Woven throughout my work both individually and in groups are various mind-body or energy-healing tools. Energy healing is a broadly defined field within the complementary and alternative healthcare umbrella. It’s a field still in its research infancy and paradoxically is thought to be among the oldest healing method. We are just recently starting to see research results supporting the benefits. One of the things I love about energy healing is the variety of self-healing methods that offer not only benefit but also convenience.
Energy healing is often used to convey a nonphysical approach to healing. As we see an increase in the use of energy healing I feel like it’s a good time to define what it is and what it is not.
Some of the titles I see being used are mind-body techniques, vibrational medicine, subtle energy therapy, energy healing, and biofield therapy. Each of these titles encompasses a variety of modalities with some overlap. Many of these methods are easy to integrate with other healing methods as well as with western medicine, which is becoming more open to the concept of energy healing.
There’s a lot of variation in the descriptions of energy healing but most include a reference to the movement of life force energy or chi, this includes hands-on healing, distance healing, and self-healing. The most frequent modalities referenced are Reiki, Therapeutic Touch, Healing Touch, Qi Gong, meditation, prayer, intention, spiritual healing, Shamanic healing, and energy healing. The multitude of methodologies makes comparing research and making correlations challenging.
The other major piece is the understanding of how energy healing works. The subtle energy that exists in all humans is believed to be the mechanism by which energy healing works. We have a bio-energetic field that is impacted by emotional, social, environmental, and psychological influences and energy healing shifts stagnant energy, which allows for health to be restored.
One popular theory is that energy healing may act as a catalyst to move a system past a stuck point bringing the system back to self-regulation and healing. Physics indicate there are critical points within any system where change occurs. In a biological system, as a system moves away from the critical point it becomes more stable, this stability has the potential to become stuck interfering with the complex self-regulating function of the system this, in turn, creates pathology within the system. This theory does address why things like subconscious beliefs, thoughts, and aligned action impact the energy field.
I always see a multitude of ways to weave in energy healing, particularly self-healing – keeping things flowing well, healing a subconscious belief or thought pattern, supporting physical healing, clearing out a sense of being stuck, or getting centered. I am a firm believer in regular energetic hygiene, but that’s a topic for another day.
Do you have questions about energy healing? Send me an email I’m happy to answer them.