“Energy is everything.” – Albert Einstein
Overview of Energy Healing
Numerous ancient cultures have always believed in the existence of a “life energy” – chi (qi) in Chinese Medicine, prana in Hindu (Ayurveda), and ki in Japanese practices. Yet, Western society has been resistant to that notion, instead embracing the belief that bodily exchanges are primarily chemical in nature with compounds like hormones, neurotransmitters, or enzymes initiating reactions. However, that “lock and key” theory of cellular reactions never truly accounted for the speed or frequency at which those reactions occur. The belief in the presence of electromagnetic energy in the body provides an explanation for these rapid transmissions, and makes it clear that for optimal health we should consider how we handle our system’s delicate energy balance. This can be achieved through a variety of techniques including therapeutic activities performed by trained healers (i.e. Reiki, Therapeutic Touch, and Pranic Healing), or through self-directed modalities that focus on exercises (qigong), meditations, and consciousness to positively impact the energy field.
For a broader more mind/spirit based approach to energy healing please see the Energy Psychology page.
Energy Healing Facts:
- Researchers have correlated lower than normal electrical impulses in individuals with degenerative disease and higher than normal levels in those with inflammatory diseases.
- Dr. Daniel Brown of Harvard states that the combination of the gut and connective tissue in such a small space (the abdominal cavity) creates an energy storage system like a battery. This system is referred to as the “triple heater” (or triple warmer) in Chinese medicine, and appears to also describe what the Chinese knew as the Dan Tian.
- “Dirty electricity” has contributed to an increased incidence of cancer in communities where it is found in excess. [Read: Is Dirty Electricity Making You Sick?]
The Body’s Energy Fields
Energy healing expert, Donna Eden, explains in her book Energy Medicine for Women that there are 9 energy systems in the body including:
- The Meridians – the body’s energy bloodstream. The 14 channels that carry energy into, through and out of the body. The meridians connect to the skin via the acupuncture points.
- The Chakras – meaning vortex, disk of wheel, there are 7 chakras that are concentrated, swirling areas of energy from the base of the spine to the top of the head.
- The Aura – called “biofield” by scientists. It is a shell of energy emanating from the body and interacting with the environment. It acts as an antenna between the chakras and the environment.
- The Electrics – these are not truly independent, but rather serve as a bridge between all the energy systems.
- The Celtic Weave – the spiraling, figure-eight patterns of energy that network across the body. Also referred to as the “Tibetan Energy Ring” in the East. The double-helix of DNA is a small version of this pattern.
- The Five Rhythms – the rhythms that run between the energy systems. They are represented in Traditional Chinese Medicine as the elements water, wood, fire, earth and metal, and the seasons of winter, spring, summer, Indian summer, and autumn. A person’s primary rhythm works with the rhythms of the changing seasons to direct the tone of the energy system.
- The Triple Warmer – the meridian that invokes the immune system and sets the body’s fight or flight mechanisms into action. Because its role is so unique and fundamental, Donna feels it should be considered as its own separate system.
- The Radiant Circuits – rather than fixed like the meridians or chakras, the radiant circuits are fluid and jump to where they are needed. This is a more primitive system than the meridians and it is seen in insects and also in embryos.
- The Basic Grid – the foundation on which the other energy systems sit, like the chassis of a car. If this energy system is damaged, as in trauma, nothing else can work the same. Healing the basic grid is the most advanced form of energy medicine.
Editor’s Note: For practical, hands-on energy healing exercises that you can do yourself, you may want to purchase Donna’s Energy Medicine Kit and/or the aforementioned book Energy Medicine for Women by Donna Eden & David Feinstein, Ph.D.
Energy Medicine Resources
Additional resources to benefit the energy field can be found on the Body Therapies page.
Energy Healing Articles
“11 Ways to Protect Yourself from Dirty Electricity” – Michael Segel
Bio-electromagnetic and Subtle Energy Medicine – Paul J. Rosch
The Energy Body and Its Functions – Daniel Brown, Ph.D.
General Resources / Energy Healers
Gene Ang, Ph.D., Presence Healing – www.geneang.com
Barbara Brennan School of Healing – www.barbarabrennan.com/
Eden Energy Medicine, Donna Eden – http://innersource.net/em/
Energy Magazine – http://www.energymagazineonline.com – a free magazine from the Healing Touch Program.
Energy Medicine Institute – www.energymed.org/
Valerie Hunt, Ed.D., Bioenergy– www.bioenergyfields.org/
International Society for the Study of Subtle Energies and Energy Medicine – www.issseem.org
Gary Schwartz – www.drgaryschwartz.com – research in the science of spirit (which many see as energy).
Wholistic Healing Research, Daniel Benor, M.D. – www.wholistichealingresearch.com
Energy Healing Modalities
Dowsing
Energy Medicine Online – Dowsing – www.energymedicineonline.com
New England Dowsing – http://newenglanddowsing.com/index.htm
Healing Touch
Healing Touch Program – http://www.healingtouchprogram.com – For more details on this modality, see “My Healing Touch Experience“
Pranic Healing
Pranic Healing.com http://pranichealing.com
PranicHealing.orgwww.pranichealing.org
Reiki
Reiki: An Introduction – National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) – http://nccam.nih.gov/health/reiki/introduction.htm
Hartford Hospital – Creating a Reiki Volunteer Program – www.hartfordhealth.org/IntMed/manual/reiki.asp
Hartford Hospital – Reiki Overview www.harthosp.org/integrativemed/Therapies/ReikiTherapy/default.aspxHealthy.net – Reiki – www.healthy.net/Alternative_Therapy/Reiki/101 – *This site sells products so some information could be biased.
Reiki International Association of Reiki Professionals www.iarp.org
Reconnective Healing
The Reconnection – www.thereconnection.com
Therapeutic Touch
Therapeutic Touch: Nurse Healers Professional Associates International – www.therapeutic-touch.org
Vortex Healing
VortexHealing.com – www.vortexhealing.com
References:
Bio-electromagnetic and Subtle Energy Medicine – Paul J. Rosch
The Energy Body and Its Functions – Daniel Brown, Ph.D., Harvard Medical School, Psychiatry Department
Gene Ang, Ph.D. Lecture at The Graduate Institute, February 25 & 26, 2011. Energy Medicine. (Many of the resources are courtesy of Dr. Ang).
*If you are interested in the above articles, please Contact Me and I will send you the full PDF.
[Last Updated: 11/28/12]