What Is Energy Work?
Life Force. Qi (Chi). Prana. Ki.
NOVEMBER 2024
Exploring Healing Modalities
Energy work is an umbrella term that encompasses a wide range of holistic healing practices aimed at balancing, aligning, and healing the body’s energy systems. These practices are collectively tapping into the body’s toroidal energy field, often referred to as our aura or energy body. Disruptions or blockages in this field can lead to physical, emotional, or mental imbalances and by tapping into the field of universal life force that connects us all, practitioners aim to restore harmony, coherence and balance, reinstating our innate state of well-being and wholeness.
In this musing, let’s explore some of the most widely practiced methods of energy healing: Reiki, tuning forks, sound therapy and somatic healing therapies. Each of these modalities offers their own perspective to healing and it’s about testing and finding modalities that really resonate and work for you as this path is a truly personal one There’s no straight-line approach or one modality that suits all. At times I even find something that doesn’t resonate with me at one point in time, I may circle back to and have a completely changed viewpoint on its validity in my system. Just go within and discern what you need at any given moment. This discernment and the openness to receive healing are truly the most important elements.
What is Energy Work?
At its core, energy work is about recognising that body, mind, and spirit are all interconnected. Every living being, from humans to animals to plants and all matter, emits an energy field that interacts with the environment around us. When we experience physical or emotional stress, trauma or illness, the energy within our body has become disrupted, stagnant or stuck. Energy work seeks to identify and release these blockages, helping the energy to flow freely which restore balance and vitality to the system.
While energy healing practices vary depending on the technique, I would say all are connecting or channelling the universal life force into the beings energy field to restore equilibrium back into the physical body. These practices often go beyond treating just the physical symptoms of illness and focus on healing the emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects of the individual.
Let’s take a closer look at four popular forms of energy healing: Reiki, tuning forks, sound therapy, and somatic healing therapies.
Reiki - healing with Universal Life Energy
Reiki is perhaps one of the most well-known energy healing modalities. The word Reiki comes from two Japanese words: Rei meaning spiritual, sacred and transcendental and Ki meaning universal life force energy. Ki being the same as Chi in Chinese, Prana in Sanskrit and Mana in Hawaiian. Reiki practitioners connect to this universal life force energy that flows through all things to harness healing and restore balance.
Reiki does not rely on physical manipulation of the body, rather it works on the body’s subtle energetic level, in their biofield. Sessions typically involve the practitioner placing their hands lightly on or above the client’s body in a series of hand positions. Through these hand placements, the practitioner channels energy to the client, facilitating the flow of healing energy throughout their body. The practitioner does not use their own energy but instead acts as a conduit for the universal life force energy to interact directly with the client.
Reiki has many benefits, including stress reduction, emotional healing and physical pain relief. It can be used to benefit a wide range of issues from physical pain, sleep disturbances, stress, anxiety, and emotional upset. Reiki is non-invasive, gentle and works with any other treatments or medicines you are taking. Sessions are typically deeply relaxing, and many people experience a sense of profound calm and peace during and after a session.
Tuning Forks - healing with Vibrational Frequencies
Tuning forks are a unique and powerful tool in energy healing. These metal instruments when struck, produce a sound frequency that restores balance to the body’s energy system. The body’s innate intelligence will begin to auto-tune to the resonant frequencies of the forks, subsequently clearing any areas in our biofield that are stuck on loop or stagnant, putting the system back into a state of flow. Weighted tuning forks can also be used directly on the body to send resonant tones deep into the physical body as a more direct application of the tool.
The science behind tuning fork therapy is rooted in sound healing. Just as sound can influence the physical world (such as a glass breaking when hit with a certain frequency), the body’s cells and energy systems also respond to sound frequencies. We are in fact made of energy and that energy has an electromagnetic toroidal field. The vibrational frequencies of the tuning forks trigger the body into clearing blocks in our biofield, liberating that energy back into its natural flow state.
Tuning forks can assist in clearing blocks that are linked to unresolved, subconscious or even ancestral issues and patterns. I find this modality very powerful for those actively working on releasing past emotions or events that no longer serve them with a desire to raise their energy, change perspective and call in new potential in their lives. It works and is definitely worth a try if traditional talk therapy isn’t working for you.
Sound Therapy: healing with Sound Vibrations
Sound therapy, also known as sound healing or sound medicine, is a broad category of energy work that uses sound waves to assist in balancing the energy body. Sound therapy or attending a sound bath utilises a range of instruments such gongs, crystal or Tibetan bowls, drums, chimes, tuning forks, shakers and rattles and the human voice through humming, chanting or singing (or screaming). We bump up against sound every second of every day, even when we are sleeping, and these vibrations influence our energy field which in turn impacts our physical body and state of mind, whether we realise it or not.
Sound therapists believe that each individual has a unique sound signature, and healing occurs when the body is exposed to the right frequencies. In a typical sound therapy session, the client may lie down while the practitioner plays various instruments or uses their voice. The vibrations from these sounds interact with the energy body and just like the tuning forks aid in clearing energetic blocks in the system promoting relaxation, reducing stress, healing, and mental clarity. Resonant sounds calm the nervous system and can induce a deep meditative state, which can be especially beneficial for those dealing with anxiety, depression, PTSD, emotional patterns, grief, and even digestive issues.
Sound therapy has been practiced for thousands of years across all cultures. Ancient civilizations including the Egyptians, Greek and Chinese, understood the power of sound in healing and used it ceremonially to sustain health and well-being. I believe sound therapy is the future of medicine with studies currently being conducted that match frequencies to illnesses and disease to break up or dissolve the disease so the individual can be treated without the use of drugs or invasive operations. Sounds crazy? It may not happen in my lifetime, but this research is currently underway.
Somatic Healing Therapies: healing through the Body
Somatic healing therapies focuses on the body’s physical sensations and its connection to the mind and emotions. Somatic comes from the Latin word ‘soma’, meaning body, and somatic healing involves using body awareness to inform and address emotional blockages. The key principle of somatic healing is that the body holds the memory of our entire past experience. Events that are traumatic or emotionally triggering can result in the body’s energy system becoming blocked or frozen, preventing the natural flow of energy. Through somatic healing, the therapist helps the client bring awareness to these sensations and guides them through the process of access, process, release and liberation. As the body releases trapped energy, harmony is regulated back into the system.
Somatic therapies, such as Somatic Experiencing (SE) and Trauma Release Exercises (TRE), involve guiding the client through various body-based techniques to help them process and release trapped energy. These practices can include movement, breathwork, touch and mindfulness exercises. By tuning into bodily sensations and allowing the body to release stuck energy, somatic healing can help individuals recover from trauma, reduce stress, and improve their overall state of being.
Somatic therapies are especially beneficial for individuals who have experienced trauma as they address the root causes of emotional and physical imbalances. By working directly with the body, somatic therapies help to release the energetic imprints of past traumas, allowing the individual to heal on a deep, somatic level.
Musing In Summary
Energy work offers a powerful and holistic approach to healing. Practices like Reiki, tuning forks, sound therapy, and somatic healing therapies provide different approaches for restoring balance to the body’s energy system, but they all are guided by the exact same principle. We are all connected, we all have an energetic body and distortions in our field result in imbalances in our physical, emotional and mental state of being. By working with energy, frequency, and vibration, you can bring transformation and healing to your life.
If you are interested in energy work, see what is guiding you and start there. Remember to discern what is right for you at the time and if you stay open, curious and humble you will discover a deeper sense of peace, balance, vitality and a profound awareness of what connects us all.
Every person holds the key to their own healing. It starts within.
Links
CymaScope is a scientific instrument that makes the once invisible world of sound visible. Since everything in the Universe is vibrating, we can learn more about the Universe and ourselves through the emergent science of visible sound known as cymatics. CymaScope - YouTube
The music of Anders Holte & Cacina Meadu, made visible by CymaScope instrument.