Part 1 - Understanding Energy Therapies
Introduction
Whether you're just curious or looking for healing from reiki, magnetism, EFT, or other energy therapies, you’ve come to the right place. Energy healing, with roots in ancient cultures, has seen a surge in popularity in the West over the past three decades, and with good reason. Techniques have diversified and the range of treatments have expanded, making energy healing as accessible as ever.
Here, we explain everything to you in a simple and well-documented way. What is it all about? How do you navigate through all the available therapies? Who seeks treatment? Who practices it? What happens during a session? What types of issues or pain can it address? How do lawmakers, scientific researchers, and conventional medical doctors respond? How can we explain the current fascination among Western populations? And what does this say about us?
Have a wonderful exploration! ✨
1 - Definitions & Classifications
Western medicine, often referred to as "conventional," "modern," or "allopathic," encompasses the mainstream medical practices that are grounded in scientific evidence and widely endorsed. It involves licensed doctors, general practitioners, and specialists who diagnose conditions and utilize scientifically proven treatments, including medications and surgical interventions.
As described by the World Health Organization (WHO), traditional medicine encompasses a range of practices rooted in the cultural knowledge and heritage of different societies. These are "the sum of knowledge, skills, and practices based on theories, beliefs, and experiences specific to different cultures, whether explicable or not, used in the maintenance of health and the prevention, diagnosis, amelioration, or treatment of physical and mental illnesses." This includes energy healing.
An integrative approach brings together the strengths of both conventional and traditional practices. Integrative medicine focuses on complementing, rather than replacing, conventional treatments with alternative methods, creating a holistic blend of care.
At Luminara, we find it interesting that many authorities in the US use the term “alternative medicine” when speaking about energy healing. We prefer the term “complementary” as these therapies should not replace medicine or treatment from your medical practitioner, but should support, complement and enhance the work you are already doing.
There are hundreds of complementary medicines. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health in the United States (NCCIH) list 400. These medicines fall into four (4) categories of practices:
1 - Biological therapies - using natural products such as herbal medicine, aromatherapy, etc.
2 - Manual therapies - focused on manipulation like chiropractic or shiatsu.
3 - Mind-body approaches - energy medicine (incl. reiki), medical hypnosis, meditation.
4 - Complete systems - based on their own theoretical and practical foundations such as acupuncture, homeopathy, etc.
While institutions may neatly file "Energy Medicine" under the category of "Mind-Body approaches," energy seems to find its way into all four categories—it doesn’t like to be boxed in.
1.1 - Energy Medicine
Energy medicine encompasses all forms of energy therapies. These therapies originate from or are inspired by various categories of non-conventional practices, including mind-body approaches, complete systems, and manual therapies. They represent a diverse group of treatments and practices aimed at both prevention and healing.
At its core, energy medicine is based on the idea of subtle energy that flows within and around the body. Maintaining or restoring this balance is essential to energy healing. Different cultures refer to this energy by various names: qi (China), prana (India), fluid, radiation, spirit, life force, universal vital force, or biofield. Some view it as natural, divine, or cosmic, while others see it as quantum.
Energy practices have existed for thousands of years, and can be found across all cultures. Today, most are based on the principles of traditional medicines, particularly Chinese and Indian. Practitioners claim, and many clients confirm, that these therapies provide tangible health benefits, such as relieving physical pain—especially skin and musculoskeletal issues—as well as reducing psychological conditions like stress, anxiety, and depression.
It’s important to note that energy resists rigid classification. Attempts to standardize or categorize energy medicine often reflect a Westernized mindset, which doesn't capture the full diversity and dynamism of these practices. In our exploration of energy healing, we aim to stay both methodical and flexible, adopting a simple yet open-minded approach.
1.2 - Main Forms of Energy Treatments
All energy treatments are rooted in the concept of an internal and external energy field, often described as fluid. The practitioner's hands play a key role in these treatments, whether through direct physical touch or working from a distance. Depending on the specific practice, energy treatments may or may not involve physical contact.
In energy treatment, two key elements are essential: the practitioner’s focused attention and clear intention, which work together to guide the seeker's healing journey. At the core of this practice is the relationship between the healing seeker and the therapist. Treatments are approached holistically, encompassing the body, mind, and sometimes the soul, while acknowledging and addressing the seeker’s relationships, actions, beliefs, emotions, past events, and traumas. Throughout the process, the healing seeker actively participates in their own recovery.
In energy healing, terms like "apposition" and "imposition" are sometimes used . Apposition refers to light touch or distance. Imposition refers to deep touch like massage. For clarity, we prefer to use more straightforward terms such as “touch,” “light touch,” “without touch,” or “at a distance.” The most important aspect of these practices is channeling energy and helping it flow to enhance the client’s health and well-being.
Traditional Energy Treatments
Traditional Chinese Medicine, or TCM, forms the foundation of many energy practices, drawing from wisdom that spans thousands of years. Among these, the most prominent and most used technique is Acupuncture, which is used by millions of people worldwide. It is one of the major disciplines of traditional Chinese medicine, along with dietetics and manual medicine. Acupuncture involves inserting very fine needles into the skin, based on precise knowledge of specific points. The stimulation of these points acts on the qi, the vital energy, which circulates in the body along pathways called meridians. The famous Qigong is also a Chinese health energy art. It combines breathing, slow movements and concentration for a good energy balance of the individual.
The influence of traditional Indian medicine is also profound, incorporating energy-centered practices such as yoga, Ayurvedic treatments, and meditation focused on energy points known as chakras.
All these traditional treatments draw from the ancestral practices of healers known as shamans. Shamanism is a set of ritual and spiritual practices (songs, music, plants, etc.), based on communication between living beings (humans, animals, plants), the spirits of nature and our ancestors. The shaman is the intercessor between these worlds, acting as a therapist, counselor, healer, and psychic.
Manual Energy Treatments
Manual energy therapies, likely practiced since prehistoric times, focus on therapeutic touch through pressure or gentle manipulation. These treatments target energy pathways like meridians or chakras, aiming to unlock, unblock, and harmonize the body's energy flow. Among the most well-known techniques are Tui Na, a traditional Chinese massage; Shiatsu, a Japanese manual therapy inspired by Tui Na; and reflexology, which applies pressure to the hands, ears, and feet. Another technique is Amma massage, meaning "calm through touch" in Japanese, where the client sits in an ergonomic chair during the treatment. Chi Nei Tsang, a deep abdominal massage that works on the internal organs (stomach, liver, intestines, spleen, etc.), also comes from Traditional Chinese Medicine. Ayurvedic massage is rooted in traditional Indian medicine, while Nuad, Thai massage, clears blockages in the energy flow along meridians called "sen."
Subtle Energy Treatments: Light touch, No-Touch, and Remote Practices
These energy therapies involve the practitioner using their hands to make light touches or no physical contact at all, sometimes moving their hands just a few centimeters above the body. Practitioners focus intensely on the client to detect and correct energy imbalances, channeling universal energy to stimulate the body’s natural healing ability. Energy treatments can alleviate physical and psychological pain, enhance overall well-being, and can be done both in person or remotely.
Known since ancient times in their original form, and highly popular in their modern version since the early 21st century—especially in the United States but also in Europe—these practices are safe, used by many holistic healers, and sometimes even encouraged by conventional doctors and applied in many hospital settings.
Among energy therapists, whether using touch or not, there are many traditional healers, such as helmsmen, lifters of ailments, and magnetizers. Modern energy therapists blend these traditional energy practices with contemporary approaches from personal development and psychology.
All of these practices work to open energy flows or fields—universal energy (meridians, chakras), cosmic (stars), telluric (earth, nature), or spiritual (God, universe, Spirit, etc.). There are dozens of energy therapies, with Reiki being one of the most well-known.
Reiki
Reiki comes from the Japanese words "Rei" (spirit) and "Ki" (energy), representing both spiritual energy and a technique for balancing it. Traditional Reiki, developed by Japanese meditation master Mikao Usui in 1922, involves the practitioner using meditation and light touch on specific energy points. In modern Reiki, the practice can also be done a few centimeters from the body or even remotely. In all cases, the practitioner's actions help energy flow more smoothly, relieving both physical and emotional blockages. Since the 1970s, Reiki has gained popularity in the United States and is now offered as a complementary therapy in many American hospitals such as Mayo clinic, Hartford Hospital, Yale Medicine, Emerson Health or UCLA Health to name a few.
Psycho-Energetic and Spiritual Therapies
Energy therapies offer innovative psychotherapeutic methods like the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), a gentle tapping on Chinese meridians that helps clients relieve tension, separate emotions from experiences, and foster a mind-body connection. Therapies like ThetaHealing blend energy work, meditation, and spirituality to connect with theta brain waves. In this deeply relaxed state, visualization techniques help shift thought patterns, promoting physical healing and personal transformation.
Aura Therapies
Aura therapies are based on the energy field surrounding the body of every living being. The aura is an invisible reflection of our inner state and mirrors both our mental and physical health. It is made up of several subtle layers, sensitive to energy waves, which can be damaged just like our internal organs. Auratherapy works to restore the energy flow and vibrational quality of a person's aura to release tension, improve emotional balance, and restore vitality. Lastly, lithotherapy, which is very popular today, is one of the ancient energy therapies. Stones and crystals, which act on both the physical and mental levels, are placed on or near energy points to help rebalance the body’s vital functions.
Today, these energy practices are highly popularized and very successful, posing no risk or danger, and are complementary to conventional care and treatments.