Many wellness modalities – such as acupuncture, acupressure, healing touch, Reiki, qigong and sound energy therapy–are forms of energy medicine designed to restore balance and health to the body’s energy field.
Studies indicate that these practices may help ease pain, anxiety and stress levels; yet some questions still exist.
Acupuncture
Energy healing has become an increasingly popular trend, and there are a range of natural therapies designed to promote life force, equilibrium and wellness. Some energy medicine practices involve hands-on manipulations; others utilize acupuncture needles or specific acupoints; still others employ intention or meditation techniques; it is best practiced under guidance by trained professionals who can guide the healing journey.
Acupuncturists work to regulate your life force (qi or chi) by inserting thin needles at various acupuncture points along meridian lines corresponding to specific organs or regions in your body. While treating illness directly, many practitioners believe balancing these pathways may also prevent future issues by correcting imbalances within the system.
Energy therapy from a qualified practitioner can significantly boost your mood and induce a relaxed state that promotes physical and emotional well-being. Furthermore, studies have indicated that these therapies can lower cortisol levels which have been linked to stress-related diseases.
Energy medicine generally poses low risks and should not interfere with other treatments or medications you are receiving, however if you have serious medical conditions it’s advisable to speak to your physician first before attempting energy healing modalities. For more information about energy healing modalities check out “Energy Medicine Unlocked: A Complete Guide to Self-Healing”, available both at Experience Life stores and online.
Acupressure
Acupressure involves stimulating various points on the body’s meridians or energy pathways (acupoints) as a form of medicine to restore flow of vital energy in these pathways and promote wellbeing and overall health and wellness. Practitioners believe that stress can block vital energy from flowing freely along these meridians, potentially leading to illness. Acupressure practitioners believe stimulating clockwise stimulation of these points may improve energy circulation within these meridians and thus promote good health and well-being.
Scientific evidence for energy healing therapies like acupressure may be limited, yet energy healing techniques such as acupuncture seem safe and beneficial. A study published in Complementary Therapies in Medicine demonstrated this by showing acupuncture to ease PMS symptoms among women. Furthermore, relaxing energy healing modalities help lower cortisol levels which improve immune system health.
Energy medicine falls within the “complementary and alternative” field of complementary and integrative medicine, covering a range of practices. Though each discipline varies greatly in philosophy, approach, and origin, they all subscribe to the notion that human bodies contain more than physical structures and biochemical reactions; instead they contain an intricate network of subtle energy that needs to remain balanced or imbalances may lead to disease.
Reiki
Reiki, created by Mikao Usui in the early 1900s, translates as universal life energy and practitioners become conduits for its flow through them and into patients’ bodies through therapeutic touch therapy sessions, leading to relaxation and strengthening spiritual connections.
Practitioners believe that an invisible field of energy surrounds all living things, including people. Spiritual healers believe they can influence this field through spiritual healing techniques known as Qi (pronounced “chee”) in China, Prana in India and Ki in Japan — that this energy powers one’s heartbeat or brain waves; modern medical techniques cannot measure this energy but its use to induce deep relaxation or facilitate emotional and spiritual well-being has been supported by past research studies.
Reiki practitioners place or hover above a clothed patient and use symbols, mantras and prayers to channel energy throughout his or her body in 12 positions covering his or her head and seven major energy centers called chakras. Reiki practitioners recommend that one session can be helpful; however, more sessions may be needed to address deeper-rooted issues. Reiki is religiously neutral and should not be treated for any disease or condition; studies have also demonstrated its effect on decreasing pain levels as well as increasing feelings of spiritual connectedness.
Healing Touch
Healing touch practitioners utilize their hands to clear, balance and energize the human energy field. This practice complements conventional medical care while supporting its natural ability to heal the body. It relies on life energies being essential components for health.
Studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of this technique to decrease pain and anxiety, aid with sleep quality improvement, strengthen immunity systems and support cancer treatments. More research is still being done into its benefits and how best they work.
An invisible energy field known as our “biofield” may sound far-fetched. Yet studies show it to be less obscure than originally imagined: no-contact thermometers measure body temperature at a distance; EEG and EKG equipment records electrical signals; and bone cells treated through healing touch have similar growth patterns as those treated using medicine.
Energy healing may be difficult to comprehend and its underlying reasons remain obscure, yet patients consistently report significant reductions in stress and pain after failing to respond to traditional medical treatments – something Fogel believes warrants further examination. Energy healing falls under complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). If considering energy healing as part of your wellness routine, first speak with your healthcare provider who may recommend practitioners or suggest ways to incorporate energy healing treatments into existing treatments; they could also suggest other wellness practices to find one best suited to you.
Qigong
Qigong is an ancient Chinese medical system combining physical movement with breathing exercises and meditation, believed to help promote optimal health by free flowing chi (body’s vital energy). Practitioners believe when Qi flows freely throughout our system, health and wellbeing follow suit.
Meditative aspects of Qigong practice aim to strengthen and expand an individual’s ability to control his or her Qi, which enables people to channel it for healing purposes both themselves and others. Furthermore, practitioners learn to regulate energy flow along specific meridians to treat imbalances caused by injuries, emotional states, diet or any other factors.
Studies of energetic medicine practices suggest they can improve measures of autonomic nervous system function and subjective well-being; however, most of this research remains anecdotal in nature and not scientifically valid. Furthermore, many energy healing methods are classified as complementary and alternative medicine by mainstream physicians, meaning they do not receive sufficient support through scientific research.
Michael Shannon is an energetic medicine practitioner who specializes in helping patients to restore balance to their energy systems. He believes that everyone possesses innate healing capabilities, which if unleashed can heal themselves. Michael does not act as the healer himself but simply assists people in tapping into their own healing energy through massage, acupressure and item empowerment (charging precious metals or stones with energy). Those receiving energetic healing also learn meditation techniques as well as self-healing practices at home.
Biofeedback
Biofeedback is an energy medicine practice that empowers people to gain control over bodily processes such as their blood pressure and heart rate that were once thought of as automatic. A therapist uses sensors placed on your body during a session that measure brain activity or breathing rate and a monitor, teaching relaxation techniques to manage these processes through biofeedback therapy sessions. This method has proven particularly helpful when managing conditions that are highly affected by stress such as high blood pressure or urinary incontinence.
Energy Medicine differs from traditional medicine in that it acknowledges there are energetic patterns governing our cells, tissues, and organs which play an essential part in maintaining good health and wellness. Impaired energy patterns may be the source of much discomfort like pain, stress and illness – by altering them our healing process can be expedited and symptoms alleviated more effectively.
Energy Medicine employs techniques from time-honored traditions like acupuncture, yoga and tai chi to modern modalities like therapeutic touch and Reiki. Collectively known as energy healing or quantum vibrational energy healing practices, their purpose is to increase human energy flow while balancing body polarities for greater connection among mind, body, and spirit. However, there is limited research evidence supporting such practices – most positive results attributed to placebo effects, regression to the mean or the relaxing nature of clinical encounters.
