Although energy itself is not seen by the naked eye, quantum physics shows us that everything in the universe is made up of energy. This includes the feelings, emotions, memories, and beliefs we hold. Psychotherapy, generally and historically, has been heavily concerned with the relationship between emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. More recently there has been a much stronger emphasis on the body, as well as spirituality, and how they play a role in psychotherapy. Healing through body, mind, and spirit are actually ancient practices, however, they are relatively new in western psychology. And to be fair, psychotherapy is fairly new in origin. Yet, the underpinnings of healing existential and trauma wounds energetically are not.
Western psychology is beginning to embrace, and find empirical evidence for, the ongoing interconnectedness between the mind, body, and spirit. To both try to expand and simplify this, they are all energetically connected, and thus all significant in healing practices. One is a gateway for the others and can lead to therapeutic transformation.
Expanding our minds when working with our energetic systems opens greater understanding that we cannot fix ourselves, because we are not broken. Rather we can learn to be present with whatever arises energetically so we can release pain and what no longer serves us. Whether it be through body sensations, thoughts, images, memories, beliefs, colors, urges, movement and/or etc. Recognizing that whatever comes up, is a message and is a gateway towards greater wellbeing and wholeness.
Holding a sacred space for our emotional energetic information to flow into our conscious awareness and to be released in a healthy way is crucial. Therapy is also about learning to gently shift how we react to what comes up. Holding compassion and understanding that what comes up may be unsettling. And honoring when we are not ready and preparing ourselves for this deeply transformative work.
Some of us, have heard the term “chakra” and others have not. Don’t let the word turn you off, it is simply an ancient and foreign language. The word ‘chakra’ simply means energy center. Since everything in the universe is energy, it makes sense that we too have ways of transmitting, receiving, and releasing energy. These energy centers hold the emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual experiences, memories, and beliefs that have been internalized.
Most leading experts agree on seven central energy centers that run from the sacrum up to the top of the head. As this knowledge expands, leading experts such as Cyndi Dale, work with twelve energy centers, from a foot underneath us to two feet above our heads, as well as in the hands and feet. Regardless of how many exist, these energy centers interact with the electromagnetic fields from the earth, atmosphere, others, and the world around us. They also govern the physical (organs, body parts, and endocrine glands), psychological, and spiritual processes related to the areas they reside. Other important energy systems include the meridian system used in acupuncture, etheric fields, morphogenetic fields, auric fields, the seven rays, assemblage points, and more, which we won’t go into in this post.
When we do therapeutic work, vibrational energy begins to increase and stir up unresolved issues. This is meaningful, they surface because they need to be worked on. Even when we try to suppress, deny, and avoid unresolved issues, they continue to surface in order to be released and reprogrammed. In fact, blocking and holding unresolved issues is what leads to mental and physical illnesses over time. When these energy centers open, the vibrational energy generates sensations, images, emotions, urges, thoughts, memories and etc. Because this can be painful, many of us block the energy in some way. It is therefore important to have support, to understand the process, and to have resources to tolerate, regulate, and release. Learning to appreciate emotional experiences as being important messages that provide insight and healing.
When we clear these blocks, traumas, and old patterns from our energy centers our feelings become more fluid, no longer stagnating or rushing out too quickly. Our minds become clearer, and we our reactions match the present moment, serving us and others in a more balanced way.