I recently met a woman who is as sweet as can be on the outside but is a broiling cauldron of seething resentment and anger on the inside. (Whereas, I'd like to somewhat facetiously say, when I'm ticked off I usually just wear it proudly on my sleeve...a good justification for that quick Aries temper!)

Her emotional blockages show up in the form of over 100 extra pounds on her frame. (And look, I know we have a weightism problem in this country, but the fact is, most people who carry lots of extra weight do so for emotional reasons, and they'd be the first to tell you that.) She's also trying to become a yoga teacher, and is mostly oblivious to the disconnect between the shoddy way she treats her body and what she says she wants to teach others.

She's so obsessed with the idea of finding her soulmate that she has a somewhat frightening suicidal idea that, without this mythological man, she might as well be dead. She's clearly depressed.

I don't remember how I first found this page some time ago, but I go to it once in a while for a pick me up. Don't ask me how it works - is it a placebo effect or something more? You decide. From the website:

The moving Mandala is a visual representation of Earth's newly evolving energy grid that Gordon-Michael Scallion is able to see clairvoyantly. It is also a symbolic representation of Earth's new evolutionary path as well as our own spiritual evolution. He originally created the Mandala visual and produced the audio track with special sounds and rhythms to enhance his altered states of consciousness but found it also worked for calming the mind, making decisions, and healing. It seems to attune us to the higher energies now hitting the planet. If you ever find yourself feeling disconnected, need to make a decision, or need some healing energy, visit the page. It is a free service to all visitors. It only takes 30 seconds or so but it really works based on your mail.

I found this old Reiki course that was in the public domain and I have posted it on my energy healing website. It is a full course in Reiki energy healing. You will learn all three levels (I, II, and III) plus some additional tools to help you.

Reiki is an excellent way to improve your health and well-being. Even if you do not use it professionally or on others, it is great to use on yourself.

Try the course here:

http://www.elementenergy.com/freereikicourse

by Stephanie Brail

Since I do hypnosis and energy healing, you would think that I would be a huge fan of the Law of Attraction, right? After all, I often use hypnosis to help people visualize positive outcomes for themselves, often with very powerful results. I use affirmations in EFT and in my healing music. Aren't all these things the Law of Attraction?

No. Visualization, energy work, and affirmations are not the same thing as the “Law of Attraction.”

First, let's distinguish what these things actually are. Visualization is a personal development technique. Energy work, or energy healing, is a method of spiritual healing. Affirmations are another method of personal development. All of these things are tools.

The Philosophy is Not the Tool

The Law of Attraction is not a tool. It is a philosophy. It is a philosophy that states, “whatever you focus on, you will attract into your life.”

by Stephanie Brail

Healing takes time. Why is that?

Why can't we just wave a magic wand and heal ourself and others?

The parody of the Christian Faith Healer is still a compelling image, even to those of us using Eastern energetic modalities. With my Reiki healing hands, I'd much rather smack someone in the forehead yelling "YOU'RE HEALLLLED!" than stand around for an hour sending Reiki healing energy on a weekly basis. (I don't know about you, but when I give a full Reiki session, my arms get tired! And supposedly I'm in shape!)

Real life, however, seems to take things more slowly.

I wish energy healing came with a guarantee of instant gratification, but often it does not. What seems to happen, instead, is that when we apply energy healing to any sort of dysfunction - whether it is physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual - time and repeated healings are what really make the difference.

(Isn't it all spiritual, though?)

by Stephanie Brail

Reiki energy healing (pronounced “ray-key”) has become more well-known in the mainstream lately. Yet, it is still a strange and exotic thing to many people. In this brief introduction, I will explain what Reiki is and how it works.

Reiki means “universal life force energy.” It works on the subtle energy system of the body to cleanse and heal the individual’s chi (or life force energy). By healing a person’s energy, Reiki can improve health and mental well-being. This beautiful healing system is simple, safe, and nourishing. It is an effective addition to (not a replacement for) Western medicine.

Just a quick note to pimp my services here: Yes, I offer a free coaching session with EFT.

By that, I mean a free life coaching session, not help with your golf game. (I just hate using the term "life coaching." I don't have all the answers to your life, and neither does anyone else!) I prefer to call myself a "well-being coach" because my personal expertise is in helping people find life balance, life purpose, and a sense of peace with themselves.

EFT, by the way, is a form of energy healing that involves tapping on certain "meridian points" as you make positive or negative statements. Meridians come from acupuncture theory, the idea being that they are lines of energy in our body that carry chi to our vital organs. If you are curious about EFT, I will explain it more during the free coaching session.

Anyway, thanks for hearing my brief ad and now back to our regularly scheduled blog.

I have been having lots of discussions lately with folks about The Secret and the Law of Attraction. I believe quite a few people think The Secret has the "answer" because they've tried the positive thinking portion of it, and that works.

Of course positive thinking works (though, not for the reasons the film states). But that doesn't mean you've attracted everything in your life, 100%, as the Law of Attraction states.

Life force energy is a concept familiar to many cultures. The Chinese speak of chi, and Hindus speak of prana.

Chi, or prana, is the spiritual energy that makes your body go. According to Chinese medicine, chi flows throughout the body by pathways called meridians. These meridians are to chi as blood vessels are to blood.

When chi is blocked or becomes stagnant or negative, mental or physical disease can result. Chi is both cause and effect in the mind/body system. If a person experiences an emotional trauma, the chi can stagnate, causing health problems, which cause more chi to stagnate, which causes more health problems and so on.

The Law of Attraction (And Why It's Not the Full Story)