by Anita Burns

Of all the “New Age” practices, healing is undoubtedly one of the most sought after. With the latter half of the 20th century, came a growing disillusionment with “traditional” medicine. As the majority of physicians distanced themselves more and more from any spiritual or even personal involvement with patients, we became increasingly uncomfortable with being treated as a “bio-mechanism” and having pills pushed at us by the handful.

Alternative medicine and energetic healing, although not practical and effective for all of our ills—I wouldn’t go to an acupuncturist for a broken arm—give us the psycho-spiritual element so often missing in our relationship with our M.D. It also offers us options not available with allopathic medicine and in the vast load of anecdotal evidence, is often effective where “medicine” fails. Our migration to embrace alternative medicine, in all its myriad forms, is so great it amounts to a multi-billion dollar industry in the U.S. as we continue to seek health.

But what is health and how do we attain it? Health, according to alternative medical professionals and energetic healers, is more than the absence of disease. It is an ongoing experience of radiant energy, vitality, inner joy, and mental/emotional clarity. This involves the whole body and mind as a symbiotic unit.

Alternative medicine, including herbs, supplements, acupuncture, naturopathy, homeopathy; disciplines such as yoga, tai chi, chi gong, massage; and straight energy work, including Reiki, Re Hu Tek, qigong, and pranic healing, all claim that radiant health is possible. Healers, healees, and researchers are well-armed with stories and testimonials of how “healing” works in conjunction with, or in spite of allopathic treatments.

Yet, we also know many occurrences where the alternative treatment did NOT work, where nothing we try seems to bring relief. Why? The answer is complex and varied. Many of the factors involved include:

Karma
Lifestyle
Belief system and subconscious sabotage
Skill level of the practitioner –our expectations

Karma, that New Age buzzword, is the universal law of cause and effect. It is usually associated, in our minds, with past lives. Although technically speaking, we can have karma inclusive in one lifetime. It would take much more space than this article allows to discuss all the ins and outs of how karma works. But, in relationship to health, the theory is that we often choose to experience health difficulties because of a past life deed, or emotional pattern. If this is the case, we must either learn the lesson involved or continue to suffer through it until the Karma is balanced.

Perhaps more often, in modern society, our lifestyle prevents vibrant health. Stress, the great killer, sucks vitality and youth from our being until we weaken so much, eight hours of sleep are not enough to replenish it and we constantly run on a negative energy balance. In this country, the demands of job and family are often more than we, as humans, were meant to endure.

Our diet plays an important role in the health picture. The modern Western diet is mostly sugar, fat, salt, and chemicals—as in cheeseburger, fries, and a soft drink. Most of the food we eat is processed and devoid of nutrients. As a society, we talk a lot about eating right, but the lines are still long at the “junk food palaces.”

Many believe also that food must contain “life energy” to properly nourish the body. Frozen and processed food, they say, is “dead” and incapable of sustaining health. If we go to a healer, yet continue to eat dead, nutritionally empty and potentially harmful foods, we will most likely either not be healed, or return to illness shortly after the healing.

Belief systems play a part in whether or not we are healed. If we have serious doubts or fears about the treatment, our own subconscious minds may sabotage the effectiveness of a healing—sort of a reverse placebo effect.

With that in mind, why is it that we seem not be totally effective in using our minds to heal? That gets into another lengthy subject. However, put simply, it is harder to muster the focus and pure belief necessary for this to occur. We are mentally complex beings and often haven’t a clue about what lurks in the deep recesses of our psyche.

The skill level of the practitioner must also be considered with some healing practices. A novice may not know her/his craft well enough yet to be as effective as a veteran, skilled practitioner. This isn’t always the case, but it is something to keep in mind when working with a healer.

Lastly, I want to address the issue of our role in being healed. So often, we equate spiritual/energy healing with allopathic medicine—give me a magic “pill” and make it all go away. We want to renounce any role we play in our own healing process. Although the thought of this is appealing to many, it is not the most effective road to health. We must also address our willingness to make changes in our lifestyles, our mental and emotional selves, and to be as open as we can to receiving the healing in its highest possible expression. When we are with a healer, focusing on being open to receive the healing in its greatest capacity will help you receive the best and most from the session. This is true whether you are receiving acupuncture, taking herbs, or receiving Re Hu Tek.
Anita Burns and her husband Allen are the developers of Re Hu Tek, a powerful renewal of an ancient Egyptian healing system that integrates Earth and Cosmic energies with the power of sound. For more information, visit www.rehutek.com