Energy Therapy – Ethics, Efficacy and Side Effects

Ethics, Efficacy and Side Effects

Blog post 17th March 2018


Energy Therapy comes in many forms, using various techniques and formalised as different modalities under which people can become accredited.  The use of energy is both ancient and modern, scientific and spiritual, formal and informal.  Life is based on opposites, light and dark, good and bad.  Personally, I believe we focus too much on the duality of life, when we really need to appreciate the unity.  Two halves make the whole.  Energy therapy to me is the perfect unity of science and spirit.

I will speak here of my own experience and use of energy rather than try to summarise the entire scope of energy therapy.  This is a blog, not a hall of records.  As Energy Therapy grows in popularity I believe it is a pertinent time for people to be made aware of the power and intricacies of consciously dealing with energy as it is a therapy not to be taken lightly.  We should never blindly follow others advice or take any medicine offered to you without some thought of consequences.  Often when people turn to alternate medicine like Energy Therapies, they are coming in desperation.  This can make people vulnerable and less responsible in their haste.  Energy Therapy should not be seen as a quick fix or used as a magic trick.  It must be respected and utilised responsibly for it to be effective and safe for both the practitioner and the client.

Ethics

Please research or get to know your Energy Therapist personally before you give them permission to work with you.  We will come with all sorts of labels (healers, therapist, practitioners, facilitators) born knowing of our abilities or schooled in them later in life.  We will work hands on, remotely or both.  Energy therapy can involve concepts that many people do not think of or encompass in their everyday life so ask questions to ensure you are comfortable with what is going on. 

Energy Therapy is so effective because it deals with the person holistically by which I mean body, mind and spirit.  I can explain my work from a scientific, psychological or spiritual aspect or all three, depending on your core belief system.  I ask my clients questions before I start working with them to ensure I am aware of anything that needs to be considered.  I also talk to my clients before I start about how I will work on them, what feelings to expect and agree on a way they can feel safe to tell me through the process if they feel comfortable with what I am doing and that we can stop at any time.

Energy Therapists can be informal or formal in their operations.  Some work from home with no formal qualifications using the amazing scope of the internet to connect with people.  Others have therapy rooms and qualifications, many use both.  Some charge for their services and some do not.  Just because someone charges, does not mean they are not coming from a good place.  We have bills too but most will not turn away someone in need because they cannot afford it.  Personally, I do both.  I do free healings at home when I have no overheads or when I know the person is in need and cannot afford the fee I charge.  I do prefer to work in person and I have separate commercial therapy rooms to operate from for my own safety.  For this I have overheads, such as rent, training, qualifications, insurance, association membership etc. etc.

Efficacy

Everyone responds to Energy Therapy differently, as we do with traditional medicine.  Of course, there is an expectation that most of what we do works and can be repeated, or it would not be effective enough for people to trust it as a therapy.  There are always many factors to take into account when setting your expectations as to the efficacy of any therapy.  Many Energy Therapist use a few different modalities or techniques to ensure they can help you on all levels of body, mind and spirit.

I will explain briefly (without going into detail, just ask me and I will try to explain at another time though) two types of energy therapy I utilise for healing as an example.  I may use them singularly but mostly in tandem depending on what is most effective for the client at the time.

To deal with an issue purely physical I will use a technique based on quantum science, backed by spirit to work directly with the body’s cells or the entire energy field so they repair themselves.  This can help with pain, swelling, skin repair, nerve issues, immediate injuries, and physical consequences of deeper issues explained next.  This is not always effective if the physical problem is mainly caused by something other than a physical issue. If I can compare it to a rubber band.  You can pull it, stretch it and attach it to a hook, but it always wants to spring back.  If the hook gets bumped or dislodged your back to where you started.  Sometimes a little worn for the experience.

The main technique I use is based on a modality called Kinesiology or Kinergetics.  It uses muscle testing to access the subconscious to ascertain exactly where the energetic imbalance is causing the problem to be dealt with.  This healing is most powerful when it includes emotions which can cause dense energy that stops the natural flow resulting in physical symptoms.  For example, if you suffered a trauma involving fear when you were 10 this opens a file in your system.  Every time you experience something similar that file gets fuller, eventually it will overflow and need to be sorted out.  Metaphysics has found that emotions are stored in various parts of the body and once you capture the priority emotion you can then find where to clear the energetic imbalance, which could be in an organ, muscle, gland, chakra, aura, meridian or even a belief system.  Energy is then channelled to help the imbalance allowing the bodies natural flow to resume and the body then heals itself.

Our wellness journey, whether it be with traditional medicine or alternate therapies must include some self-responsibility and ownership.  I am not saying that all health problems are someone’s fault, there is no such thing as fault, only facts and truths and sometimes these can be as hard to swallow as a fist full of pills and doctors’ bills.  I mean no judgement here and use the following purely as some exaggerated examples……You cannot continue to go to the doctor, taking diabetes medication, munching on chocolate washed down by soft drink, watching TV all day and miraculously expect to get better.  Nor can you go to a psychologist to fix your stress levels caused by working two jobs, caring for your in-laws, living in an unhappy marriage after growing up in an abusive household without looking at some hard truths and making some changes to your mindset and lifestyle.

Side Effects

Energy Therapy is extremely effective and can often assist with issues that have modern medicine and mental health practitioners stumped.  The power in it is that it is dealing with the holistic human, not just looking at biological and chemical reactions but what underlies all that…. energy.  We are energetic beings and it doesn’t matter where you believe it starts, an electrical spark, universal energy, spirit, God, science.  It has been the unexplainable since the beginning of time, but the more science develops the more it has the technology to explain this mysterious world. 

The power in Energy Therapy is hard to believe until you experience it. Knowledge is important, so you know what to expect as it is so different to what we know.  Some people are more responsive to it than others, the more you work with it the more sensitive you become.  When you allow someone to work with your energy it is on such a deep level it can stir up and result in physical, mental and emotional reactions. 

Physically, when sending and receiving energy the practitioner and the client can feel heat, cold, tingling, pain, flutters, drawing sensations, rocking, swaying, twitching, jerking, shaking, gas, sleep or nothing!  It may be spectacular or weird or just beautifully relaxing.  You may feel these sensations in areas of the body that are being worked on and this should be forewarned before it happens.  Communication between practitioner and client throughout the process is key to the success and comfort of the experience.

Mentally, when you allow someone into your energy field you should ultimately have a clearer mind to access your subconscious and your higher self or spirit.  In some cases, there can be an occurrence I would refer to as the universal consciousness experience.  A skilled and responsible practitioner ensures that they do not process or acknowledge thoughts from their client or messages from spirit unless that is part of their service to you.  If that is the case, it should have been explained to you in the beginning that the practitioner may be clairvoyant or helping to release suppressed memories or the like.

Emotionally you may experience a release in the form of crying, laughing, fear, peace depending on what you are working on.  It could be intense or mild, but your practitioner should be skilled in counselling you through this as quickly, compassionately and comfortably as possible.  Effective Energy Therapy is only possible when the practitioner comes from a place of highest good, integrity, compassion and unconditional love.  You may take on these feelings and innocently get confused as to where these emotions come from or what to do with them.  This should be cleared from you before your session is over, so your emotions are purely yours to walk away with.
As you can see, the practitioner has great responsibility to ensure you leave them safe with your own physical, mental and emotional space intact.  They should have a procedure to clear themselves completely from their client for both parties’ sake.  The practitioner can become unwell if they hold onto their client’s energetic field or do not act purely as a channel for the energy exchange.  The client is in a very vulnerable state and must be protected from leaving with any residual or ungrounded energy from the procedure.

There may be other side effects such as feeling tired, thirsty, light headed, toxin release through normal elimination systems (increased or strong urination, slight diarrhoea) and possibly some symptoms can get worse before they get better.  If emotions have been stirred up it is recommended that you have someone to talk to when you get home.  Your practitioner should give you some self-care instructions if they expect anything to arise and again and open line of communication is important.  You should feel comfortable to contact them to discuss anything you are concerned about.  Energy shifts and changes with your environment so you may need one or quite a few sessions for your issues to be completely balanced.

In summary, Energy Therapy is extremely effective and powerful and like anything we do must be taken on rationally and responsibly.  It can be the miracle cure many hope it to be but not always.  There will always be accidents and illnesses and I am not sure we are in control of everything or there is a universal plan, karma or any of these sorts of ideas.  I do believe strongly in mind over matter, positive. compassionate and constructive thought.  We must remember our everyday health and happiness is most often in our own hands.  Decide every moment to be the best person you can be and forgive yourself when you are not.  Compassion for ourselves and others can sometimes be the best medicine.

Disclaimer – what you read here is not meant to promote, judge or offend anyone but myself.  I write to share my experiences, in the hope of encouraging people to think outside the box or even to throw the whole box away!  I use humour as therapy so please keep my warped sense of humour in mind as you read and take my opinions as mine alone.  I hope you take away something positive and thought provoking from my writing.  Please feel free to contact me through Facebook (Mind Your Matter Healing) or my website (www.mindyourmatterhealing.com)  to discuss any topic further.

In no way do I profess to give medical advice and if you are feeling triggered with mental health issues please seek professional assistance.  I work holistically alongside doctors and mental health practitioners, never advocating to replace them.

Movement, Music and Meditation

Vibrations and Increasing Your Frequency

If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration – Nikola Tesla


Saturday morning in many Australian suburban backyards produces the dulcet sound of duelling lawnmowers.  Mine is no exception.  We are blessed to have a half acre block, so this means 2 to 3 hours of pushing a petrol mower, depending on how much rain we have had.

As a mother of 3 young children I don’t get much peace and quiet, so I jump at the chance to mow our lawn.  I love it as it means having my head to myself so I can finish a thought without interruption, some good cardio exercise increasing my frequency and meditation as I listen to whatever music I want and observe my flow of thoughts.

People think that meditation means sitting in an uncomfortable position trying your hardest not to think of anything, quite the monkey mind they say.  Sit up straight and don’t let your physical body distract you they say, you will obtain enlightenment they say.  A bit bloody boring I say.  I must admit in the mornings I do meditate this way to increase my energy vibration for healing but only because it is too early to mow lawns!

This Saturday was no exception.  I donned my headphones, set my music player to random, fuelled up the mower and went for it.  Striding it out, keeping the beat to the varied tunes on my playlist, my breath steadied, and those thoughts flowed uninterrupted.  The movement of my body generating more energy, fuelled by the emotion encouraged by the music in my ears.

I was blessed to get the chance to study and practice meditation with an amazing Tibetan Buddhist monk whose preferred technique involved allowing thoughts to flow observed but without judgement, be aware of your body and breath, process the emotions and you will have enlightenment, even if only for a moment.  The moment of realisation that once you release the emotions there is no need to let them keep you trapped in the drama of the past.  Only now is important.

This Saturdays moment of enlightenment for me was, your current favourite song tells a story of where you are in your life right now.  What sort of song it is can represent if you are in harmony or disharmony.  Your favourite songs throughout your life tells a story of what has helped make you who you are now.  Tell me your favourite songs from your past and I will understand you on a deeper level, what has helped shaped you.  This is not to say that you cannot change your tune tomorrow!

From an energy healing perspective - sound is a form of energy produced and transmitted by vibrating matter, backward and forward in the direction in which the wave is travelling.  This movement is called a vibration.  Different music can increase or decrease our vibrations which sets our frequency otherwise can be known of as our emotional state.  Lower vibrations set a denser frequency which is the domain of negative emotions.  Higher vibrations set a lighter frequency, aligning with positive emotions.  When sad we feel heavy, tired and drained.  When happy we feel lighter and energised.

In moments of tragedy people throw questions to the heavens like, what did I do to deserve this or if God is good, why would He allow such suffering!  ? I don’t often hear people say the same when experiencing moments of extreme joy or gratitude. We need our ups and downs to live an incredible life. If we know not the extreme lows in life how can we fully appreciate the extreme highs available to us in this world.

 As a musician I like to compare life to a piece of music. Imagine a song with only one octave of notes, 7 notes, with 5 sharps or flats, perhaps only played with one or two instruments.  This would be a simple song, pleasant to the ears but not very exciting.  Now compare that to the experience of listening to a piece of music, composed with notes from a range of 6 octaves, played by all the varied instruments in a full orchestra or band.  A much more satisfying, moving and complex musical experience.

As I carved out the satisfyingly neat lines of manicured grass this Saturday, I reminisced through my life of musical tastes and the people that I had been influenced by which shaped who am I today.  This was a journey of laughter, contemplation, love, tears, melancholy and exuberance all whilst mowing my lawn.  The neighbours now have proof I’m a nutter, but it is none of my business what music other people listen to in their own heads!

Movement creates energy

Music is the experience of energy

Meditation enhances energy

Thanks to all people in my life for giving me such an amazing playlist of memories and emotions, blessing me with an exhilarating roller coaster of a life, full of ups and downs and twists and turns.  Thanks to my husband who keeps my soundtrack in harmony as best he can, supporting me through the entire range of octaves I can find in life.  Thanks lastly to my children, my roadies and biggest fans who drive me to this escape of the Saturday lawn mow allowing these moments of enlightenment!

Disclaimer – what you read here is not meant to promote, judge or offend anyone but myself.  I write to share my experiences, in the hope of encouraging people to think outside the box or even to throw the whole box away!  I use humour as therapy so please keep my warped sense of humour in mind as you read and take my opinions as mine alone.  I hope you take away something positive and thought provoking from my writing.  Please feel free to contact me through Facebook (Mind Your Matter Healing) or my website (www.mindyourmatterhealing.com)  to discuss any topic further.

In no way do I profess to give medical advice and if you are feeling triggered with mental health issues please seek professional assistance.  I work holistically alongside doctors and mental health practitioners, never advocating to replace them.

Energy Healing - Coming Out Of The Closet!

Dear family, friends and anyone else who stumbles across this post,

The time is now!  I’m coming out of the closet! Well actually I have been out for a while, so long that my loved ones are probably wanting to push me back in for a break!  I thought it was time to explain my world of energy healing to anyone who is curious.  I spend time helping people with pain, depression, trauma and anything else people want to bring to the table or my attention.  Energy healing is an amazing wellness practice that can teach you how to heal yourself and others.

We are in a pain, disease and depression crises as a society. 

“More than 11 million Australians (50%) in 2014-2015 reported having at least 1 of 8 of the main chronic diseases, these being arthritis, asthma, back pain, cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes and mental health conditions.  Among those Australians seeking treatment for drug and alcohol problems in 2014-2015, opioids were a drug of concern in about 1 in 10 (10%) treatment episodes.”  (Reference 1.)

“More Australians are dying from accidental opioid overdoses each year, with prescription painkillers rather than heroin now accounting for two-thirds of the fatalities, latest Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows.  An analysis of finalised ABS data by researchers at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre found 68 per cent of the 668 overdose deaths in 2013 were related to pharmaceutical opioids.”  (Reference 2.)

“On the entire planet, only one country, Iceland, has a higher rate of use of antidepressants. Since 2000, this rate has more than doubled, and nearly one in 10 Australians are taking them. They are even being prescribed to more than 1000 children aged between two and six.”  (Reference 3.)

We trust and rely on pharmaceuticals to help us.  We use other therapies to compliment medications such as physiotherapy, chiropractors, psychiatrists, psychologists etc.  They all have their place, but I would love people to seriously consider that there are even more alternatives that are legitimate ways to heal yourself, empowering us to take responsibility for our thoughts and actions every day and to understand the holistic nature of every living thing.

People are beginning to sense that there is more to their health than physiology and chemistry.  There is something underlying this, and it is energy.  Emotions effect our energy and can affect our body.  It is not a coincidence that we feel worry in our stomach, stress in our heart and brain, anger in our liver, grief in our lungs and fear in our kidneys. 

Energy healing is not a placebo, nor is it the domain of spells, hippies and voodoo.  It is unknown to many, and people are understandably full of disbelief, cynicism and speculation.  Energy work is seen as part of the new age movement which is subject to much criticism.  With no basis in this material reality we live in, belief in things that are not tangible is often thought of for the unstable and not to be taken seriously. We are used to the reassurance of scientific proof before we have faith that something is valid. 

Modern medicine was also once in the position where it had to be proven, researched and eventually trusted by the masses.  There is momentum growing in the shift from the theory of relativity to quantum physics.  I was proud to see the Australian of the Year for 2017 was Professor Michelle Simmons, a professor in Quantum Physics and The Senior Australian of the Year was Dr Graham Farquhar AO, an amazing Biophysicist who is helping reshape our understanding of photosynthesis, the very basis of life on Earth.

Those that know and love me have always thought of me as the dreamer, the hippy, and maybe just an all-round freak (me too sometimes!).  Just for the record I have also been a corporate professional, grounded wife and mother.  Most of the time, I don’t mind what others think of my beliefs as that is their deal and this is mine.  But there comes a time when you do care and want to be taken seriously by your support network.  Anyone who is public about their spirituality and any other strong belief for that matter, has no doubt felt the same vulnerability as everyone has an opinion of their own.  There is some truth in all opinions as if it is true to you, that is your truth and we all have an inherent right to this.  Respect and acceptance of each other is the gift we give others to allow our diverse societies to function.

Through life experiences we build our truths.  For me the journey to energy healing has been a tumultuous and gradual one starting 30 years ago.  Always having an interest in alternatives and training in subjects such as crystals, sound and light therapy, Neurolinguistics Programming (NLP is a mild form of hypnotism) meditation, Qigong and Reiki, weird stuff is pretty normal for me. 

The first time I really saw hands on healing and healing with emotions (both a part of energy healing) in action was 13 years ago when my father was in a nursing home slowly becoming a quadriplegic and wishing himself away.  A woman, who became a very close confident of his, worked with a modality called Touch for Health and Reiki.  She helped relieve his discomfort and emotionally supported him with hands and heart in a way we, as his family could not.  I was fortunate enough to be able to spend a lot of time with him as he came to terms with his impending passing.  When he was distressed we would spend hours together talking of his past, philosophising about his life choices and lovingly processing his ignored emotions by feeling them with deep compassion and releasing them.

Over the next 8 years I quietly explored concepts of energy healing such as Reiki and Qigong, amazed at the idea that you could not only help people hands on but remotely too.  When my mother began to get very ill 6 years ago, I again was blessed to be able to spend a lot of time with her as a carer and supporter.  I tried hands on healing with all my heart and managed to help her with her pain levels.  We also spent the time reminiscing and processing her life’s emotions and lamenting her hopes and dreams for a future being cut short by illness and pain.   I would call her if I wasn’t seeing her that day just to let her know I was thinking of her, which brought her great peace knowing someone was thinking of her now, not her past or lack of future, but right now for who she was.

When I sat in quiet moments of grief after her passing there was plenty of self-pity, feelings of abandonment and fear.  There is great security in having your parents still alive due to the unconditional love a good relationship with parents can wrap around you.  When both my parents passed, there was a realisation for me that there was no one left that knows, loves and accepted me just for being me.  My brothers, sisters and I were the top of the family tree now with the responsibility of knowing the stories of the past generations and imparting the wisdom gained to our children and grandchildren.  With this realisation slowly came great power pushing me across the finish line of the journey to the amazing world of energy healing.

A series of undeniable coincidences led me to move back to where I grew up, finding the most amazing teachers in Kinesiology/Kinergetics and many other mentors in the energy healing circuit.  This might seem like a long wandering story and a far stretch but energy healing to me incorporates all these experiences as I learnt:

  • Loving touch or heartfelt presence is important in healing, as being in someone’s energy field, there is a quantum communication that can lead to compassion for another’s experience;

  • Emotions being recognised and processed with the intention to understand and clear them, brings great comfort mentally and physically

  • Taking responsibility for our thoughts and actions, keeping our intentions in check and loving and accepting ourselves is the best way to keep our physical, mental and spiritual selves healthy.

My business name is Mind Over Matter Healing because there is astounding power in our thoughts.  This is being proven all over the world as people experiment with this concept.  One of the most common is often used in high schools using plant growth depending on whether positive or negative words are said to it.  There is also an Internationally renowned author and researcher Masaru Emoto who has written the books "Message From Water" and "The Hidden Messages In Water".  These books are the result of over 10 years of research at the International Health Medical Research Institute in Tokyo, Japan, photographing ice crystals from water that had been subjected to various words, music, images and thoughts.   Considering our bodies are approximately 70 percent water, you can imagine the far reaching consequences of this research.  Emotion is energy in motion.  Watch something flourish when raised with love and struggle when raised in fear.  Sounds too simple!

Obviously, energy healing is not the be all and end all.  There are many things that it cannot fix, and the healing needs to be accepted by the person receiving the energy work for there to be long lasting effects.  We work hand in hand with modern medicine by supporting the holistic being and its subtle energy systems.  There are many facets to energy healing and many ways to do it.  I have been blessed to experience and learn about some real miracles and I am not alone.  People are starting to notice the benefits.  I know doctors that are amazed at their patients improved health after working with me and others.

Energy Healing is here and people will be hearing about it more and more.  There is an energy healer soon to grace our television screens in Australia (March 5th on Foxtel).  Charlie Goldsmith is an Australian healer who now has a 6-series television show called “The Healer”.  He was let loose in some American hospitals and absolutely amazed the medical professionals.

In summary, the more science develops it is confirming that energy healing works and how it works.  The shroud of mystery is being removed slowly which is getting more and more people every day to take the leap of faith and try energy healing as part of their wellness journey.

I hope all who take the time to read this throw doubt to the wind and find someone to work with in the amazing world of energy healing.

References:

  1. Australia's Health 2016, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 15th biennial report on the Health of Australians

  2. Sydney Morning Herald, 24 July 2017

  3. Sydney Morning Herald, 2 February 2018


Disclaimer – what you read here is not meant to promote, judge or offend anyone but myself.  I write to share my experiences, in the hope of encouraging people to think outside the box or even to throw the whole box away!  I use humour as therapy so please keep my warped sense of humour in mind as you read and take my opinions as mine alone.  I hope you take away something positive and thought provoking from my writing.  Please feel free to contact me through Facebook (Mind Your Matter Healing) or my website (www.mindyourmatterhealing.com)  to discuss any topic further.

In no way do I profess to give medical advice and if you are feeling triggered with mental health issues please seek professional assistance.  I work holistically alongside doctors and mental health practitioners, never advocating to replace them.