When I was gifted a session with an energy healer, I was giddy to book the first one. The term energy healing is similar to that of vegetables. It’s a food, yes, but when it’s on the menu at a restaurant, you’re not exactly sure if you’ll be getting carrots, beets, parsnips, or none of the above. A session with an energy healer can include tapping, massaging, twisting, moving, meditation, tracing, and/or a myriad of mental practices. And I was game for any and all of it.
The philosophy behind energy medicine originated centuries ago when Chinese Healers discovered the 12 major meridians in the body (aka pathways through which energy travels). These pathways provide connection in your body between cells, organs, tissues, limbs, etc. and when these pathways are strong, the entire body is as well. Various things can disrupt the vibrancy of these pathways - everything from heartbreak to fear to trauma, and the inability to heal from any of these experiences. Over time, this energetic disrupt manifests in fatigue, weakness, and sickness.
In energy medicine, energy is both the medicine and the patient. This means that there are energies circulating throughout the body that one can work to tap into in order to heal the body (energy as medicine). It also means that weakened energies in the body can be worked on to be restored in order to heal (energy as patient).
There are 9 energetic systems throughout the body. The pathways of the meridians is just one.
I’m not the type of lady to ask a bunch of questions before trying something for the first time – I like an air of mystery with new experiences – so when I walked into Maureen’s room for the first time, I had no idea what to expect. I lay down on her big reclining chair and enveloped myself in between layers of warm furry blankets. Maureen walked around to the opposite corner of the room and pressed a button hooked up to the bed to turn on the electromagnetic pad underneath the blankets – she told me this would help relax my muscles and increase circulation by opening up blood vessels. She then selected an essential oil and shook out several droplets onto my outstretched palms. In my later sessions with Maureen, I would learn that the she selects essential oils very consciously, in response to her read on my energetic state.
On my first session, she gave my grapefruit - a mood elevator. Read: I was feeling down in the dumps. She wasn’t wrong.
I cupped my hands around my nose and mouth and breathed in the fragrance (first through the mouth, and then through the nose), per her instructions. My body relaxed even more.
Then we talked.
We talked about why I was there. We talked about my ancestors, my core belief systems, my traumas, and my triumphs. We talked about my astrological sign, my relationships, and my body. We talked about god and the universe and my angels. She cried before any tears were even able to well up in my own eyes. She said things before I was able to say them – things that I know deep down in my soul are true, but that I tend to forget. She told me things about my past – and even a little bit about my future.
Within minutes of meeting Maureen, I felt so loved by her. As if she cared for me and my happiness as deeply as my biological mother did. I felt like my guardian angel was standing right in front of me for the very first time.
Eventually it was time to "go down". Maureen turned off the lights, reclined the chair so that I was laying fully down on my back, and led me through some deep, deep breaths. We set an intention together (everything is a co-creation) and Maureen said a few affirmations out loud, calling in angels and guides to lead us through the healing.
The next 30 minutes or so consisted of continuous waves of breath, musical chants, and mantras. My eyes were closed the entire time, my breath deep and oceanic, my consciousness in and out. Maureen would walk around the table and touch, tap, and brush certain areas of my body, working to break up any blocked areas and restore proper movement throughout.
When Maureen gently turned on the lights and instructed me to wiggle my fingers and take a full deep breath, it felt like I had to walk back into this world. I hadn’t been asleep per se, but was definitely in a space between here and there, where I could grab out and touch things on either side, but not hold onto anything too tightly.
I remember walking/floating/gliding out of that first session and feeling invincible. Like I was being protected in a circle of white light that no email from my boss, gridlock traffic, or dirty dishes from my boyfriend could puncture. I remember feeling safe and grounded, like I was being watched over and cared for by a higher source, even as I walked out of her space.
I’ve been going to Maureen for a year now, but I still remember that first session vividly. The intensity of that peacefulness and that everything-is-going-to-be-okay understanding opened a door to a world I had always known existed, but wasn’t quite sure how to access. Maureen has equipped me with tools I use on a daily basis to stay connected to that world. She has helped me understand where my thought patterns come from and how to change them when they need to be changed. She has helped me be a better employee, friend, girlfriend, and daughter. As corny as it may sound, she has helped me become the person I was meant to become.
You know how there’s that person living inside of you who always does, chooses, and thinks the right things? Is light, bright, warm, and beautiful? Yeah, well Maureen knows exactly what to say to get that person to come out. And she teaches you – leading by example - how to love that person enough so that she'll stay.
