Energy healers can help you resolve mental, emotional, and spiritual imbalances that may be at the root of physical ailments. It’s important for people to realize that energy is what animates us and connects us to everything on this planet. However, many people still have a skeptical mind and don’t believe Qigong healing, shamanic healing, reiki, and even classical acupuncture & yoga practices can heal acute illnesses and chronic disease. In this blog post & video, we’ll talk more about why and how you can open your mind to receive energy medicine for deeper healing. And we’ll cover the 4 main limiting beliefs that may be keeping your mind closed off from accepting these powerful healing energy therapies, and how to move past them.
I came across a thread in an Acupuncture Community forum a few weeks ago that inspired this week’s blog post. The author was complaining that Massage Therapists who practice Reiki are making their profession seem “like a joke”. The author asked that we Acupuncturists stop talking about or doing energy work. He said we seem less professional when we include energy-work.
Eeek.
This was confronting & confusing, because the practice of Acupuncture is based on vital energy!
Instead of arguing with the author, I chose to write this article instead to help educate everyone about energy-based medicine. Energetic modalities can help people in ways that physical-based biomedicine cannot. And it’s important you know enough about energy work to avoid making sweeping judgements against it, since it can really help you one day!
How Does Energy Medicine Work?
Energy is the basis of Eastern Medicine. Vital energy is called “Qi” (pronounced “chee”) in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). With Yoga, it’s “Prana”, which is linked with the breath. In Reiki, it’s called “Ki”. In Star Wars they refer to it as “The Force”!
All of these modalities have Shamanic roots that address healing on physical, emotional, mental, energetic, and spiritual levels. The energy is one in the same. It’s what animates us and everything around us. Practitioners harness the energy differently, depending on the modality.
Energy Medicine Modalities
Yoga Energy Healing
Mobilizing Prana with the breath is central to a Hatha Yoga practice. With Pranayama , Prana and breath are controlled directly. It’s a more advanced practice. Pranayama extends one’s life as you slow down the breath and expand the capacity for Prana within ourselves.
TCM, Qigong & Reiki Energy Healing
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), we balance Qi with tangible methodologies like acupuncture, herbs, massage, and/or nutrition. But Qigong can be used as well, which is an invisible art. Practitioners are able to build up their own Qi with a personal practice. They can also channel energy from the Earth and Heavens and project to a patient to adjust their Qi too. Reiki is very similar to Qigong, with origins in Japan.
Shamanic Roots Of Energy Work
Shamanism is the first healing practice in existence, > 30,000 years old! Though Shamanism is performed in numerous cultures, each with their own unique rituals, journey-work is present in all of them. Journeys are done to gain information about one’s health & life path. They’re also the place where we practitioners do deep healing in the world and with people’s souls. Shamanic practices seem very different from the modalities mentioned above. However, the common aspect is that we can also extract unhelpful energy while infusing healing light for people and communities in need.
There are many more energy modalities, but these are the ones I practice and teach. I’m relying on them more and more to really get to the root of issues. Energetic disturbances are linked with physical, emotional, or spiritual trauma – or unhelpful habitual patterns.
What Beliefs Make People Skeptical Of Energy Medicine And How Does One Overcome Them?
Here in the West, there is a great deal of skepticism when it comes to alternative medicine. But this is especially true when it comes to energy healing. Just like the person I mentioned at the beginning of the article here, many people don’t take energy seriously. Or they may claim it doesn’t exist. This is really too bad, since I believe energy medicine is the only way to resolve many of the issues we’re dealing with today. And this is why I believe it’s the medicine of the future.
You’ll appreciate reading on if you’re intrigued about energy medicine, but need to know more before trying it. If you find yourself holding one of these beliefs, try the suggestions I make to move beyond them. I did it and you can too!
These are the common reasons why people don’t understand and appreciate energy medicine…
1. If They Don’t See Energy, They Don’t Believe In It
Energy is hard for people to conceptualize because it’s not tangible. Some of us have trained eyes that can see where there’s energy in one’s body and where there is not. But the majority of people can’t see bodies this way.
So it’s perfectly natural for people to be skeptical of this invisible substance if they can’t tell if it’s working. They don’t want to be taken advantage of.
But there is a way to know that it’s happening. When you become more sensitive, you can feel energy moving through the body. And when you stick to regular treatments, you’ll also see that your symptoms lesson or get completely better.
If you have this belief too, you may want to do self-cultivation practices and work on self-healing before working with a practitioner who projects energy to you. You can do Qigong exercises, Tai chi, or practicing yoga while mindful of feeling energy moving through the body. If you don’t have someone local in your area to practice with, consider my Yoga & Self Healing Practices course. I teach about Qigong and Yogic energy practices in depth for healing on every level.
A lot of this sensitivity work uses your imagination to move energy and as you open up the mind, you open up the whole body to feel. I have a very simple exercise you can try in this video to develop greater sensitivity.
2. They Don’t Believe Energy Medicine Is Powerful Enough (Too Gentle)
Sometimes people believe in energy medicine, but they don’t think Qigong & Reiki are as powerful as more tangible forms, like acupuncture & massage. I used to believe this too!
When I first started doing massage in 2000, I did exchanges with a friend who would give me Reiki. I didn’t think it was an equal trade. While the Reiki was relaxing, it wasn’t as sensually pleasing as massage.
One time when I was receiving a Reiki session, I felt a tickling sensation down at the base of my tailbone. But when I opened my eyes, my friend wasn’t even in the room! I asked her about this when she came back in. She said she kept working on me as she tended to her dog who was needing attention.
I left shortly after since I felt my intestines moving and completely evacuated my bowels when I got home.
Obviously, it had a very powerful affect on my physical body! I realized in that moment that my friend was truly a Master. And I’ve never doubted the power of energy medicine since.
3. Thinking Only In-Person Energy Medicine Will Work
Another misconception is that only in-person energy sessions will work, just like other in-person modalities. So people dismiss distance energy work since they can’t imagine how it’s possible. However, there are no solid boundaries with energy. It can regulated with intention alone, like I mentioned when my friend was doing it on me from the next room.
Again, it may be helpful to work on your own personal sensitivity to Qi through self-cultivation practices first. Or, you can experience group healings first which are usually less expensive, or sometimes free. It doesn’t matter how you get there! Just to find a way to open up your mind to greater possibilities and become more trusting. Then you can experience powerful distance healing from whichever practitioner you want around the world!
4. They Believe Energy Medicine Is “Magic” And “Evil”
Fear is the biggest reason people reject energy medicine. They’re afraid of it’s formless nature. Or they’re scared because it’s phenomenal and powerful like magic. They’re afraid it can harm them.
These beliefs usually stem from negative programming, usually with religion. And therefore there’s nothing I can say that will help you accept it more.
I will mention – my life has only improved since I’ve been receiving and giving energy medicine to others.
Perhaps one day you’ll change your mind! Just make sure that you find a practitioner who you feel completely safe with. That’s all you need – a loving practitioner and an open, receptive mind, body, and spirit. Energy healing can only help move you toward balance, so it’s worth a try.
I hope this has been great food for thought! I’m curious to know if you’ve had energy work before, and how it worked for you. Please leave a comment below! And if you’re wanting my personal help with energy work, check out my offerings and reach out to me. Well wishes!
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