I wanted to begin my blogging journey on energy work by talking about what energy work has to do with wellness. Our health industrial complex, especially here in America, likes to compartmentalize things and if it can’t sense, scan, or see something within the body, then it doesn’t exist. Add to that the division between body and mind, that still exists, even among practitioners who talk a lot about mind and body connection, and well, our western medicine sees little value in energy work and treats it as such. This has given energy work a designation of “new age” or “woo woo”.
For those who either don’t fit into the western wellness mold or choose not to fit into it (or both!), energy work brings a new dimension to talking and thinking about wellness. As a neurodivergent person, and a Reiki Master, I use energy work (including my own system I’m developing), to help deal with sensory overloads and autistic meltdowns. It’s simply a tool in my toolbox, and some days I’m able to use it better than others.
There’s also a historical lens through we can look at energy work. Even now, some aspects of western medicine are starting to catch up by looking at things such as meditation and yoga as alternative health or healing methods and including energy work along with that umbrella. (This is a topic I hope to dive into deeper at some point in the future because there are some interesting shifts being done in this area.)
When I look at the wellness wheel, I align it with the body’s energy centers (often called chakras). When looking at each of the energy centers, aspects of the wellness wheel appear in all of them. Our physical health, for example, affects every energy center, just as our emotional and occupational health does. It’s layers upon layers, like petals on a blossoming flower (or layers of an onion) and you only have to go as deep as you want to, but the deeper you go, the more information you can find about your wellness.
Energy work also connects me to animals, especially my horses, which connects me to nature and helps my wellness. Horses, especially, have powerful heart centers and it’s said that their energy fields can extend several feet beyond their bodies. It’s why many horse people talk about “barn gravity”. They go to the barn expecting to spend an hour or so with their horse and end up spending an afternoon; being around horses regulates our systems. Certainly I share my life with my sacred herd (The horse Goddess Epona is one of my patron deities), and I help them as much as they help me.
Energy work, in some ways, brings a measure of control to my wellness. Though I cannot control what western medicine doesn’t do (and frankly they leave a lot to be desired for my conditions), I can tap into my energy work to relax tense muscles, align my energy system, and shield myself against intense situations. I use this to enhance my wellness, and that’s what I hope to share with you.
If you like the work I do and want to send a token of your appreciation to the sacred herd, please check out their Amazon Wish List. The horses and I appreciate your generosity.
