Energy healing is an ancient holistic wellness practice that focuses on the flow of energy in and around the body to promote physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. At its core, it is based on the belief that everything in the universe, including our bodies, is made up of energy. When this energy is in balance, we experience harmony, health, and vitality. However, when it becomes disrupted, it can lead to illness, stress, or emotional challenges. Energy healing is a non-invasive, gentle, and holistic approach to health that can complement traditional healthcare.
The modalities of Reiki and Sound & Vibrational Therapies both fall under the general umbrella of Energy Healing.
The benefits of energy healing are myriad:
Mental/Emotional Benefits
- Regulate nervous system function
- Reduce stress
- Lessen symptoms of depression
- Promote deeper, more restorative sleep
- Strengthen vagal tone—a key measure of resilience to stress
- Balance brain activity
- Promote overall well-being
- Help disrupt the feedback loop of dysregulation caused by trauma, cPTSD, PTSD, and addiction
- Potentially relieve tension, anger, anxiety, and fatigue
Physical Benefits
- Lower blood pressure
- Decrease pain
- Reduce body temperature
- Inhibit pain perception
- Engage the sympathetic relaxation response
- Stabilize blood pressure
- Lower cortisol levels
- Boost blood and lymph circulation, easing inflammation and accelerating recovery
- Calming vibrations reduce tension in the head and neck, helping to alleviate headaches and migraines
- Support Nitric Oxide—a natural gas present in the body that plays a crucial role in improving blood flow, supporting heart health, enhancing brain function, and boosting sexual health
Spiritual Benefits
- Balance the chakras
- Stabilize the energy field
- Induce a peaceful and expansive meditative state (trance induction)
- Deepen meditation
- Create clarity of mind
- Help shift perspective
- Increase spiritual well-being
- Cleanse negative energy trapped in the auric field
- Gently loosen stuck energies
It is often said that calm is felt in the body, not just the mind. Energy healing can provide support as you somatically work to heal unresolved trauma that has become stuck within the body. Once a sense of safety is restored within the body, the nervous system can begin to heal, shifting you out of survival mode and into a state of thriving.
The Chakras and Their Role in Energy Healing
The chakras play a central role in energy healing. Balancing and unblocking these vital energy centers is my focus in both Reiki and Sound & Vibrational (S&V) healing sessions. The word chakra comes from Sanskrit and means “wheel” or “disk,” referring to the seven main energy centers in the body. Each chakra governs a specific area of the body and corresponds to different physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of our lives.
My approach is deeply rooted in understanding how these energy centers interrelate, the unique properties each governs, and how imbalances may manifest as physical ailments or emotional challenges when they are out of alignment.
Overview of the Seven Main Chakras:
1. Root Chakra (Muladhara)
- Color: Red
- Location: Base of the spine
- Associated with: Grounding, stability, survival instincts
- Imbalances: Feelings of insecurity, fear, or financial difficulties
2. Sacral Chakra (Svadhisthana)
- Color: Orange
- Location: Lower abdomen
- Associated with: Creativity, pleasure, emotional connections
- Imbalances: Emotional instability or issues with intimacy
3. Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura)
- Color: Yellow
- Location: Just above the navel
- Associated with: Personal power, self-confidence, digestion
- Imbalances: Self-esteem issues, digestive disorders
4. Heart Chakra (Anahata)
- Color: Green
- Location: Chest
- Associated with: Love, compassion, emotional healing
- Imbalances: Relationship challenges, lack of self-love
5. Throat Chakra (Vishuddha)
- Color: Blue
- Location: Throat
- Associated with: Communication, self-expression
- Imbalances: Difficulty speaking your truth, feeling misunderstood
6. Third Eye Chakra (Ajna)
- Color: Indigo
- Location: Between the eyebrows
- Associated with: Intuition, clarity, insight
- Imbalances: Confusion, poor decision-making, lack of spiritual awareness
7. Crown Chakra (Sahasrara)
- Color: Purple
- Location: Top of the head
- Associated with: Spiritual consciousness, enlightenment
- Imbalances: Feelings of disconnection, spiritual emptiness
During an energy healing session, my focus is on unblocking and balancing these chakras. By doing so, I aim to restore the free flow of energy throughout the body, potentially leading to profound improvements in your health, emotional well-being, and spiritual growth.
What is Reiki?
(Pronounced Ray-Kee ~ Ray of Sun/Kee to my heart)
Reiki is rapidly becoming one of the more popular forms of holistic energy healing. Originating in Japan, Reiki uses Universal Energy to address emotional, physical, spiritual, and energetic imbalances.
The word Reiki comes from two Japanese words:
- Rei: Universal
- Ki: Life force energy
This universal energy is transmitted through the hands of an attuned practitioner to the recipient, guiding the flow of energy to where it is most needed. This process helps remove blockages and restore balance within the body. Reiki can be performed through direct hands-on healing or by sending Distant Reiki through focused intention.
By promoting relaxation, Reiki helps reduce stress and anxiety, enabling the body to activate its own natural healing processes. It can alleviate physical pain, improve sleep quality, and enhance overall well-being by restoring balance to the body’s energy flow. Emotionally, Reiki fosters inner peace, clarity, and emotional resilience, aiding in the release of negative emotions and encouraging positivity. It also supports spiritual growth by deepening self-awareness and strengthening the connection to one’s inner self.
During a Reiki session, many people report feeling a physical sense of warmth, comfort, hot and cold tingling sensations, or deep body twitches—all indications that the energy is being activated. It’s common for clients to feel deeply relaxed, clear-headed, and rejuvenated after a session, which can assist the body in creating an environment more conducive to healing.
Reiki is accessible to people of all ages and serves as a complementary therapy to traditional medical treatments. Its increasing adoption in hospitals and medical care settings underscores its effectiveness. Reiki is also a valuable source of comfort for end-of-life patients and those undergoing cancer treatment, offering relief and emotional support during challenging times.
History of Reiki (in a nutshell)
Dr. Mikao Usui (1865–1926) is widely regarded as the founder of the modern system of Reiki healing. Born in Japan, Dr. Usui was a spiritual teacher, healer, and scholar. His journey to discover Reiki was deeply transformative and became the foundation for what is practiced today.
Dr. Usui developed a structured system of energy healing that included specific hand positions, healing symbols, and mantras. He began practicing Reiki on others and, over time, trained several students to pass on this healing method. His teachings emphasized the importance of spiritual growth, mindfulness, and living in harmony with oneself and others.
The system of Reiki healing that Dr. Usui created has spread internationally, and today it is practiced by millions of people worldwide in its many different iterations. While Reiki has evolved over time, the core principles of Dr. Usui’s teachings remain central to the practice: healing the body, mind, and spirit through the channeling of universal life force energy.
Should you be interested in learning more about the history and origins of Reiki, I recommend visiting reiki.org.
What Is Sound & Vibrational Healing Therapy?
Sound and Vibrational Therapies is a holistic therapeutic practice that uses sound frequencies and vibrations to promote physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. It is based on the scientific principle that matter—and, most importantly, all the cells in the body—vibrate at a precise frequency when healthy and at a dissonant frequency when in dis-ease.
Research has shown that smooth, consistent, drone-like instruments will slow down our heartbeats and breathing. Sound therapy restores balance and harmony within the body by using specific frequencies and vibrations to synchronize brain waves and cellular rhythms. When the brain is presented with a rhythmic stimulus, such as pulsing tones from tuning forks, the rhythm is reproduced in the brain, creating a resonance that balances the left and right hemispheres, regulates blood pressure, and synchronizes cardiorespiratory function.
Sound and vibration helps to facilitate shifts in brainwave states by using entrainment, a process that synchronizes fluctuating brainwaves with a stable frequency to which the brain can attune.
Sound and vibrational healing works through the energetic body (auric field) to access the physical body for deeper healing. By tapping into these frequencies, we facilitate transformative changes that support holistic wellness and harmony.
The Role of the Vagus Nerve
The vagus nerve, the longest cranial nerve in the body, is a critical component of the autonomic nervous system. Named after the Latin word vagus, meaning “wandering,” it extends from the inner ears and brainstem down through the neck, chest, and abdomen, reaching nearly every major organ in the body (except the spleen).
The vagus nerve is responsible for regulating essential bodily functions like heart rate, digestion, and respiratory rate. It also regulates heart rate variability (HRV), modulates inflammation through its anti-inflammatory reflex, and influences emotional well-being by impacting neurotransmitter activity, including serotonin and dopamine.
The low-frequency vibrations and sounds from tuning forks and singing bowls stimulate the vagus nerve, directly regulating the Autonomic Nervous System.
- Parasympathetic Nervous System (Rest and Recovery): is ruled by sound and is responsible for the functions of rest, digestion, and recovery, especially after the sympathetic nervous system has been activated in a stressful situation. Sound and vibration relaxes the parasympathetic system, which in turn directly influences the sympathetic nervous system.
- Sympathetic Nervous System (Fight or Flight): is ruled by vision and is responsible for the body’s “fight or flight” response to stress. When the sympathetic nervous system is overactive, it can lead to anxiety, high blood pressure, and other stress-related issues.
Sound healing can assist in transitioning the body from a state of heightened alertness (sympathetic activation) to one of rest and recovery (parasympathetic activation), effectively reducing stress and promoting healing.
Effects of Vagus Nerve Stimulation
When the vagus nerve is stimulated by sound or vibration, it triggers several regulatory processes:
- Heart rate variability (HRV): The vagus nerve regulates heart rate. Increased HRV, an indicator of parasympathetic activity, reflects a calm and balanced state.
- Autonomic Nervous System regulation: It is a major component of the parasympathetic nervous system, which controls “rest and digest” activities, promoting relaxation, digestion, and recovery.
- Stress hormone reduction: Stimulation reduces the release of cortisol and adrenaline, promoting relaxation.
- Digestion: It stimulates digestive processes by increasing stomach acid production and gut motility.
- Inflammation control: The vagus nerve’s anti-inflammatory reflex lowers systemic inflammation, which is linked to stress and chronic diseases. When the body is dealing with physical pain or injury it often indicates the presence of inflammation. Inflammation Is the body’s natural response of white blood cells to fight infection. The swelling causes pain resulting in a restriction of blood flow and creating an energy blockage.
- Emotional balance: Vagus nerve activity improves mood and emotional well-being by influencing neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine and Oxytocin.
What to Expect During a Session
During a Sound & Vibration healing session, the client lies fully clothed on a massage table. I use the vibrations of specifically tuned sound frequencies from tuning forks, Himalayan singing bowls, and drums to either raise or lower a client’s vibration in order to restore a balanced resonance. These sounds and vibrations penetrate deeply into the body and resonate with the body’s natural frequencies, leading to entrainment, a process where the brainwave frequencies synchronize with the rhythmic sounds, leading to a deep meditative state. In this state, cellular memory can be accessed to reprogram old patterns into newer, healing ones, establishing the memory of wellness within the cells by creating and reinforcing the new healing paradigm.
For many of us, once we’ve experienced a reconnection to universal flow and the feeling of being back “home” again within our body, it becomes harder to make choices that take us away from that feeling of well-being. This is when deep behavioral shifts occur that encourages us to make better choices, in order to maintain our health and sense of well-being, and to strengthen our connection with our inner-self.
Instruments and Tools
Each energy healing session is customized to the client’s unique needs at that time and for what would be most beneficial to bring about their desired outcome for the healing. The instruments and tools I may use include:
- Himalayan Singing Bowls:
Himalayan singing bowls produce the primordial sound of “AUM”; the fundamental utterance of energy metamorphosing into matter. When struck or circled with a mallet, they create rich vibrations that awaken cellular memory and heal the energetic body. The resonant tones quieten the “Monkey Mind” and are said to align and balance the energy centers (chakras), harmonizing the entire energetic, spiritual and physical system on a deeply fundamental level.
- Tuning Forks:
I love working with tuning forks, whether weighted or unweighted. Made of steel, when struck, they resonate at a specific, constant pitch, vibrating with a pure tone that feels deeply healing. Each tuning fork is calibrated to the musical note of a particular chakra, emitting specific frequencies that stimulate healing in that energy center. Tuning forks also directly target the vagus nerve by activating its regulatory effects and promoting a sense of balance.
- Drums: Drumming has become one of my favorite tools for clearing energy. The rhythmic beat induces a meditative state that feels grounding and transformative. When I play the Buffalo drum over someone’s auric field, I can sense the stagnant energy clearing, creating space for renewal and flow.
- Crystals: Crystals support energy healing by interacting with the body’s energy field, or aura, to promote balance and well-being. Each crystal is thought to have unique vibrational frequencies that resonate with specific energies in the human body, aligning or clearing energetic blockages. For example, clear quartz is often used to amplify energy, while amethyst is associated with calming and spiritual growth.
- Essential Oils: I like to use essential oils not only for their therapeutic healing properties, but also for the sense of calm or rejuvenation they offer when inhaled. Essential oils interact with the limbic system in the brain, which is associated with emotions, memory, and stress regulation.
I like to combine essential oils with crystals and deep breathing to deepen relaxation, assist in clearing energetic blockages, and to support emotional balance.
After Your Session
An energy healing session initiates the healing process, often triggering physical, emotional, and spiritual detoxification. Symptoms of this detox may include feeling “under the weather” with headaches, body aches, nausea, and tiredness. Some clients may also experience an emotional release, such as crying. While these experiences can be uncomfortable, detoxification is ultimately a positive sign of stored stress and trapped emotions being released.
In some cases, especially after the first few sessions, this process can feel exhausting but will ultimately lead to an overall sense of well-being. Staying hydrated, getting plenty of rest, and practicing self-care after your session can help support this process.
Please Note
As a complementary and alternative health care practitioner offering complementary and alternative health care services, the practices of Reiki and Sound & Vibrational Therapies do not require licensing by the State of California, as detailed in SB 577, Burton. Health: Complementary and Alternative Health Care Practitioners.
And a Final Word of Caution
Energy healing is not a substitute for medical treatment or medications. I strongly recommend that you continue working with your doctor or primary caregiver for any medical condition you may have. If you are unwell, please consult your doctor.
As an energy healing practitioner, I am not a licensed physician and do not have medical training or credentials. I do not diagnose illnesses or diseases, nor do I prescribe medications. Reiki and Sound & Vibrational Therapies are intended as complementary practices to the “healing arts services licensed by the State of California” and serve as supportive adjuncts to traditional Western medicine provided by doctors, nurses, and hospitals.
While many people report positive effects from energy healing and there are no serious or known side effects, scientific studies are ongoing to fully understand its mechanisms and efficacy.
