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Energy Therapies
Cranial Sacral Therapy | Polarity Therapy | Reiki
Introduction
There is an aspect of intangibility with energy work. Working with energetic life-force is much different than receiving medical or surgical treatment. It requires the active participation of the client and an honest desire to receive. Practitioners of therapeutic energy work are not figures of authority empowered to remedy any dysfunction or imbalance with their magic touch; at best they are compassionate guides with the training and ability to be present and attentive with their clients.
In a typical energy balancing session, a variety of visualization exercises, guided meditation, gentle stroking or hand positions are used to encourage energetic balance. Unless received as a part of a traditional wellness massage, clients typically lie fully clothed on a massage table or are seated comfortably in a chair while receiving energy work.
Energetic therapy practitioners are able to scan a client’s energy centers (referred to by some as chakras) and pathways (often called meridians) to locate potential imbalances in energetic flow. Practitioners are trained in a variety of techniques to clear blockages, encourage healing of leaks and stimulate or calm energetic flow. Many massage therapists are also able to integrate energetic techniques into a traditional massage session.
Cranial Sacral Therapy
Until recently it was a popular belief that the bones of human skulls, cranial bones, became fused together and immobile by the time we reach adulthood. Modern research has proven that these bones are actually capable of movement via the connective tissue that links them. The bones and connective tissue of the spine are similar in structure to the cranial bones; both contain a layer of fluid (cerebrospinal fluid) which flows in a rhythmic pulse.
Cranial Sacral Therapists are able to detect irregularities in the flow of cerebrospinal fluid through light touch and the testing of range of motion in the limbs. Glitches in the flow have been associated with dysfunction in other areas of the body as connected by the central nervous system. Maladies that have been successfully treated through Cranial Sacral Therapy include migraine headaches, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, and stress-related disorders.
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Polarity Therapy
More than just a type of bodywork, Polarity Therapy addresses the effects of lifestyle, attitude, nutrition, relationships and movement upon our minds, bodies and energy systems. Through breathing techniques, visualization exercises and verbal interaction, Polarity Therapists create a safe place for their clients to gain personal awareness and choose to heal past physical and emotional traumas.
A typical Polarity Therapy session combines touch and dialogue to draw the client’s attention to their internal experience. As the client’s energy system is affected, common experiences include warmth, tingling and floating sensations. Many clients report feeling relaxed, energized and focused after receiving Polarity Therapy.
Want to learn more about Polarity Therapy? We recommend the website of the American Polarity Therapy Association (APTA) for excellent information on the history and science of Polarity Therapy.
Visit them at PolarityTherapy.org
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Reiki
Reiki is an energy healing modality that acts on physical, mental and spiritual levels through the channeling of lifeforce energy. It can be received several ways: as an element of a massage session, as a series of treatments to address a specific issue, or as an individual Reiki session to experience its deeply relaxing and rejuvenating nature.
In a typical Reiki session, the client is made comfortable on the massage table with blankets, pillows, and bolsters. Soft music, natural candles and gentle aromas are often used to encourage relaxation. Some Reiki practitioners hold their hands just over the surface of the body, though most rest them with gentle pressure on one or many energy points on the client. The practitioner acts as a conduit for lifeforce energy directed toward the recipient.
Except when received as a part of a traditional massage session, a Reiki recipient is clothed during the session. It’s a good introduction to bodywork for those who are timid about undressing for a traditional massage. Reiki can also be received while seated or reclined, and is an excellent alternative or complement to massage for those with physical challenges that make table massage uncomfortable.
Many recipients of Reiki feel a physical sensation like warmth, coolness or tingling; some have experienced colors, visions, sounds or smells. It is common for these sensations to continue after a session, as Reiki seems to stimulate healing and sensitivity to energetic surroundings for a varying time after the actual session.
The Reiki Principles
Reiki’s founder, Dr. Mikao Usui, specified five principles to guide recipients and practitioners of Reiki in living harmoniously.
Just for today I will give thanks for my many blessings.
Just for today I will not worry.
Just for today I will not be angry.
Just for today I will do my work honestly.
Just for today I will be kind to my neighbor and every living thing.
Becoming a Reiki Practitioner
Anyone can become a Reiki practitioner. In fact, Reiki practitioners do not consider themselves healers of personal skill. The nature of Reiki practice is the awakening in the practitioner of the innate ability to share energy with others. Rather than requiring effort, technique or ability, the practice of Reiki is one of channeling universal lifeforce, or energy, toward anyone who needs and requests it. The energy itself goes where it is needed without a need for the practitioner to analyze or diagnose. Reiki rewards the practitioner through the experience of increased energy in the process of directing its flow to the recipient. It’s as though Reiki practitioners receive a healing session every time they give a healing session.
Traditional Reiki
Reiki is a healing tradition passed from master to student through a series of attunements, or initiations, much like the way knowledge is passed in yoga or martial arts. The link between teacher and student connects the student to the energy and wisdom of all of the previous master/student links in the same family, or lineage. Traditional Reiki refers to Reiki lineages within the Traditional Usui Reiki Healing Method. Traditional Reiki may more closely resemble the original Japanese system of Reiki than some modern schools. While most all Reiki lineages use similar symbols and practices, traditional practice attempts to follow the original methods of teaching Reiki established by Reiki’s founder, Dr. Mikao Usui.
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