Energy w ork is a broad term for several types of alternative therapies. It has been traditionally used in Eastern medicine practices for thousands of years, and is just beginning to gain popularity in the West. You have probably heard of acupuncture, shiatsu, and therapeutic touch—these are all different types of energy work that have been credited with helping millions of people find relief from pain!
Essentially, energy work is based on the theory of energy fields, which exist all around us. These energy fields can be manipulated through various techniques to help us feel physically, emotionally, and spiritually healthy. Practitioners of acupuncture and other types of energy work believe that our health is maintained when our body’s energy remains in a balanced state. Illness and emotional disharmony occurs when our energy is thrown out of whack.
In order to restore the harmony in our bodies, energy workers attempt to manipulate the body’s energy back to normal to help us achieve a greater sense of physical and emotional well-being. Energy work is used to treat a variety of ailment that range from spiritual unease to chronic physical pain.
Here are some common and not-so-common methods of energy-work:
Acupuncture is a type of energy and body work that was developed over 2,500 years ago in China! This form of alternative medicine seeks to manipulate the body’s energy (called Qi) by inserting small needles into the body along certain acupressure points. Acupuncturists believe that when your Qi is blocked, physical, mental, and spiritual illness can occur.
Shiatsu, literally meaning “finger pressure”, is a popular form of energy work. Practitioners apply pressure to the patient’s body in order to restore its natural energy balance. It draws heavily upon the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which state that a person’s energy flows through channels (called meridians) that correspond to different organs in the body.
Reflexology is a type of bodywork that involves practitioners applying pressure to the feet (and sometimes in the hands) in order to improve circulation and decrease pain. Based on the theory that different parts of the foot correspond to certain parts of the body, reflexologists believe that they can cure certain physical ailments by pressing on the reflex zones in the foot.
Therapeutic Touch attempts to correct imbalances in the body’s energy by stimulating an invisible field of energy that surrounds each person. Practitioners do not actually touch their patient, but rather hold their hands several inches above their body in order to work on their energy field. Therapeutic touch, like its other energy work counterparts, has proven to be very helpful for alleviating pain and promoting relaxation.
