“Everything is energy and that’s all there is to it,” Albert Einstein famously said. So it comes as no surprise to know that there are a number of different holistic treatments that work on our energy to help improve our health and wellbeing. “Energy therapy is a form of complementary and alternative medicine based on the belief that a vital energy flows through the human body,” says traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioner and co-founder of Escapada Health Maeve O’Sullivan (escapadahealth.com ). “The goal of energy therapy is to balance the energy flow in the patient. It is used to reduce stress and anxiety and promote wellbeing.”
Whether originating from TCM, ayurveda or elsewhere, energy may mean slightly different things to different practitioners but one thing they agree on is that enabling energy to flow freely is beneficial to physical, mental and spiritual health. Some energy-based therapies involve touch or body movement, while others require little or no physical contact. As well as helping to relieve stress, these treatments are also said to help with everything from hormone imbalance and digestive health to insomnia and pain relief. Some cancer patients are recommended energy therapies to treat symptoms. And, even though according to the NHS website there is no medical evidence to prove their effectiveness, there are energy-based treatments available in NHS hospitals.
Wondering how energy therapies work or what to expect from a session? Let’s take a closer look at some of the different types of energy therapies and what they can do.
Acupressure
“Acupressure is an ancient form of massage that has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for over 2,000 years and is a method of sending a signal to the body through pressure to turn on its own self-healing mechanisms,” Maeve says. “In TCM, qi (known as our vital life energy) circulates through 14 natural pathways in the body called meridians, but this qi can often be blocked due to an imbalance in the body, in our yin and yang, which is seen as illness or pain. Acupressure helps correct these imbalances and restore flow to bring you back to a state of wellness and wellbeing.”
What can you expect from a treatment? Namely deep relaxation. Maeve tells us that acupressure is usually used as part of an acupuncture session (more on this next) rather than a standalone treatment. “You will feel gentle pressure on specific points on the body, these can be palpated for roughly five minutes or so, depending on what the practitioner is trying to achieve with the point,” she explains.
Best for: Everyone. “It can be done at home too,” adds Maeve. “As long as you follow a trained Chinese medicine practitioner’s advice and guidelines and avoid specific points if you are pregnant.”
Acupuncture
As with acupressure, acupuncture works on the system of meridians that flows through the body, “much like the nervous system or circulatory system,” Maeve says. “Qi moves through the meridians and is thought to flow like rivers on the earth into the sea.” When certain points along the meridians get clogged up or weak, illness ensues. “Acupuncture works on our energy as the insertion of very fine, painless needles into these points mobilises the flow of qi through these meridians in therapeutic ways,” she adds.
“In TCM, blocked, overactive or deficient qi disrupts the balance of the body leading to illness so our first point of call will always be a treatment programme of acupuncture to help release blocked qi and stimulate the natural healing response in the body,” she says. “As acupuncture focuses on treating and balancing the body as a whole instead of specific symptoms, areas and conditions, each treatment programme (usually weekly session for six to eight weeks) will be tailored to each client based on their particular symptoms. Depending on your individual needs the practitioner will start inserting needles to specific meridians across the body.”
How does the whole process work exactly? “When a needle is inserted into an acupuncture point, it stimulates the sensory receptor and sets off a chain reaction – the sensory receptor stimulates the nerve, which in turn transmits impulses to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system,” Maeve tells us. “This complex system of interactions between the brain, hormones and glands is a powerhouse, responsible for regulating a number of bodily processes including mentalemotional symptoms.”
Best for: Treating a variety of things. “Acupuncture is a wonderful preventative treatment for reducing anxiety, inducing sleep, increasing energy, supporting fertility and more,” Maeve informs us.
Emotional freedom technique
Sometimes referred to as an emotional version of acupuncture, emotional freedom technique (EFT) involves tapping various points on your face, hands and body to balance your energy and ease anxiety. It was developed by Gary Craig, who believes that the cause of all negative emotions is a disruption in the body’s energy system. It is generally a do-it-yourself treatment, and the basic tapping process is easy to learn and can be done anywhere. Visit emofree.com to find out more.
Best for: Anxiety and mental wellbeing.
Tui na massage
Tui na, also known as tui-na or tuina massage, is another type of bodywork based on the principles of TCM. Again, working alongside the body’s meridians, “a practitioner will tap into these energy points, using stretches, pressure points and joint rotations, to balance the body’s vital energy (qi),” explains Maeve. “The name of this massage therapy modality comes from the two words describing actions in the treatment: tui means ‘to push’ and na means ‘to grab or squeeze’ and treatment is intended to restore physiological and emotional balance by unblocking channels of qi through the body that have been blocked by tension, poor health and certain lifestyle habits.”
What can we expect during a treatment? “Tui na massage sessions usually last between 30 minutes and one hour, and normally take place on a massage table and over clothes,” she says. “Tui na is intended to be both relaxing and invigorating. Some techniques and strokes used in tui na are much like those used in a relaxing Swedish massage such as gliding, kneading, rocking, pulling, friction and rolling.”
Best for: Back pain, although it can help much more than just that. “Just like acupuncture, tui na can be used on everyone, either as a standalone treatment or combined with acupuncture and herbs,” Maeve points out. “It can be used to either encourage overall wellness by moving stagnant energy or to treat specific conditions like low back pain, neck pain and so on.”
Shiatsu
Another type of massage therapy, shiatsu originates from Japan and is again based on the theory that wellbeing depends on the balanced flow of energy through the body. Therapists place pressure on these channels to restore energy balance and also gently stretch or manipulate areas of the body to ease weakness and tension. According to the Shiatsu Society, the therapy affects the functioning of the nervous, circulatory and respiratory systems to support the body’s innate self-healing abilities, as well as promoting relaxation.
Best for: A range of things. Research cited on shiatsusociety.org states that the massage can help with stress, menopausal symptoms, back and muscle pain, fibromyalga, digestive problems and high blood pressure.
Reflexology
Focusing on your feet, reflexology works on energy pathways and involves therapists massaging and applying gentle pressure to various points to help the body’s healing process. The idea is that certain areas of our feet correspond with different parts of our bodies, so reflexologists work on keeping a healthy balance and flow of qi through the body by adding pressure to key points, depending on what is needed for the individual being treated.
Anyone who’s experienced a treatment before will understand the deeply relaxing effects, and often people will drift off to sleep during a session. The therapy is also said to be effective at helping people cope with pain. Researchers at the University of Portsmouth found that people felt around 40 percent less pain, and were able to withstand pain for about 45 percent longer when they used reflexology as a method of pain relief. According to Cancer Research UK, reflexology is one of the most popular types of complementary therapy among people with cancer.
Best for: General wellbeing and dealing with anxiety and pain.
Ayurvedic marma point massage
This is an ayurvedic energy therapy. “The Sanskrit word marma refers to any vulnerable point, and secret, hidden and vital points over the body,” says ayurvedic therapist Amrita Ma Devi (ayurvedaanytime.com ). “These points were gently rubbed in ancient times for sacred healing of wounds after battle. The modern application of marma balancing uses essential oils as a therapy. By applying warm oil to the fingers and a comfortable pressure, clockwise circular movements are employed to work the area free of blocked energy. This also stimulates the various bodily organs and systems.”
“A marma point is a junction on the body where two or more types of tissue meet, such as muscles, veins, ligaments, bones or joints,” adds Claire Paphitis, ayurvedic coach and author of Balance your Agni (theayurvedacoach.com ). “The massage technique is thought to help clear stagnant or blocked energy from these points and allow it to flow once more, rather than only focusing on aching muscles (although it does actually help with those too).”
So how does it work? “Marma points on the body balance the doshas and their associated health condition,” explains Amrita. “Either medicated oils or essential oils are applied to the body as they restore normal function. Oil rubbing or dry rubbing create friction and will either gently relax or enliven the body as it winds back into a state of balance.”
Best for: Releasing tension and coping with stress. “Marma abhyanga (massage) works especially well for a coarse and dry body, which is most of us these days living a hectic lifestyle, as when these spots are rubbed, they free up prana – our vitality in mind, body and soul,” says Amrita. “This provides flexibility and the ability for cells to communicate and adapt better to stress.”
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