Thanks to Dr. Joe Gallenberger, clinical psychologist, author and Monroe Institute trainer, for permission to repost this article.

When we face health challenges, we can apply our natural healing ability along with any other interventions we may choose. Energy healing is the application of nonphysical energy directed toward healing. In my opinion, it is a variant of the same energy studied in thousands of psychokinesis (PK) experiments. These studies taken together show PK is real, with results that would occur at only a billion to one by chance.

While we cannot claim energy healing is a substitute for traditional medicine, energy healing often accelerates the benefit of whatever we are doing to heal under traditional care. Energy healing sometimes can produce results when all else has failed, and often produce results with less time, trauma, and expense. Illness can be discouraging, inconvenient or even quality-of-life-destroying and life-threatening at worst. But we can often apply energy to powerfully improve outcome.

I have found the following five principles to be of great benefit when doing energy healing for oneself.

Principle One    Energy occurs in the context of the entire person—body, mind, and spirit. The diagnostic and treatment tools of traditional and complementary medicine, high quality nutrition, positive environment, exercise, and psychological and spiritual guidance all may be powerful healing avenues. Please obtain medical attention if needed. Illness can be very isolating, particularly for people who are uncomfortable asking for help. Part of the positive environment mentioned above is feeling cared for by a community. This helps raise the energy within you required for energy healing, so please reach out and let people know what you need.

Principle Two    Approach healing with unconditional love toward yourself. This opens the heart, unleashing the most powerful energy from which to do healing, and softens the ego which can restrict full energy flow. Think of a time when you held a newborn baby, puppy, or kitten, about how loving you felt and how in touch with the miracle of life you were. For the most powerful healing you need to have that same attitude of appreciation toward yourself. A useful affirmation before attempting healing can be “Even though I ________ (messed up or suffer in a particular way), I completely love and accept myself.”

Principle Three    Healing can transcend time/space if you believe this is possible. We have many expressions in our culture that contain an element of truth but also restrict what we think is possible, such as “No pain no gain.” It is helpful to affirm that healing can be instant and complete, or can unfold in an unexpected way. Rituals, such as a healing space and performing healing according to a methodology, can be helpful in focusing intent and creating confidence but are not essential. There are many healing modalities now that are producing measurable results when compatible with the person’s belief systems, such as Reiki, Matrix Energetics, Qigong healing, Healing Touch, Healing through Prayer, etc.

Principle Four    Illness can be present for many sacred purposes including as a teacher, or as an imbalance that is being rebalanced. It also can be a result of a stressful or toxic physical or emotional environment, at times combined with certain weaknesses in genetics, attitude, life-style, or personality. It has been said that the purpose of prayer is to cure illness but at times the purpose of illness might be to initiate prayer. Spending some time in meditation or prayer or even counseling to discover insights about the meaning and likely precursors of an illness might help you find another way to experience the challenge and gain a positive result.

But we do need to be humble in that we may never understand why the illness is present, and acknowledge that whether using traditional or energy healing, some illnesses just do not go away. When this happens, in my experience, it is never about who is deserving or not of healing. Often the illness is an important part of our life-path, to be respected for its gifts, even if those gifts seem uncomfortable or dark. Many people have come to me and said that a major illness was one of the most important and positive things that has happened to them because such an illness rearranged their priorities or clarified who and what was important for them.

Principle Five    To apply energy healing to yourself, pull in strong earth energy into your heart and highest of spirit energy into your heart, so that you are grounded and expanded at the same time. Highest earth energy can be accessed by surrounding yourself with and appreciating all the beauty of nature, music, etc. Highest energy of spirit can be accessed through meditation or prayer where your intent is to connect and commune with the divine, the angelic, and all those who love you. Then, affirm that you are willing to be a pure conduit for the highest healing energies for your greatest good. See yourself in your finest health right now, then open to and receive loving energy by any means that seems right to you, such as through your heart or hands, or right into the part of the body, mind or spirit that thirsts for energy, and continue this receiving for as long as seems appropriate (usually from five minutes to an hour).

There may be a sense of completion when the healing energy is sufficient to accomplish the amount of change possible at that time. Think of the energy as a catalyst for positive change in your life, and that it can trigger a continuing process of healing for you. In summary, surrender to highest purpose, ask for assistance, see yourself in ideal health and being in loving relationship with yourself, and let go and receive all the blessings that are available for you.

Here’s to your excellent health!