Energy Medicine M
aga z i n e
Winter 2009 Issue Spring 2008 Issue
MEDITATION learning to be still and open in your mind
GOING WITH THE FLOW just say yes
UNDERSTANDING QI IN MUSCLES and why we injure ourselves
NEWS
TREATMENTS AcuEnergetics® is fast and accurate and can be used to treat a wide range of physical, mental and emotional conditions. Many people come for specific treatment of an injury, chronic health problems or work/family related stress. Some clients attend sessions to work through issues that arise frequently in their lives, such as anger, fear guilt, insomnia, relationship breakups and panic attacks. Others come because they find that energy balancing helps relax them and keep them at optimum health. Common conditions treated include: • Chronic back & neck pain • Depression and anxiety • Menstrual & fertility problems • Chronic fatigue • Chronic stress & panic attacks • Headaches • Trauma & grief • Abdominal pain & constipation • Low energy • Breathing problems • Sore knees, shoulders & joints • Speed up healing after surgery • Sports injuries
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B r ie f…
New Centre Opens in Glebe
We are thrilled to announce the opening of ‘The Cloakroom’ - Centre for Integrative Energetic Medicine - another centre offering AcuEnergetics® which opened in Sydney in March. It is home for three innovative Energy Practitioners; Ana Williams, Paul Charsley and Tracey McMullen (pictured above). Ana and Paul are qualified AcuEnergetics® practitioners, Tracey is a certified Energetic Healing practitioner and she will soon be adding AcuEnergetics® to her credentials. All three chose the AcuEnergetics® modality for its scope, precision and accuracy. These three practitioners concur, “AcuEnergetics® initiates heal-
ing at the cellular level through the use of energetic techniques based on an understanding of how the mind impacts the body, its physiological processes and one’s emotive responses not only to our day to day lives, but to traumas, injuries and accidents.” The Centre also runs workshops integrating practical principles for connecting with your passions and the heart centre, the most important centre of the energetic and physical bodies. How does it work? In short, AcuEnergetics® practitioners understand how energetic channels and centers work in the body. When these channels are blocked, specific illness, pain or symptoms can appear. AcuEnergetics® practitioners work with chakras, pranic fields, meridians and other energetic channels. Using their hands they feel blockages and imbalances in the energetic system and can clear them using various energetic techniques. What happens? During an AcuEnergetics® treatment the client remains fully clothed. Depending on the treatment, the practitioner may treat with their hands on or off the client’s body. “If you wish to see why the body is the way it is, look at how you’ve been thinking for the past ten years. If you wish to see how your body will be in ten years time, look at how you’re thinking now.” Buddha 550bc AcuEnergetics is a modern energy healing modality, based on a detailed understanding of the energetic physiology & anatomy of the body. It combines the latest discoveries in energy work with traditional knowledge from ancient texts by Chinese, Middle Eastern, Indian & Western Physicians. ®
AcuEnergetics® understands the whole energy body and its connection to the mind, which is vital for the effective treatment of any symptom in the body. AcuEnergetics & Energy Medicine Magazine This magazine is owned and produced by AcuEnergetics® and all content is copyright AcuEnergetics®. AcuEnergetics is located at 372 Darling Street, Balmain, NSW, Australia 2041. Ph: 02 9818 1522. Email info@acuenergetics.com ®
The Cloakroom is located in the new Valhalla Complex in Glebe. The Centre operates 6 days a week and appointments can be made on 0429 803 728 or via cloakroom@live.com.au.
AcuEnergetics® to teach in Holland
AcuEnergetics® has announced it will teach its popular Level 1 and Level 2 Courses at the famous Humaniversity in Holland in June 2010. The courses will combine to be a week long workshop and will be run by AcuEnergetics® founder Kevin Farrow and AcuEnergetics® teacher Rochelle Taylor.
Success in USA & Canada
For the first time ever, AcuEnergetics® ran its Level 1: Skills for Living workshop in the USA & Canada. AcuEnergetics® Practitioner and Teacher Dave Flakelar flew over to teach the group in March this year and said it was a huge success. He was supported in these workshops by AcuEnergetics® practitioner Ana Williams. Dave also ran the first Level 1 workshop in Forster in April this year. Congratulations to Dave for a great job abroad!
Tai Chi Classes in Balmain
The AcuEnergetics® Centre is still running regular Tai Chi courses for all levels at the centre. Classes are held on Monday and Wednesday at 7pm. New students are able to begin at regular intervals. If you’re interested, call the shop on 02 9818 1522.
Books for your spirit When The Shoe Fits
Stories of the Taoist mystic Chuang Tzu, By OSHO This is one of Osho’s classics. he brings his unique perception to the worls of Tao, and offers his penetrating and illuminating comments on these original sutras - the wonderful stories of the Taist mystic, Chuang Tzu. As always, his inspirational anecdotes and stories ilustrate the points he makes - about the spiritual search, love, aceptance and true peace and happiness. With great humour, Osho sets out to pierce our disguises, shatter our illusions, cure our addictions and demonstrate the self-limiting and often tragic folly of aking ourselves too seriously. [Taken from back cover] To purchase your copy contact the AcuEnergetics® clinic in Balmain on 02 9818 1522 or email info@acuenergetics.com
The Psychology of the Body Kevin Farrow, Founder and Director of AcuEnergetics®, is the author of The Psychology of the Body: The First Accurate Mapping of the Energy Body. In his new book Farrow explains how mind and emotions affect the body through the energetic system. Although this concept of a mind and body connection is not a new one, exactly how this occurs has until now remained somewhat of a mystery. This is where Farrow’s 30 years of research and discoveries provide a clear and precise framework from which to understand how the physical, mental, emotional and energetic systems work together – and how together they can either create illness or wellness in the body. RRP $130. To purchase your copy contact the AcuEnergetics® clinic in Balmain on 02 9818 1522 or email info@acuenergetics.com All books are available at the AcuEnergetics® bookshop, 372 Darling Street, Balmain.
The First Accurate Mapping of the Energy Body
Kevin Farrow
the Psychology of the body Founder and Director of AcuEnergetics ® Accurate Energetic Healing Clinic and School
The Secret of the Golden Flower Translated by Thomas Cleary This book was first written down around 200 years ago but it is from an early Chinese Taoist / Chan (Zen) Buddhist oral tradition. This is the most accurate book of lightbody meditation practises ever written. It details how to open the body to light and what happens when the light starts to fill and operate in the body - and it is amazingly accurate. Note that this is not the original Wilhelm translation which so confused Jung (and Wilhelm). Cleary is the most gifted translater of Taoist classics and this is a masterpiece. It isn’t easy to read and you will need to take your time but it is certainly worth the effort. All books are available at the AcuEnergetics® bookshop, 372 Darling Street, Balmain.
Meditation just be still...and drop your opinions
By Kevin Farrow
Many of us have tried to learn meditation and found that at first, it is impossible to stop our mind from wandering here and there. In the beginning, the mind moves around, the body complains; our nose itches and we scratch it, or our back hurts and distracts us. Maybe there is too much noise from the
these. This was really the view from her geography and her social demographic.
All these problems aren’t because of how our life is or because of how we think – these problems are how we think. Usually we don’t notice how we think because we’re so busy doing things, but the moment we stop doing things and sit still, we get to see how difficult and noisy we are all the time. Many of us are either annoyed or despairing at seeing this and blame it on meditation, or blame ourselves. Once again, we’re just displaying how we think. It goes on and on.
For example, a western girl wearing a miniskirt probably won’t understand how or why Muslim girls can wear the burka in the heat of summer. Similarly, a Muslim girl from Jakarta will probably think the tourist girls from Sydney in their skimpy outfits are outrageous. If a boy is born in Australia, chances are he’ll follow cricket. If he comes from the USA he’ll probably think the game is bizarre.
traffic or someone sneezes or someone’s giggling or we keep getting interrupted by our children or our friend, or we keep going to sleep or there isn’t enough time because we have so much to do.
The opinions we have about the noise, the interruptions and the giggling and about our opinions, are all just the normal opinions or products of our mind. It’s how the movie in our mind works. Something grabs our attention for a split second then we judge it, verbalise it and file it, so that we can return to it later in our movie. ‘She should dress her age.’ ‘Who would buy that car?’ ‘What a bastard – how could he treat her like that?’ ‘What a beautiful baby.’ ‘She’s so spiritual.’ ‘I hate red.’ ‘I’m no good at meditation.’ ‘Wow, that meditation was amazing – I must be nearly enlightened!’ If we stopped having opinions, we would get dynamic silence. The Chinese Zen Master Sosan said, ‘Don’t try to get enlightened – just stop having opinions.’ The first part of learning to meditate, is to learn to sit still. The trick to doing this is in not taking any of our opinions seriously. This sounds strange. We think we know this or that. We definitely know that this thing is beautiful or correct and that this other thing is ugly or wrong. I had a friend many years ago who couldn’t believe that I liked listening to accapella jazz music. She was sure that I only played it to annoy her. According to her, ‘Nobody could like that stuff!’ She grew up only listening to pop radio and believed that all people really only loved pop music. She hadn’t been acquainted with opera, jazz, blues or classical music and was convinced that people only pretended to like all of
When we think about it, most, if not all of our opinions have more to do with geography, than with any well thought out reasoning, or inner qualification to know the truth. This is such a basic idea that it’s now taught in North American high schools as behavioural studies. Basically, this is understanding that our particular group’s cultural beliefs, influence our opinions and behaviour without our being fully aware of it, and that we, as groups of people, exhibit different responses to the same stimuli due these influences.
Opinions. What to do about them? We can’t just stop opinions with our mind or get rid of them by saying that opinions are bad! That’s just another opinion, another part of the mind movie. Meditation has nothing to do with this opinionated mind. It’s above this mind, but to let it find us, we have to start someplace. Our opinions are usually quite simple – we agree with our friends and argue with those who aren’t our friends. The Sufi poet Hafiz wrote,
‘It is not easy to stop thinking ill of others. Usually one must enter into a friendship with a person who has accomplished that great feat himself. Then something might start to rub off on us of that True Elegance.’ Many years ago, I heard the Indian mystic Osho, answering a question. The question had something to do with theology and the man who asked it was at odds with his girlfriend over some obscure point. Osho just answered, ‘In any argument, the one who is the most serious is wrong.’ This is a very valuable teaching. If we are alive and
possessing an ego, a sense of I-ness, then we will have opinions. But we sleepy, peaceful snoozing. don’t need to be attached to these opinions, or our sense of I-ness. In the beginning of learning the practice of watching the breath, it’s Generally we think we’re special in a certain way. For some this means best to count the breaths. Start at one and after one cycle of in and they think they can achieve anything – for others it means they think out breath, count two and so on until you get to ten. Then start so poorly of themselves that they think they are incapable of achieving counting backwards until you get to one and then go up again and anything. Both views are just exhibiting an attachment to I-ness – so so on. At first our attention will only grasp the beginning of each in really they’re no different. and out-breath, but after a while we’ll begin to to really feel, listen to and watch the breathing deeply. When this happens, we can let go of The idea of the popular book, The Secret is that you can achieve the counting. anything. This idea is just based on everybody’s attachment to thinking that they’re special. This isn’t a secret. I-ness is nothing special really. All Don’t get into the rush of trying to be a good meditator. When you people, all animals and birds and all insects exhibit it. Plants probably can sit still with the counting, then drop it. It is best to spend at least have it. What’s so special about this really? The Hindu sages used to four weeks just on counting the breaths, before you drop it. call this I-ness, ahamkara. It means I-ness and also means, the veil. This You need to understand that this practice is just about training your is because our sense of I-ness keeps us unaware of the very nature of attention, so don’t get serious about it. Attention is the one thing we ourselves. Unfortunately, this is the real secret. need in everything we do and there is never any specific training for Behind our sense of I-ness is a pure awareness that we share with it. The reason that you need attention for this, is that meditation isn’t everything. This is our true nature and it’s not based on achieving really about sitting still – you can do that when you’re dead. Meditation anything. Our pure awareness, our beingness, our serenity, moment to is about direct insight into mind, and for that, you need attention. moment is all that really matters. Practicing meditation is just a tool to help us to have insight into the achieving mind. Essentially there is no need for this, as it only requires direct insight, not sitting still. Bankei, the famous Zen Master refused to let his students meditate for thirty years because he thought it just distracted them from being aware at all times. Eventually he relented and let them sit for thirty minutes every morning and night. Even Bankei reluctantly agreed that sitting still was of some benefit. The key to meditation is not to be serious about it. Just go through the motions everyday. Stop trying to sit still, don’t give our opinions about trying any credit. Just be aware that you’re trying. This doesn’t mean actively trying to ignore opinions or having any attitude towards them, after all, this would just be another opinion. When we can sit still, we won’t have any opinions we take seriously. The trick to letting meditation happen is to stop having opinions or meddling with our mind.The Taoist sage Lao Tzu said, ‘Should we meddle, then we are not equal to the task of winning the empire.’
“Unless you are as little children, you cannot enter the Kingdom.” Jesus
To begin your meditation: • Sit comfortably with your back straight but relaxed Don’t take this seriously or think it’s about being spiritual. Trying to be spiritual is a great nonsense. Everyone who thinks they’re spiritual is just demonstrating that they are still at the mercy of their opinions.
• Let your mind relax Be interested in the breath rather than forcing yourself to do this. The Jewish mystic Jesus said, ‘Unless you are as little children, you cannot enter the Kingdom.’ This is a description of our mind in meditation practice. When we were small children, playing on the beach or in the garden, we were happily, gently and vitally interested in the current pursuit. That was before we learnt effort. Put effort away and be vitally and happily interested. Don’t get serious, you’d be better off going to the beach. Being serious merely trains us in being serious and we already Translated into our 21st century language, this means that if we try know how to do that. to meditate, we can’t succeed ~ because meditation happens when • Gently, become aware of the breath. we are not trying. This doesn’t mean that we just sit down and let our Not by focusing hard on the breath, but by being present in our body thoughts and feelings overwhelm us. In the ancient Chinese meditation and noticing our breath because we are, after all, alive and breathing. text, Secret of the Golden Flower, there is a line that translates as, ‘You This doesn’t mean cutting off from outside noises or thoughts. If you can get it by effort that is not willful.’ We have to do something, but try to cut things out, that is what you are doing. This is not sitting that something does not involve trying to do it. So where does the quietly, listening to the breath. effort come in? • Watch with your mind, listen with your ears and feel with your body At first, in watching our breath. The mind is so dynamic that any If you just watch the breath with your mind you will be easily movement has strong repercussions. It’s like a sailboat in a strong distracted or just succeed in freezing the mind rather than freeing it. current. Just as we have an anchor for a boat, we need an anchor for Put your attention on the physical feelings of air movement in and the mind. In the beginning, the simplest thing to tie the mind to is the out of the nose and also on listening to the sound of the breath to breath. If you think this is too simple, remember: become more aware. • this is another opinion. • Gradually let the breath become finer until you can’t hear it anymore, • the Buddha did it every day – how bad can it be for you? but you’re still listening When the breathing is noisy, the mind is noisy. When the breathing is “Sitting silently, doing nothing quiet, the mind is quiet. Don’t try and hold the breath to keep it quiet Spring comes and the grass grows by itself.” Sosan or struggle with it at all. Just gradually let it become a little finer, then a Although meditation happens by itself when you’re doing nothing, little finer again – until you can’t hear it, but you are still listening. the practice for meditation to occur, is about training our attention. • Do this practice for a while everyday This is about being present, not absent. Many people believe they are If you time yourself, don’t use a watch, get an alarm so you don’t have meditating by sitting and dreaming/drifting every morning for half an to check and disturb yourself. Make the time at least 15 minutes. hour. This is not the case. They are just day dreaming and while it may give them some rest, it has nothing to do with meditation. If someone • Be happy taps us on the shoulder when we’re meditating and asks for our phone Happiness does not care where you are or who you are. It comes number and we don’t recall it instantly, we’re dreaming not meditating. when we let go of our opinions about ourselves and others – and Being in the present is gentle mind and present awareness rather than enjoy the present moment of awareness.
Talking with Kevin Farrow
Founder of AcuEnergetics®
Kevin Farrow founded AcuEnergetics® in 1998 after a lifetime of research, intrigue and discovery into the human energetic system. The 10 years since then have seen this modern energy healing modality grow and flourish - all the while helping people to be happy and pain free. How did you become interested in the human energy system? When I was 19 years old, my brother asked me to be the subject of a little experiment in trying to prove that we could feel the aura. I agreed and really did feel it. I was immediately enthralled and tried to work out how it worked. What makes AcuEnergetics® different from other energy healing modalities? We study unique and detailed energy physiology and anatomy to trace the path of illness from thoughts to symptoms. We are accurate and consistent because of this understanding and our practical ability to affect change in the different types of pathways and centres in the energy system.
What’s one way most people could easily become more happy in their lives? Stop taking everything so seriously, and meditate every day.
How do you think people’s attitudes to alternative medicine will change over the next ten years? Modalities like AcuEnergetics® will cease to be alternative and become tied into to mainstream medicine. Mainstream medicine always a gradual acceptance of things that work.
How do you stay balanced and happy? Meditate every day. Do everything easily and do the things I love to do. Play with people who are fun to play with. Try to not take myself seriously and obey my girlfriend.
What inspires you? Love and poetry. I’m a big fan of my girlfriend and Hafiz, Rumi, Sanai, Basho,Yang Wan Li, Kabir, Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu.
Practitioner in focus
It’s probably safe to say that Salila Marsham has been one of the biggest supporters of AcuEnergetics® over the years, having been friends with AcuEnergetics® founder Kevin Farrow since they met in India in the 1970’s. Always with a keen interest in energy work, health and wellbeing, and having trained as a registered nurse, it wasn’t surprising that Salila was one of the first to start studying with Kevin over 8 years ago. Since then she has created a successful practice treating with AcuEnergetics® in Sydney, Canberra and her hometown of Bermagui on the NSW South Coast. “When I learned about AcuEnergetics® I became so passionate about using this modality, because it deeply understands the energetic system and how it connects to our mind and emotions. Most importantly, it is incredibly effective in getting people out of pain and helping them to live happier lives,” said Salila. Salila is also an astrologer and has combined this knowledge with her energy work to offer AstroEnergetics® sessions, which are fun and amazing experiental astrology sessions. Salila treats at the AcuEnergetics® clinic in Balmain, Braddon in Canberra and Bermagui. Contact Salila via 0428 937 340.
Going with the flow saying yes in your heart
“Yes is a world and in this world of yes live all worlds,” ee cummings. Many of us like to talk about enlightenment or Christ consciousness or the Tao or living spiritually and often we get caught up in the linguistic complexities of what is really a very simple path. After all, these ‘ideas’ or philosophies are just representative of saying yes, ever more deeply. The real yes is enlightenment, the true Buddha nature. Often we say yes but we don’t really mean it. Our partner or parent asks, ‘Can you go to the shop for milk? We say yes but it’s not an authentic yes. The action might be fulfilled – we get the milk – but the way we go about it is all no. We trudge up to the store – mentally and physically – and our no stops us being open to love and to the light. Not that we have to be enthusiastic or exited about getting the milk. Yes really doesn’t have anything to do with enthusiasm. In Chinese medicine five-element theory, there is a little understood point about the heart being damaged by joy. Really this is a poor translation. The heart is damaged by excitement, not joy. So excitement about getting the milk is an over-the-top reaction. Excitement doesn’t have a smile held within it. The authentic yes always has a smile within. It’s important to understand that living in the world of yes doesn’t mean agreeing to everything. You can say no with your heart open rather than saying no by closing down. A student of mine once said that saying yes was dangerous because after a week of practicing the inner smile meditation, she went into a bar and about half a dozen men tried to pick her up. This is a misunderstanding of yes. You don’t need to disconnect your brain from your heart to live in the yes space. We need to understand that when we are in a no space, really we are in a state of self-harm. Of course this sounds ridiculous and looks much more superficial and less dangerous than slashing our wrists or starving ourselves – but it’s not really less superficial or less dangerous to us. No, severs our connection with our hearts and with our spirit. There is nothing more dangerous than that. When we are caught up in anger, jealousy and blame we are engaging in self-harm. It doesn’t matter how we try and justify it – that’s the fact.
Several years ago two women, both of whom were survivors of Nazi concentration camps in World War 2, came to see me in the same week. Both survived because as very beautiful teenagers they had a sexual value and so were raped by the prison guards on a daily basis for several years. The men that were raping them killed both of their families.
“Yes is a world and in
this world of yes live all worlds.” At the end of the war, one of them decided that she wasn’t going to spend the rest of her life hating anyone for any reason. She saw, quite accurately and beautifully, that most people are capable of behaving terribly because they live in negativity and that this isn’t a trait that is confined to any particular ethnicity or group. This woman was full of love, light and beauty. The other woman hated the Germans so much because of her ordeal, that 50 years later she still refused to travel to Germany. Her whole body was racked with pain from arthritis caused by her anger and hatred. I told her that if she wanted to get rid of the pain – she would have to forgive the Germans. She said, ‘How can I forgive them after what they have done?’ It may seem to be a good point, but the reality is that her negativity hurt her for 50 years. There is no good reason for self harm. When we can say yes totally in everything we do, when we surrender ever more deeply to love – our lives are fulfilled and the life of everyone around us is benefited. The poet, ee cummings, is right – yes really is a world that contains all. Kevin Farrow
Understanding Qi (energy) in Treating Muscles By Kevin Farrow
‘How did you do that?’
These were the words of a sports photographer who came to see me several years ago with severe chronic back pain. The pain was in the midline of the back from T5 to L5. The pain was present all the time but it was worse before and after Christmas, due to the heavy workload of sports grand finals and the Australian Tennis Open. As a photographer, the client’s work involved running up and down the sidelines of sports events carrying a heavy equipment bag and then balancing heavy telephoto lenses when he was clicking the shutter. It’s a recipe for back pain and it’s no surprise that most sports photographers suffer from it. This means that when they’re young they run around and try to get the best shot, and as they get older, they tend to wait in the one place until it comes to them. The photographer had seen chiropractors and physios for years and the sessions had only ever given him partial relief from the pain. By energetically opening two energy channels (done without needles or touching the client) he was out of pain in 30 minutes while we chatted. Within two sessions he was completely pain free. How was this possible? The way we see skeletal muscular injury in western medicine, whether by way of muscle strain, muscle pull or muscle tear, indicates damage by straining or tearing of part, or all of the fibres associated with the muscle. In addition, it can involve damage to tendons joining the muscle to adjacent bones and also bruising as a result of damage to small blood vessels. (Note: This type of injury is fundamentally different
to a sprain, which denotes damage to a joint and the ligaments which join bone to bone.) The symptoms of muscle damage range widely from mild irritation during movement, to pain at rest, through to muscle weakness or total loss of use of the muscle. The usual approach to this type of injury has become famous as the RICE formula which equates to rest, ice,compression and elevation. After the initial swelling has subsided it is customary to begin the patient on a series of exercise routines to help the injury to recover. This routine is always based on stretching the muscle. Patients are exhorted to avoid injury by daily stretching and to stretch every time before they exercise. The general fourfold philosophy behind stretching can be summarised as follows: • increased flexibility. • increased range of motion • increased circulation • decreased injury risk Although there are arguments about stretching, they are usually based on its effectiveness in relation to prevention of injuries. For example, Sydney University researchers Robert Herbert, Ph.D., and Marcos de Noronha, Ph.D. recently (2008) analysed 10 published studies of stretching either before or after athletic activity. Their conclusion was that stretching before exercise doesn’t prevent post-exercise muscle soreness or in any way help to prevent sports injuries. What isn’t argued
about is the theory behind the muscle action itself. It is just implicitly acknowledged that stretching helps pull the muscle fibre to its full length, and that this action somehow assists with the realignment of disorganised fibres which helps to rehabilitate damaged fibres back to health. This is a supposedly magical process that is convienient, but never fully explained. This approach of western medicine to muscular injury has not fundamentally changed in the last 20 years. What isn’t understood in western medicine, is that there is an energy in the body that both supplies the energy for the muscle to rebuild and also organises the process. This energy flows through a distribution network that runs from relatively large streams (termed meridians) filtering down to micro streams which permeate and supply energy to every part of the muscle. The energy runs through every muscle in exactly the same way energy flows through a leaf. We could say that the muscles are subservient to the energy. Without it they don’t work. Tommy Radonikus, the famous ex-Australian rugby league player and coach, hit the media several years ago with a statement he made concerning hamstring injuries. Tommy reckoned that players didn’t play any harder now than they did when he was playing, yet the number of hamstring injuries was much greater now. He believed that over stretching was the cause of the problem. He was heavily ridiculed at the time by everyone who thought they knew anything about muscles. The funny thing thing is, he was right, although he didn’t know the technical reasons why. He was right because although stretching pulls on the muscle fibres, unless the energy is flowing, this can actually damage the muscle. It’s the energy which gives the muscle strength and flexibility – without the flow of energy – there is only the potential of damage. Think of it like this. If you try to pull off a branch of a live tree, it will be a lot harder than pulling off a branch on a dead one. This is because in a live tree, the energy is flowing, giving the branch strength and flexibility. The energy system of the body is surprisingly similar to leaf structure. You have main channels which distribute energy to smaller channels, into ever smaller channels. Have a look at a gum leaf and you’ll see what I mean. The structures for the flow of nutrients in a leaf are easily recognisable. The problem with meridian structures has always been that they are difficult to see. They are almost transparent and hard to differentiate from fibrin under low magnification microscopy. A Korean researcher, Kim Bong Han, discovered how to see them using a staining technique in the 1960’s, but his work has never been acknowledged because he never revealed the staining procedure. Recently, his work has been rediscovered by another Korean team whose work has now revealed ‘threadlike microscopic anatomical structures that correspond with the layout of traditional acupuncture meridians or channels.’1 These images have been photographed using both Stereo-microscope photographs
and images from transmission electron microscopy. The reason that the energy isn’t always flowing through these energy structures into the muscle groups, has much to do with the energy’s unique correspondence of the energy to the mind. When we hold in our minds, we affect and hold the energy of the body (chinese: qi) instantly. This tension in the mind weakens the muscle structures as the muscles require moving energy for strength and flexibility. The end result is that exerting our muscles during periods of mental stress, in what may be a perfectly normal way, can cause muscle, tendon or ligament damage, due to the lack of energy weakening the muscle. In AcuEnergetics®, we see that it is not the muscle itself that is rigid and contracted. It is the energy which holds the muscles rigid and in contraction. This congested energy can be moved. When the energy is moved from a rigid set of muscles - the muscles relax because there is nothing to hold them in tension. Techniques such as massage work by scattering the energy or moving it to another area. There are inherent problems with this because it doesn’t get rid of the problem, it just moves it about. The congested energy needs to be cleared to have a lasting effect. I once treated a tennis player who consistently damaged her shoulder serving and had to give up the sport. I asked her if she wanted to kill the opposing player when she served and she agreed that this was her style. I then asked her to serve as fast as she could, for the sheer joy of serving fast, instead of trying to maim her opponent. When she tried this, she no longer injured her shoulder and returned to playing competition tennis. This isn’t a new discovery. Taoist martial arts practitioners used the Inner Smile meditation to help with energy flow several thousand years ago. They understood that a calm stable mind gives courage and strengthens the body. This practice is still taught in some ancient forms of Jujitsu as Pure Heart meditation. When you treat muscle injuries, it is necessary to consider that the energy is blocked and work from the perspective of getting it to flow again. This won’t always just involve the meridian system as this can be held by the sephira (energy centres of mind in the body) – but the end result is a muscle that is weakened due to lack of energy. This is often the reason for the injury in the first place (muscle is weak and can’t take the usual strain) or sometimes it may be the result of the injury as in a fall. Whether it comes first or last, you still have to open up the pathways of energy in order to have the muscle recover successfully. Resources: Johng H-M, Yoo JS, Yoon T-J, et al. Use of magnetic nanoparticles to visualize threadlike structures inside lymphatic vessels of rats. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2007; Bonghan Channels in Acupuncture | Acupuncturetoday March; 4(1):77-82.; Herbert RD, de Noronha M. Stretching to prevent or reduce muscle soreness after exercise. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2007, Issue 4.
an amazing story in healing the body Below is the story of Veeresh D. Yuson-Sanchez and his experience with AcuEnergetics® earlier this year. Veeresh is an an outstanding therapist and teacher who became famous for his work in the Human Potential Movement. He also founded The respected Humaniversity in Holland in 1978, which is an international center for therapy, training and personal growth. While visiting and teaching at the Osho International Meditation Resort in Pune (India) earlier this year, Veeresh was introduced to Kevin Farrow, founder and director of the AcuEnergetics® Clinic and Training School in Sydney. Veeresh attended a couple of sessions and the results were amazing. He valued the work of Kevin so much that he changed his plans and decided to continue his treatment in Australia. The following article is taken from the Osho Humaniversity Newsetter, March 2009, written by Geetee. Pain in Veeresh’s hip For 18 years Veeresh has been suffering from excruciating pain in his hip and leg. The message from regular doctors was: “Take some discs out, grind them down and put them back with the help of metal clamps.” Luckily, he never opted to do the operation. Meeting the ‘Magician’ Veeresh booked a session with Kevin and after 90 minutes of treatment, he walked out free of pain. Veeresh was amazed, and from that moment on, called him ‘his magician’. He kept expecting his condition to worsen, but he is still pain free today, 2 months later. Due to the amazing result in his body, Veeresh decided to fly to Sydney and to stop over in Kuala Lumpur on the way to see his son Champak, who lives there.
“The approach appeared spooky, it’s like acupuncture without needles. But the results have been astounding. Today I am walking without losing balance, my energy is flowing, and I have no more pain in my hip. I am so enthusiastic that we are sending two of our students, who are stuck on a physical level, to Australia for treatment. I look forward to having AcuEnergetics® training at the Osho Humaniversity in the future.” Veeresh Treatment in Sydney, Australia Then on to Sydney and its beautiful sights, the Harbour, Circular Quay, the Opera house on a little peninsula, George Street, a beautiful shopping street, and the School of AcuEnergetics® in Balmain, Sydney. Veeresh was able to receive sessions every day of his stay, generously offered by Kevin, Rochelle and some of their practitioners and students. Kevin even insisted on treating Veeresh on his days off and after his regular working hours. We soon developed a dear friendship and became very enthusiastic about their work. We had several meals together and asked many questions about their way of treating.They answered with passionate patience and explained to us about their work and told us many stories from their experiences. Kevin has published one book, and is currently working on a second one, containing a deeper explanation of what he does and how the energy system of the body functions. AcuEnergetics® Treatment Mental trauma creates blocks in the body. Kevin sees the body as a three dimensional manifestation of the mind. In his treatment he is alleviating mental trauma and at the same time he stimulates an opening of energy gates. That allows the chi, or life energy, to flow naturally through the meridians, thus enabling the body to heal itself. Some of the complaints AcuEnergetics® treats include: chronic back & knee pain, sciatica, menstrual problems & infertility, thyroid problems, anxiety, insomnia, digestive problems, stress & trauma, sports injuries & many other problems. Read more on www.acuenergetics.com. Home again Finally it was time to go back home again. We feel rich in our hearts to have made such beautiful and generous friends and are looking forward to the next time we meet. Extract from the Osho Humaniversity Newsetter, March 2009
invites you to attend the ...
‘Skills for Living’ Workshop
This weekend course is an eye opening experience, teaching you how to increase your awareness and sensitivity to energy. You will discover a fresh approach to all aspects of your life, learning skills to open your heart and bring you more joy, love and energy.
Learn and experience: • Simple and profound meditation techniques to still the mind and open the heart. • How to feel your own and other people’s energy. • How to open your energetic field and balance another person’s. • How to release held emotions and attitudes which cause illness in the body. • An introduction to the physiology and anatomy of the energy body. • Radiance, resonance and magnetic hand techniques for healing illness. • The core understandings of AcuEnergetics® as a healing modality. • The first level of training to becoming an AcuEnergetics practitioner.
AcuEnergetics® is a modern energy healing modality based on a detailed understanding of the energetic anatomy and physiology of the human body. It was developed in Australia by Kevin Farrow and is the result of over 30 years of research into ancient and modern texts by Chinese, Middle Eastern, Indian and Western physicians, combined with many years of clinical research.
This workshop is run several times every year - ask us about specific dates.
Workshop Cost $595
acuenergetics.com
Neshamah
Enlightenment Holiday Long Weekend 5th - 8th June, 10am - 4pm in Balmain
Neshamah literally means the breath of God - the true higher consciousness.
In this four day holiday into meditation, we will progress from Buddhist meditations of stillness and happiness through ancient Judaic practises in opening the light body, to the Taoist turning the light around, and then Turiya, the state of pure consciousness. You will develop practical skills to still the mind, open the heart and the light body and experience the divine state of oneness. This Holiday is for both beginner and advanced meditators. The Neshamah Enlightenment Holiday will be led by Kevin Farrow. Kevin has practised and studied meditation for over 30 years. He has taught for 10 years, bringing a new practical experience of meditation to thousands of people. His published writings, meditation CD’s and teachings have brought him worldwide recognition as a unique meditation teacher. He is also the founder of the AcuEnergetics® healing modality. The Neshamah Enlightenment Holiday is on the June long weekend from Friday 5th June - Monday 8th June 2009 and costs $995. Limited places available. To book your place call 02 9818 1522. For more information about Kevin Farrow or AcuEnergetics® visit www.acuenergetics.com