Nearly finished my NVQ 3 massage route and have decided I've found a new passion for anything holistic.
Hi Sarah,
I'm new to this forum, having been a lurker for a little while. Its nice to see a holistic question on here! Its great to hear that you've been struck with the passion! I was too and my life changed beyond recognition. There was a domino effect on the lives of those close to me as well!
I understand which chakras are associated with what, but to provide my clients with the best possible treatment, how does one actually work with their chakra? Or balance/"mend" it?
Is this a part of your syllabus that will be covered but hasn't been yet or have they just brushed over the basics without focusing in the practical aspects of energy work?
If its the latter, then that is a real shame and I would advise you to take up some further training in this area. That said I can offer some pointers: (sorry this is going to be longwinded, but this is a BIG question :0) )
Firstly while "Chakras" are very specific to Ayurveda, these same energy centres are found in energetic anatomy of other traditional holistic systems. E.g. Dan Tien and Triple Heater found in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) correspond to Chakras and most acu points (or Tsubos as they are known by Shiatsu Practitioners) correspond to the nadis found in Ayurveda. So regardless of the terminology used, these energy centres are an important factor in any study of holistic treatment.
Also to work effectively, you will need to practice sensing this energy. Having an awareness of your own energy field and that of your client is important. When sensing chakras or other energy points with your hands they may feel hot, cold, tingly, pulsing, empty and so on. With training and experience these sensations will give you a great deal information. For now perhaps just work on "waking up you hands" and try to sense these chakras and be aware of the different sensations.
Develop a sound "grounding" routine. I consider it highly inadvisable to do any kind of therapeutic work without doing this first and when you have finished your treatments for the day. There are many grounding visualisations and other techniques that people use and hopefully this has been included in your course. If not I can advise you further on this.
Ask for help from your higher power. Energy healing is often called "channeling" for a very specific reason. Whether you "ask" for energy to heal from an aspect of your personal faith or from Mother Earth or universal Qi, develop an awareness that you are a channel for an external source of energy. If you use your own energy to do this work you will soon feel depleted.
Once you have mastered being grounded, waking up your hands, sensing your own energy field and that of your client and you feel ready to work as a channel, be aware of any transference. How did you feel before commencing the treatment? If you develop odd little aches and pains, twinges, emotions, sensations etc, they may not be yours, but your clients. You can then use this information as a guide to where healing is needed. This is why grounding is so important. When you connect with another person energetically you can pick up their "stuff" and that includes physical feelings as well as emotions.
Lastly I would advise you to work with colour as a starting point. Having covered the steps above, with your hands over the person and your eyes closed try to "see" the various colours of the spectrum. Some of the colours may be bright and light, others may be dull and muddy. Using the knowledge you have gained on chakra associations - physical origin, mental / emotional and spiritual, this will give you insights to which chakras need a little help. Having visualised the colours in terms of sensing them from the client, try to visualise channelling the dark, dull or muddy colours back to the client as clear and bright, then repeat the sensing. If you ask the client to close their eyes during this part of the treatment and tell you of any visual impressions they might have had after the treatment you may be surprised by the similarities. Not everyone is a visual person, so if you find this hard initially, think of associations you have with that colour, for instance when trying to send "yellow" energy to your client you could think of a field of daffodils and so on.
It sounds like you are on the beginning steps of a long journey so keep at it...this stuff can take a short while to learn, but a lifetime to master!Working with energy as a part of your holistic treatments can take time and practice, but ultimately is rewarding both for you and your client. You will also find that as you develop this aspect of your treatments that your sensitivity will develop in many other ways.
Hope this has been of some help to you and good luck!
