Energy Medicine

Energy Medicine is a broad term for any type of healing that smoothes out, manipulates, restores, or balances the
flow of energy in the body. It is believed that, in addition to its physical and biochemical systems, the human
body is made up of a complex system of invisible energy. Often referred to as "universal life force energy," it is
called by different names in different cultures: The Chinese know it as qi; the Japanese refer to it as ki; in India, it
is prana.

This vital life force energy continually flows throughout the body in organized patterns, just as blood does.
Unlike blood, however, life force energy does not stop at the surface of the skin but extends several inches beyond
the body, thereby creating a unique energy field (the biofield or aura) for each individual.

When a person's energy flows freely in a balanced manner, good health can be maintained. However, when the
energy flow becomes restricted, disordered, or weakened, an imbalance occurs and an excess or deficiency of
energy results. This can lead to symptoms of emotional and physical distress and eventually to chronic pain and
disease.

Many traditional health systems have long recognized this vital life force principle and have employed it in
healing. Indeed, such widely known systems as East Asian medicine (acupuncture, acupressure, shiatsu, and so
on), homeopathy, naturopathy, Ayurvedic medicine, traditional osteopathy, chiropractic, and shamanistic
healing use some aspect of the vital life force principle in diagnosis and treatment.

In addition, practices such as yoga, tai chi, qigong, and some forms of meditation incorporate perceiving and
directing this energy flow in one's own body. Lesser known therapies that use energy healing include crystal and
gem therapy, Bach Flower remedies, magnet therapy, and craniosacral therapy.

More recently, the term "energy healing" has come to refer to the abilities of individual healers who diagnose and
treat energy imbalances in clients using their own energy fields. In some cultures such healers are considered to
have God-given spiritual gifts. However, as energy healing has become more widely recognized, the methods of
energy healing taught in various cultures are now being integrated into training programs and professional
schools. In such programs, practitioners learn to develop their innate talents in a consistent manner. Common
hands-on energy healing practices taught in the United States include Therapeutic Touch, Healing Touch, Reiki
and polarity therapy.

How Does It Work?

The treatments work by manipulating the energy that pulsates in and around all living beings. Energetic
intervention by a practitioner, either through their hands or other methods, can serve to correct imbalances in
energy flow, restore symmetry, and re-establish the free flow of energy through the body's energy pathways.
These pathways are known in energy healing as channels (meridians), chakras, and etheric levels.

Channels~~ According to traditional Chinese medicine, shiatsu, and other acupressure systems, energy flows
through a person's body via various acupoints that are organized into channels, or meridians. The meridian
system contains several hundred points that can be manipulated to promote energy balance in parts of the body
that experience discomfort or disease. Although Western science has been able to measure the existence of the
acupoints using their electrical properties, researchers are still investigating ways to measure the groupings of
points in the meridian channels. Studies have shown that stimulating acupoints can release chemical messengers
in the body, including endorphins, the body's natural painkillers.

Chakras~~ In Indian or Ayurvedic medicine it is believed that the body's vital energy flows up from the feet to
the top of the head and concentrates at different levels in the body called chakras. Maps of the body's chakras
show seven major chakras along the centerline of the body, and multiple minor chakras outside the body and
along the extremities. The state of each chakra reflects the health of a particular area of your body. It also reflects
your psychological, emotional, and spiritual well-being. When chakra energy is blocked or misdirected, emotional
and physical illness can arise.

Etheric levels~~The human energy field is divided into etheric levels. Each of these levels is three dimensional and
envelops the body like a sheath or shell. The levels closest to the body are the physical, emotional, and mental.
The physical level is linked to vitality and is the one most easily seen in a person's aura. The emotional level
contains the energy associated with both positive and negative emotions. Because physical and emotional energies
are interconnected, emotions can have a profound effect on how the body functions. The third level is the mental
field and contains energy associated with thought, perception, rationalization, and interpretation of events.
Energy from this layer surrounds and interacts with the emotional level, intensifying the relationship between
thoughts and feelings.

In treating a client, a practitioner of energy healing will look at the pattern of energy flow in one or more of these
pathways, and manipulate energy wherever it is blocked. Often during a session, a client will achieve a deep state
of relaxation.

Energy healing can also release emotional energy and create increased awareness of mind-body patterns that
contribute to energy imbalances. Some people who receive an energy healing session note an immediate decrease
in their stress level, which has long been recognized as a major contributor to wellness.

What You Can Expect

Receiving energy healing should be a soothing experience. A session typically begins with a thorough health
history, as well as a discussion of the conditions for which you are seeking relief. The practitioner will likely ask
you about any previous medical problems in addition to learning about your diet and exercise habits, your home
and work life, and your general mental and emotional health. There is no need to be offended at these questions.
The practitioner needs to evaluate to be sure the treatment would be beneficial to the client and to be informed of
any potetional health issues. Some practitioners may require a release from your primary care physician before
doing any energy work if you have any outlying health conditions that may appear to be contraindicated.

The practitioner will then do an energy ‘work up’ using various techniques that can reveal the major areas of
imbalance. Among the diagnostic methods that may be employed are body scanning (either visually or with the
hands on or off the body), use of a pendulum to read the energy flows at each chakra, and applied kinesiology to
uncover imbalances that can lead to muscle weakness.

As the practitioner gets information from the body, various possibilities for treatment will be discussed. A well-
trained practitioner may specialize in one method of energy healing or may be able to provide various therapies.
These may include hands-on healing techniques such as Therapeutic Touch, Healing Touch, Reiki, and shiatsu,
as well as the probable use or aromatherapy. Some therapists may also incorporate the use of colored light, (color
therapy) tuning forks or the voice (sound therapy), movement therapies, and dialogue (guided imagery or
visualization).

An energy healing session usually lasts an hour, depending on the condition being addressed. For basic stress
reduction, a few sessions may be all that are needed, with follow-up sessions scheduled if necessary. For the
treatment of chronic diseases, long-term treatment, often in conjunction with a conventional medical doctor
and/or one or more other medical practitioners, (e.g., naturopath, osteopath, chiropractor), may be required.

Health Benefits

There have been controlled studies showing direct health benefits from energy healing. It is important to note
that energy healing is not a substitute for conventional medical care. However, as an adjunctive treatment it can
be a very effective and noninvasive approach.

Of the various energy healing practices, Therapeutic Touch (massage therapy), Healing Touch, and Reiki have
been the most widely and successfully used in hospitals, hospices, and out-patient facilities. Each of these practices
has been found to accelerate healing, quicken recovery from surgery and trauma, reduce pain, lessen stress, and
assist with emotional and spiritual healing.

Among the specific ailments for which energy healing has been found effective are chronic tension and migraine
headache, chronic neck pain and low back pain, osteoarthritic pain, digestive complaints, fibromyalgia,
respiratory problems, chronic fatigue syndrome, hypertension, mild depression, and anxiety. Some people like to
use energy healing as a preventive therapy, believing that blockages in energy flow can occur before actual
medical conditions begin to manifest themselves.

How To Choose a Practitioner

There is no national certifying agency for energy healing practitioners, however, many practitioners who were
originally trained and licensed as nurse practitioners, massage therapists, physical therapists, and physicians may
have added energy healing to their professional skills.

To date, there are no national standards providing for licensure of energy healing practitioners. In many states,
however, energy healing is considered a spiritual practice and registered clergy are exempt from state regulation.
In other states, practitioners may need to qualify under massage regulations in order to do hands-on healing.

To find an energy healing practitioner near you, ask a trusted bodyworker, a friend, or your primary-care
physician for a referral.

Cautions

Energy healing does not cure disease and is not intended to be the primary treatment for any health problem.
Rather it is a complementary therapy meant to support other ongoing physical, mental, and emotional treatment.

Energy healing is not recommended for broken bones, acute pain, or any condition requiring immediate medical
attention, although it may provide a calming effect before, during, or after medical-surgical interventions.

Working with the emotional aspects of energy can release old feelings of emotional distress. While energy healing
holds promise for helping resolve such distress, persons with a history of mental health disorders should have a
trained counselor or psychiatrist available to them when undergoing a series of energy healing sessions. In
addition, the energy healing practitioner should be comfortable in referring clients to counselors for mental and
emotional problems outside of the healer's expertise.

There is a slight chance of nausea and dizziness occurring after certain energy healing treatments. There is
nothing to be alarmed about.

A person in a weakened state may become irritable and uncomfortable if flooded with too much energy during a
treatment.

People who have seizures or seizure disorders should not engage in energy healing without the express consent of
their physician.

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