Article - What happens during spiritual healing?

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Magazine Name	Nithyananda.org
Magazine site	https://nithyananda.org/articles
Article Name	What happens during spiritual healing?
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Language	English

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Almost everybody these days has either heard of or encountered energy healing in some form or other. In fact, most of us practice energy healing on ourselves or others without being aware of it. When you gently rub a bruised elbow, or place your palms on your tired eyes, you are actually practicing energy healing! Energy healing is nothing but channeling the universal life-force to correct energy imbalances in our system which are the hidden cause of most of our diseases. Whatever exists is energy!

As the Isha Vasya Upanishad declared more than 5000 years ago, ‘Isha vasyam idam sarvam’ (whatever exists is energy). Whatever we see, touch or otherwise contact in our universe is made up of energy vibrating at different frequencies. Trees, rocks, plants, animals and ourselves – all are nothing but diverse expressions of energy. All that we know of ourselves is our physical body. But our physical body is only the grossest expression of ourselves! We have several subtler energy bodies that interpenetrate our physical body and create an aura or energy shield around us. These ‘bodies’ are actually electromagnetic fields, which are continuously influencing and being influenced by other such fields in the environment. Unlike the physical body, these fields are highly sensitive and vulnerable to external influences. In fact, there is a much higher chance of picking up your neighbor’s negative vibrations than his ‘flu virus! The aura is responsible for keeping us in good energetic health, boosting our immune system and protecting us from toxic radiations. On the other hand, any energy blockages or ‘knots’ in the aura can be the precursor of future disease. That is why any disease can be detected at the energy level at least six months before it becomes manifest in the physical body. Since everything is energy, all types of healing involve manipulation of energy. But what we specifically as energy healing today is a holistic, non-invasive therapy that treats the body-mind as an energetic continuum. We are basically energy beings, so all our ailments are rooted in energy imbalances.

All physical or mental tension is an indication that there is a blockage in the energy flow in our bio-energetic system. Sometimes, merely clearing these blockages is enough, as the body’s natural healing abilities take care of restoring the affected part to health. Chakras: the key to our energetic health Our main focus in energy healing are the chakras. Chakras are the whirling energy centers in our subtle body. The word chakra literally translates as ‘wheel’ or ‘disk’. Chakras are visualized as spinning wheels or flowers with different numbers of petals. Chakras are located in our subtle body. The main subtle energy channels of our body (nadis) are the ida (left), pingala (right) and sushumna (central) channel, which run along the spinal column. They correspond roughly to the sympathetic, parasympathetic, and central nervous system. Since the nadis run in a curved path, they cross one another several times. At the points of intersection, they form strong energy centers. These are the chakras. Chakras are subtle energy powerhouses which are responsible for spinning and drawing the universal life-force (prana) into the body. They also act as batteries to store this energy and distribute it to the surrounding areas of the body. Each chakra influences bodily functions near its region of the spine. The chakras roughly correspond to, and influence the activity of, the important glands of the body. They interact with the body's ductless endocrine glands and lymphatic system by feeding in good bio-energies and disposing of unwanted bio-energies. They are linked to the nerve ganglia (plexuses) of the body and influence nervous functions as well. Thus, the chakras are influential at every level of our functioning. They are responsible for keeping the spiritual, mental, emotional and physical health of the body in balance.

Seven major chakras although they have no definite physical location, these energy centers are represented in the physical body as aligned in an ascending column from the base of the spine to the top of the head. The seven major chakras are Mooladhara, Swadishthana, Manipuraka, Anahata, Vishuddhi, Ajna and Sahasrara. The mooladhara chakra (root center) is located in the sacral area, at the base of the spine. The swadishthana chakra (spleen center) is located two inches above the mooladhara chakra and two inches below the navel. The manipuraka chakra (navel center) is located at the navel, two inches above the swadishthana chakra. The anahata chakra (heart center) is located in the heat region, in the center of the chest. The vishuddhi chakra (throat center) is located in the hollow of the throat. The ajna chakra (brow center) is located on the forehead, between the eyebrows. The sahasrara chakra (crown center) is located on the crown of the head. Chakras – a deeper understanding Strictly speaking, the chakras are not present in the physical body at all. They exist on the metaphysical plane, and link together our three bodies or shariras.

The individual is made up of three bodies - the physical or gross body (sthula sharira), the mental or subtle body (sukshma sharira) and the causal body (karana sharira). These three bodies are categorized according to the states of consciousness where they come into play. Each of the shareeras or bodies is associated with a particular state of consciousness. The physical body is the body we know in the waking state, which eats, speaks, moves about and so on. This is the only body we are really familiar with. The mental body is that we use when we dream. While our body is lying fast asleep in our bed at home, in our dream we may be traveling in another country. How does this happen? At this time, we are using the mental body to travel around! In the dream state, the mental body is as real and functional as the physical body in the waking state. We also use our mental body in the waking state to think, verbalize, visualize and so on. The causal body is the one we use when we are in deep restful dreamless sleep. It is made up of pure tamas (inertness). During our sleep cycle there are phases when the mind becomes dormant and there are no thoughts. This is the time when we experience the causal body. These three bodies are not separate as we may think. They are tightly coupled. Consider two curved lines drawn on a piece of paper in such a way that they intersect at seven different points. If one of the lines represent the physical body, the other line represents the subtle body and the paper represents the causal body, the seven points at which the physical and the subtle body meet the causal body are the locations of the seven chakras or energy centers.

So the seven chakras are present at the intersection of the physical, subtle and the causal body. Some recent research in aura photography has been able to even photograph these energy centers. Chakras and emotions The seven chakras are associated with particular emotions in our Being. What is the relationship between chakras and emotions? All emotions, both good and bad, are nothing but the effect of the engraved memories or samskaras which we have accumulated in the past. When you are carrying too many negative samskaras, naturally the energy flow in the body will not be smooth. In particular, samskaras block the energy hubs or chakras, causing physical and mental disturbances. Most of our diseases are psychosomatic. They have their roots in the mind. What we see is just the effect and so we never really understand this mind-body connection. When a particular chakra gets blocked, the part of the body near that chakra gets affected. Kirlian photography has recorded the effect of emotions on the chakras. Each of our major chakras is related to some primary emotion in us. All our emotions are just different facets of our seven primary emotions. The same basic emotion plays as anger and fear, the same emotion plays as desire and guilt. If we can understand these seven emotions, we can handle the whole spectrum of emotions that happens in us. If an emotion is handled properly, the corresponding chakra functions well, expanding to the size of even a cartwheel! If the emotion is not handled properly, the corresponding chakra shrinks to the size of even a coat button, which causes low energy in the system. This low energy ultimately manifests as disease in the mind-body system. Several factors like childhood problems, societal conditioning, improper habits, physical and emotional injuries, or even just lack of attention, affect the energy flow through the chakras. Ultimately, all these energy blocks are caused by the absence of awareness. When we flood awareness on the chakra, it is washed clean of negative emotions, and we start radiating positive emotions like love and compassion. Keeping the chakras clean and energized is essential not only for our physical health, but for our mental and emotional well-being, and spiritual growth as well.

Healing and Kundalini Awakening:

The seven major chakras also correlate with different states of consciousness, and are directly linked to the ascent of the kundalini shakti in the body. The effort of all kundalini yoga is to awaken the tremendous kundalini shakti (the universal life-force which lies latent in us). The kundalini lies coiled and sleeping at the base of the spine. When awakened through yogic disciplines, the kundalini ascends up the spine, passing through the increasingly subtle chakras, until union with the Divine energy is achieved in the sahasrara chakra at the crown of the head. At this level, energy healing is far more than just clearing energy blockages in the body-mind system. It is a chance to release to our awareness our own infinite potential. When the kundalini awakens, deep-seated negative patterns and karmic blockages are spontaneously healed. Spiritual Healing: tuning in to the highest cosmic energy Energy healing involves a range of energy frequencies which fall into two broad categories – pranic and spiritual. Healing that uses pranic energy draws from the inexhaustible reservoir of the universal life-force, channeling it into the diseased body to facilitate healing. However, we would do well to remember that this life-force is not a supersonsicous energy.

For instance, electricity is also energy, but it is a blind energy. Electric current does not have its own intelligence. If you fix a bulb in the socket, it will glow. If you put your hand in the socket, it will give you an electric shock, that’s all! It doesn’t know where to go or how to work. The universal life-force is like this. Like electricity, it can do enormous good in the right hands, but if both healer and receiver are not well-protected, or if it is not channeled in the right way, this same energy can do great harm. It is not rare to hear of healers contracting the same disease that they are healing their patients of, or of ‘parasite’ receivers who continue to suck and drain the healer’s energy long after the healing session is over. The second type of energy is spiritual energy. Here we draw from the highest frequencies of the cosmic energy. This energy is intelligent; it knows where to go and what to do. Since it is intelligent, it cannot be manipulated by us to the extent that we manipulate life-force energy. But the results it gives are always, ALWAYS for the best.

Nithya Spiritual Healing uses the second type of energy. Neither healer nor receiver is required to do anything except enter into restful awareness and allow the cosmic energy to heal. However, while it is possible to sensitize oneself to grosser vibrations like life-energy through practice, the subtle spiritual energy can be channeled only by an advanced being who resonates at the same frequency. That is why initiation by an enlightened master becomes essential on the path of spiritual energy healing.

Learning to heal: Opening the Ananda Gandha chakra We all have a highly subtle energy center which governs the flow of spiritual energy into our system. Although it is commonly known as a chakra, it might be better described as the point where all chakras collapse at the moment of dissolution of the personal identity. The Ananda Gandha (‘the fragrance of bliss’) is our deepest connection to our own Being. This energy center lies latent in almost all of us. Although it is theoretically possible to open it through self-effort, the process would be about as easy as trying to dig an oil well using a spoon! Initiation is a deeply mystical yet scientific process by which this energy center of an aspiring spiritual healer is opened by the master using a subtle but enormously powerful energy ‘drill’, and working from the inside outwards.

Once initiated, the healer becomes an open channel for the healing spiritual vibrations of the master. Today, there are over 3000 initiated Nithya Spiritual Healers worldwide, acting as the ‘healing hands’ of Paramahamsa Nithyananda. Working from their homes or Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam’s innumerable healing centers worldwide, these healers continue to baffle modern medicine by curing fatal and incurable diseases with nothing more than a healing touch and a few moments of prayerful meditation.