An Energy Healing Experience

As a nurse, certified holistic health coach and yoga teacher I believe that we have an innate ability to heal from within. I work with my clients towards rediscovering this empowerment.  I recently spent 10 weeks with my daughter undergoing an integrative cancer treatment program and in my earlier blog I wrote about the 25 Lessons Learned http://www.carpediemwellnessorg.blogspot.com/ I’d like to expand on lesson #10 “The Rest is Energy”  

Prior to this journey with my daughter and a retreat I recently participated in, I knew very little about vibrational or energy healing.  At this retreat I addressed the question, “Can art influence healing? “ 

Since then, I have been fascinated with the study of vibration and energy.  I’ve learned that walking creates vibration and that vibration moves nutrients to the bones and muscles for energy.  Every vertebra on the spine has a different tone or vibration when struck with a tuning fork.  Sound is the most primal vibration.  But, “What about Art?”  Do colors have their own vibration and their own effect on energy?  Can artwork truly be healing?  How does what we see, hear, think and feel affect the energy centers in our body?

Albert Einstein said, “Everything is Energy. The Field is the sole governing agent of the particle.”  Translated, energy controls everything including our bodily processes. More recently, folks like Richard Gerber MD, author of Vibrational Medicine and Deepak Chopra, MD are bringing quantum physics into holistic medical practices. Dr. Chopra states that the essential nature of the physical world is not material; everything is energy and information. 

Western Medicine has been using energy as a diagnostic tool for years; X-rays CAT Scans, Ultrasound, EEG, and EKG’s visually show us fields where both health and dis-ease reside.  Pacemakers and magnetic therapy for kidney stones are examples of using energy as modern medicine healing tools.  Subtle energetic systems in the body coordinate all electrophysiological and hormonal functions.  It is primarily from these subtle areas that health and illness originate.  

Ancient traditions have recognized the importance of these vibrational energies found in nature, in crystals, plants, music and herbs.  Contemporary healing modalities utilizing vibration include: homeopathic remedies, energy healing – reiki, quantum touch, healing touch, gem and crystal elixirs or stones, sound healing – chanting, singing or music, bio-electric or physio-acoustic (vibrational) devices, magnetic healing, psychic healing and chromo therapy or color therapy.  Acupuncture and acupressure work to restore the flow of energy by clearing blockages.

This is a worthy area of study considering that vibrations have a direct influence on the function of the cell and its organelles.  The simple act of walking sends vibrations to the brain and messages to the body to move calcium into the bones.  This is why weight-bearing exercises are so beneficial to the bones.

The use of vibrational therapy is a safe and empowering process.  It is safe because it supports the body’s innate wisdom of handling energy without the depleting chemicals or surgical tools used by conventional medicine.  It is empowering because it works with our body’s innate wisdom.  Children do not need to learn how to dance.  Music and rhythm is both innate and powerful.  It is primal, similar to our body’s ability to turn glucose into energy.  It happens without conscious thought.  In fact, our conscious thought can disrupt our natural rhythm as well as our digestion and other bodily functions. Our ego tells us we don’t know how to dance.  Our stress often goes directly to our muscles, sending messages to our conscious mind that we are in physical pain.  This is a clear example of how the symptoms of dis-ease are the body’s way of communicating to our conscious mind.

This is why yoga dance is such a powerful healing tool.  Sound and vibrations go directly to the tissues at a cellular level.  Thoughts and hormones are slower processes.  Vibrational energy works directly with the source, with gravity, with circadian rhythms.  It is a logical remedy for the deepening failure of mainstream medicine in handling chronic stress.  Vibrational medicine works directly “with the issues in the tissues” bypassing our analytical mind, the mental “gatekeeper”.   The vibrations go directly to our senses; nothing is lost in translation so it is less likely to be adulterated.  There is no “food for thoughts”.   It is the final step of all healing interventions.

Thoughts and emotions are powerful energy patterns.   This is why this poem on the essence of destiny is so powerful. “Watch your thoughts, for they become words.  Choose your words, for they become actions.  Understand your actions, for they become habits.  Study your habits, for they will become your character.  Develop your character, for it becomes your destiny.”

Love and particularly self-love is the most powerful of all.  To quote Albert Einstein again, “All is Love, we are one.  He experiences himself, his thoughts and experiences as something separated from the rest- a kind of optical illusion of consciousness.”  To quote the yoga sutras, “The cause of all human suffering is in not seeing things the way they truly are.”  When we live in our conscious ego mind we are not conscious of the infinite power to heal from within. It is only when we are in tune with nature and with our self that we can access the infinite power of the universe.  Self- love is the first to elapse in chronic disease and the first to be re-experienced in self-healing. 

How then, do we access this inner wisdom, this inner self love? 

We recently held a special retreat organized by Eli Ammerman, a musician and sound therapist that provided us with a taste of the healing power of sound, live foods, and vibrational energy.  http://carpediemwellness.org/events.  Retreats can provide ourselves the gift of time and permission to be “unplugged”, to commune with nature, to meditate and in this case to experience the power of vibrational healing through several modalities including sound, energetic living foods, movement and color.

I was privileged to provide a guided meditation and opportunity to test the healing power of art.  As I’ve said, this was new territory for me.  I’ve often heard that colors have vibrations that can have a positive and healing effect on us but have had very little exposure to color as a healing art.   I’ve enjoyed the occasional trip to art museums and witnessed the calm from the experience, but have had no formal study.  During our recent stay in Arizona, I was drawn to buy a book on Color Intuition; Master the Energy of Color. The author explains that intuition is separate from the logical or cognitive mind. Intuition is the vehicle that connects to the universal mind or collective consciousness. It is an insight that comes to you without any reasoning or analysis. If you have to think it into existence, then it is not intuition.  It is only through intuition that we can access the “energetic constructs that make up our atomic world.”   Laura Alden Kamm, the author goes on to say that, “When you are able to work with your energy in this way, fear, suspicion and anxiety step out of the way- and are replaced by clarity, peace, and a deeper knowing of what is forthcoming in your life-and a plan for navigating through such struggles manifests”.   This past year, I have been focused on accessing and re-learning to trust my intuition, which has been a powerful influence for me during my daughter’s cancer treatment.

In Arizona, I bought a copy of Spirituality & Health magazine and saw an article titled, “PAMELA TURCZYN: Art in Support of Energy Healing”, and so I contacted the artist about our retreat. Pamela has created an enchanting series of healing Mandala’s with guided meditations designed to support the embodiment of vibrations essential to wellbeing.  She uses a combination of sacred geometry found in nature and colors to provide beautiful art work which appears to “move” when the gaze is softly focused.   Pamela agreed to contribute her work to the retreat and together we created a survey to witness and document the effects on the group. 

The Mandala and meditation that we chose was titled Infinite Surrender: of Ego/of Fear; Infinite Trust: in God.  I thought this was appropriate for me personally, as well as for a group that was together for the first time.  Surrendering our need to control external forces, our ego and sense of self is the first step towards inner healing.

Most of the group had a regular meditation practice and the goal of the survey was to ascertain whether this art and accompanying meditation would be beneficial to use in healing centers.  We asked a total of 15 questions that included perceived and actual length of meditation and whether the experience differed from their normal meditation.  All responded that use of the mandala enhanced their meditative experience. There were positive responses to the image and the colors as well as a common observation of movement in the mandala.  The physical responses noted included having a sense of calm, softness and relaxation and a “softening of the heart. “  

One said that “it provided another avenue for meditation and I really enjoyed it.”  Another said, “Yes, it’s a beautiful and spiritual visual, very lovely”.  Others felt a steady outward radiation (similar to the flow of the mandala).

When asked if the mandala would provide a supportive atmosphere in your environment, even if you were not looking at it most of the time, one responded, “Yes, I also think it would help my father who has Alzheimer’s disease keep a sense of serenity”.

The survey also asked if the experience reduced pain or increased relaxation.  For those who felt discomfort prior to the meditation, all of them documented reduced pain and increased relaxation.

Last but not least, participants were asked if they experienced a sense of connection to their higher mind/self and or received any insights or messages during the experience.  Seven out of eight responded yes with comments such as, “Yes, acceptance, love, surrender…a letting go” and, “A rush of love and gratitude, thank you” and “I felt a sense of comforting parental support and nurturing; especially a Mother’s love. Like things are all OK”

The group consisted of three MD’s, three with PhD’s, two sound energy healers, an RN, a raw food chef and two health counselors.  All agreed that the art and mandala would benefit healing centers.

Finally, we had one more tool to measure our sense of surrender and the accompanying peace and calm, which was an aura chakra photo.  You can see my photo taken when we arrived at the retreat and then again on Sunday after our two days of positive vibrational energy.  You can see how my heart, throat and stomach chakras were “leaking energy in the before and how all the chakras are aligned and vibrant at the end.  The solar plexus chakra impacts our lymphatic and immune system; a healthy heart chakra can lead to peace, compassion and deep satisfaction in your life.  The throat chakra is the second most powerful tool we have; second to intuition.  I certainly felt healed through the experience and am learning to find my voice to help others.

A picture is worth a thousand words.

PS

We offered Pamela Turczyn’s art and meditation at a second, separate family retreat that was not attended by professionals in the healing arts practice and received the same feedback.  Although many of the participants were not meditators, 90% felt that it helped with their focus and all felt that the use of the artwork helped to produce an increased calm and sense of relaxation.

I’d like to thank Wes Rocki MD, PhD, CHt, MIM for his contribution to this article.