Energy workers

Comment

Comment by Marilyn St.John on September 15, 2009 at 7:54pm

Gerry, I think your response to Nancy was beautifully put. I'm trained in Reiki and also Healing Touch...and it's the Reiki I always use; the Source energy flowing through me is more amplified so the guidance is, too. Maybe that's just me...I have worked with it for about twelve years now. In the massage setting I don't "use" it at all unless someone specifically asks about it. The community I work with is very conservative in the religious sense, and when explaining it, I keep it very simple: In an effort to keep the "woo-woo mystery" factor out of it, I have found it effective to use the analogy of jumper cables because sometimes, the physiological/emotional/spiritual "system" just needs a "boost" that will help facilitate healing. It's more power than I, alone, can muster. This seems to not only satisfy the curiosity for this particular population, it also interests a few enough to seek me out for a session separate from their regular massage. Since any energy work is spiritual in its very nature, being able to offer it and answer questions about it has led to many interesting and soulful discussions. I have been inspired watching a few very dogmatic thinkers open themselves up to different ways of looking at themselves. I hope this approach is helpful to somebody else in this community!
~ Deepest Joy~

Comment by Nancy Toner Weinberger on September 14, 2009 at 7:30am

First let me say Thank You, Gerry, for your comment. Re-reading my own comment, I sound like a bit of an energy work snob- “my energy work is better than your energy work.” And that doesn’t reflect how I actually feel. I have had absolutely fantastic energy work sessions from persons trained in Reiki. In fact the woman I most often went to for energy work was trained in Reiki. (She has since moved away.) Yes, I have had some gripes with the “cultish” nature of the teaching. But I truly acknowledge Reiki for creating so many energy workers! And contributing to the healing that is needed everywhere.

Comment by Gerry Bunnell on September 14, 2009 at 6:01am

Nancy, I can understand your feelings towards Reiki. On the surface it can seem a bit "cultish". One of the issues is how easy Reiki can be. It is quickly passed on to students in courses that can take just one day to obtain a level. There is no organization governing the standards of Reiki. Once one is attuned to Master level, they go on their way to teach whoever they want however they want. Reiki is quick. Reiki is easy. Reiki is also powerfully effective when used in the right way.

Westernize Reiki was brought from Japan by Ms. Takata to Hawaii during the WWII era. Sensing that Americans would reject something of Japanese origin, she "Christianized" the legend of how Reiki began. It is now known that Takata did not have with her the full form of Reiki, nor is Reiki of religious origins.

However well intended Takata was, I feel this altering of Reiki's origins will affect the credibility of Reiki from here on out. The fact that there is no standardization will also affect Reiki, for it is evolving into other forms and lineages that become unrecognizable from the original form like the story that is whispered from one person to another changes by the time it gets back to the one who started it.

I agree with you, the physical is merely a manifestation of energy and you can not usurp energy from the physical. So there will always be a degree of energy work when there is body work. Reiki is a system of tools to initiate energy work in a safe form. The performing of Reiki can be separated from body work.

I encourage you to take another look at Reiki and hopefully see it for the beautiful, simplistic system that it is. There are zealots and fanatics in all systems and organizations that can cause mayhem and taint what otherwise is a beautiful thing.

I would be happy to discuss this more, but I do not want to belabor the point here when it may not be a topic of interest to all who read these comments.

Peace and Light

Comment by Nancy Toner Weinberger on September 7, 2009 at 11:13am

Shoshana- I don't understasnd your comment? Have I offended you, or said something judgemental about you? Please explain your bad feelings. I wish only to express loving, helpful, honest, thoughtful-

Comment by Nancy Toner Weinberger on September 7, 2009 at 8:35am

For most therapists, I have found, when you first become a massage therapist and/or a bodyworker, you are focused on the physical. But to become really good at your craft you learn to feel more deeply and to feel more deeply you have to let go of the physical and move into the realm of the intuitive. Once that shift occurs, the client's energy body is experienced. In the therapist's body, the energy body is experienced because to be intuitive requires a sense of relaxation, of letting go, of flow, while working. Remember, the physical reflects the energetic, so it is just a matter of sinking deeper into the healing process.

At this point, the ethical dilemma is whether consent to do energy work has been obtained from the client. Has consent been given when the client agrees to massage or bodywork? If the physical reflects the energetic, then how can we, as therapists, be expected to separate energy work from hands-on work? If we do, we shut off a part of ourselves that could be available for helping the client become healthier. If we don't we are on the edge of infringing on the client's rights.

One solution is to educate our clients about how we work and what we do. To take the "voo doo" out of energy work. This is one gripe I have always had with Reiki- initiation, special secret symbols, paying big bucks to be "ordained" as a Master- it reeks of religion parading as a healing art. On the one hand, Reiki has given energy work a bad name. On the other hand, Reiki has made energy work boom! For those that don’t want to get involved with Reiki, there are many non-religious schools of energy work, such as Therapeutic Touch, Dynamic Energy Balancing, Barbara Brenan, and more.

Another solution is to include energy work on your intake form as one of the modalities you use.

Yet another solution is to tell your client when you are doing energy work, to ask their permission, and to accept their response.

Comment by Marilyn St.John on September 6, 2009 at 7:15am

The owner of one massage school I attended told us that, "Energy work is fine, and Reiki would be too, if they didn't those cult symbols!" Having been a reiki master long before I attended massage school, of course I had to give a presentation discussing the importance of symbolism in general and our perception of symbols as individuals. This was many years ago, and it's fun to see how thinking has evolved...especially now that reiki is being offered at our local hospitals and offered as continuing ed for nurses as well.

Comment by Lauren on September 1, 2009 at 7:41am

Shoshana- Thanks for the offer, if you have any answers that pop out at you feel free to jump in. I feel as though I have worked through a lot in this conversation already & don't know what else could be added.

Comment by Lauren on September 1, 2009 at 7:38am

Thanks Maria! I think they key, for me at least, is doing the Wu Chi excersize 1st thing in the am! I just need to discipline myself as I am slow in the am. It's a good thing I work w/ an accupuncturist & qi gong teacher, although I don't trust her anymore to do acupuncture after that incident & will set up boundries before getting qi gong advice (or even being around her). She is starting her classes again soon, maybe I'll take them. I have a friend who is also a very good acupuncturist & knows a good deal about energy work, I'll have a chat with her.

Is there anything that someone could do that would take away the attunement?

Comment by Maria Troia on August 31, 2009 at 1:23pm

Lauren,

It's all about sinking the energy. This whole experience has put you too much into your head, thinking, over thinking... energy needs to be brought down to the feet.

I'd defer to T'ai Chi (or Qi Gong) more than yoga on this one. All you really need is the first posture, called Wu Chi. It's a standing posture where you gently bend the knees, align the spine (envision a string of pearls) and connect at Ki1 (sole of the foot). If you're not familiar with the posture, you should be able to google it. Wu Chi is the most profound part of T'ai Chi actually. If you don't master Wu Chi, you don't master much else in the form. So, don't underestimate learning this one standing posture. (The great part about it is you can fall into Wu Chi even when you're treating!).

Work on your feet too (best to have someone to it for you, but if time doesn't allow, at least self massage the feet, open the energy). And stand outside barefoot, really connect with the ground. Breathe, allow the energy to descend. With clients who are really in their head, I tell them to inhale, envision an elevator and see that elevator slowly drop as they slowly exhale. This will help bring the Yang down.

I'm sure there are other great suggestions out there. My background is very heavy in Asian theory, so again, I go back to my roots on topics such as this one.

BTW, if you are still feeling scattered after doing this, you might need to think about some work. Energy work, maybe even a clearing treatment with acupuncture (5 element, esoteric work). I actually had to do the latter after I completed my hypnosis training... I traveled a little too far out after one of the inductions in class and never really realigned. It was more than feeling scattered though; I felt positively ill. One clearing treatment with my acupuncturist though put me back in.

Comment by Lauren on August 31, 2009 at 12:23pm

I just thought of another thing I wanted to add. Maria, or anyone else who can address this- I have started getting back into practicing yoga, I too find this helps clear my mind, ground me & connect me w/ the present. Since I had my attunement I have felt very unbalanced & in the clouds. I started practicng yoga again & found this restored my balance & grounded me. Being that I have a yound daughter & work I don't have time for a full self treatment & yoga. I have found that doing partial self-treatments leaves me even more unbalanced & do find some more balance w/ a full treatment, but not as much as when I do yoga. Any ideas on how to resolve this? I have to contact my rm about this, but it never hurts to get different opinions.

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