From Eastern medicine we know that what keeps our bodies alive and well is our energy, or chi, which circulates throughout the body along paths called meridians. This energy is influenced by our thoughts, feelings, beliefs and intentions. Our natural state is one of health and vitality, feeling wonderful and excited about life. When something upsetting happens, ideally we can experience the feeling, respond appropriately, and move on, returning to that state of well-being. Sometimes an emotionally charged event will leave us feeling helpless, unable to fully experience it because it seems too painful. Then, without our knowing it, the unresolved feelings tend to stay with us, caught in our bodies and energy fields, and we don’t feel quite so wonderful anymore.

This is a normal and unavoidable occurance, especially because the earliest of these events tend to happen when we’re very young. If we grow up in a nurturing environment, our feelings are acknowledged, we’re comforted in times of stress, and we can start feeling wonderful again. Ideally, we grow up learning to acknowledge and express our feelings appropriately, and how to love and comfort ourselves, as well as give and receive love.

As a simple example, consider what might happen to a young child frightened by a loud noise. She’s startled and cries, but inside her body much more is happening. Her brain perceives something scary, and sends out messages to protect herself by going into a “fight and flight” mode. Her breathing gets faster, blood pressure goes up, digestion slows down, and so forth. If her mother comes and comforts her, she quickly recovers and her body returns to normal. Without that comfort, she remains longer in that state of fear. The physiological signs may subside, but the emotion may remain: “I’m scared and I don’t know what to do.” It stays with her as a tiny voice, ready to jump in and shout, “I’M SCARED” at the next loud noise or reminder of the first noise. Even more than that, the tiny voice of fear becomes a small part of her. As her vital energy moves through her, feeling wonderful, somewhere along the way it caught up short by that scared feeling. This depletes her energy or puts it out of balance, which can have specific effects on her body. Maybe that fearful memory will trigger her body to keep her blood pressure just a little higher than normal. Or perhaps if the feeling is held mainly in the stomach meridian, her stomach may produce less acid than she needs to digest her food, setting the stage for digestive problems. If the helpless feeling remains in her spleen meridian, it may compromise her immune system. The possibilities are almost endless.

If you’re thinking that it seems unlikely that being frightened by a loud noise at age three might make you sick at thirty, you’re right. As you might imagine, very difficult events tend to have a greater impact than less stressful ones. It’s also usually the cumulative effects of a variety of unresolved experiences that contribute to specific symptoms in the present.

In the process of Bioenergy Balancing, we communicate directly with your body’s unconscious wisdom, discovering what your body believes are the underlying causes of symptoms, whether they appear to be physical, such as allergies, pms or headaches; mental, such as forgetfulness or indecision; emotional, such as depression, grief or anger; or a combination, such as addictions, eating disorders, or recovering from a loss. Our bodies are eager to heal, and often all it takes for them to release outdated emotions is to feel heard and understood. Our natural process of healing can then proceed. Bioenergy Balancing is not a substitute for medical diagnosis, care or treatment. Instead, it focuses on releasing the underlying patterns and emotions that created the vulnerable situation in which symptoms developed. I have found it to be compatible with other forms of healing such as psychotherapy and chiropractic. In fact, such combinations can create a synergy that enhances and speeds the healing process.

This is one unique way to release outdated emotions, but there are of course many others. The more open we are to accepting ourselves and others, the more we heal naturally. Most important, we can be aware of our feelings, and be open to asking ourselves if they remind us of old patterns. Journaling can be a useful tool of understanding, as can paying attention to our dreams. When experiencing a strong feeling, we can work to accept it as a part of us, and a possible message from our past. Breathing deeply as we focus on the feeling can help it shift and dissolve. We also heal when we actively practice forgiveness, and when we visualize ourselves releasing imaginary attachments to people who’ve hurt us or people we worry about. Meditation, or any spiritual growth, can be a powerful tool of healing. Finally, we can look to others for help in the process. Bioenergy Balancing is one of many “alternative healing” professions that can make a difference.

Remember, you deserve to feel wonderful!