Energy Medicine can seem mysterious but it actually is quite simple, while being extremely sophisticated at the same time. Our bodies are made up of flows and energies – the blood and lymph circulatory systems are example of flows. Donna Eden, a pioneer in Energy Medicine, states that she works with nine primary energies in the body. Meridians, chakras, and the aura are three of the nine and are probably the most widely known among the general public. Donna also teaches and works with the Radiant Circuits, Triple Warmer, Celtic Weave, Five Rhythms, the Grid, and the Electrics. The basic goal of Energy Medicine practitioners is to maintain balance of and optimal connection between these body energies and flows to prevent disease.
Energy Medicine is rooted in indigenous and Eastern health practices and disciplines such as acupuncture, acupressure, yoga, and qigong which also correlate with much of Western medicine’s understanding of the body’s systems. For example, recent research by a team led by Kwang-Sup Soh PhD, director of the Nano Primo Research Center at Seoul National University, South Korea, has supported and expanded upon the original 1962 discovery by Bong-Han Kim (North Korea) that the “Primo Vascular System” is, in fact, the meridian system. The research findings are based on the researchers’ insertion of a blue dye into the meridians of live animals to distinguish the tiny meridians from the larger blood and lymph vessels nearby. The dye also enabled the researchers to document the nodes (often referred to as acupuncture “points”) or intersections of meridians, as well as irregular electric pulses coursing through the meridians themselves.
This exciting research will “shift the level of the oriental medicine from the traditional wisdom and art with a long history to the biomedical sciences in a true sense. Furthermore, it will also bring a paradigm change in the regenerative medicine, cancer, immune deficiency or hyperactivity, pain control, stem cell therapy, and other important issues in the human health care in general.” (Soh, Kang, Ryu, 2013)
Slide from the August, 2014 presentation by Dr. Kwang-Sup Soh (South Korea)
Albert Szent-Györgi, Hungarian-born winner of the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1937, wrote: “In every culture and in every medical tradition before ours, healing was accomplished by moving energy.” As Mehmet Oz, MD, has proclaimed on national television, “Energy Medicine is the next big frontier in medicine.”
Energy Medicine, as I practice it, is based on Traditional ChinSomatic Energy Medicineese Medicine (TCM) acupressure points, meridians, and chakras in conjunction with Eden Energy Medicine, Reiki, and other somatic techniques. Non-invasive methods such as tapping, holding, buzzing, and connecting various physical points on the body help to re-balance and center a person’s energy systems, releasing blockages, so that the body begins to heal itself. A typical 90-minute session will involve assessment of various basic energy systems and then a general energy balancing before tackling more detailed and specific work. Clients remain fully clothed and relax on a massage table once the assessment has been completed.
Self-healing is also a major tenet of Energy Medicine. In fact, no changes can occur without the permission and active agreement of the client. Unlike Allopathic Medicine (or Western medicine), which often relies on antibiotics, surgery, and other invasive interventions, Energy Medicine is non-invasive and seeks to empower the client to help heal him/herself, often through simple exercises, modifying emotional and thought patterns, and by becoming more conscious of the body’s functions. Because Energy Medicine requires the active participation of the client, the client feels more in control of how his/her health improves. Proponents of Energy Medicine view its effectiveness as a strong complement to Allopathic Medicine which has proven successful in emergency situations where surgery or antibiotics can provide immediate relief. Energy Medicine takes the broader perspective that the emerging global wellness movement embraces: awareness and early treatment of imbalances in the physical and energetic bodies can help to prevent illness as well as transform precursors to disease or somatic weaknesses in order to prevent them from developing further.
stressOne of the major causes of illness in our society is stress. We are continually stressed by emotional situations in our personal lives, at work, and in the world at large. The recent presidential election is a case in point. Many people found that their assumptions about the political climate were inaccurate, resulting in post-election feelings of shock and fear, and not knowing how to proceed. In Western medical parlance, the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) of these individuals was highly activated producing a sense of “fight, flight, or freeze.” However, in this case, there was nowhere to run, no one to fight, and freezing was really the only viable option. Activating the other half of the Autonomic Nervous System, the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS), which activates the “rest and digest” reflex was proving to be difficult for these individuals. In my practice, I found that balancing my clients’ Triple Warmer and Spleen meridians helped to relieve the state of “freeze” and allow clearer thinking, enabling the client to move forward and begin to process the election results in a more helpful way.
Although this recent event was a trigger of stress for many, smaller less dramatic events can trigger stress as well. An example might be a tight deadline at work where the information needed to complete the deadline is dependent on co-workers who are procrastinating in producing the information. Another example is being on vacation but still having continuous access to the myriad work emails and texts that bombard the vacationer’s cell phone. Perhaps a young person is overwhelmed with the choices, requirements, and necessary application documents associated with applying to college. Or a much loved elder parent/grandparent is undergoing changes in their ability to care for themselves, placing a new burden on their now adult children. These events can cause the SNS to rally and cause the body to exhibit the increased hormone levels associated with the fight, flight, or freeze response. When stress is unrelenting or becomes a habitual response, the body and its organs suffer. Interestingly, the Japanese language contains a word for death caused by excessive stress.
Energy Medicine is a wonderful antidote to stress without resorting to medication or more invasive techniques that may lead to long-term complications. Along with the benefit of immediate stress relief, a client is also provided with simple exercises as homework to help continue the energy balancing and centering gained in a session. Practicing these exercises on a daily basis can help the body to form new habits in terms of dealing with everyday stressors.
In addition to calming the nervous system, Energy Medicine can also help reduce anxiety, alleviate pain, improve concentration and comprehension, increase vitality, strengthen the immune system, and help boost focus. Sessions help support clients as they traverse major life passages – births, deaths, marriages, divorces, changing jobs, or major life transitions. Energy Medicine is at the cutting edge of new beliefs and theories about how best to support health and healing. Energy Medicine leads to increased energetic health which then translates into physical, mental, and emotional health.
