When you’re searching for the right kind of complementary medicine to suit your particular condition or requirements, you have every right to be picky. Though there’s little to no scientific backing for the efficacy of energy healing practices, they can be very effective in improving subjective measures such as happiness and quality of life, as well as reducing stress symptoms and evoking a deep sense of relaxation.
The vast majority of energy healing practitioners subscribe to the theory that the body’s natural flow of energy moves towards a state of homeostasis. Emotional trauma and sustained levels of stress can create blockages in our energy fields, causing imbalance and ill-health in the mind, body, and spirit. It is the duty of an energy healer to channel light healing energy to a client, lifting and dispersing any blockages to restore balance and stimulate the body’s natural healing abilities.
It’s important to go into any energy healing session with an open mind in order to maximise its health benefits. There are hundreds of different healing styles, schools and practices you may come across in your search — each calling on slightly different techniques and theories to restore balance and replenish vitality. Here’s a quick introduction to five different kinds of energy healing to help find the perfect holistic relief for you!
- Therapeutic Touch
Developed by healer Dora Kunz and Professor of Nursing Dolores Krieger in the 1970s, therapeutic touch provides a contemporary interpretation of the ancient biblical healing technique known as ‘laying on of hands’, though this practice does not have ties to any particular faith or religion. The foundations of this healing method are based on the following assumptions:
- All living beings are composed of several energy layers, all in constant interaction with the self and the environment.
- Illness and injury are created through an imbalance in the individual’s energy field, and clearing these imbalances promotes a return to good health.
- All humans possess the natural ability to heal and enhance the healing process in others.
“It is the client who heals himself. The healer or therapist acts as a human energy support system until the client’s own immunological system is robust enough to take over” — Dolores Krieger
Practitioners of therapeutic touch make the assertion that through the act of placing their hands on or near a patient, they are able to identify and manipulate blockages in the energy field, dispersing tension and negativity. A typical session can last anywhere between 15 and 30 minutes depending on your requirements, and will often involve an initial discussion with the practitioner about your goals and symptoms before lying down in a chair or on a therapy table. Your healer will then use sweeping hand motions from head to toe just above the body to assess your energy field, then return to the areas requiring particular attention, sometimes using light touch in order to clear and rebalance energy levels.
Effects of therapeutic touch treatments have been reported as being anything from reductions in anxiety and chronic pain to improving side effects of chemotherapy in cancer patients. This technique also boasts positive results in lowering blood pressure and pulse amplitude, and stimulating a deep state of relaxation — so therapeutic touch may well be worth some further research if you’re looking for a quick way to unwind at the tail-end of your day.
2.Reiki
“Each and every being has an innate ability to heal as a gift from the gods” — Mikao Usui
Arguably one of the most popular forms of energy healing out there, reiki is very similar to therapeutic touch in that it aims to mobilise and balance energy levels in and around the body through a dispersal of blockages in the energy field in order to encourage healing. While reiki is more spiritual in nature, it — like therapeutic touch — is not connected to any particular religion or non-secular belief. While you do not have to believe in a God or subscribe to any faith to benefit from the healing effects of reiki, many have claimed that the practice has strengthened their bond with the almighty and put them more in touch with their religion.
Originally developed by Mikao Usui in 1922, reiki is based on the belief that a universal life energy known as ‘qi’ (pronounced ‘chi’) flows through all living things and is vital to your wellbeing. Like therapeutic touch, practitioners of this practice manipulate qi by running their hands around the body in search of any areas of intense heat, coldness, or dense, magnetising energy indicating an imbalance. A typical session can run for as little as 20 minutes or as long as an hour, with most practitioners claiming the best results are achievable from 3 separate sessions within a short space of time. You may feel a light tingling sensation in the areas being treated, or a warmth or coolness throughout the body during treatment — but don’t fret if you don’t feel anything! This doesn’t mean that your energy fields aren’t being affected. After the session is complete, you will be encouraged to hydrate yourself with plenty of water, avoid caffeinated beverages, and get as much rest as possible to receive the full benefits of the treatment.
Reiki is more than just a manipulation of the energy fields. While developing the practice, Usui asserted that one must actively commit and strive towards improving the self in order for the benefits of reiki to fully take effect. He developed the reiki ideals, which act as guidelines for living a balanced and virtuous life.
“The secret art of inviting happiness. The miraculous medicine of all diseases. Just for today, do not anger. Do not worry and be filled with gratitude. Devote yourself to your work. Be kind to people. Every morning and evening, join your hands in prayer. Pray these words to your heart and chant these words with your mouth”
Adherents of reiki claim that the practice can help you to relax, cope with difficulties or tension in your life, improve your overall sense of being and stimulate personal development. This energy healing method is recommended to those of you seeking spiritual growth and willing to adopt a more gracious lifestyle in order to do so.
3.Acupuncture
“Where there is free flow, there is no pain; if there is pain, there is no free flow” — Huang Di Nei Jing, ancient Chinese text
Though acupuncture and the theory behind it has gone through many permutations and modifications courtesy of its western adherents, the practice has its roots in ancient Chinese culture, and is considered one of the main branches of traditional Chinese medicine thought to maintain and restore harmony with nature and the self.
Like reiki, acupuncture was developed under the belief that essential life force energy known as qi flows through every living being — and it is a halt or blockage in this flow of energy that creates ill-health. Acupuncture acts to stimulate the channels through which qi flows (known as meridians) through the insertion of very fine needles into the skin and muscles. It is thought that acupuncture needles cause connective tissues to twist around them, increasing their electrical conductivity and allowing for a smoother transmission of energy through the fascia and deep into the body.
An acupuncture session will typically last between 20 minutes to an hour, and will always involve an initial physical examination and consultation to evaluate your requirements, medical history and any health problems you may want to be addressed. The acupuncturist will then select the specific points of the body requiring treatment based on this consultation and ask you to sit or lie down — you may also be asked to remove some items of clothing for easier access to certain meridians. Pre-sterilised, single-use acupuncture needles are then inserted into certain sites in the body (referred to as ‘acupoints’) either just under the skin or deeper so that they can reach muscle. Once in place, the needles will be left in position for anywhere between just a few minutes to half an hour so that they can properly stimulate your energy flow. Your acupuncturist may then prescribe you with certain healing herbs after your session is complete depending on your ailments.
While it is commonly reported that acupuncture is painless, it is possible that you may feel a tingling sensation or dull ache during the initial insertion of the needles. There have also been rarer cases of bleeding or bruising at insertion points and feelings of drowsiness and nausea in the more trypanophobic individuals (though it isn’t the wisest idea to go to an acupuncturist if you have a fear of needles). It’s also important to note that if you have a disorder of the blood such as haemophilia or are currently taking anticoagulants you must consult your GP before you decide to book a session.
Acupuncture is commonly used to treat musculoskeletal conditions and chronic joint, dental and postoperative pain. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence also recommends acupuncture as an effective treatment for tension-type headaches and migraines, so we recommend this treatment for sufferers of chronic pain — or any big fans of the Hellraiser series!
4.Reflexology
Reflexology is a variation of massage based on the theory that all organs and internal systems have connections to certain areas of the hands, ears and feet. Reflexologists use maps of the body’s pressure points to determine what areas they need to work on, and transmit energy to any organs or systems that require healing by applying varying amounts of pressure to their corresponding points.
The design of the body’s pressure maps is largely based on ‘Zone Theory’ — the notion that the body can be divided into 10 vertical zones running from the toes all the way up to the top of the head. Every organ, muscle and valve lying within any given zone can be accessed via the section of the feet or hands that falls within the same zone. For example, working on the toes in zone 2 or 3 allows for energy to be sent to the eyes. Any body parts sharing a zone are thought to be connected by nervous system pathways not dissimilar from meridians in traditional acupuncture practices.
Unlike other alternative medicines, reflexology boasts a wealth of research evidence providing support for its healing effects. One study found that the use of reflexology on female breast cancer patients was successful in reducing shortness of breath and improving self-reported quality of life. This technique has also been found to reduce symptoms of PMS and anxiety, making it an effective method of stress relief; treatments tend to start with soft relaxing movements all over the feet that can stimulate a state of deep relaxation.
While a reflexology session will on the whole leave you feeling centred and relaxed, it’s worth mentioning that certain points of the feet may be treated that can cause discomfort depending on the specific energy imbalances that need to be focused on. You should also consult your GP or relevant health professional before considering reflexology if you suffer from blood clots, gout, epilepsy, or any circulatory problems affecting the hands and feet.
For the more ticklish of you out there, don’t worry! Reflexologists will take this into account and act accordingly as to not send you into fits of giggles as they work on those trotters.
5. Crystal Therapy
“Crystals connect with all living things not only within, but interconnecting with the energy fields that surround us” — Jacky Jueno
Crystals form underground over millions of years under an intense amount of heat and pressure, forcing their molecules together and creating stunning symmetrical molecular structures. These tight-knit structures mean that crystals possess a very strong and measurable electromagnetic field — and crystal healers believe this imbues them with the ability to hold and transmit different types of energy.
There are several different kinds of crystal out there, and crystal therapists dedicate themselves to developing an extensive knowledge of each of them and how they can be used to affect and interact with our energy fields. There are many different ways this can be done, but the most commonly used method involves placing crystals on or around the body while the client lies on the floor or therapy table — the types of crystals being used and their positioning is dependent on the particular condition or energy imbalance the client seeks help for. Just holding or being near certain crystals is thought to affect us on a physical, emotional and spiritual level and can help us to refocus, redirect and unblock our energy.
A crystal healing session will typically begin with a consultation in order to determine the state of your physical, mental and spiritual health. Once you are lying down with your eyes closed, the healer will begin placing different crystals on or around you, often using instruments such as a dowsing pendulum to aid them in choosing their placement. The crystals will then be left in place for any period of time between 20 minutes and an hour, during which you will be encouraged to engage in deep breathing and relaxation exercises while the therapist adds or removes certain crystals as the session progresses. Commonly reported benefits of crystal therapy treatments include stress relief and relaxation, but it is thought that the use of crystals can also help to boost self-esteem, inspire clarity and enhance focus.
The best thing about crystal healing is that it does not have to be done under the guidance of a therapist. There’s nothing stopping you from going out there and buying your own crystals depending on what you want to achieve. Why not place some sleep-inducing amethyst by your bed if you struggle with insomnia — or rose quartz in your living room to encourage love and harmony in your household?
Energy Healers are NOT Doctors
It’s important to remember that energy healing should only be used as a complementary modality to any western treatment you may be receiving and should not be used as a substitute for any official medical advice, diagnosis or prescribed medications.
As mentioned before, it’s best to go into any energy healing session with openness to energy theory and technique — it’s the sceptics who tend not to feel anything. An open mind leads to open chakras!
