The Top 3 Things to know about Energy Healing

 

1.  You don't have to be spiritual.

2.  There's thousands of years of research.

 

3.  Everyone can do it.

 

There is absolutely no need to be spiritual, or to believe in anything specific, to benefit from energy healing.  The very nature of health is a self-correcting mechanism to restore balance, known as homeostasis.  Energy healing taps into this mechanism and enhances your body's ability to heal itself.
  

References to energy healing are found throughout recorded history.  Many cultures have complex, well defined healing systems.  Here are just 2 examples - there are many, many more.

Traditional Chinese Medicine has been successfully used for over 2,000 years.  It's based on the idea of balance (yin/yang) and that our life force energy (chi) is circulated throughout the body by meridians - pathways than run from head to toe.  

Ancient Indian texts refer to chakras - energy centres along the spine that are linked to glands and organs.  These chakras balance and distribute life force energy (prana). 

Each and every one of us can do energy healing.  

I believe it's the fundamental nature of being human. 

Just like everything else humans can do, some do it better than others.  But with the right training, intention and practice everyone can help others heal.   Even if you're not inclined to learn the skills yourself, a good practitioner will show you simple techniques you can do at home to maintain your own energy balance.

The Brow Chakra: No sweat required

In traditional Yogic chakra theory, there are 7 major chakras in the body.  These chakras are like emotional and spiritual transducers that absorb and distribute life energy to various body organs and tissues.   In the same way that physical toxins can produce illness, emotional toxins can poison the physical and spiritual body in many subtle ways.

My previous chakra posts:       For the heart chakra please click here
                                                 For the solar plexus chakra please click here

Today we explore the brow (or third eye) chakra.

The Brow Chakra

This chakra, located in the centre of your forehead just above your eyebrows, is associated with your eyes, ears, and the parts of your brain where two very important glands reside - the hypothalamus and the pituitary.  Together, these two glands regulate all the other glands in the body, controlling your body temperature, water balance, metabolism, intellectual functioning, emotions, sex drive, pain and pleasure. 

Emotionally and spiritually your brow chakra is related to your ability to see your life clearly, your intuition and inner vision as well as the use of your mind for intellectual purposes.  This is where we define our relationship to knowledge, wisdom and vision.  It is said this chakra may become blocked when we do not allow ourselves to "see" what's going on in our lives, or when we relate to others and the world around us only through our emotions while entirely ignoring what our minds have to say.

Considered the seat of intuition, chakra theory suggests that as we start to mature spiritually and allow ourselves to open to new ideas and information, we begin to make a spiritual shift in consciousness.  This shift may eventually allow us to see beyond the visible physical world into the higher vibrational world of subtle energy.

Your Two Brains

In traditional Yogic chakra theory, there are 7 major chakras in the body.  These chakras are like emotional and spiritual transducers that absorb and distribute life energy to various body organs and tissues.   In the same way that physical toxins can produce illness, emotional toxins can poison the physical and spiritual body in many subtle ways.

To read my previous post on the heart chakra please click here.  Today we explore the solar plexus chakra.

The Solar Plexus Chakra

This chakra, located just below your sternum, is associated with your stomach, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, kidneys, and adrenal glands.  These are the organs associated with digestion.

Emotionally and spiritually your solar plexus chakra is related to your sense of personal power - your self-esteem and self-worth.   It is said this is where we hold on to our perceptions of how we compare with others and our issues of responsibility.  People who feel strongly the emotions of fear and intimidation, and those chronically stressed by their responsibilities, often complain of indigestion, heartburn and gastritis - all digestive ailments.

We tend to place our hand over our solar plexus chakra when we're experiencing a "gut reaction" or having a "gut feeling".  It's also the area of our body we instinctively protect by crossing our arms when we feel we're being emotionally attacked.  This is no coincidence.  Research shows that our gut has a mind of its own.  Just like the larger brain in our head, our digestive system receives impulses, records experiences and responds to emotions.  Its nerve cells are influenced by the same neurotransmitters that are found in our brain.   It's a two-way street.  Our gut can affect our brain the same way our brain can affect our gut!  This means balancing the energy in your solar plexus chakra will bring relief not only to your stressed-out digestive system, but to your stressed-out brain as well.  And who couldn't use a little stress relief?

Feeling Your Heart Energy

In traditional Yogic chakra theory, there are 7 major chakras in the body.  These chakras are like emotional and spiritual transducers that absorb and distribute life energy to various body organs and tissues.   In the same way that physical toxins can produce illness, emotional toxins can poison the physical and spiritual body in many subtle ways.

The Heart Chakra

Located in the centre of your chest, your heart chakra is associated with your heart, lungs and thymus gland.  These are related to the bodily functions of circulation and immunity.  

Emotionally and spiritually your heart chakra is related to issues of love - loving relationships with others, with yourself and with all of life.  The Institute of Heartmath is doing some very interesting research into how our hearts are also involved in intuition.

Your Heart Energy

Feeling your heart energy isn't anything weird or woo-woo.  It's a real physical sensation.  It's that warm feeling in your chest when you remember a time you felt loved unconditionally.  It's the lightness you feel when you forgive someone who has caused you harm.   But what if you don't feel the love, and you're not ready to forgive? Then create your own positive heart energy and fake it til you make it.

A good way to do this is to watch a feel-good movie - something that gives you a comforting physical sensation in your heart centre.  (I find a good romantic comedy can resonate in my chest for hours.)  While you're feeling the physical sensations the movie creates, meditate on it. 


Sit comfortably, breath deeply and slowly, and focus on that awareness in your chest.  How does it feel?  What words would you use to describe it?  With practice you'll be able to re-create those feelings during meditation without even watching the movie. 

Once you become aware of your heart energy, you may be surprised how often your heart sends you messages.  Learn to listen to them, and learn to live from your heart.