment to ensure your success – no distractions, complete and total darkness, every conceivable comfort.  Anything that will help you get out of your mind, and surrender to a different reality.  These CDs, from my perspective, will resonate most with beginners, or folks that haven’t had a lot of journeying experience to date.  There are no new revelations in this portion of Sandra’s work, but then, these practices are ancient, and proven to be effective, so there’s really no need to try and improve on the meditations themselves.  She does give her own unique flavor, and by way of her feminine spirit, that angle is a gentle power, engendering a safe, cocoon-like energetic blanket around you as you travel inward.

If you’re reading this blog, you likely have more than a passing interest in shamanism.  There are many, many facets of this gorgeous, magical world, and one of the key elements are these glorious meditations.  If you feel drawn to not just learning about journeys, but actually experiencing them, I know of no better audio path than Sandra Ingerman’s Shamanic Meditations. Gift yourself with the healing, heightened levels of awareness, and immense wisdom these discs can lead you on.  If nothing else, it’s a fun ride, and you might just unlock more of your own shamanic powers.

I’m currently reading Sandra’s book Awakening to the Spirit World, co-authored by Hank Wesselman, and will share my observations on that in a week or so.  A budding shaman can never have too many goodies in the toolbox

Tags: Audio CDs, Healing, Journeys, Sandra Ingerman, Shamanic Healing, Shamanic Journeys, Shamanic Mediations, Shamanism