Principles of Energy Medicine | Print | | E-mail David Feinstein, Ph.D.

2010 Energy medicine recognizes energy as a vital, living, moving force that determines m ch a!o t health and ha""iness. #n energy medicine, energy is the medicine, and energy is also the patient. $o heal the !ody !y activating its nat ral healing energies% yo also heal the !ody !y restoring energies that have !ecome &ea', dist r!ed, or o t of !alance. Energy medicine is !oth a com"lement to other a""roaches to medical care and a com"lete system for selfcare and self-hel". #t can address "hysical illness and emotional or mental disorders, and can also "romote high-level &ellness and "ea' "erformance. (he essential "rinci"les of energy medicine incl de) 1. Energies * !oth electromagnetic energies and more s !tle energies * form the dynamic infrastructure of the "hysical !ody. 2. (he health of those energies + in terms of flo&, !alance, and harmony + is reflected in the health of the !ody. ,. -onversely, &hen the !ody is not healthy, corres"onding dist r!ances in its energies can !e identified and treated. .. (o overcome illness and maintain vi!rant health, the !ody needs its energies to) o Move and have s"ace to contin e to move * energies may !ecome !loc'ed d e to to/ins, m sc lar or other constriction, "rolonged stress, or interference from other energies. Move in specific patterns * generally in harmony &ith the "hysical str ct res and f nctions that the energies animate and s ""ort. 0Flo& follo&s f nction.1 Cross over at all levels, from the microlevel of the do !le heli/ of D23, e/tending to the macrolevel &here the left side of the !rain controls the right side of the !ody and the right side to the left.

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Maintain a balance &ith other energies * the energies may lose their nat ral !alance d e to "rolonged stress or other conditions that 'ee" s"ecific energy systems in a s rvival mode. Flo&, !alance, and harmony can !e non-invasively restored and

maintained &ithin an energy system !y) o tapping, massaging, pinching, twisting, or connecting s"ecific energy "oints on the s'in o tracing or swirling the hand over the s'in along s"ecific energy "ath&ays o o o exercises or postures designed for s"ecific energetic effects foc sed use of the mind to move s"ecific energies surrounding an area &ith healing energies 4one "erson5s energies im"acts another5s6 The Nine Primary Energy Systems Peo"le &ho 7see energy7 can descri!e &ith some "recision the anatomy of the energy !ody, and their descri"tions tend to corro!orate one another. (hese descri"tions are no& !ac'ed !y electromagnetic meas rements, and they also correlate &ith descri"tions of s !tle energies fo nd thro gho t the &orld, nderstood in each c lt re5s o&n terms and conce"ts. (he meridians, cha'ras, and a ra are three terms that have entered o r lang age, ! t other energy systems have !een identified as &ell. 8ne of the individ als 'no&n for !eing a!le to 7see7 or clairvoyantly read the !ody5s energies, Donna Eden, descri!es eight energy systems that im"act !ody and mind. The nine systems include: 1. 9eridians

2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

-ha'ras 3 ra :asic ;rid -eltic <eave Five =hythms (ri"le <armer =adiant -irc its Electrics

The following descriptions of the nine systems are built around nine analogies, each designed to give you a more concrete sense of the nature and function of one of these invisible systems. 16 The Meridians: #n the &ay an artery carries !lood, a meridian carries energy. 3s the !ody>s energy !loodstream, the meridian system !rings vitality and !alance, removes !loc'ages, ad? sts meta!olism, and even determines the s"eed and form of cell lar change. (he flo& of the meridian energy "ath&ays is as critical as the flo& of !lood. 2o energy, no life. 9eridians affect every organ and every "hysiological system, incl ding the imm ne, nervo s, endocrine, circ latory, res"iratory, digestive, s'eletal, m sc lar, and lym"hatic systems. Each system is fed !y at least one meridian. #f a meridian>s energy is o!str cted or nreg lated, the system it feeds is ?eo"ardized. (he meridians incl de fo rteen tangi!le channels that carry energy into, thro gh, and o t of yo r !ody. $o r meridian "ath&ays also connect h ndreds of tiny, distinct reservoirs of heat and electromagnetic energy along the s rface of the s'in. (hese are yo r ac " nct re "oints, and they can !e stim lated &ith needles or "hysical "ress re to release or redistri! te energy along the meridian "ath&ay. 26 The ha!ras: (he &ord cha'ra translates from the @ans'rit as dis', vorte/, or

&heel. (he cha'ras are concentrated centers of energy. Each ma?or cha'ra in the h man !ody is a center of s&irling energy "ositioned at one of seven "oints, from the !ase of yo r s"ine to the to" of yo r head. <here the meridians deliver their energy to the organs, the cha'ras !athe the organs in their energies. Each

cha'ra s ""lies energy to s"ecific organs, corres"onds to a distinct as"ect of yo r "ersonality, and resonates 4res"ectively, from the !ottom to the to" cha'ra6 &ith one of seven niversal "rinci"les having to do &ith s rvival, creativity, identity, love, e/"ression, com"rehension, or transcendence. $o r cha'ras also code yo r e/"eriences in their energies, ? st as memories are chemically coded in yo r ne rons. 3n im"rint of every emotionally significant event yo have e/"erienced is !elieved to !e recorded in yo r cha'ra energies. 3 sensitive "ractitioner>s hand held over a cha'ra may resonate &ith "ain in a related organ, congestion in a lym"h node, s !tle a!normalities in heat or " lsing, areas of emotional t rmoil, or even t ne into a stored memory that might !e addressed as "art of the healing "rocess. ,6 The "ura: $o r a ra is a m lti-layered shell of energy that emanates from yo r !ody and interacts &ith the energies of yo r environment. #t is itself a "rotective atmos"here that s rro nds yo , filtering o t many of the energies yo enco nter and dra&ing in others that yo need. Ai'e a s"ace s it, yo r a ra "rotects yo from harmf l energies. Ai'e a radio antenna, it !rings in energies &ith &hich it resonates. (he a ra is a cond it, a t&o-&ay antenna that !rings in energy from the environment to yo r cha'ras and that sends energy from yo r cha'ras o t&ard. <hen yo feel ha""y, attractive, and s"irited, yo r a ra may fill an entire room. <hen yo are sad, des"ondent, and som!er, yo r a ra crashes in on yo , forming an energetic shell that isolates yo from the &orld. @ome "eo"le5s a ras characteristically reach o t and em!race yo . 8thers 'ee" yo o t li'e an electric fence. 3 st dy cond cted !y Balerie C nt, a ne ro"hysiologist at D-A3>s Energy Fields Aa!oratory, com"ared 7a ra readings7 &ith ne ro"hysiological meas res. (he a ras seen !y eight "ractitioners not only corres"onded &ith one another, they correlated &ith &ave "atterns "ic'ed " !y electrodes on the s'in at the s"ot that &as !eing o!served. .6 The #asic $rid: (he !asic grid is yo r !ody5s fo ndational energy. Ai'e the chassis of a car, all the other energy systems ride on the energy of the !asic grid.

For instance, &hen yo are lying do&n, it &o ld a""ear to a seer s ch as Donna that each of yo r cha'ras sits "on this fo ndational energy. ;rid energy is st rdy and f ndamental. : t severe tra ma can damage and deform the grid, and &hen this occ rs, it does not s ally re"air itself s"ontaneo sly. =ather, the other energy systems ad? st themselves to the damaged grid, m ch as a "ersonality may !e formed aro nd early tra matic e/"eriences. =e"airing a "erson5s !asic grid is one of the most advanced and intense forms of energy thera"y. #f a grid5s str ct re or a car5s chassis is so nd, yo never notice it is there% if it is damaged, nothing else is E ite right. F6 The eltic %eave: (he !ody5s energies s"in, s"iral, c rve, t&ist, crisscross,

and &eave themselves into "atterns of magnificent !ea ty. (he eE ili!ri m of this 'aleidosco"e of colors and sha"es is maintained !y an energy system 'no&n !y different names to energy healers thro gho t the &orld. #n the East, it has !een called the 7(i!etan energy ring.7 #n yoga tradition, it is re"resented !y t&o c rved lines that cross seven times, sym!olically encasing the seven cha'ras. #n the <est, it is seen in the cad ce s, the intert&ined ser"ents also crossing seven timesfo nd on the staff that is the sym!ol of the medical "rofession. Donna ses the term -eltic &eave not only !eca se she has a "ersonal affinity &ith -eltic healing, ! t also !eca se the "attern loo's to her li'e the old -eltic dra&ings of a s"iraling, side&ays infinity sign, never !eginning and never ending and sometimes forming a tri"le s"iral. Ai'e an invisi!le thread that 'ee"s all the energy systems f nctioning as a single nit, the -eltic &eave net&or's thro gho t and aro nd the !ody in s"iraling fig re-eight "atterns. (he do !le heli/ of D23 is this "attern in microcosm. (he left hemis"here5s control of the right side of the !ody and the right hemis"here5s control of the left side is this "attern &rit large. G6 The &ive 'hythms: $o r meridians, cha'ras, a ra, and other essential energies are infl enced !y a more "ervasive energy system. Donna does not see it as a se"arate energy ! t rather as a rhythm that r ns thro gh all the others,

leaving its vi!ratory im"rint on "hysical attri! tes, health "atterns, and "ersonality traits. 9a""ed long ago in traditional -hinese medicine, all of life &as categorized into five 7elements,7 7movements,7 or 7seasons7 4there is no "erfect translationall three terms have !een sed, s ggesting E alities of !eing !oth cyclical and s !stantial6. (hese energies &ere considered the ! ilding !loc's of the niverse, "roviding a !asis for nderstanding ho& the &orld &or's, ho& societies organize themselves, and &hat the h man !ody needs to maintain health. 9eta"hors for descri!ing these five distinct rhythms have dra&n from concrete, o!serva!le elements of nat re 4&ater, &ood, fire, earth, and metal6 and from the seasons 4&inter, s"ring, s mmer, #ndian s mmer, and a t mn6. Ai'e the !ac'gro nd m sic d ring a movie, the "erson>s "rimary rhythm, in com!ination &ith the changing rhythms of life>s seasons, directs the tone and mood of the entire energy system and sets the atmos"here of the life !eing lived. H6 The Triple %armer: (ri"le &armer is the meridian that net&or's the energies of the imm ne system to attac' an invader, and it mo!ilizes the !ody5s energies in an emergency for the fight-or-flight-or-freeze res"onse. #n carrying o t these critical f nctions, it o"erates in &ays that are so !eyond the range of any other meridian that some consider it a system nto itself. 3ltho gh the e/act reasons for the term 7tri"le &armer7 are lost in antiE ity, its energies &or' in con? nction &ith the hy"othalam s gland, &hich is the !ody5s thermostat. (he hy"othalam s is also the instigator of the !ody5s emergency res"onse. Ai'e an army, tri"le &armer mo!ilizes d ring threat or "erceived threat, coordinating all the other energy systems to activate the imm ne res"onse, govern the fightIflightIfreeze mechanism, and esta!lish and maintain ha!it al res"onses to threat. J6 The 'adiant ircuits: (he radiant circ its f nction to ens re that all the other

energy systems are &or'ing for the common good. (hey redistri! te energies to &here they are most needed, res"onding to any health challenge the !ody might enco nter. #n terms of evol tion, the radiant circ its have !een aro nd longer than the meridians. Primitive organisms s ch as insects move their energies via

the radiant circ its rather than thro gh a meridian system, and the radiant circ its can !e seen in the em!ryo !efore the meridians develo". 3s in the &ay that river!eds are formed, it is as if radiant energies that ha!it ally follo&ed the same co rse !ecame meridians. <here the meridians are tied to fi/ed "ath&ays and s"ecific organs, the radiant energies o"erate as fl id fields, em!odying a distinct s"ontaneo s intelligence. Ai'e hy"erlin's on a &e!site, they ? m" instantly to &herever they are needed, !ringing revitalization, ?oy, and s"irit al connection. #f tri"le &armer mo!ilizes yo r inner militia, the radiant circ its mo!ilize yo r inner mom, sho&ering yo &ith healing energy, "roviding life-s staining reso rces, and lifting yo r morale. K6 The Electrics: (he electrics are an energy that seems to emerge form the electrical dimension of the other energy systems. (hey are not an inde"endent energy system li'e the meridians, cha'ras, or a ra, ! t they are rather intimately related to all the ma?or energy systems) se"arate from each ! t also and as"ect of each, something li'e the &ay liE id is se"arate from yet "art of each of yo r organs. (he electrics serve as a !ridge that connects all the energy systems at the !asic level of the !ody>s electricity. # s ally have no idea &hat &ill occ r &hen # first hold a "erson>s electric "oints. (he energy gores &here it is needed. (here are re"orts of scar tiss e !eing healed d ring an electrics session, heart ata/ia eliminated, a 'nee re"lacement o"eration avoided, and all manner of emotional tra ma overcome. : t most im"ortant, in terms of &hole-!ody healing, is the &ay the electrics connect all the systems. #f energy fields s ch as the a ra and cha'ra align the organs and other energies !y s rro nding them, the electrics move right thro gh them, connecting and coordinating them at the tangi!le dimension of their electrical nat re. =eference) Energy Medicine and Energy Medicine for Women !y Donna Eden L David Feinstein, Ph.D. 4(archerIPeng in P tnam, 200J6