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april 2018yogajournal.com.auThat’s where subtle-energy therapies
come into play. “Just as yoga works on a
structural, energetic, and emotional
level to help us connect to the source—
whether you call it god, spirit, or
kundalini—energy-healing modalities
aim to guide people back to a sense of
belonging with that source,” says Susan
Manchester, an intuitive healer in
Boulder, Colorado, who practices
biodynamic craniosacral therapy and
the Rolf Method of Structural
Integration. “Ideally, energy healing
helps you come home to your body and
connects you in a more profound way
with your true Self.” Maria Villella, an
acupuncturist and yoga teacher in Los
Angeles, adds that yogis often have a
head start when it comes to
experiencing the benefits of these
therapies. “With any healing modality,
the more you’re able to put yourself in a
deeply relaxed state, the more benefits
you’ll receive,” she says.
From acupuncture and Reiki to
intuitive counselling and craniosacral
therapy, modalities once viewed as
“alternative” are becoming increasingly
mainstream. Yet choosing one that will
work best for you can be daunting.
Here’s a guide to help you hone in on
those that will enable you to explore the
deeper layers within you, and as
Manchester puts it, ultimately come
home to your Self.Spiritual counselling
WALK INTO A SPIRITUAL COUNSELLOR’S OFFICE and it may feel like you’re in for something similar to talk
therapy: your counsellor will likely sit across from you, ready to dive into your emotional challenges, issues, or
concerns. Yet unlike traditional counselling, a spiritual counsellor won’t give you any labels to explain away your
condition, rather they will see the higher purpose to your ‘suffering’ and assist you to move out of darkness into the
light. Spiritual Counselling includes breathwork, guided meditation, sound healing, therapeutic ‘yelling’ and other
non-traditional counselling techniques aimed to provide space for the client to have a full expression of their
feelings, says Carrie-Anne Fields a psychologist, Reiki Master and yoga teacher.
Carrie-Anne says there are always ‘homework’ assignments which usually involve Inner Child Healing to look after
the little boy or girl within who desperately needs your adult love and attention. These homework assignment are
incredibly fun and the healing is profound – simple things like taking your little girl out to play on the swings as you
always did when you were young. In this space, repressed memories can resurface and space for feeling and
expression of suppressed pain can be explored. It also provides time for innocence and play which is often neglected
as an adult.TRY THIS THERAPY IF... you’ve hit a wall in traditional counselling and want to tap into the power of your own
intuition, self-love and empowered expression..”