LEARNING TO CHANNEL THE ENERGY

All around you, and throughout the entire universe, circulates the life energy. It exists not only as an energy field around every living thing, but also circulates through the earth, through the atmosphere around us and throughout nature. The flow of this energy connects everything that exists, and you, as a living being, are taking in this energy at every moment. You are always drawing this life energy into your own energy field, and it is this energy that supports your life, as well as the life of all you seek to heal. In order to practice energy channeling—conducting a greater measure of this energy into your patient for the purposes of performing healing work—you must first learn to bring a greater measure of the energy into your own energy field.

  The technique you will use to do this is referred to as Calling in the Energy. You call in the energy by using your power of Visualization. Visualization will be one of your most important tools as an energy healer because it allows you to direct the energy with your effortless intention alone. To call in the energy, using visualization, you will "see"—in your "mind's eye" or "psychic sight"—this energy begin to flow into you, from all around you, in greater and greater measure. You will also "see" this energy, as it flows into you, move through your body towards your shoulders, down your arms, and collect in your hands, so that you may then channel it into your patient. Calling in the energy, using this visualization, will start the energy flowing through you in this manner when it is time for you to begin a healing treatment. The following exercise will help you in becoming practiced and comfortable in calling in the energy:

Each day, for three times or more at various times during the day, summon the energy. Stand with your feet about shoulders-width apart, close your eyes and place your arms at your sides but with your hands not touching your body.

Now effortlessly "see," in your mind's eye, the energy coming into your body—up from the earth, down from above you, and from the atmosphere all around you, and thence into you. Really see and feel the energy coming into you, from all around. You may feel a slight tingling beginning, throughout your body, as the energy comes into you.

Then "see" the energy moving through your shoulders, down your arms and into your hands. As you hold your hands at your sides, really see and feel this energy coming into you from all around, through your body, down your arms, and then filling up your hands like water filling a glove. (See Figure below).You should feel a tingling, or even a sensation of heat, as the energy flows to and collects in your hands.

This tingling you feel in your body and hands, when you call in the energy, is not just a physical sensation, but is similar to the sensation you experience when emotions flow through you. You can practice calling in the energy anywhere, at various times throughout the day. Each time you practice this should only take a minute or two.

Calling In the Energy

  After you have had a little practice calling in the energy, and have begun to feel it in your hands, you can proceed to channel the energy into a "live" patient. For your first experience channeling the energy you will call in the energy, as you have just learned to do, and then channel it through your hands and into one or more of your patient's chakras. The chakras are the primary energy centers or energy junctions within the energy field—the primary points at which energy enters the body, as well as the points within the energy field where important life-supporting energetic operations take place. As an energy healer you will often be working with the chakras of your patient, so this is a good place to start. When you channel energy into a chakra you will place your hands gently, palms down, on the chakra, and then simply allow the energy to flow through you and into that chakra. This is a very simple thing, and you have the innate ability to do this, so do not doubt! This energy channeling through the hands is the essence of the laying on of hands method (also called hands-on healing) where your hands are placed on your patient's body to conduct the energy. You can see how useful the hands are in transferring this energy; they can be moved anywhere on your patient's body so that the energy can be transferred to each of the chakras or to any other needed location. As you begin this process of channeling energy into your patient, it is best to follow these important guidelines:

• Remove all rings, watches and jewelry from your hands before beginning a treatment. It is also a very good idea, as a courtesy, to wash your hands.
• Do not let doubt interfere. Trust, expect and believe that the energy is flowing. Do not worry—the energy does exist and will flow, if only you allow it.
• Do not press too hard with your hands. You might think that it is better to press firmly when placing the hands on your patient's body, but this is not the case. Use zero pressure with the hands to maximize the energy flow. Your hands should just barely be touching your patient's body.
• Be open to the energy flow. Energy channeling is not a practice of the intellect; it is a practice of opening and release to the energy. Just imagine the energy flowing through you and out of your hands, and you will feel a sense of openness to the energy. You will find, if you simply release yourself to its flow, that it comes easily. Do not try to force the energy, but just open yourself and "see," in your mind's eye, the energy flowing through you. Effortless intention alone is sufficient to call in and conduct the energy.

  Now that you are ready to begin energy channeling, proceed as follows:

Have your patient lie flat on your treatment table, arms at his or her sides. Now, call in the energy as you have learned to do, in steps 1 to 3 of the calling in the energy exercise above, until you feel the energy tingling in your hands.

Then place your right palm directly over your patient's heart chakra (between the breasts), and then place your left hand alongside your right hand, and just above it on your patient's body, so that your hands gently overlap. This is called the "hands overlapping" position, which you will often use to channel energy into your patient's chakras. If you are a male healer treating a woman, you may need to take special care, and vary hand positions somewhat to show courtesy, but try to keep your right palm centered over the chakra.

Now simply allow the energy to flow through you and into your patient's heart chakra. As you do this, try not to be self-conscious or wonder if you are "doing it correctly." Don't worry—it will "do itself." The energy is intelligent—it is conscious energy—and has the ability to come into you, to conduct through your hands, and flow into your patient in the manner that is needed, all without you "making" it do so. All you need do is open yourself to being a channel for it. The energy, as a manifestation of consciousness, already knows how to move and where to go. Focus instead on opening yourself to feeling and sensing the energy flow in your patient—being aware of the energy as it moves through you and into the body of your patient. Allow the energy to flow through you and into your patient's heart chakra for several minutes.

You can begin to sense how much energy is flowing: if you do, you may find that the energy "builds up" as you begin to channel it, but will then diminish after a few minutes as this chakra accepts all the energy it needs. After a few moments, or when you have sensed the energy flow diminish, remove your hands.

If you wish, you can then channel energy into another of your patient's chakras—the solar plexus chakra that is 2-3 inches above the navel, for example. Do you feel any difference in the energy flow, as you channel the energy into this new chakra?

  As you learn this new skill of energy channeling, do not be too concerned with whatever sensations you may feel or not feel as the energy flows through you. For different healers, and with different patients, there will be times when you definitely sense the energy flow as you channel the energy, and also times when you do not sense it as much or may just barely sense it. The degree to which you sense the energy flow as you channel it into your patient is not necessarily related to the amount or kind of energy you are conducting or the effectiveness of the treatment you provide. You will find, when you gain a good deal of experience in energy channeling, that you will become "transparent," in a sense. You may sense the flow of energy through you, but you will also sense a freedom from your body and mind, a simple awareness of acting as a channel for the energy, as though you were witnessing your own body and the energy transfer. Right now, from the very beginning of your energy healing work, start moving away from worrying about yourself, and instead begin to become aware of the energy, and the energy field of your patient. In energy healing, you must "forget yourself" and instead seek to become one with your patient and the energy, as you work.

  As soon as you have had your first experiences calling in the energy and channeling it into one (or a few) of your patient's chakras, proceed to "Treatment Outline." Your energy channeling skills are best developed by giving complete healing treatments, and that section will guide you, step-by-step, as you learn the correct hand positions to channel energy into all your patient's chakras.