Understanding Energy Medicine and BodyTalk

We are energy beings and we have the ability to tap into our energy reserves and direct them for healing. We have more power to heal our own bodies than we realize. The healing energy modality that works for you….is the one that works for you. That statement sounds very Zen, like meditating on the sound of one hand clapping, but it is profoundly true. Don’t leave energy techniques out of your arsenal as you address any disease.

For anyone who doubts the energetic power of the mind-body relationship for physical and emotional healing, look into the research on acupuncture, heartmath, biofeedback and non local prayer groups. Also, there many books written by physicians detailing the miraculous healing of patients they had sent home to die.

As part of my personal healing protocol for cancer, I work with a BodyTalk practitioner. BodyTalk is a complimentary energy medicine technique. To me, the power (energy) of the mind, body and spirit to heal is obvious. Through bio-energetic processes, the body heals itself every day by healing cuts, knitting bones, replicating cells, etc. The premise of energy medicine is that the body's energy is focused on maintaining life.

Energy is also known as Chi, Ki, Qi, Prana, Force and it is all around us manifesting all living things – birds, flowers, trees and people. We live in a world of energy that we can connect with through various energy healing modalities to heal ourselves and others.

Science has proven that all materials in the physical world are, fundamentally, manifestations of various forms of energy. Everything in the universe is made up of different vibrant frequencies of energy vibrating. At the quantum level, solid objects are made up of vibrational energy fields.

Throughout history ancient people observed and recognized different energy fields and created methods to direct their power for healing and wellness. Fengshui is an ancient Chinese art of harmonizing the energy of people and environment. They believe by harnessing the energy in the environment one can create optimal conditions for living and increases the possibility of success in business ventures, careers, relationship with people, as well as health and wellness.

In the ancient world, Egyptians used cosmic energy through the pyramids for many purposes such as healing, the formation of rains for crops, etc. Every culture has a history of shamans, or energy healers, who were able to heal people through laying on of hands, or could energetically divine where to dig for water wells, or could heal emotional problems through dreams and meditation.

David Feinstein, Ph.D., and Donna Eden in their excellent article, Six Pillars of Energy Medicine: Clinical Strengths of a Complementary Paradigm, tell us the role of energy medicine in the therapeutic process: “six properties of energy medicine give it strengths that could augment conventional health care models. These include the ways energy medicine 1) can address biological processes at their energetic foundations (reach), 2) regulates biological processes with precision, speed, and flexibility (efficiency), 3) fosters healing and prevents illness with interventions that can be readily, economically, and non-invasively applied (practicality), 4) includes methods that can be utilized on an at-home, self-help basis, fostering a stronger patient and practitioner partnership in the healing process (patient empowerment), 5) adopts non-linear concepts consistent with distant healing, the healing impact of prayer, and the role of intention in healing (quantum compatibility), and 6) strengthens the integration of body, mind, and spirit, leading not only to a focus on healing, but to achieving greater well-being, peace, and passion for life (holistic orientation).”

All healings are self-healing and our bodies are endowed with extraordinary abilities to heal. Since we are energy it is possible for us to perform self-healing and to effect healing of others, even over distances.

There are many types of energy healing modalities. Here are descriptions of ten common modalities listed on the website, lotus-happiness.com: Quantum Touch ®, EFT, Reiki, Restorative Touch™, Brennan Healing Science®, Healing Touch, Pranic Healing, ThetaHealing®, Longevitology, The Wonder Method. It is recommended that you research any modality you choose to try and that you follow your inner knowing and personal guidance when choosing a modality or practitioner with which to work. I am doing nonlocal healing sessions with a BodyTalk practitioner in California on Facetime. We met at a past life seminar, a few years ago, and had an instant energetic connection so it is easy for me to work with her. 

What is BodyTalk Therapy? It is based upon the proven principles of energetic medicine, and is a holistic approach to healing that integrates the practices of kinesiology, yoga, psychology, Western Medicine, Ayurveda (traditional healing modalities of India), and Traditional Chinese Medicine. The aim is to enhance and stimulate the body’s natural abilities to reach true physical, emotional and spiritual health. 

The Bodytalk practitioner’ working belief is that a natural state of communication exists between the atoms, cells and all internal systems within the body. These communication lines can become crossed and compromised as a result of every day stress. Ultimately, this decreases overall individual wellbeing. Bodytalk realigns these areas of communication to stimulate and reactivate the body's natural self-healing capability.

Techniques employed to realign the areas of communication in your body include:

1.     Direct communication – with the body via the use of muscle testing (a technique often used in Kinesiology) allowing the body to diagnose itself. 

2.     Breathwork – (based on yogic philosophy) breathwork ensures that the brain, heart and immune system become fully engaged in the session to ensure lasting results. 

3.     Tapping - most often used upon the head gets the body focused on healing. Trigger points on the body are tapped encouraging the brain to focus on their links and repairs.

4.     The Cortices technique –correct imbalances between the left and right halves of the brain, for improved efficiency and overall health. 

5.     Switching - the brain occasionally goes into a ‘switching mode’ as the result of stress, which compromises normal brain function. The practitioner employs the Switching technique to restore normal brain function. 

6.     Hydration – is used to correct the body’s ability utilize all available water thereby improving the efficiency of all body processes.

7.     Body Chemistry technique – corrects immune system imbalances and heightens its ability to recognize ingrained bacteria, viruses and parasites to restore health without pharmacological medication. 

8.     Reciprocals technique – recreates the integrity of the body’s structures. 

Bodytalk has been used to treat and alleviate the symptoms of:

·       Headaches, Migraines 

·       Back, Neck, Joint pain, Arthritis & stiffness 

·       Fibromyalgia, Chronic fatigue 

·       Chronic viral, bacterial, parasitic and fungal infections 

·       Food, chemical, environmental allergies 

·       Digestive disorders & IBS 

·       Constipation, Bladder problems (bed-wetting) 

·       Hormonal disorders, Period pain and P.M.T 

·       Abnormal Blood sugar levels, Food cravings 

·       Fears, phobias 

·       Emotional trauma, Addictions, Eating disorders 

·       Children’s disorders such as Hyperactivity, Sleep problems, infections, Learning disabilities, Dyslexia and Behavioral problems 

The goal of BodyTalk is to rebalance and re-aligning the communication between the body’s cells and systems to facilitate optimal functioning once again.

The key Principles of BodyTalk Therapy are three key principles are: 1. The body is inherently wise and, as such, fully capable of healing itself, 2. Stress hinders optimal functioning and disrupts the natural healing process, 3. The cells and systems within the body communicate constantly. The body has the capacity to effectively heal itself.  However, the constant stressors, such as pollution, the plethora of toxins in our environment and food, the frenetic pace of society, and emotional and physical trauma take a tremendous toll on our physical, psychological, and spiritual health and wellbeing.  These stressors cause a breakdown in functioning and communication within the body compromising its natural ability to heal.

Australian healthcare practitioner Dr. John Veltheim developed the BodyTalk System in the mid-1990s.  Dr. Veltheim trained in both chiropractic and Chinese medicine, as well as, Reiki, bioenergetics, sports medicine, philosophy, and applied kinesiology. 

Over the twenty years, this system has been taught to countless practitioners world-wide.

Many individuals report immediate responses such as:

·       Reduction in overall stress

·       Increased feeling of calm

·       Release of tension

·       Reduction in a wide range of physical and psychological symptoms that were present prior to treatment

·       Greater mental clarity

·       Increased energy levels

·       Improved ability to focus

·       Improved cognitive functioning

·       Better circulation

·       Greater overall body functioning

·       Reduction in pain

·       Reduced recovery time due to faster healing

·       Less anxiety

·       Enhanced spiritual awareness

·       Easier pregnancy and delivery

·       Improved sleep

BodyTalk therapy can be a very effective for treatment for the suffering caused by unresolved trauma and PTSD.  Unresolved psychological trauma can be devastating. When left untreated, the trauma remains stored in the body both physically and emotionally. The individual remains in survival mode and is vulnerable to situations, emotions, and memories that trigger the unresolved trauma.  This creates chaos in the individual’s life. These symptoms may be subtle (e.g. chronic muscle tension or a general feeling of dread) or obvious (e.g. flashbacks or nightmares related to the trauma).  It is important to receive effective treatment as soon as possible following a traumatic event.

http://www.lotus-happiness.com/10-types-energy-healing-modalities/

https://www.bodytalksystem.com/learn/bodytalk/

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nV6QFgd2XI4

Feinstein, D., & Eden, D. (2008). Six pillars of energy medicine: Clinical strengths of a complementary paradigm. Alternative Therapies, 14(1), 44-54.

https://www.naturaltherapypages.com.au/article/body_talk_therapy

Grief, Loss and Coping Skills

To the people of France, I say You Are Not Alone. This is a trial of the Spirit. You are in my prayers and I send you blessings of hope and courage. We in the USA are your younger siblings in liberty and as family in times of stress and threat, we pull together. May hope motivate your actions, thoughts, and healing in evil times.

Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S., in her article On Grief, Loss and Coping quotes Rob Zucker, grief counselor, “We don’t come into our grief as a blank slate. What you bring to the table will impact how you process your loss.” Journalist Ruth Davis Konigsberg in her book, The Truth About Grief: The Myth of its Five Stages and the New Science of Loss, tells us  “…probably the most accurate predictors of how someone will grieve are their personality and temperament before the loss.”

Zucker, author of The Journey Through Grief and Loss: Helping Yourself and Your Child When Grief Is Shared, describes several patterns or themes that individuals may experience. Following the loss, some individuals experience a deep sense of disbelief, which might serve as a buffer in processing the harshness of reality. Zucker states high levels of anxiety also are common while some individuals experience “an absence of emotions,” they question “What’s wrong with me?”

Research has shown we tend to accommodate and recover after loss more quickly than previously thought. For most people the intense grief with symptoms such as depression, anxiety, shock and intrusive thoughts tends to subside within six months. However, other studies show that although these symptoms dissipate we “still continue to think about and miss [our] loved ones for decades. Loss is forever, but acute grief is not…”

Resilience is the individual’s ability to adapt or rebound quickly from change, illness, or bad fortune. In the past resilience was considered rare and reserved for particularly healthy people. However, Bonanno writes in a 2004 American Psychologist “Resilience to the unsettling effects of interpersonal loss is not rare but relatively common…and does not lead to delayed grief reactions.” Zucker tells us there is “no prescription or rulebook” for coping. There are lots of different ways to cope with grief, Bonanno said. Often coping with grief is about just getting it done, putting one foot in front of the other, or doing what feels right to you.

Research shows that “only people who are doing poorly [with grief] should get treatment.

Only about 15 percent of people experience complicated grief. Zucker reports effective treatments focus on getting people back into their life and moving forward.

Research, by Crescence Allen, psychologist, shows that coping activities need to be consistent with your personality traits. Internal locus of control individual’s benefit by activities such as journaling, listening to music or reading self-help books. External locus of control individuals will gravitate to self-help groups, confiding in friends and group projects. Both personality types respond to and benefit by spiritual activities.

J. William Worden, professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School, tells us grief is work. The tasks are to accept the reality of the loss; work through to the pain of grief; adjust to an environment in which the deceased is missing; and emotionally let go and move on with life.

Worden reports there is no magic in the one- or two-year healing date following a loss. His model acknowledges that death does not end a relationship; moving forward is a dynamic process that may continue through the life cycle. He believes personalized, meaningful commemoration, and rituals may facilitate this [healing] process.

Love endures death. Worden tells us the loss of a significant loved one is not something just to be "gotten over.” The work of grief involves learning to live with and adjust to the loss, according to Worden. The goals of grief work include regaining an interest in life, feeling hopeful again, redefining and recreating a purpose.

Grief is of the spirit, mind, and emotions while stress is the body's response. When the self feels in peril of physical death, the body reacts with fight, flight, or freeze behavior. This fear sets off a biochemical chain reaction leading to feelings of panic, such as dizziness, rapid breathing, or a racing heartbeat.

We often are more compassionate to other’s emotional and physical needs but turn a blind eye to our own needs. It is essential to watch for and keep aware of the body’s post-traumatic stress reactions an inability to work or function, fears that you cannot control, or recurring traumatic memories.

The brain is hard-wired with a protection protocol. During threat, the brain signals the body to release a burst of hormones that fuel the capacity for a response. Once the acute threat is gone, the body is meant to return to a normal relaxed state. However when feelings of threat are chronic, it is essential to develop strategies for dealing with the biochemical stress, hyper-vigilance and anxiety.

Symptoms Stress

Headache

Muscle tension or pain

Chest pain

Fatigue

Change in sex drive

Stomach upset

Sleep problems

Anxiety

Restlessness

Lack of motivation or focus

Irritability or anger

Sadness or depression

Overeating or under eating

Angry outbursts

Drug or alcohol abuse

New or increased tobacco use

Social withdrawal

When the body is always on high alert, over time, high levels of stress lead to serious health problems. Develop and practice a range of stress management techniques before stress adversely impacts your health, relationships, and quality of life.

Coping Skills for Grief and Stress

Identify your thoughts and feelings and express them in some way

Share your process with someone you trust 

Journal your process what you’re feeling, thinking and doing

Reach out and talk to loved ones

Express your grief through physical activity or art

Consider how you’ve managed and handled tough times in the past

Develop new tools, such as meditation, physical activity or deep breathing

Research shows positive emotions and laughter are tremendously helpful

Meditation and prayer

Participate in rituals that honor your loss and help in the search for meaning

As we are anchored in our spiritual beliefs, we know we will see our loved ones again. We know also that no matter how much we miss them, they would not choose for us to live in sorrow, or guilt.

http://psychcentral.com/lib/on-grief-loss-and-coping/

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/basics/stress-basics/hlv-20049495

Maslow, A. (1998). Toward a psychology of being, 3rd edition. New York: Wiley.

Worden, J.W. (1991). Grief counseling and grief therapy: A handbook for the mental health practitioner, 2nd edition. New York: Springer.

http://www.chemistryislife.com/the-chemistry-of-stress

Past Lives and Regression Therapy

Have you ever watched a movie of a historical event and been overcome with sadness and grief? Have you ever walked into a historical site and experienced extreme anxiety, for no reason?  Have you ever met a stranger and felt déjà vu---we’ve met before? These emotions are not random.

Human beings do not have random emotions. These emotions are attached to unconscious memories. The most effective way to deal with unconscious emotions resulting from traumatic events in this current life, or that are attached to past life events is Past Life Therapy (PLT), which is often called often called Regression Therapy.

To my thinking, Past Life Therapy (PLT) should be called life therapy. As a “life therapy” the goal is to free the individual in all aspects of life---to be the person you want to be mind, body and spirit.

Mind, body, and spirit living is a holistic way of living. In the U. S. we are having a renaissance in our approach to spiritual living. People are recognizing that the enlivening, immortal spirit continues always and is a resource today. We are recognizing that the mind is a nearly unlimited storehouse of data. The beliefs and value judgments we attach to this data create our quality of life mind/emotions, body and spirit.

What is Past Life Regression? It is branch of hypnotherapy, which has grown over the last 50 years to be an important addition to the healing arts. It is a therapeutic technique for accessing and re-experiencing your past lives directly. 

What does the average person have to gain from past life therapy? The most essential answer is to say less stress. Do not underestimate the power of this statement—less stress. Stress leads to inflammation (heart disease, cancer, obesity, high blood pressure diabetes, etc.), emotional issues (depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, obsession, addiction), relationship problems, work problems, negative self-judgment, and more.

The historical or religious connotations of the words “past lives” are a huge topic requiring a knowledge base I do not have---there are many good books in the library. Hans TenDam, Dutch psychologist and internationally known PLT instructor, warns us---don’t get lost in “past life tourism.” In other words, the past life is only important in what it brings to the current life for good or ill.

It is thought that child prodigies who are piano virtuosos, speak languages they have never heard, solve intricate mathematical equations, and have specific knowledge of geography and historical events are really tapping in to past life memories.

According to Hans TenDam, PLT is regression therapy in which we accept that scenes from apparent past lives may emerge. Regression therapy derives its name from its method: recovering and reliving past experiences. The goal is the release of tension and anxiety that results from repressed feelings by bringing memories into consciousness.

Dr. Morris Netherton, my mentor, tells us it is not necessary for the client to believe in past lives for the process to work. Nor does the client need to have a specific religious, or spiritual outlook. What is needed is a willingness to accept that his/her own unconscious mind holds all the answers to current problems. Netherton focuses on the here and now life concerns.

British psychiatrist Denys Kelsey became well known in the 1950’s for his work in past life regression. He compared past-life therapy as a process with his work using traditional psychiatric techniques. Kelsey stated, “In a maximum of twelve hours of regression therapy, I can accomplish what will take a psychoanalyst three years.” (Source: Graham 1976) This speaks to the efficiency, effectiveness of the past-life therapy process.

Past-life therapy is generally short-term therapy, though the sessions are longer and tend to be more intensive than typical psychotherapy. Rabia Clark’s research (1995) shows that most therapists (74%) typically combine working in past lives with other therapeutic methods. Past-life therapy is a specialized form of regression therapy where you may regress to any point in life—adulthood, child hood, infancy, birth and the time in the womb, or previous to now.

Many therapists (26%) also do past-life therapy with children starting at about eight years of age. The main motives are childhood fears and phobias. Other motives are bed-wetting, dyslexia, depression, anger and hyperactivity.

Hans TenDam tells us about one third of clients will experience a past life while about one third remain in this life. About one third relive childhood events that appear to be older traumas that may be stimulated by past life memories. Brian Weiss, MD, psychiatrist in the U. S., (1993) found that about 40% of his patients had to go to past lives to solve their concerns.

Ten Dam tells us 40 percent of clients need regression to previous lifetimes as a key to emotional and physical healing. “When past life therapy is used to bring these long-repressed memories to awareness, improvement in the current symptoms is usually swift and dramatic.”

The clients’ primary motives for past-life therapy:

1.      Fears and phobias.

2.      Relationship problems and problems of connecting with people in general.

3.      Depressions.

4.      Physical complaints without medical explanation or not responding to medical care.

5.      Sexual problems.

6.      Addictions.

7.      Obesity and eating disorders.

Dr. Roger Woolger takes a spiritual approach. In an interview with Simon Martin (Here’s Health, December, 1991), Woolger tells us “past life memories are the autobiography of your eternal soul-—personal stories that explain who you are now and why you’re here on Earth.”

According to Woolger, “Fragments of past life memories often surface in dreams or at unexpected moments, perhaps as inexplicable abilities or as feelings of familiarity with places, historical periods and characters and the like.”

Woolger has a theory that false memories of abuse may be explained by past-life memories resurfacing during trauma. Woolger, states “Child abuse leads to shock, which can put children into an altered psychological state. And in that state they may well contact fragments of memories from past lives.”

Woolger asks, “How many of us through history have lost loved ones, seen our families wiped out by war and plague, and have not grieved? It takes a lot of energy to block feelings of pain, especially when we know we “should” be happy.” Past life/regression therapy gives allows us to put to rest patterns of sadness, sorrow and regret.

Dr. Woolger is a leading theorist and practitioner of past life therapy. His book Other Lives, Other Selves, is viewed to be one of the most comprehensive introductions to the psychological depths of past life regression.

Regression therapy is not to be confused with a past life reading, which is a passive process and has little therapeutic effect. Although some individuals try past life regression out of curiosity to see who they were in the past, for most it’s a path for personal growth and healing.

The benefits of Past Life Regression come with the help of a trained past life therapist, who can help you:

• Release fears and anxieties linked to past life traumas
• See personal relationships in a new light
• Release past life traumas at the root of physical problems
• Energize talents and abilities from the past
• Experience the transitional states of death and beyond
• Understand and align with life purpose 

Carol Bowman tells us we “were born not as a blank slate, but as a soul rich with both the wisdom and scars from many lifetimes.” Our unconscious memories create the patterns of choice and action that we weave into quality of life.

My life has been a tapestry of rich and royal hue, 


An everlasting vision of the ever-changing view


A wondrous woven magic in bits of blue and gold

A tapestry to feel and see, impossible to hold

Read more: Carole King - Tapestry Lyrics | MetroLyrics

www.tasso.nl

http://www.earth-association.org/therapists-bios/hans-ten-dam-bio/

http://www.carolbowman.com/past-life-regression/