The Pagan Heart
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June-July 2005 Issue
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Working with Energy: How to Become a Healer Without Harming Yourself I
By Catherine M.
I've been teaching, and learning, healing work for about fourteen years now. It's a fascinating field of study - and can be a wonderful experience. If you understand the principles of what you are doing, that is. I have learnt that many "healers" don't - and this creates problems for them and those they work with. A true healer acts as a conduit for energy, drawing it into his or her body and then releasing it into the patient. But many of those working as healers have never been formally trained, or studied, and instead of using the energy about them, they use their own, drawing upon reserves and ultimately leaving themselves drained. This not only exhausts the healer, it leaves him or her open to illness and to empathic drainage. Empathic drainage happens when a healer connects with a patient, uses personal energy to heal, and then suffers a semi-permanent connection to the patient. Over time the patient continues to draw energy, and if left untreated, the link can become permanent. Because the healer uses personal energy, the drain impacts upon the healer physically and leaves him or her without any reserves. With the rising popularity of reiki, and the related increase in people teaching healing techniques, the number of poorly trained healers is also on the rise. Information is easily avaiable, and we live in a world of intstant gratification - so many who wish to be healers grab the information, skim, and start. Secure in their newfound knowledge, they start teaching others and before you know it there's a new plethora of "healers" failing to heal in a beneficial way. It's frustrating because it really is very simple. So, over the new few issues join me as we look at How to Become a Healer Without Harming Yourself. This month let's discuss energy - primarily raising and channeling. There are many ways to do this, but to keep it simple I'm going to stick with the Eastern influenced methods I've covered in earlier issues. For a refresher, there is the February issue of Tools of the Trade that explained the Dancing Fingers Mudra, and the March issue that provided some simple pre-meditation exercises. These basic tools are very effective steps in learning full control over your own energy - of which there are two major parts as far as this essay is concerned. The first part is the kundalini energy - your spiritual awareness - it is raised and strengthened through meditation, mudras, and asanas. The second is your life energy. This is open and functional all the time. It too is affected by meditation et al. Neither should be directly involved in any healing work, but both have a role to play. Developing your kundalini energy helps develop your ability to be a compassionate, empathic, and effective healer as it distances you to a certain extent. When you are less emotionally involved, you have greater control and better judgement. Since your healing ability is affected by your emotional state, a certain distance is useful. Your life energy affects your own health and mental awareness. The more balanced and "fit" this energy is, the more able you are to withstand the rigours of healing and empath work, and the more in tune you are with what type of healing is required where. According to Eastern philosophy (and a growing Western one) both kundalini and life energy pass through a number of points in the body. Each point is a nexus of sorts, and its state of being affects the state of the energies. We call these nexus points the seven Major Chakras. The Primary Chakras serve the kundalini, while the Secondary serve the life energy. Fairly similar in location, the two sets of Chakras have very different functions. We are going to discuss the Secondary Chakras, but I strongly suggest you read the Primary Chakra Meditation in an upcoming issue as it will help you begin to awaken and develop your kundalini energy, and thus your spiritual awareness. There are many more Chakra points than just these ones, and it is worthwhile developing a familiarity with them simply to further your own knowledge and understanding. In order to be an effective healer, however, knowledge of the Primary and Secondary Major Chakras, and a few of the Minor ones is all that is necessary.
The Secondary Chakras Our Secondary Chakras are physically located within our bodies, and through awareness, inner focus, and meditation can be sensed and worked upon - as can those of others when we are engaged in communion or healing with them. Regularly practicing the Circle of Light Meditation (in the sidebar) helps to bring these Chakras can be brought into a higher state of functioning. Using Mudras and chants (below) helps to balance the life energy that flows through them. You may read of meditations etc that will "activate" or awaken these Chakras - it's a miscommunication. The Secondary Chakras are always active - they can be unbalanced and in a hyper or hypoactive state, but there is always a flow of energy. It is the Primary Chakras that are shut down in most people. However many Western versions of Chakra work confuse and blend the Primary and Secondary Chakras, mixing traits from one with the other. The Root Chakra is the first Secondary Chakra. It is located at the base of the spine and literally forms our foundation. When it is balanced we feel grounded, secure, and comfortable in ourselves. It is the Chakra of "having". Having strength and ability. Having courage. The responsibility of this Chakra is to combat fear of inferiority, inability, and lack of belonging by helping us to realise we have the right to be where we are, doing what we do, being who we are. The Naval Chakra is the second Chakra. It connects us to others through feeling, desire, sensation, and movement. It is located just below the navel, in the abdomen/lower back. This Chakra is the "gut feeling" one, tied to the ability to emotionally feel. When it is balanced we feel comfortable in our emotions and in expressing them and receiving those of other people. It fights unnecessary guilt, helping us take responsibility for what is ours and avoid that which others try to place upon us. It also helps us explore our emotions without wallowing in them. The Solar Plexus Chakra is the third Chakra. This Chakra influences our personal power, will, and autonomy, as well as our metabolism. It is located above the navel, but below the chest - in the solar plexus. When balanced it increases our ability to act and to maintain willpower. Its proximity to the Navel Chakra influences its responsibility. When unbalanced, we are more prone to act shamefully and to feel shame. When balanced we act rightfully, honour and ethical stance guiding our path through life. The Heart Chakra is the fourth Chakra. This Chakra is the middle one in a system of seven, and is related to love and is the integrator of opposites in the psyche: mind and body, male and female, persona and shadow, ego and unity. It is physically located near the heart in the centre of the chest and is responsible for love in all its forms. When balanced we feel joy and loveable. We are able to express our love of others, and feel compassionate love for those we don't know, or may even be inclined to hate. Unbalanced, the Heart Chakra leaves us defenceless against sorrow, and more likely to engage in emotional turmoil and hatred. The Throat Chakra is the fifth Chakra, located in the throat near the thyroid. It is related to communication and creativity, and the ability to tell the truth. When balanced, the Throat Chakra is soft and open, leaving our voices clear, soft and fluid in sound, and evenly paced. We are able to tell the "truth" of ourselves and our lives. We are also able to hear the truth. Unbalance, this Chakra leaves us with voices that are tight, rapid, and high-pitched. We find ourselves lost in untruths and unable to tell the differences between truth and falsehood. This Chakra rules our right to hear the truth and speak what is true to us and about ourselves. The Third Eye Chakra is the sixth Chakra, and is located in the middle of the forehead. It is responsible for seeing, both physically and intuitively. With balance, the Third Eye Chakra enables us to commune with the world around us, accessing our intuitive and psychic abilities. We can see metaphorically as well as in reality. If unbalanced, however, we become beguiled by illusion, unable or unwilling to view the reality about us. The Crown Chakra is the seventh Chakra. It is located at the top of the head and relates to consciousness as pure awareness. We humans are often trapped by our desires and wishes, attaching ourselves to things that ultimately matter little. Balancing the Crown Chakra leads to a greater ability to cast off such desires, freeing us to become higher-order souls.
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Primary article for June-July - How to Become a Healer Without Harming Yourself I
Secondary article for June-July - The Mudras and Chants
Secondary article for June-July - One Woman's Sacred Vision
Return to the Index of articles for Tools of the Trade
