There are some things you can't avoid no matter how well you take care of yourself. For me, being in a cubicle work environment sometimes means exposure to germs, viruses and more. After having a flu for more than a week this month, I was experiencing low energy even after all my symptoms had cleared. I was even feeling a little too fragile for a massage treatment (which I normally relish in) so I opted for a gentler approach to assist with my healing, a therapy called Energy Field Massage. I was glad I did! Not only was this therapy extremely gentle, it was the calming, restorative experience I had hoped it would be.
As a massage practitioner and instructor I was curious about this technique, and I'm always looking for new ways to expand my knowledge of therapeutic touch to benefit my clients and students. Since many of the people I see have pain issues, such as arthritis, back pain, migraines or other issues that make it difficult to sometimes receive massage work directly on the body, I signed up for a course to learn more about this particular therapy and how it works.
Energy Field Massage is based on the therapy known as Healing Touch and incorporates "off the body" healing, in the area of the aura. Although some may consider this practice as new age or "out there" in concept, the truth is that the electromagnetic field that surrounds our physical body was scientifically proven and measured many years ago by scientists at Yale University back in the 1930's. This "biofield" consists of ions, free protons and free electrons which act as a vibration, constantly receiving as well as filtering out information from our environment that then has a direct impact on our thoughts, mood, and physical health. The theory behind Healing Touch therapy is that if we can work on balancing the energy field (and energy centers known as Chakras which comprise this field) then we may positively impact our overall health and wellness. Some hospitals even now employ trained Healing Touch practitioners to do energy work on post surgery patients in an effort to reduce pain and stress.
This approach to health and healing is very exciting and I'm happy to share this resource since the benefits of this technique may reduce pain, accelerate healing and provide balance for the whole person: mind, body and spirit.
Using healing touch for yourself as self-care is also possible and includes using the palms of the hands held just above the body. To feel the energy field yourself, begin by rubbing the palms together until you feel warmth and heat between the hands. Next take the hands apart slowly and bring your awareness to the center of the palms. Begin to draw the palms away from each other and then slowly back towards one another, but not touching. See if you can sense energy here between the palms. As you take the hands apart and then towards each other you may start to feel sensations of warmth, tingling or even a stronger feeling of a bubble between the hands, as if you could make the bubble larger as you move the hands away or make it smaller as the hands come closer together.
This initial exercise is a practice in sensing the bioelectrical energy being radiated from the palm Chakras and felt just outside the body. You can use this sensation to then hover one palm over the center of the chest and the other palm above the crown of the head, for instance, to bring a sense of tranquility when you feel stressed.
A certified practitioner would use their palms to feel your energy and then use their hands to help rebalance areas of the field that may feel different in temperature, texture, and density which may indicate pain, energy blocks, or armoring from trauma.
To learn more about Healing Touch for your own self-care or to find a practitioner near you, visit Healing Touch International:
Yours in healing touch,
Lori
Resources on Energy Healing and Books of interest:
Energy Medicine: Balancing Your Body's Energies for Optimal Health, Joy and Vitality
Donna Eden and David Feinstein, Ph.D (New York, Penguin Group, 2008)
Vibrational Medicine: The #1 Handbook of Subtle-Energy Therapies
Richard Gerber, M.D. (Rochester, Vermont, Bear and Company, 2001)
Hands of Light: A Guide to Healing Through the Human Energy Field
Barbara Ann Brennan (New York, Bantam Books, 1988)
Energy Field Massage in the Bay Area:
Susan Gann, Certified Acupressure Therapist
susancgann@sbcglobal.net
