Archive for May 29th, 2008

What “Energy Medicine” does and what I think about that.

Posted on May 29, 2008. Filed under: EFT, Health, Philosophy |

Ten minutes of self-treatment can do more than years of drugs or therapy. Please notice I said “can” and not “will”. There are no guarantees here, but so far, I’m impressed. Today’s post is a continuation of one I began yesterday about the Energy Psychology conference I attended recently. That one started to get very long, and I had other topics to address.

Energy Psychology uses points on the body known as “Meridians” determined thousands of years ago by practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and also called “Acupuncture Points”. We don’t use needles, or any invasive procedures, but rather teach people to address their own energy system. Some practitioners use traditional (eastern) Indian practices (Yoga and Ayurveda) as well, which also have energy centers (chakras) as part of their system.

For myself, any time I have a pattern of behavior that isn’t serving me, or any time I’m not feeling well for any reason, I can use these techniques to feel better, or engage behaviors which better serve me. I have transformed relationships with some of my family members, both living and deceased. The work with people who have passed on is particularly moving. It’s our memories and encoded emotions about the people which continue to cause hurt, even after the person has gone, and these practices can allow the stuck energy around them to go. We still retain the memories, they just don’t hurt. As for physical issues, practitioners make no claims to cure everything, or anything, but the phrase “try it on everything” applies. Many, many people (myself among them) have gotten tremendous physical relief for a variety of conditions after releasing the “stuck energy” from their bodies.

A question I’m sometimes asked, (and I’ll warn you in advance that I don’t have a good answer for this,) is “If these methods have been around in China and India for thousands of years, why aren’t all the people in those countries walking around in perfect health and bliss?” This is an excellent question. I can only surmise that all peoples and countries go through eras and trends. These ancient methods are not currently very “trendy” even in their home countries at the moment, and historically there have always been people that seek power which undermines the helpfulness of subtle energy medicine. This is not a good answer, and I’m planning more research into the social history involved.

Having said all that, I am aware of many people who are using these techniques now, and getting real results. There are lots of offshoots of the original discovery in this field, Thought Field Therapy (TFT) developed by Dr. Roger Callahan. The story of its discovery and development is fascinating, and can be read here if you’re interested. My favorite technique remains the same, even after learning wonderful new ones at the conference. EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) is a simplified protocol derived from TFT, as its developer found that it worked just as well—and took less time—to treat all the major acupuncture points, without the diagnosis and specific treatments necessary in TFT.

There are a lot of refinements one can learn about EFT, but, bottom line, it simply involves tapping with two fingers along a series of points on the body. Any of us can learn to do this ourselves, and if we keep the issue we’re treating in mind by using a few key phrases, we can release the flow of energy which had been blocked. This often results in tremendous freedom and healing.

At the conference I learned several methods which look like a string of initials: AIT, BSFF, EMDR, TAB, TAT. (If you’re interested, you can “Google” any of those acronyms along with he word “energy”!) Two of the techniques are very gentle, and I’ve found them helpful for things like insomnia (when “tapping” might be too stimulating while trying to fall asleep), and for headache, migraines, or upper body pain (when we wouldn’t want to aggravate the pain by tapping on already sore areas).

“Touch and Breathe“, or TAB, teaches us how to gently hold the areas of meridian points while using a deep breathing technique which relaxes the body while encouraging the flow. The developers of TAB encourage specific treatment points for specific conditions, but I find it effective if I just use all my usual EFT points. I sometimes have bouts of insomnia, and I’ve been known to fall asleep with my fingers still on my upper lip, for instance, as I actually nod off during the treatment. I like the book The Energy of Belief very much, as it brings another perspective into these therapies (which I agree with), that we are more than just our bodies, and we can treat the “information systems” which exist beyond the body, too. Both authors were presenters at the conference, and I found them persons of integrity who “walk their talk”.

Another new system I learned is called the ZPoint process. It works directly with the belief system, where all misdirections of energy start. I find it really helpful for healing relationships; taking the “emotional charge” out of sadness, betrayal, or emotional abuse. I learned this from the developer, again at the conference (it was SUCH an opportunity to meet these people 🙂 ), and his particular mission is to develop tools to allow us to feel at peace, virtually all the time, no matter what is going on around us. Sounds good to me! He had a very peaceful, calming presence during his presentation, and I wanted to have that, too. We practiced the process, choosing a colleague to bring to mind that we’d like to have a more peaceful relationship with. (Can you think of anyone like that in your life? 😉 ) I can honestly say I left the room feeling more peaceful, forgiving, and friendly towards the person I chose than I had in months. I was very relaxed, too.

So, my basic toolkit starts with EFT. (I’ve posted this before, but I still think this nice 7-minute video from its founder gives a great overview, and has some cool graphics, too!) But, while I use EFT for most things, it’s wonderful to have techniques that approach the energy field from a little different angle to give some dimension to the practice. Anyway, I’ve never wanted to be just a one-trick pony. Peace; Salaam; Shalom.