Surrounding and interpenetrating our physical bodies are fields and currents of subtle energies.  This life force energy, called chi, prana, kundalini, reiki, or the vital force, governs and reflects our physical, emotional, and mental health.  The state of this energy system reflects our physical and psychological state.  If we repattern and balance this energy flow then our physical state and emotional state will shift as well. 

Psychological issues can be perceived as distortions in the flow of energy in our aura and chakras.  The aura is the multi-layered field of energy that surrounds and informs our physical body.  It contains information about our past, present, and potential futures, holding energy patterns we have created in response to past experiences.  It interacts with the energy layers of the body through the chakras and meridian system.  The chakras are wheels of light, vortices of energy correlated with areas along the central channel of our body, such as the coccyx, sacral cavity, solar plexus, heart, throat, brow, and the crown of the head.  The energy flow in the chakras affects our nervous system and endocrine system, which regulate hormone and neurotransmitter production and thus our emotional states as reflected by chemical activity in the body.  Energy healing therapies like Reiki, EFT, Bodytalk, Chi Gong, Healing Touch, Energy Medicine, and CranioSacral Therapy can quickly rebalance energy patterns and stabilize one's mood.  Since these energy layers are at a deeper level of causality than the biochemical layer, these therapies have longer lasting effects than drug therapies, and there aren't any harmful side effects.

Patients often report rapid relief from anxiety or a lift from depression after energy healing sessions, as their vibrational energy state has shifted and the patterns generated by fear or depression has been transformed into a healthier emotional expression.  Recent research with Reiki has shown significant reduction in stress, anxiety, and blood pressure, and improved mood among those with depression.  Reiki has also been demonstrated to benefit those undergoing treatment and in recovery from alcohol and substance abuse.  Energy healing can be seen as a vital component of any mental health treatment plan, and if you haven't incorporated energy healing into your care or practice then now is a great time to start, as these therapies are becoming more readily available and inexpensive as more people learn these practices.

Jed Shlackman, LMHC is a Mental Health Counselor, Hypnotherapist, and Reiki Master in private practice in Miami, FL.
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