Consider your own experience of the acts and beings involved in memory and imagination—before science enters the picture. Consider what memory and imagination are like from your inner experience—not from the perspective or the studies of cognitive neuroscience or psychology. Science seeks truth and finds it, but the search here is for what supports that truth from within.
Say, for example, that a person weighs 170 pounds, measurable by a standard scale. She may find it difficult or even impossible to pick up 170 pounds of deadweight, if she is not a weightlifter. But how does it actually feel to be 170 pounds? It doesn’t feel at all like lifting deadweight. From the inside of her own experience of that 170 pounds, moving about in full health, she feels relatively light—maybe even light as a feather. This is the inner perspective of memory and imagination that we’re looking for. Our inner perspective does not cancel out the scientific perspective; they are complementary.
Memory is fascinating. I encourage you to get interested in the ways of your own memory. It has a unity, like our physical bodies or a landscape have a unity, and this unity can be touched or awakened at almost every part of point.
RITUAL—TRACKING MEMORY
This small, simple, but very potent daily mental cultivation ritual has its roots in the practices of ancient Greek philosophers and mystics, as well as in the mindfulness practices of Buddhist lineages. Variations of it are used in therapeutic contexts to support survivors of abuse, war, and trauma of all kinds.
This ritual serves two purposes. First, it heightens your awareness of your relationship to memory and to your experience of the present moments that are distinguishable from and underlie memory. Second, it attunes you to your everyday experiences.
Breathe in a blessing on your physical body. Exhale in gratitude.
Set your timer for fifteen minutes and record the events of the previous day, without comment or judgment. Start anywhere—with what happened in the morning, afternoon, or evening. There is no need to try to pick an interesting experience or “problem area” to focus on. Making breakfast, walking down the street, working in the office—all the little, seemingly unremarkable things that happened during the previous day are what you’re recording here.
Simply describe what happened or what you were doing in as much detail as possible, including the sights, sounds, and any other details that seem relevant. Don’t get into the mental or emotional details of these happenings, such as whether you were worried while you were walking down the street, or whether you were thinking or feeling something profound. Resist the temptation to comment on what happened.
Take your time. When the timer rings, put your writing implement down, even if you are not finished.
Breathe in a blessing on your physical body once more and on your willingness to show up for this work.
Briana Saussy is a teacher, spiritual counselor, and founder of the Sacred Arts Academy, where she teaches tarot, ceremony, alchemy, and other sacred arts for everyday life. She lives in San Antonio, Texas. For more, visit brianasaussy.com.
Buy your copy of Making Magic at your favorite bookseller!
Shamanic healing isn’t reserved for a select few or for the distant past. It’s a living, breathing practice that continues to offer guidance in how we heal, relate, and show up both for ourselves and for the world around us. More people are turning inward, seeking tools that reconnect them to their inner wisdom and to something greater than themselves. Working with spiritual light, as Sandra Ingerman teaches, offers one of the most direct and compassionate ways to begin that process. It’s not about fixing what’s wrong. It’s about remembering what’s whole.
At Sounds True, we’ve spent decades bringing forward wisdom that honors the whole human experience, mind, body, and spirit. Sandra Ingerman’s teachings have been part of that journey for many years. Her grounded, heart-led approach to shamanism offers not only insight but real transformation, and we’re honored to make her work available to those ready to step into their own spiritual path.
In this piece, we’ll be discussing Sandra Ingerman’s approach to shamanic healing, the role of spiritual light, and how these practices can help us reconnect, remember, and radiate healing in a modern world.
Key Takeaways:
Spiritual Light Healing: Sandra teaches that we already carry healing light within us, the practice is about remembering and radiating it.
Modern Shamanism: Her approach blends timeless wisdom with grounded tools suitable for daily life without cultural appropriation.
Collective Transformation: Personal healing becomes a way to support wider energetic shifts in the world through presence and intention.
Who Is Sandra Ingerman?
Sandra Ingerman is a respected voice in modern shamanism, known for her grounded and accessible teachings that bridge ancient spiritual practices with everyday life. With decades of experience as a licensed therapist and shamanic practitioner, Sandra has helped bring the wisdom of indigenous healing into contemporary consciousness, without appropriation but with deep respect for its roots.
Her work centers on spiritual light, soul retrieval, transfiguration, and the power of intention. Through her teachings, she encourages people to reconnect with their innate ability to heal, not only themselves but also the world around them. Sandra’s path is not about seeking something outside of ourselves; it’s about remembering what already lives within.
What Is Shamanic Healing?
Shamanic healing is a spiritual practice rooted in the understanding that everything is interconnected: people, nature, spirit, and energy. Rather than focusing solely on symptoms, shamanic healing examines deeper spiritual imbalances that may contribute to emotional, physical, or energetic disharmony.
Traditionally, shamans act as intermediaries between the physical and spiritual realms. They journey into unseen worlds to receive guidance, retrieve lost parts of the soul, or bring healing energies back for individuals or communities. Sandra Ingerman teaches that anyone can learn to engage with these practices respectfully and ethically, especially when guided by clear intention and heart-centered presence.
At its core, shamanic healing invites us to remember that we are not separate from the Earth or from spirit. Healing comes through reconnection, not control.
The Role Of Spiritual Light In Healing
Sandra Ingerman speaks often about the healing power of spiritual light, not as a concept, but as a living energy that flows through each of us. Her approach reframes how we relate to pain, illness, and even the world itself. Rather than searching for what’s broken, she teaches us to return to what is already whole within us:
Remembering The Light Within
Sandra reminds us that spiritual light isn’t something we have to search for, it’s something we are. This inner radiance can be dimmed by life experiences, but it is never lost. By turning inward with intention and trust, we begin to reconnect with this light and allow it to guide our healing journey.
Radiating Light Instead Of “Fixing” Ourselves
Much of modern healing is focused on identifying and fixing problems. Sandra encourages a different path: to radiate light from within rather than constantly seeking to correct or cleanse something. This doesn’t deny our pain. It transforms how we hold it.
Healing Through Presence, Not Force
Spiritual light heals by holding space, not by pushing or fixing. It moves in harmony with love, stillness, and presence. Sandra often speaks of how this gentle light knows where to go, what to touch, and when to soften all without needing to control the process.
Shamanic Transformation In A Modern World
Modern life often pulls us away from deeper connection: to ourselves, to nature, and to spirit. Sandra Ingerman offers a perspective that shamanic transformation isn’t about escaping this world, but about meeting it more fully with presence and spiritual responsibility.
Bringing Ancient Wisdom Into Everyday Life
Sandra emphasizes that shamanism is not locked in the past. Its principles, connection, compassion, and intention are deeply relevant today. Whether you live in a city or closer to nature, these teachings can be woven into daily life through simple practices that restore balance and presence.
Inner Change As A Catalyst For Collective Healing
Transformation begins within. Sandra teaches that when we shift our consciousness by engaging with spiritual light or retrieving lost soul parts, the impact extends beyond the personal. Even subtle changes in energy and awareness ripple out into the collective field, influencing relationships, communities, and ecosystems.
Staying Rooted In Spirit Amid Global Challenges
In times of uncertainty, shamanic tools offer grounding rather than escape. Sandra encourages practitioners to return to the breath, to the Earth, and to the wisdom of helping spirits. Not to bypass reality, but to meet it with more resilience and heart.
Working With Spiritual Light: Sandra’s Approach
Sandra Ingerman’s approach to working with spiritual light is both simple and profound. It doesn’t rely on complex rituals or elaborate tools. Instead, it invites us into a direct relationship with the light that lives within and the clarity it can bring to the healing path.
Intention Is Everything
Sandra often says that intention shapes the entire experience. Whether you’re on a journey, engaged in a visualization, or simply sitting in silence, what matters most is the clarity and sincerity of your intent. This anchors the work and invites the support of spiritual allies.
Transfiguration As A Pathway
One of Sandra’s core teachings is transfiguration, a practice in which you become a vessel of divine light. Rather than sending healing outward, you embody light itself and allow it to emanate through you. The practice is not about doing, but about being.
This teaching is the foundation of her course Shamanic Transfiguration, which guides students through this process step-by-step, helping them experience transformation through presence rather than effort.
Healing Without Judgment
In working with spiritual light, Sandra emphasizes non-judgment. The light doesn’t label something as wrong or broken. It simply shines. From this perspective, healing becomes less about fixing and more about allowing, which opens space for genuine change.
Shifting Collective Energy Through Inner Work
Sandra Ingerman often reminds us that our personal healing is never just personal. Every shift we make within ourselves, even quietly in private, contributes to the energetic fabric of the world. Through her teachings, she encourages us to recognize the deep ripple effect of inner work.
The Earth Feels What We Carry
One of Sandra’s long-standing teachings is that the Earth responds to our energy, not just our actions. When we carry unresolved anger, despair, or fear, it’s not only our bodies and minds that feel it. The Earth does, too. Inner transformation is a way of offering something cleaner and more coherent back to the collective field.
Radiating Healing Into The World
Instead of sending out solutions or trying to control outcomes, Sandra teaches that we can sit in stillness and radiate light. From this place, we offer an energetic frequency that supports harmony without attachment or force. Her course, The Power of Shamanism touches on this beautifully, guiding participants into a deeper relationship with the unseen support around and within them.
The Role Of Community Consciousness
Sandra also speaks about the importance of collective intention. When groups gather, even virtually, to hold the vision of spiritual light, the effects can be profound. This is not about imposing beliefs, but about co-creating an energetic field that supports healing on a larger scale.
Experiencing The Teachings Firsthand
Sandra Ingerman’s work is meant to be experienced, not just understood. Her teachings are rooted in practice: direct, embodied, and personal. For those feeling called to walk this path, there are accessible ways to begin.
Starting With The Basics Of Journeying
One of the most foundational tools Sandra offers is shamanic journeying, entering non-ordinary states of consciousness to receive guidance and healing. Her program, The Beginner’s Guide to Shamanic Journeying, offers clear instruction on how to begin this sacred work, even if you’re completely new to the practice.
Returning Lost Parts of the Self
Another core area of Sandra’s work is soul retrieval, the gentle process of inviting back parts of ourselves that may have become disconnected through stress, trauma, or loss. The Soul Retrieval Journey offers a guided path through this process, helping us return to wholeness with care and respect.
Letting The Work Change You
These practices aren’t quick fixes. They unfold over time and often in quiet ways. Sandra teaches that consistent, heart-led engagement with the spiritual realms will change how you relate to life, not through force, but through deep, subtle shifts in perception and presence.
Sandra Ingerman’s teachings offer more than techniques; they offer a way of being. Rooted in ancient wisdom and brought to life with modern clarity, her work reminds us that healing doesn’t always look dramatic. Sometimes, it’s as simple and powerful as sitting in stillness, remembering who we are, and letting our inner light shine.
Whether through journeying, transfiguration, or soul retrieval, Sandra invites us into a relationship with the unseen. Not to escape the world, but to show up in it with more heart, more presence, and more integrity.
Final Thoughts
Sandra Ingerman’s teachings offer more than techniques; they offer a way of being. Rooted in ancient wisdom and brought to life with modern clarity, her work reminds us that healing doesn’t always look dramatic. Sometimes, it’s as simple and powerful as sitting in stillness, remembering who we are, and letting our inner light shine.
Whether through journeying, transfiguration, or soul retrieval, Sandra invites us into a relationship with the unseen. Not to escape the world, but to show up in it with more heart, more presence, and more integrity.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sandra Ingerman
What sets Sandra Ingerman’s work apart from other modern shamanic teachers?
Sandra brings a unique blend of psychological training and deep spiritual practice, allowing her to teach shamanism in a way that’s accessible, trauma-aware, and rooted in ethical responsibility.
Is Sandra Ingerman affiliated with a specific indigenous tradition?
No, Sandra was trained by Western teachers of core shamanism and does not claim lineage from any one indigenous culture. She emphasizes honoring cultural roots while offering cross-cultural practices respectfully.
Can someone practice spiritual light healing without formal shamanic training?
Yes. Sandra encourages people to connect with spiritual light through simple practices such as visualization, meditation, and holding intention, even without formal journeying.
How does Sandra Ingerman define spiritual illness?
She views spiritual illness as disconnection from spirit, nature, or one’s own inner light. Reconnection, rather than intervention, becomes the central healing path.
Is Sandra Ingerman’s work religious?
No, her teachings are spiritual but not tied to any religion. Her work invites direct experience with spiritual energies, without dogma or doctrine.
Does Sandra Ingerman offer live teachings or only digital courses?
While she has led many live workshops globally, Sandra now primarily offers her teachings through online programs, especially via Sounds True.
What is the role of nature in Sandra Ingerman’s shamanic practice?
Nature is central. Sandra teaches that forming a deep, reciprocal relationship with the Earth and its elements strengthens our connection to spiritual allies and guides.
Can shamanic healing support emotional wellness?
Yes. Sandra often integrates emotional healing into her work by addressing soul loss, energetic fragmentation, and disconnection from inner truth.
Are Sandra Ingerman’s teachings suitable for skeptics or beginners?
Absolutely. Her approach is clear, grounded, and non-dogmatic, making it a safe entry point for those new to spiritual practices.
Does Sandra Ingerman work with plant medicines or psychedelics?
No, Sandra’s work focuses on non-psychoactive practices like journeying, meditation, and transfiguration. She does not incorporate plant medicine into her teachings.
Michelle Cassandra Johnson is an author, activist, spiritual teacher, racial equity consultant, and intuitive healer. She is the author of six books, including Skill in Action and Finding Refuge. Amy Burtaine is a leadership coach and racial equity trainer. With Robin DiAngelo, she is the coauthor of The Facilitator’s Guide for White Affinity Groups. For more, visit https://www.michellecjohnson.com/wisdom-of-the-hive.
In many contemplative traditions, it is said that we can practice meditation during the most ordinary activities, such as taking a walk, washing the dishes, or even in the midst of a busy day of emails. Here, our friend and Sounds True author Dr. Andrew Weil shows how the simple art of cooking – when engaged in a present, mindful, and open way – can offer a gateway into the experience of meditation.
We’d love to hear from you on how cooking and other so-called “ordinary” activities offer you a portal into deeper love, awakening, and aliveness in the present moment.
Friends we are so happy to announce and invite you to the 2014 Wake Up Festival!
The Wake Up Festival is a five-day immersion experience in personal and collective transformation. It’s the largest and only festival of its kind, uniting renowned spiritual teachers, bestselling authors, healers, scientists, poets, yogis, and lovers of life within the context of an open-hearted, uplifting community.
The Wake Up Festival is not your usual “festival.” It’s not about outer activities; it’s about inner exploration and discovery. We think of it as a feast of life-changing insights with just the right amount of practice to enable us to truly embody what we learn. You’ll be invited to approach awakening through meditation, personal writing, qigong, yoga, dance, shadow work, and more. And we will do it as individuals each supported by our Wake Up community.
Confirmed presenters include Jack Kornfield, Elizabeth Gilbert, Rick Hanson, Jill Bolte Taylor, Mark Nepo, Snatam Kaur, Malidoma Somé, Robert Augustus Masters, Bruce Tift, and many others.
We hope to see you all in August. Save $200 if you register by May 1st!
Featuring:
k.d. lang
Jack Kornfield
Elizabeth Gilbert
Jill Bolte Taylor
Snatam Kaur
Rick Hanson
Seane Corn
Mark Nepo
Joseph Marshall III
Malidoma Somé
Robert Peng
Tami Simon
And many more!
My recent book Travel Light is a how-to guide for the practice of what I call “Spiritual Minimalism,” which is not to be confused with regular old minimalism.
Long story short, in 2018, I was living in a beautiful two-bedroom apartment in Venice Beach when I felt an inner calling to get rid of everything that didn’t fit inside of my 22-inch carry-on bag. My bag would effectively become my new apartment as I would begin living nomadically around the world.
It took me 30 days’ worth of yard sales and Craigslist posts to get rid of over four decades of furniture, art, photo albums, yearbooks, letters, clothing, knickknacks, winter coats, books, my cars, Vespa, and everything else.
And about six months into my nomadic journey, I realized something: I still had too much stuff. So I got rid of the carry-on bag and downsized into a backpack. And now, five-plus years later, I’m still happily living from a backpack as I continue to hop around the world, from hotels to Airbnbs to friends’ extra bedrooms.
Travel Light is written for those who also feel called to live with less, but you’re not sure where or how to start. Truth be told, there are numerous ways to start, depending on your individual situation.
If this approach intrigues you, I want to share five common mistakes many new minimalists make—and a handful of simple recommendations to get you started on a more mindful, purposeful minimalism journey:
Don’t get rid of too much too fast
Although I completely emptied my entire two-bedroom apartment within 30 days, I had been intentionally prepping to live from a carry-on bag over the previous year by experimenting with taking only what I actually used while on my dozens of work trips. So in 2018, getting rid of my stuff was merely the final step in a long progression of steps.
My first recommendation is to go slow. Decide what sort of end result you desire, and start experimenting with what it would be like to only use what you envision keeping. Maybe get a storage room and put a handful of items in it each week until you run out of things you don’t use. Otherwise, going too fast could prove to be unsustainable and discouraging.
Don’t make it about the external space
Getting rid of clutter doesn’t resolve deep emotional wounds or past trauma. And some of that could be the root cause of why you engage in retail therapy or why you may cling to stuff you don’t use or wear. And until you start doing deeper work on yourself, you can live in the most minimal-looking setting, but still feel cluttered inside.
Commit to daily meditation as a means of efficiently releasing stress, and engage in other inner work, such as therapy, journaling, seva (service), and daily gratitude practices to clear away the internal clutter. This is what is meant by Spiritual Minimalism. It’s minimalism practiced from the inside-out.
Don’t treat minimalism as a one-time experience
Minimalism is less of an act, like Spring cleaning, and more of a lifestyle, like getting into shape. It doesn’t end once you get rid of your stuff. Like being in shape, minimalism continues to inform what you do, how you do it, where you go, why, and pretty much every other choice you make in life. In other words, you recognize that every choice you make is either supporting the lifestyle or taking away from the lifestyle.
Start seeing everything you do (big and small) as an opportunity to reinforce the minimalist mindset, and make choices that support your desired mindset.
Don’t forget to adopt a larger purpose
Getting rid of stuff for the sake of looking like a minimalist is ultimately unfulfilling, and it’s recommended to adopt a larger purpose for your minimalism adventure. That way, you will bring more enthusiasm and passion into your minimalism choices. You’re not just getting rid of something for the sake of getting rid of it. It’s going to help you by making space to exercise, create content, or to use as the meditation corner of your home.
My recommendation is to answer this question: How does becoming a minimalist help you help others? The answer is a clue into your purpose, and just know that there is no wrong answer. Or rather, it’s an ever-evolving answer that will come into greater focus as you begin your journey. All you need for now is a loose idea of your why.
Don’t compare yourself to others
The quickest way to make minimalism a drag is to compare yourself to other, more popular minimalists. It’s certainly good to be informed of best minimalism practices and get tips from minimalist influencers, but their paths or suggestions may not work as well for your situation.
Be open to blazing your own path into minimalism, and be willing to adjust along the way. If you treat the entire thing as a learning experience, there are no mistakes. And you’ll have a lot more fun along the way.
For more tips and insights on the ways of the Spiritual Minimalist, I invite you to check out Travel Light: Spiritual Minimalism to Live a More Fulfilled Life.
Briana Saussy is a teacher, spiritual counselor, and founder of the Sacred Arts Academy, where she teaches tarot, ceremony, alchemy, and other sacred arts for everyday life. She lives in San Antonio, Texas. For more, visit brianasaussy.com.
