Spiritual Healing
Critics maintain that there is no science involved in spiritual healing. Experts in the field of Complementary and Alternative Medicine disagree. Certainly there are popular and, some say, very effective methods such as prayer, which don’t involve much science at all. But there are other means of spiritual healing. Many spiritual healing methods are based on the use of the body’s internal and external energies. Most of these therapies, including Reiki, Healing Touch, Qi Gong, Polarity Therapy and others, work along the basic principle that energy must flow freely throughout the body in order for mind, body and spirit to work together. Only then can health be achieved. We’ll break it down a little bit.
It is believed that there are energies within the body called prana or chi (which means “life force”), etheric energy, doshas – there are many names for these energies, as they have been discussed for centuries by various cultures. The energy field that surrounds the body is called the aura. Some claim to be able to see the aura with the naked eye. In recent years, science has developed the ability to photograph the aura. Some spiritual healers say that they can analyze these photographs to diagnose specific problems in the body.
Scientifically, these energies are called putative energy fields or biofields. These forms of subtle energy within and around the body have never been measured in a way that can be documented. Chakras are seven or eight (depending on varying philosophies) points along the body, from the base of the spine to the head, that attract and house these energies. If the passages are blocked, the mind, body and spirit is inhibited and can not work together to achieve optimum health. Many spiritual healing therapies including Reiki, Healing Touch Therapy and Therapeutic Touch Therapy work upon the principle that energy, either from the patient or from a greater outside source, can flow through the hands of a practitioner into the body of his or her client. Some of these therapies involve touch, but some are administered by moving the hands along the body, but without touching.
Therapies like Qi Gong and Polarity Therapy work on diet, exercise and self-awareness as well as spiritual means to make the body healthy. These therapies, as they involve more conventional methods of health attainment, might be more easily accepted by skeptics. Proponents of all of these therapies say that using them together with conventional medicine can only benefit the patient. Some believe that all illness, whether mental, physical or emotional, begins in the brain, at least in some small part. So when all energies are flowing freely, healing can begin. And many healthcare providers, including physicians, are coming to recognize that spiritual healing can have a positive impact on prognosis and recovery in their patients.
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) conducts and funds scientific studies of these types of treatments regularly. For information about studies they have done, or to apply for a grant for a study that you would like to do, go to www. nccam.nih.gov. Spiritual healing takes many forms, including a self-healing regime that has been used in many religions for centuries. And it is becoming increasingly popular outside of organized religion, too. In addition to prayer, many people are turning to meditation, journaling, and other forms of introspection to connect with a higher spiritual power. This connection, they say, enables them to absorb the healing power, become aware of things they can do to help improve their own condition, and ultimately take charge of their own well-being.
Spiritual Healing Related Articles
Many cultures have believed for centuries in the power of spiritual therapies to align the function of the body, spirit and mind for optimum health. So how do you learn to become of practitioner of such spiritual healing modalities as Reiki, Qi Gong, Healing Touch therapy, Polarity Therapy and other complementary and alternative medicines? Many medical schools around the United States now offer courses in spiritual healing. Some of these include Everglades University in Florida, the University of Florida, the University of Minnesota and the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). But if you are looking for a school that is dedicated to these alternative and complementary forms of healing, you’re in luck. There are several of those, too.
The website www.naturalhealers.com has a list of schools in 25 states and Canada, with information about each school. Some of the listings link directly to the website of the school. Some of these listings include the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts in Arizona, the Lionheat West Institute of Transpersonal Energy Healing in Los Angeles, the WakePoint School of Energy Healing in Colorado and the Self Realization Meditation Healing Centre in Michigan You can also do a search of various modalities including acupuncture, Ayurveda, chiropractic, herbal medicine, homeopathy, massage therapy, naturopathic medicine, and more.
The Holistic Health Network, www.holisticnetwork.org, lists schools in the United States and Canada that offer training in spiritual healing. Some of these include the Meridian Institute School in Los Angeles, California College of Ayurveda in California, Sarvaga Institute in Illinois and Reiki Center of Greater Washington in Maryland.
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, www.nccam.nih.gov, offers links that are broken up into categories. Training and Career Development Opportunities offers classes to undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral trainees, newly independent investigators and mid-career and senior investigators. The Continuing Education Series offers online courses for health care professionals and the public.
The online school Higher Communications Academy of Alternative Therapies, ww.newspiritservices.com/Class.html, offers classes in Identity Therapy and New Balance Clearing Therapy (both created by the school’s founder, Whitneay T. Vanwells), in addition to other spiritual healing methods, through “live, weekend video webinars”. These techniques, says the website, can be applied in person, over the phone or over great distances. The Inner Focus Directed Advanced Energy Healing School, www.innerfocus.org, offers classes to lay people and medial professionals (with continuing education units available).
Founder and director AlixSandra Parness is quoted in the site: “I dedicated my heart and soul to becoming masterful in the art of healing, and finding ways to empower others to believe in themselves.” To earn your advanced degree in metaphysics, consider the online study programs from the University of Metaphysical Sciences in Arcata, California. Graduates can study for their Bachelor or Masters degree at their own pace, via mail or online. Candidates for a Ph.D or Doctor of Divinity degree work with instructors and the University of Metaphysical Sciences in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
The UMS is a non-profit organization, and offers several program options depending on your career goals and your spiritual aspirations. Courses include Communication and Problem Solving, Hypnosis, Aura Viewing, Native American Traditions, Trauma and Recovery, Reiki, Yoga and many other topics, and students have a number of elective courses available to them as well. Keep in mind that these courses have varying degrees of required time commitment and tuition – for instance, to be trained as a master in the art of Reiki, one can expect to spend four years in training and pay up to, and in excess of $10,000, depending on the instructor. Be sure to check requirements, as well as the qualifications of the instructors, before you sign up.
Spiritual Healing Related Articles
This website uses cookies that are necessary to its functioning and required to achieve the purposes illustrated in the privacy policy. By accepting this OR scrolling this page OR continuing to browse, you agree to our Privacy Policy