Using Symbols to Call In Extra Energy

CHIOS^®  Energy Healing 

Healing Level II

SYMBOLS AND VISUALIZATION

(Using Symbols to Call In Extra Energy)

A good first step in learning to give more powerful and effective healing treatments is to learn to call in greater amounts of healing energy into yourself. In fact, the effective use of most of the healing tools you will learn in Chios Level II also requires that you have the ability to call in this greater amount of energy for use in healing.

   In the first Chios level you learned how to call in the energy by "seeing," in your mind's eye, the energy flowing into you from all around, down your arms and into your hands and then conducting into your patient. In this level, you will also use healing symbols, which are tools—vehicles for the focus of energy. Your first important use of healing symbols will be to employ them to greatly add to the amount of energy you call in and channel into your patient. It is possible to call in and channel the energy without using symbols, as you already have done, but your use of symbols will add much to the quantity and power of the energy you are able to bring in and channel. The symbols will have other uses that you will learn, too, such as clearing blocked chakras.

   There are three symbols used in this level of the Chios system: the Circle, the Trine, and the Star. These symbols are simple and elementary, it is true, but they are also closely related to the elementary essence of all existence—they are simple and close to the essence and this gives them the potential to be powerful and effective. Humanity has had an instinctive understanding of the powers that move in the physical world, the essence of the powers that make existence possible, the powers that build form and give shape to all we know. This instinctive understanding recognizes the shape of these powers, and in the mind's eye these symbols take shape as representative of the most fundamental and important aspects of the creative power of the field of pure consciousness.

   These symbols are not merely physical shapes; they are universal symbols that correspond to universal patterns of energy and awareness. There is, in each symbol, an essence linked to the shape. They are, in their essence, representations of the ways in which energy and awareness flows in our manifested world, and are therefore useful in healing work. Do not think that because these Chios symbols are simple they cannot be powerful. At various times in the past, humanity has been much more aware of the power and uses of simple symbols than we are today, in our modern technological civilization, where it is often mistakenly assumed that something must be complex to be powerful. These three symbols have been known and used as symbols of power in virtually every culture on earth, and in the magical tradition as well. While there are other symbols that have been used in healing work, these particular symbols are as powerful, and potentially more powerful, than any.

   It may interest you to have some idea of the meaning and the essence behind each of these symbols—indicative of the energy patterns they represent—and this is given below. Do not be bound by these descriptions, however, because a true understanding of the essence of these symbols transcends description. The description is only an approximation of an essence to each symbol that is beyond words or ideas. It is important, therefore, not to think of any meaning when using these symbols, but just to be aware of the symbol itself. The true meaning and power is inherent in each symbol.

The Circle:

The Circle, which is the outline of a circle (not filled in), is the symbol of wholeness, unending life force, and the unity of creation—the beginning and end of all things. It attunes with the all. It is complete, and draws together and encompasses all that is. It also represents duality, inside and outside, but shows, in its completeness, that apparent duality resolves itself in unity, in one being. This is the pattern of energy and awareness inherent in the shape of the Circle.

The Circle

  In healing, one often works with separated (polar) energies—energies not completely connected or harmonious. The Circle not only calls forth polar energies; it pulls them together and resolves them. You will shortly learn to use the Circle (in combination with the Trine) to call in a greater amounts of the energy, at the beginning of treatments. When calling in the energy using these two symbols, the Circle is used first, to draw life energy from the earth and all around, using the body life force to receive the universal life energy, the two energies meeting. It uses the energy that is already in the body to receive the energy that exists all around. It assists you the healer in opening yourself to, and in bringing in, the energy.

   The Circle creates an opening of the spirit, a balanced harmony between the spirit and the earth.

The Trine:

The Trine, which is the outline of an equilateral triangle (not filled in), is the symbol of penetration to higher levels of existence. It increases the rate of vibration of the energy and the vibrational level of your awareness, and awakens the mind to the higher levels. It points upward and connects this world to the higher worlds. This is the pattern of energy and awareness inherent in the shape of the Trine.

The Trine

  Its three sides correspond to the many trinities in spiritual systems, but especially as a symbol of the passing, from one to the other, between incarnation and discarnate life (the base points of the Trine), with the goal of spiritual growth and rising above the world towards a state of self-realization and spiritual liberation. As a symbol of this ascension, it represents a heightened and broadened awareness, and a refined perception: an ascension to a higher level of reality.

   When the Trine is used at the beginning of healing treatments, it takes the universal life energy that has been brought in, by the Circle, and moves it upwards towards higher vibrational levels—it raises the energy to a higher rate of vibration. This lends a more powerful and purifying effect to the healing energy, and also increases your sensitivity to the energy.

   The Trine leads the spirit towards growth; it is an elevation of the personal spirit as it relates to this existence, a rising from the earth.

The Star:

The Star, a regular five pointed star filled in to a solid shape, is a channel for energy between our physical world and the field of pure consciousness which is the spiritual source and essence of all creation. It is different from the Trine, but can be thought of as the Trine symbol focused and combined with this earth (trine shapes spaced around a circular outline). The Star has five points pointing in, and five pointing out, indicative of this use as a channel for energy between this world and the higher spiritual reality. This is the pattern of energy and awareness inherent in the shape of the Star.

The Star

One way the Star is used in Chios is to draw and focus energy from the higher level into this physical world: to tap the healing power inherent in pure consciousness and channel it down into the physical body to correct major distortions in energy flow which would otherwise be very difficult to correct. The Star is also very effective when used to treat the 7th chakra. The Star (as a channel between our worldly life and the realm of pure consciousness) has a close correspondence with the nature of the 7th chakra (our spiritual totality—the total relationship we have between the world of spirit and our material existence). The energetic pattern inherent in the Star conforms with the spiritual nature of the 7th chakra, and so the 7th chakra can be powerfully cleared and energized through use of the Star.

  The Star is beyond the earth—it is where there is no beginning and no end, to a broader existence, not even existence, beyond existence. As we all exist on this earth now, we also exist above. As you might stand on the shore and watch the waves on the ocean, feeling a stirring within, the Star calls forth the beyond and all times. It is our higher self, the totality of our being. The Star is a channel to a realm beyond time and space. It is the light above us, and in us, and leads to an understanding of eternity.

Using Visualization to Direct Energy:

The ability of these three Chios symbols to direct energy is activated by visualizing them. Visualization is a very useful tool in healing, because it enables you to direct energy in many different ways. "Energy follows thought" is a well-known maxim, and the meaning of this saying is that the proper visualization of energy flow, in your mind's eye, is sufficient to direct the energy in whatever manner you desire. This may be done by visualizing the flow of the energy itself, in whatever pattern desired, or through other methods—the use of symbols which represent patterns of energy flow being an important example. When you visualize a pattern of energy flow, in your mind's eye, the energy is activated to flow in that manner. When you visualize a symbol in your mind's eye, the nature of energy flow that is contained in the essence of that symbol is activated, and the energy flows according to that nature. Both of these uses of visualization are important and will be used in Chios Level II.

  In order to make effective use of this ability to direct energy through visualization, however, you must visualize in the proper way. When you visualize an energy flow, for example, it is important to understand that visualization is not the same as "thinking about" the desired energy flow, or "pretending to see" the energy flow, but is a process of sensing and becoming the energy flow, in your mind's eye. Visualizing in the proper way, by sensing and becoming the desired energy flow, allows you to become a pure channel for the healing power of pure consciousness, which is what actually directs the energy in the manner visualized and cause it to heal the energy field of your patient in the manner required. When you visualize a symbol, it is similarly important that you sense and become one with the symbol, and not merely "think about" or "pretend to see" it. This proper visualization of the symbol is what activates the inner essence, the inherent power of the symbol from the field of pure consciousness, and sets the energy flow into motion according to the pattern of energy flow that the symbol represents. Visualization is the process of maintaining a particular symbol or a pattern of energy flow in your awareness, in a complete and effortless way. It must be effortless, because you are creating a pure channel in yourself—effort is an imposition of your mind, and clouds the real power which flows through you. This is this proper practice of visualization: an effortless sensing and becoming. You are the flow of energy. You are the symbol. In visualization, as with every healing tool you will learn in Chios, the power ultimately comes from the connection to pure consciousness that lies within you.

  In Chios, you will learn techniques that will often require you to visualize a desired flow or pattern of energy, a symbol, or even both at the same time. Every technique that you will learn and use to heal the various defects that you will encounter in the energy field of your patients will require you to use your visualization ability in some way. Every time you will need to use visualization in this correct manner, during Chios Levels II and III, we will specify that you "visualize, sense and become" whatever is required, so you become a pure channel for healing power, in whatever form you need it, to heal.

  You began to use your visualization ability in Chios Level I when you learned to call in the energy at the beginning of treatment—you began to see, in your mind's eye, the energy flowing into you, conducting through you, and then into your patient. Now you will employ your power of visualization to add the visualization of two Chios symbols—the Circle and the Trine—to more powerfully bring in and raise the vibrational rate of the energy so that you can channel a greater quantity and quality of energy into your patient. It is your natural ability to call in the energy and refine it, in this way. Your visualization of the energy coming into you, and the visualization of the symbols, merely activates this ability.

  If you have begun to learn the practice of Chios Meditation, you will have a good understanding of the process of visualization already, and your experience of it through your meditation practice will be of great benefit to you in your use of these symbols and the various other healing techniques in this level. If you have not yet studied Chios Meditation, that's fine. The following exercise will give you some practice in this correct method of visualization, by visualizing the Chios symbols:

Sit comfortably with your eyes closed, and seek a calmness, a quietness in your mind. Now imagine, in your mind, the Circle. Now, do not merely think about, or pretend to see the Circle, but begin to feel its circular shape with your mind. Ask yourself, how does it feel to be that shape? Feel that you are the Circle, and should other feelings or thoughts come up, simply drop them—allow them to become unimportant as you just return your focus of awareness to sensing only the circular shape of the Circle alone.

Seek to merge with the Circle, feel your entire being sensing, moving into and becoming one with the Circle. If you find yourself thinking about the Circle, stop thinking and just be it. If you find yourself pretending to see the Circle, release the visual portion of your awareness of it—the portion of your awareness that "sees" it as if you were using your eyes—and just become it. Do not think about or pretend to see the Circle. Be the Circle. Sense it effortlessly.

Continue sensing yourself as the Circle for a moment, then end the exercise by stopping your sensing of the Circle and resting for a moment, with your eyes closed.

Repeat this exercise with the other two Chios symbols to gain a sense of them, also. The Trine is sensed in its outline shape, but the Star is sensed more as a solid (filled in) object, with its points.

Calling in the Energy Using Visualization of Symbols:

You are now ready to call in the energy using the Circle and the Trine. In visualizing the energy begin to flow into you, and in visualizing these symbols in order to increase and refine its flow, be sure to remember that your visualizations must be done effortlessly, and with a release to the energy. To call in the energy using visualization of these symbols, follow this procedure:

Stand by yourself for a moment, eyes closed, and visualize the energy beginning to flow into you. Really see and feel it coming into you from all around, coursing through your body, through your shoulders and arms and down to your hands. Feel it begin to collect in your hands. Visualize this energy flowing into you—not by thinking or pretending to see—but now by effortlessly sensing and becoming this energy flow, in your mind's eye.

Now, visualize, sense and become the Circle. Sense yourself as the Circle, and then feel the Circle as being composed of a white light, brought to a dazzling, flaring brightness of light, and held in the mind for about 10 seconds, and then dimmed. Bring the Circle to brightness in this way for two additional times, for a total of three times, and then dimmed.

Visualize, sense and become the Trine. Sense yourself as the Trine, and then feel the Trine brought to a dazzling, flaring brightness, held in the mind for about 10 seconds, and then dimmed. Bring the Trine to brightness in this way for two additional times, for a total of three times, then dimmed.
Now visualize, sense and become the Circle again, brought to a final, single, quieting brightness, unlike a flare, a brightness that is held in your mind for about 10 seconds, and then swells and fills out into you, a warm light suffusing into your entire body.

  You will sense the greater energy as a stimulating feeling in your body and hands. The harnessing of the energy provides a sensation in the body similar to what you experience when feeling strong emotions—you should feel a definite tingling and some degree of heat, in your hands, now that you've learned to call in greater amounts of the energy and raise its vibrational rate. Note that the Star is never used at the beginning of treatment when calling in the energy.


  You have now opened yourself up to channel much larger amounts of the energy into your patient, and will also experience more power in performing the many healing tools you will learn in Chios Level II. From now on, begin your healing treatments by calling in the energy using visualization of symbols, using the steps above.

Serious Illness is Treated in the Energy Field and Physical Body

CHIOS^®  Energy Healing

Healing Level III

Welcome to the Chios Level III. This level contains some very advanced, powerful and extraordinary energy healing techniques that will make available to you the full power of Chios and lead you towards mastery of energy healing.

DISEASE TREATMENT

(Introduction)

In your study of Chios you have learned many techniques for sensing and healing energetic defects in the aura and chakra system. Many patients will come to you with physical, emotional or mental afflictions of a less-serious nature, seeking healing. Many other patients will arrive that have no such afflictions at all, but are simply interested in whatever benefits energy healing might provide towards enhancing body, mind and spirit in order to live a more fulfilling life and to better overcome the normal challenges therein. For all these patients you will heal the energetic defects you find in their aura and chakras, thereby often providing the benefits they seek. And yet there will also be times that patients will come to you with serious—even life threatening—physical illnesses. Such patients will not only have energetic defects in the aura and chakras that require treatment using the healing techniques you have learned thus far, but the defects will have precipitated serious disease in the physical body. You must treat these patients with additional measures and with extra effort to best serve their needs. This chapter is a supplement to Chios® Level III and will give you some additional healing techniques designed to assist your seriously ill patient.

Serious Illness is Treated in the Energy Field and Physical Body

  In treating seriously ill patients, it is beneficial to understand how disease develops in the physical body and how a healer attempts to heal, that is remove, that disease. The health of the physical body is inextricably linked to the health of the energy field.It is the healthful flow of energy within the chakras and aura layers, in a balanced, harmonious and clear manner, that supports the physical body during life. Although the physical body eventually weakens and dies, the health of the energy field is the linchpin for the integrity of the physical body during life. It is a failure in this energetic underpinning that precedes physical illness and eventually allows it to manifest. It may be, for example, that a structural energetic defect  in a certain chakra may precede by years the development of cancer  in a related organ of the physical body. Physical disease usually begins as one (or more) specific energetic defects in the chakras and aura layers that evolves into a pattern that affects several chakras and many layers of aura. Defects in a chakra and its corresponding aura layer usually occur together (as we have discussed). These defects then begin to spread. Energetic defects in the aura layer will filter through the aura  and become lodged in other layers of aura that are susceptible to this energetic invasion—lower layers are particularly susceptible, but higher layers can also become affected. Energetic defects in chakras  will affect neighboring chakras (and then other layers of aura).

Each part of the energy field that is affected can potentially eventually affect any other susceptible part of the field. And so, one or two defects in a chakra or aura layer will become a pattern of energetic defects that includes much or even most of the energy field. These unhealthy energetic conditions in the chakras and aura layers eventually “filter down” into the physical body and render it susceptible to disease. A disease condition may then manifest in some part of the body, a part which no longer remains free and clear in its energetic functioning, as the ultimate result of these energetic defects in the higher energy field. The specific physical disease has a relationship to the energetic conditions within the energy field which produced it; the entire pattern of energetic defects in the chakras and aura layers, unresolved psychological issues  and past traumas , and the physical disease itself, will all interrelate.

  You will assist your seriously ill patient by first treating the higher cause of the disease—the energetic defects you find throughout the chakras and layers of aura. You must be thorough in doing so, however—you must thoroughly examine and treat all the chakras and aura layers, for there may be various subtle contributing higher causes to the illness that are present in various places in the energy field. Some energetic defects will be easy to identify. When physical disease is present in the body it often will be fairly easy to identify the energetic defects that will be present in the lower aura levels above the diseased location, for example. It will likewise be easy to identify the energetic defects in chakras that are related to, and near, the site of the disease. But you must go farther and diligently examine all remaining parts of the energy field and treat all unhealthy conditions you find. Do not neglect the upper layers of aura (the 4th and above), for there may be very important higher causes of the illness there that are not as apparent nor as easy to find as energetic defects in the lower aura layers, yet critical to treat. Often in the seriously ill patient you will find such energetic impurities and disturbances in these higher layers of aura. This complete healing of the chakras and higher aura layers is an important part of the overall healing process because it heals the higher cause of the illness. There is more that is needed, however. In a seriously ill patient, you must additionally treat the disease in your patient’s physical body to maximize the chances of bringing back good health. The higher causes of the disease must be healed, but the physical disease existing in the body must also be treated and removed, if possible.

  This comprehensive discussion of disease treatment is covered completely in the Chios textbook Chios Energy Healing: Powerful New Techniques for Healing the Human Energy Field, which includes a full chapter with comprehensive step-by-step instructions for treating over 100 common conditions. The book is available on Amazon by clicking on the link.

The Chakras and the Nadis System

The Chakras and the Nadis System

The Nadis: According to the yogic teachings, there are 72,000 Nadis, or channels, in the subtle ethereal anatomy of humans. The Nadis are the drivers of the lifeblood of vibrational therapy. Among the 14 major Nadis, three are of fundamental importance: Sushumna, Ida, and Pingala.  All the Nadis are subordinate to the central channel, Sushumna, which runs from the base chakra to the crown chakra. This central channel seems to cut across the spine which circulates the cerebrospinal fluid. In Eastern teaching, the Nadis of the physical body or coarse Nadis are the veins, arteries, and nerves.

Although our three-dimensional condition of life is linked to seven major chakras, there are thousands of chakras inside of our energetic system. Each of them has a valuable function and serves several different purposes.

As a rule of thumb, the chakras are the translators of our preterit memories.  They act as inter-dimensional portals that allow us to have access to the necessary energy to live our life experiences in plenitude.  They function as organs and through their surfaces they metabolize vital energy coming from our subtle bodies. Inside of each of the chakras, the energy is harmonized and distributed to the rest of the physical body through the various endocrine glands. The free flow of energy through the chakras ensures a smooth flow of vital energy to the rest of our system, providing health and vitality to the physical body.

The chakras can alter our moods and behaviors by hormonal influences since they are closely linked to our cellular structure and our endocrine system. The capture of the energies from the chakras is made through the network of fine channels of the subtle energy field, called Nadis by the yogis.  It forms what we know as the etheric double that gives the entire system the appearance of a colored grid.

While we cannot completely assimilate all three-dimensional experience in one existence, we go through the process to take upon successive embodiments, transforming the energy constantly through the game of materializing and dematerializing.

Physical life and death differ only in the exterior presentation form of energy. It is said that the spirit leaves the field leaving the body to die, but that is to say, that the energy of matter is transformed into energy of mind again; returning to accomplish the task of raising consciousness after it has assimilated the experience of physical life.

While a soul does not exhaust all the programmed learning system into which it is inserted, it will return again by his will, or the power of attraction to the physical plane. That is, the spirit –consciousness “substance” becomes dense once again.




The universal energy is densified through the chakras system: when it descends into our physical bodies, using the Nadis as the living energy grid to spread itself broadly, moving through the points referred in acupuncture as the meridians.  In this way, all imbalances in the physical body can be somatized and detected through the chakras system before they even begin to exist, or manifest physically, by therapists who work with subtle energy.




Nadis—energy pathways throughout the body—were detailed thousands of years ago as part of traditional Indian medicine. Nadis transport prana, the energy equivalent of qi. These channels emanate from the chakras and gradually become thinner the further they extend outward. This configuration is similar to the nervous system in that the chakras correlate to the central nervous system and the nadi pathways correspond to the peripheral nervous system. Although comparable to meridians, nadi pathways are more numerous as there are thought to be over 72,000 points of stimulation along these routes compared with the 361 acupuncture points listed by WHO. On the other hand, there are three primary nadis whereas there are fourteen principal meridians.

MIND OVER MATTER TECHNIQUES

 by Mindset

It’s a cold, damp and ultimately gloomy Monday Morning. Having woken, dressed, fed and wrestled your children into your car, you find yourself brought to a sudden halt in the gridlocked, rush hour traffic. You hardly see the cars surrounding you as your mind races over all the scheduled meetings, projects and deadlines your faced with in the coming day. Already the stress is building at a steady pace and you haven’t even started the workweek yet. Mind Over Matter Techniques? You barely have time to pull on matching shoes!

There’s no denying that modern life moves at a frantic pace, we are taught that multi-tasking is an ability to be prized above all. Speaking on the phone, whilst carrying on a conversation with your superior, at the same time you’re frantically tapping at your keyboard, whilst trying not to focus too much on the IM that’s popped up on your screen calling you to a meeting you’re already late for.

Stress begins in the brain but quickly extends to being a full body phenomenon. When we experience a threat, either real or imagined, our brains trigger a cascade of stress hormones leading to a pounding heart and head, tense muscles and a shortage of breath.

“Stress Begins in the brain but quickly extends to being a full body phenomenon”

It is always better to tackle a problem at its source, which is what we must do when facing down the issue of burgeoning stress. It begins in the brain so it is here we must look to ultimately redesign the way we think and react to everyday pressures. The way we do this is by utilising mind over matter by practicing mindfulness techniques.

Mindfulness is a state of being in which we are fully conscious of where we are in that present moment, what we are doing and what is going on around us. This may sound counter-productive when we’re in the midst of a hectic environment, but by training our brains to be completely focused on what’s currently at hand, we are keeping at bay the stress and anxiety of the tasks and deadlines that are not yet upon us.

These techniques can easily be learnt and expanded upon alone, mindfulness is something to cultivate and practice on a regular basis, so try to find at least 20 minutes a day to rehearse the following methods. Remember, there is no expectation with mindfulness, so if you have less time or miss a day don’t be too hard on yourself. Just commit to doing as best as you can. Here are 3 simple Mind Over Matter Techniques.

Mind Over Matter Techniques – Breathing:

An Online Training Course in Mindfulness with Thich Nhat Hanh – (CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP)

The simple act of drawing air in and out of our lungs is an essential element to being mindful. We are usually so rushed in our day-to-days that we do not breathe properly, limiting oxygen supplies to the brain and effectively enabling the negative parts of the brain to take control.

Take a seat and get comfortable. Notice yourself breathing in and out and focus on that for a moment. Inhale and pause for a second before slowly exhaling all air from your lungs.

Repeat this for at least one minute; inhale, pause, exhale slowly. Imagine you are drawing in positive energy, the pause is allowing you to store this energy in your body and the long exhale is expelling all negative energy from your body.

It’s natural that your mind will try to jump onto different thoughts. Don’t get frustrated by this, instead gently bring your focus onto your breathing.

Do this for at least one minute and you will feel your mind calm and your body relax.–

Mind Over Matter Techniques – Observe:

We are usually so busy with what is going on in our lives that we rarely stop to observe what is going on around us. Doing this for a small time everyday can teach us to appreciate life at a slower pace.

Take a moment to sit or stand quietly and observe all that is happening around you. You may be walking through a park on your way home for example. Take a seat and look around you. You may also practice the breathing exercise at the same time though it isn’t essential.

Notice the sounds around you; are leaves being rustled by a gentle breeze? Can you here birds chirping to each other in greeting, Children shouting excitedly as they bring imagination to life?

Now notice the smells; has the grass been cut recently? Are you sitting next to sweet smelling flowers or are houses close by cooking up a storm outside?

“Take a moment to sit or stand quietly and observe all that is happening around you”

Touch next, can you feel the gentle rays of sun heating your skin, or a breeze move your hair? What is the material of your seat? If you’re on the grass can you feel the blades of grass lighting pricking your palms?

Finally, what do you see? This is the real aim of taking the time out. Is there a family smiling and sitting with each other? Perhaps a stranger walking alone that looks deep in concentration, you wonder what’s on their mind and if the hardships of the day have taken their toll as they slowly amble towards home.

Utilising our senses in this way ensures we are experiencing a moment, that we are living in the now. Taking time to question what other people go through in their day-to-day lives can lead to an increase of empathy and understanding.

Don’t be so quick to accept your first judgment, there are a myriad of reasons a person may be doing what they’re doing and it is very rarely the reason you think. Simply be in the moment, in a non judgemental fashion.

 

Mind Over Matter Techniques – Experience A Routine:

Sometimes it feels as if we are operating on autopilot, we jump from one task to another with our minds in a completely different direction. Before we know it, several hours have passed and you question how time could have possibly passed so quickly.

Pick something you do often. Let’s use washing the dishes as an example. Try to keep your focus on everything you are doing during this activity and experience it all.

Feel as you immerse your hands and the sting of water that’s slightly to warm as it connects with your skin. Notice the sounds of the water as it is disturbed, the clashing of cutlery on crockery and the squeaks of the dishes as they come out clean.

This is an exercise similar to observation, what you are doing is making sure that you are fully in the moment.

Time is precious and you don’t want it to slip by without noticing. The above exercises are designed to bring your mind into alignment with your surroundings. By practicing these techniques, it will be easy for you to maintain for longer periods. You will experience joy at a higher level, feel more relaxed and your mind will gravitate to a calm state.

“Time is precious and you don’t want it to slip by without noticing.”

Use these Mind Over Matter Techniques to see how much your life can and will change.

–

6 REASONS WHY YOU NEED REIKI IN YOUR LIFE

 Reiki

Reiki treatment is aimed at increasing a person’s supply of life force energy, with the overall aim of healing. Reiki has many benefits. It makes you feel more at peace, it reduces stress, promotes relaxation and increases your over all feeling of well being.

Reiki treatment is directed by placing the hands lightly on, or near, the body of the patient. The healing energy flows from the body of the practitioner, through their hands and into the patient. The patient will experience a myriad of feelings, including relaxation, mental clarity, pain relief, decreased anxiety, and a sense of overall well being. Recent studies have shown this is due to the activity of the parasympathetic autonomic nervous system increasing significantly.

With that in mind, how does Reiki Treatment Work? Does it really work, and should you consider the practice?

Below are the proven effects of Reiki Treatment and the changes they make in a patients life.

Eases depression and anxiety

 A number of recent studies have demonstrated the overall mood benefits from receiving continual Reiki treatment. The benefits are specific to those who struggle with negative thoughts and feelings. The studies showed that once your mood improves, symptoms of anxiety and depression are alleviated. Not only does your anxiety reduce, you can also see significant improvements in feelings of depression, anger, and confusion. Negative thoughts and feelings change to positive ones and your mind will find it easier to reach for those going forward.

Reduces and promotes relaxation

 One of the main health benefits of Reiki treatment is stress reduction and relaxation. Japanese energy healing therapy is designed to trigger the body’s relaxation response and reduce the stress so abundant in many of our lives. When you think about it, most ailments can be linked with stress, be it work stress, emotional stress, or stress in your personal life.

Alleviating joint and muscle pain

 A study published in the journal of ‘Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine’, compared the effectiveness of improving range of motion through physical therapy and Reiki. The study found that both showed the same effect in improving the range of motion (ROM) of the affected part of the body.

These results suggest that the beneficial effects of Reiki treatment and on ROM may arise from alterations in local joint or muscle structures rather than the pain system itself.  Patients have cited remarkable improvement with on going Reiki.

Improves Metabolism

 Metabolic syndrome is a group of symptoms associated with type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic conditions. It affects a substantial and increasing percentage of the world’s population. Physical activity is often recommended to improve metabolic syndrome. However, Reiki has been shown to be equally effective.

‘Many individuals, such as those who are overweight and sedentary and at highest risk for the metabolic syndrome, may be unable or unwilling to participate in conventional types of physical activity such as strength training and gym-based exercises. Mind-body modalities are simple, economical, noninvasive therapies, easy to learn, and can be practiced easily by individuals who may experience potential limitations in mobility,’ according to Joel Anderson and Ann Gill Taylor at Center for the Study of Complementary and Alternative Therapies, University of Virginia School of Nursing, Charlottesville, USA.

Treats symptoms associated with cancers

Reiki treatment or any mind-body therapy cannot cure cancer. They can however, treat associated symptoms of cancer such as depression, pain, and fatigue. In a study published in the journal of Integrative Cancer Therapy, researchers reported that treatment with Reiki for 5 consecutive days, followed by 1-week of no treatment, with a further 2 additional Reiki sessions, in various cancer patients decreased tiredness, pain, and anxiety, and improve quality of life.

Reiki treatment is also reported to ease pain associated migraine, sciatica, and arthritis. It also reduces symptoms of asthma, menopause, and insomnia.

Spiritual Growth & Emotional Clarity

Last but definitively not least, Reiki treatment not only heals you physically, it also heals you emotionally & spiritually. Reiki treatment enhances your ability to love and to empathize as it enables you to form deeper connections with people. Reiki brings about an inner peace and harmony allowing you to progress on the journey of spiritual growth. It ‘cleans’ and clears your emotions enabling you to focus on what truly matters.

–

Reiki Treatment is fast becoming an accepted presence in hospitals and clinics. This is due to the fact that the healing approach is non-traumatic and easily integrated with conventional therapies. It eases many physical symptoms of patients going through considerable ordeals, increases well being and allows you to improve in all areas of life.

Complementary, Alternative, or Integrative Health: What’s In a Name?

We’ve all seen the words “complementary,” “alternative,” and “integrative,” but what do they really mean?

This fact sheet looks into these terms to help you understand them better and gives you a brief picture of NCCIH’s mission and role in this area of research.

Complementary Versus Alternative

Many Americans—more than 30 percent of adults and about 12 percent of children—use health care approaches developed outside of mainstream Western, or conventional, medicine. When describing these approaches, people often use “alternative” and “complementary” interchangeably, but the two terms refer to different concepts:

• If a non-mainstream practice is used together with conventional medicine, it’s considered “complementary.”
• If a non-mainstream practice is used in place of conventional medicine, it’s considered “alternative.”

True alternative medicine is uncommon. Most people who use non-mainstream approaches use them along with conventional treatments.

Integrative Medicine

There are many definitions of “integrative” health care, but all involve bringing conventional and complementary approaches together in a coordinated way. The use of integrative approaches to health and wellness has grown within care settings across the United States. Researchers are currently exploring the potential benefits of integrative health in a variety of situations, including pain management for military personnel and veterans, relief of symptoms in cancer patients and survivors, and programs to promote healthy behaviors.

Integrative Approaches for Pain Management for Military Personnel and Veterans

Integrative Approaches for Symptom Management in Cancer Patients and Survivors

Integrative Approaches and Health-Related Behaviors

So, What Terms Does NCCIH Use?

NCCIH generally uses the term “complementary health approaches” when we discuss practices and products of non-mainstream origin. We use “integrative health” when we talk about incorporating complementary approaches into mainstream health care.

Types of Complementary Health Approaches

Most complementary health approaches fall into one of two subgroups—natural products or mind and body practices.

Natural Products

This group includes a variety of products, such as herbs (also known as botanicals),vitamins and minerals, and probiotics. They are widely marketed, readily available to consumers, and often sold as dietary supplements.

According to the 2012 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), which included a comprehensive survey on the use of complementary health approaches by Americans, 17.7 percent of American adults had used a dietary supplement other than vitamins and minerals in the past year. These products were the most popular complementary health approach in the survey. (See chart.) The most commonly used natural product was fish oil.

[text version]

Researchers have done large, rigorous studies on a few natural products, but the results often showed that the products didn’t work. Research on others is in progress. While there are indications that some may be helpful, more needs to be learned about the effects of these products in the human body and about their safety and potential interactions with medicines and other natural products.

Mind and Body Practices

Mind and body practices include a large and diverse group of procedures or techniques administered or taught by a trained practitioner or teacher. The 2012 NHIS showed that yoga, chiropractic and osteopathic manipulation, meditation, and massage therapy are among the most popular mind and body practices used by adults. The popularity of yoga has grown dramatically in recent years, with almost twice as many U.S. adults practicing yoga in 2012 as in 2002.

Other mind and body practices include acupuncture, relaxation techniques (such as breathing exercises, guided imagery, and progressive muscle relaxation), tai chi, qi gong,healing touch, hypnotherapy, and movement therapies (such as Feldenkrais method, Alexander technique, Pilates, Rolfing Structural Integration, and Trager psychophysical integration).

The amount of research on mind and body approaches varies widely depending on the practice. For example, researchers have done many studies on acupuncture, yoga, spinal manipulation, and meditation, but there have been fewer studies on some other practices.

Other Complementary Health Approaches

The two broad areas discussed above—natural products and mind and body practices—capture most complementary health approaches. However, some approaches may not neatly fit into either of these groups—for example, the practices of traditional healers,Ayurvedic medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, homeopathy, and naturopathy.

NCCIH’s Role

NCCIH is the Federal Government’s lead agency for scientific research on complementary and integrative health approaches.

NCCIH’s Mission and Vision

The mission of NCCIH is to define, through rigorous scientific investigation, the usefulness and safety of complementary and integrative health interventions and their roles in improving health and health care.

NCCIH’s vision is that scientific evidence will inform decisionmaking by the public, by health care professionals, and by health policymakers regarding the use and integration of complementary and integrative health approaches.

To learn more, visit the NCCIH Facts-at-a-Glance and Mission page.

For More Information

NCCIH Strategic Plan

NCCIH’s current strategic plan, 2016 Strategic Plan: Exploring the Science of Complementary and Integrative Health, presents a series of goals and objectives to guide us in determining priorities for future research on complementary health approaches. The scientific objectives in the plan are aligned with those of the broader National Institutes of Health strategic plan.

NCCIH Clearinghouse

The NCCIH Clearinghouse provides information on NCCIH and complementary and integrative health approaches, including publications and searches of Federal databases of scientific and medical literature. The Clearinghouse does not provide medical advice, treatment recommendations, or referrals to practitioners.

Toll-free in the U.S.: 

1-888-644-6226

TTY (for deaf and hard-of-hearing callers): 

1-866-464-3615

Web site: 

nccih.nih.gov

E-mail: 

info@nccih.nih.gov(link sends e-mail)

This publication is not copyrighted and is in the public domain. Duplication is encouraged.

NCCIH has provided this material for your information. It is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your primary health care provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with your health care provider. The mention of any product, service, or therapy is not an endorsement by NCCIH.

ADDENDUM:

What is Exercise Therapy?

Exercise Therapy is a regimen or plan of physical activities designed and prescribed for specific therapeutic goals. Its [typical] purpose is to work towards the restoration of normal musculoskeletal function or to reduce pain above and below the site of injury caused by diseases or injuries through neuro reeducation, gait training and therapeutic activities.  It is highly repetitive and intensive in nature, requiring time and dedication on the part of the client to encourage neuroplasticity.  The therapy is provided by professionals with an educational background in exercise science, exercise physiology, or other similar degree.

Others have created names for Exercise Therapy such as Activity Based Therapy, Activity Based Recovery Therapy, Neuro-based Therapy, Restorative Therapy, or a variation of those words.  Some take claim for “inventing” it or being “world leaders”.   Regardless of what it is called, exercise therapy has been a vital and longstanding prescribed therapy for decades and is practiced all over the world, just as Physical Therapy is practiced world wide (a different therapy).  Exercise therapy is based in the principles of exercise science and when adapted to the neurologically impaired client, its focus is on recovery of function above and below the site of injury.

Clients who participate in an exercise therapy program can benefit from increased motor or sensory function, increased independence, reduction of medication, reduction of hospital visits, and increased overall health [including mental, spiritual and general well being]..

ADDENDUM 2:

Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 1997 Jan-Feb;14(1):31-3.

Reiki: a complementary therapy for life.

Bullock M1.

Author information

Abstract

Tom was diagnosed with a very aggressive cancer and received only palliative radiation and medication. At the time of diagnosis, his symptoms suggested that he had a very limited life expectancy. With the Reiki and his intent, he was able to achieve his goal of long-term stability with freedom from immobilizing pain and swelling. Tom's comfort and quality of life improved dramatically, and he is living well with his cancer. Reiki has been associated with dramatic results for many patients. The importance of the patient's intent during Reiki treatments cannot be overemphasized. Some general trends seen with Reiki include: periods of stabilization in which there is time to enjoy the last days of one's life; a peaceful and calm passing if death is imminent; and relief from pain, anxiety, dyspnea and edema. Reiki is a valuable complement in supporting patients in their end-of-life journey, enhancing the quality of their remaining days.

PMID:

 

9069762

[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

10 Reasons Why Any Form of Therapy Might Not Be Wotking

10 Reasons Why  Therapy Might Not Be Working

By Elvira G. Aletta, Ph.D. 
~ 5 min read

A few months ago I was called to be an expert witness at the county court. Not my favorite thing to do. What makes it hard is the tendency lawyers have to ask complex questions and expect a “Yes” or “No” answer.

I have learned to slow myself down, detach myself from the process, and be absolutely truthful while remaining as unprovoked as possible. Otherwise it is an exhausting exercise.

One question did get me going, though. It revolved around whether or not a person can change and what causes a person in therapy to improve or not improve.

The conversation below is a dramatic re-enactment of real events…

Lawyer: Under what circumstances does a person in therapy not get well?

Me: Are you assuming the therapist is perfect? Because one reason a person does not improve may be the skills, knowledge and training limitations of the therapist.

Lawyer: Assume the therapist is perfect.

Me: So the lack of improvement is totally the responsibility of the patient?

Note to reader: This is rarely the case. Therapy by definition involves a minimum of two people who are human. In which case perfection is impossible. But we are in a court of law where reality seems always to be in question so…

Lawyer: Yes. Would level of intelligence be a reason?

Me: No. People with very high intelligence can be resistant to treatment, just as less intelligent people can.

Lawyer: Could the presence of a diagnosed mental illness or personality disorder be a reason?

Me: The presence of a mental illness diagnosis or personality disorder alone is not a reason for lack of improvement in therapy.

Lawyer: Then what would be a reason?

Me: There could be many reasons but underlying them is often anxiety. ‘What will happen to me if I change?’ Fear, basically.

[ This point is crucial: As a psychotherapist, counselor, social worker, healer and multi-modal therapist, I favored quick resolution via treatment contract. If we could resolve the presenting issue is on session, we would do that. If something came up later, we would contract to work on that. I had a large therapy/healer toolbox and would use whatever intervention mode that might work, depending on the contract: How do you expect to benefit from therapy/treatment? How will you know and I know that you've gotten what you wanted to achieve? What do you expect from me? Are you ready to do some work on yourself? The contract proceeds based upon responses.

Often the patient/client is not ready to change or give up the comfort or familiarity of their illness or situation/condition. We can work on gradual change or select a comfortable treatment goal.] 

At this point the lawyer switched to a completely different topic. My answers probably weren’t suitable to his argument so he gave up on me. Fine, but these questions kept echoing in my head.

Any therapist worth their salt will admit that they have had patients who seem to stay stuck for session after session. Maybe you have been in therapy and wondered if anything is really getting any better after making a big investment of time and money. What could be the reasons for lack of improvement?

[A good therapist can quickly determine if the client/patient is stuck and not ready and not waste anyone's time or money.]

Questions for Therapists About Lack of Progress in Therapy

Therapists learn about treatment resistance clients in the cradle of graduate school. Hitting a wall in therapy is not a reason to panic. In fact it could be an opportunity to step back and reassess. From the therapist’s point of view:

1. If someone is not showing improvement after a reasonable amount of time we may ask ourselves, are we the right therapist for this patient? Occasionally our patient would be better served with a specialist, sometimes in addition to, or in lieu of our own work. The patient may need supplementary professional help, for example a psychiatrist if medication might help.

2. Have we, with the patient, identified clear goals that give us a way of measuring improvement? Do we need to redefine or recalibrate our goals to be more achievable? We may decide to target specific behaviors, or identify mini-goals as appropriate steps toward the bigger one or stepping back or sideways to step ahead.

3. Are our interventions accessible to the patient? In other words, are we giving our patient tools within their reach? Tools they can use? Sometimes this takes thinking creatively, stepping out of the usual cookie-cutter solution.

4. Is it possible there is something about the patient we don’t like and therefore we are ineffective because we are holding ourselves back? This type of counter-transference can lead to therapist resistance if unchecked. It is an important part of our job to be aware of this and act accordingly.

5. Are we being patient enough? If most resistance to improvement comes from fear, what can we do to address the fear?

In my training, many years ago, I complained to my supervisor that I didn’t understand why a patient kept coming to see me week after week with no visible improvement. Being a great supervisor, she said to me, “Who makes you the judge? Your patient does not wish to fire you. She is getting something out of therapy. Be patient. Listen.”

Months later my patient revealed childhood sexual and physical abuse that she could not reveal until she was good and ready.

Why Patients Don’t Get Better

Usually the goal in therapy is some kind of change. To achieve this goal, both parties need to be truthful. What things may make a person in therapy afraid of revealing the truth and afraid of change?

1. Fear of judgment. If I could have a nickle for every time a patient prefaced a sentence with some variation of, “You will think this is awful…” I’d be on a beach in Maui right now. If you can identify with this, you may have held onto this awful thing for ages so it takes up an extraordinary amount of space in your brain and has probably bored a hole in your self-worth.

The therapist has a different perspective. He/she is trained to be non-judgmental. He/she has probably heard a ton of stuff much worse than whatever it is you think will horrify them. Even so, it is human to want others to think the best of us. It takes a lot of trust to tell the truth to your therapist. It takes faith to believe that the awful thing you are about to reveal will be treated with kindness. Yet to get unstuck that is precisely what is needed.

2. Fear of rejection. Underneath the fear of being judged is fear of rejection; a primal fear. That’s why shunning is such a devastating punishment. You may be wondering, ‘If I get better, will my family who is so used to my problems, still have a place for me? Will they still love me?’

3. Fear of assuming greater responsibility. Sometimes if we stay childlike we are rewarded by people taking care of us. It can be very uncomfortable to give up the sense of protection that staying dependent on others can give. The rewards of being an emotionally healthy well-integrated person are rich and complex, but not always obvious. It takes risk and belief in ourselves to take up the reins of adulthood.

4. Fear of success. What if you get better and you no longer have a reason to see your therapist? Fear that if you change too much your life may become unrecognizable could be a factor in being stuck in therapy. People can get used to failing. It can become their comfort zone. In that case, the lack of discomfort actually feels uncomfortable. Or, said another way, happiness just feels weird.

5. Fear of intimacy. Sharing our truth to another who respects it, “gets” it and reflects it back in kind, is the essence of intimacy. If we get close to people, if we reveal ourselves to another, we become vulnerable and that is scary.

Fundamentally we are talking about fear of pain and like every living being on the planet, we humans are hard-wired to resist pain by either running away from it or fighting it, tooth and nail. Why should therapy be any different?

We therapists need your feedback to work effectively for you. If you like your therapist and still feel stuck, try to get through the fear enough to bring up your feelings of stuck-ness so that you and your therapist can work on it together. You do not have to have the reasons for being stuck figured out. It is enough just to say, “I feel stuck. Could we please look at that?”

It takes a skilled, compassionate therapist and a motivated, brave patient to give the therapy process a chance.

What are some of the reasons you’ve found therapy seems not to be working? What have you or your therapist done to try and help move yourpsychotherapy forward?