Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Energy Healing

Not too long ago, I shared with a good friend of mine the fact that I’ve been having a hard time coping with a few things in my life, just completely overcome with stress and anxiety (somewhat “in a funk” as I like to say), and just feeling completely outside of myself.  I knew the culprits and causes of this, but I just couldn’t figure out how to begin to shake it.  The first thing she recommended to me was that I look deeper into this notion of energy healing.

My friends who know me pretty well know that I am one of those people who speak about the notion of “energy” a lot. Not so much in the sense of  having the energy to do things, but more like energy transfers and sensing the energy of others. So even I had to take the time to learn more about energy healing – what is it, what are the different types of energy healing, and what it entails.  So here’s what I’ve found…

What is Energy Healing?

Energy healing is a rather broad term, especially by today’s standards. It may seem like a throwback to ancient eastern cultures or the hippie era or the 1960’s, but energy work has only grown and expanded in the last few decades.   By general definition “energy healing” is the channeling of or manipulation of energy in such a way that it causes healing within the receiver.

The types can be generally broken down by how the energy is transferred or manipulated. Hand-on requires the practitioner to place hands upon your body. Hands-off means the practitioner hovers their hands above and around your body, keeping it within your energy fields. There is also distance healing, where energy is sent or manipulated even when there is a great distance between practitioner and receiver. Further, the modalities are broken down further by how they use energy, through manipulation of the receivers energy or channeling universal or divine energy to heal.

When does it work best?

So what does this all mean? It means you have lots of choices. Generally it does not mean one type always works better than another type. It can mean that one type will work better for you! Energy healing works best when you, and your energy field, are open to receiving the healing.

SO what do you believe? Call it faith, energy, or science. It’s really all the same! When you break down just about any type of energy healing, it comes down to intent.  Every time a person prays fervently, sends good thoughts, or is a trained practitioner in the ways of energy healing, they send good, healing energy to the person it is meant for. Now for those that manipulate rather than channel energy, it’s not much different. They just focus on the receivers energy, and find where they can fix it. Ultimately, it’s about fixing or sending energy to allow the receivers body to better heal itself.

Various types of Healing Energy

Many scientific studies have been conducted on various types of energy, chi, ki, qi, prana and even auras and human electromagnetic fields. All have shown that they not only exist, but can change, and even be effected by others’ energy. It’s an understanding of this and being taught how it works that energy healers use to heal others. The receiver also has to be open to receiving the healing for it to work. Even if you can’t “feel” or “see” your own energy field, as long as you’re open to the idea of it, your energy is open to being healed. Lets break down the most common types of healing energy.

Reiki is actually fairly “new” being developed in 1922 by Mikao Usui in Japan. The word loosely translates to “spiritually guided life force energy. Reiki is a channeled energy healing and practitioners don’t necessarily learn it. More so, they are attuned to it by an existing master. Their energy is opened to receive the universal energy so they can now channel it and pass it on. Traditionally it is practiced hands-on, but it doesn’t have to be. It can be hands-off or sent over a distance.

Another very popular and common type of healing is acupuncture and acupressure. Practitioners detect where you have energy blockages along the energy meridians in your body and place a thin needle or pressure there to break up the blockage. This causes your own energy to flow as it should and re-balance, thus promoting healing.

Chakra healing is often incorporated into many other healing practices but can be done on it’s own as well. It is based on focusing on each chakra in your body and cleansing it so that it can flow or spin freely. Many forms of chakra healing can be done by yourself and following a guided meditation. Colors are most strongly associated with chakras and chakra healing. So color therapy can come into play to help certain corresponding chakras.

See also: The Seven Chakras and what they mean for your health

ThetaHealing™ relies upon the practitioner entering a theta brain wave state and asking for healing from God or the Source. Then they witness, and in effect, pass on that healing to the receiver. It relies upon faith as a healing tool and can be very powerful for those who are very religious and feel that other techniques are too “out there.”

Shamanic healing techniques are similar in that the practitioner calls upon the spiritual realm and spirit and animal helpers to help heal the receiver.  It can be used to treat many emotional and physical ailments. Sometimes helper spirits can provide more insight into the problems and pass on advice that the practitioner can give to the receiver to aid recovery.

Quantum Touch® and Restorative Touch™ are two different techniques that are quickly gaining ground these days. Quantum Touch® focuses on breathing technique to increase and focus the energy used to heal. Restorative Touch™ relies upon resonance to heal. Both have thorough training programs and practitioners must be certified.

Those are probably some of the most common and most accessible, but are by means not the only kinds. Others include, but are not limited to: Brennan Healing Science®, Bioenergy Healing/Domancic Method, EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques®), Healing Touch, Polarity Therapy, Pranic Healing, Intrinsic Touch Energy, Life Alignment, Shiddhikaran Kriya, Faradarmany, Arcing Light, Gaia Now, Phototherapy, Be Set Free Fast, Iliaster, Angelic healing, Violet Flame Healing, and SO many more. The point is, we all have energy, are energy, and it can be utilized to help us! All of these techniques do that in some way. Some channel energy from the world and universe, God and angels, spirits, or any other divinity and use it to affect your energy to make you better. Others simply can “feel” or “see” your energy and know how to manipulate it to your benefit.

Does energy healing work?

The point of all of this is just to say that yes, energy healing is real and it works.  It’s definitely not for everyone, as you really do have to be open to receiving it. While there are different types of methods to energy healing, they all really do heal to some extent.  Be it emotional, psychological, and physical wounds.  Now, with that said, I have to say that it should never completely take the place of traditional medicine and advice from a trained medical professional, but energy healing often makes a perfect companion treatment.

Have you tried Energy Healing? What are some techniques you’ve found work for you?