E n e r g i z i n g t h e E n e r g y P r a c t i t i o n e r
January 2003
01. Message from the Editor
02. Follow-up From a Client at the Difficult Case
Workshop
03. The Energy Medicine Community is Evolving
04. Observations On The Group Treatment
05. Setting the Energetic Tone for a Session
06. The Soft Approach to Moving Energy
07. Learning From What Works and What Doesn’t
08. Setting the Session Pace 09. Importance of Treating the Vivaxin
10. The Power of the Group Healing Process
11. Donna As Detangler and Other Observations
12. What’s Happening Energetically When On Drugs?
13. Reversing Homolateral: Lesson from the
5-Day Intro
14. Healing Ourselves — It’s Intuitive!
15. Chakra Clearing on the Back to Clear Past Issues
16. Energy Technique For Losing Weight
01. Message From the Editor
Contributor: Kaelin Kelly
Recently I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about Donna Eden passing her work on to us and how that is both a gift and a responsibility. It’s impossible to imagine this work ending when Donna moves on to other things, yet it might if we look to her for ongoing answers rather than trusting our own knowing, acting on it, and passing it on.
At a recent Eden workshop, I decided to approach each exchange with a classmate as if I was talking with Donna. It’s amazing how much I learned with that open and respectful attitude. I felt like I was in a sea of energy gurus with each person contributing something worthwhile to the knowledge pot.
The Energy Community Report has always been about tapping into the knowledge within each of us. Every ECR item is a gem from a peer. As you read each one, notice how it contributes to your knowledge or to how you think about some aspect of energy. Then realize how you, too, have an earned spot in this fellowship. We’re all touching the world through a combination of knowledge and intuition.
This issue of the Energy Community Report is chock full of issues and insights Contributor attendees at two of Donna Eden’s workshops: Illness, Pain and the Difficult Case in Portland, OR and the 5-Day Energy Medicine Intensive in Miami, FL. Additional insights from the 5-Day Intensive will appear in our next issue. Many thanks to all of our contributors.
Feel free to contact us with any comments you might have. We love to hear from you!
02. Follow-up From a Client at the Difficult Case Workshop
Contributor: Kathy Wilmering
I have secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (the second most severe kind). Despite strongly wishing it, I’ve not generally been immediately healed from illness. A different miracle occurs, one that unfolds over time and that showed itself here in the last few months.
Six years ago I was looking at wheelchairs and had to move out of my house since I could no longer even crawl up the steps to the second story. Through energy work and other modalities I stopped the progression of my disease and gained back function I’d been told would not return. Although I still have to be very careful to sleep and eat enough and not work too many hours, I can often hike moderately, climb steps, and live normally.
I’d heard that neurofeedback could decrease some of my symptoms further. In April I began some treatments and was persuaded that a short burst of magnetic stimulation might be useful. I responded paradoxically and not only had a flare of my MS but started deteriorating more than I had before. I was frightened but kept using the energy skills Donna and others had taught me. To keep myself able to sit up and move I had to do the practices every hour and a half or so while I was awake. Although they helped, having to focus so much when I didn’t feel good wore me out.
I was ecstatic when Donna was willing to have me be her “guinea pig” for the Difficult Case workshop in June. I worked even harder at my exercises and did what I could to clear out obstacles to healing.
I was in for another good surprise before I made it to the workshop. I was working at the Therapeutic Touch Intensive when Dolores Krieger quietly asked me if I wanted her to help me. Since the hot weather we’d had worsened MS symptoms, even all the work I was doing was not keeping my symptoms at bay: I was totally exhausted, seeing double, having “twitchy” eyes and spastic legs, losing my balance, and having trouble with incontinence. As she helped me, I was surprised that the function came back so readily. I’d been sick a long time, though, and still needed more work than she had time to give.
How wonderful then to be able to go to the workshop and learn by having Donna work on me! I most appreciated that she worked one step at a time and when one thing didn’t hold, she used that information as a way to figure out what to do next. In that workshop more than any other, we learned how she assesses and problem-solves her way through complicated situations.
Although I didn’t feel better right away, I steadily improved after those two excellent healers worked on me. To me it is clear that I needed that double intervention to turn around the powerful disease progression, and I am grateful it did.
03. The Energy Medicine Community is Evolving
Contributor: Eileen Schwartz
After a two year absence from the Energy Medicine community, my first AHA at the “Illness, Pain and the Difficult Case” workshop was noticing how much everyone had transformed. People looked younger and more relaxed. Those who had previously been timid seemed more confident. Those whom I remembered as having a “crusty” exterior now seemed gentler and more heart centered. People had become skilled healers within a joyous and welcoming community.
The second AHA came from our work with difficult cases. The deeper energy work typically uncovered a core problem which seemed to originate with a shock or sustained trauma. Clients needed to release this trauma emotionally, energetically, and physically. Ultimately, the love that surrounded them in each healing circle seemed to give them the courage to face and transform their pain. It was as if the initial energetic work cleared a path so love could reach them at the deepest level. So my biggest AHA came from seeing and experiencing the healing power of love. It was a joy for me to reunite with the community.
04. Observations On The Group Treatment
Contributor: Stephanie Eldringhoff
The “Illness, Pain and the Difficult Case” workshop was such a great training. I think the best so far. It was so great to see Donna work on people, respond to our direct questions, then follow up with those same folks later on in the training. It was also amazing to see my compatriots thorough knowledge and how much everyone has incorporated this way of working within their own individuality. It was a wow kind of weekend for me. I sure want more opportunities like this.
Once again, I was struck by the importance of checking to see if a vivaxis is out before any further assessment or treatment. If it is, correct by spinning the magnet at all the beginning or ending points of meridians. Further, it was good to find out how useful it is to move the table so that the client’s feet are facing in the direction of their weak vivaxis throughout the session. I have had even more powerful sessions with clients since I’ve started doing that.
Group 1 worked with a guy who had a long history of heroin addiction, plus chronic pain from massive injuries (energy, physical, spirit and emotional) from service in Vietnam. He was such a great soul AND his energies were so intense. This created intensity for the individuals in the group and some starting having energetic overloads/TW overdrive. This again reminded me how important it is for practitioners to receive this kind of work for our own well being. We practitioners are not exempt from needing to keep our energy balanced. To think we can do it all ourselves is not such a good idea. I sure was glad I had a session during the workshop for myself so that my own energy got attention without me trying to do it while being practitioner, teaching assistant, and human all at the same time.
We saw over and over that the treatment can create basic imbalances in the systems. These need to be addressed before the treatments can proceed. Specifically, it pays to check the regulator radiant circuit and hook-ups frequently to make sure that they are holding OR we can risk the treatments not holding even as long as someone is in our office. I had already experienced this when I had to repeatedly activate the Penetrating Flow when engaged in deep work with clients. I consider the Penetrating Flow the deepest/primal hook-up since it shares pathways with central and governing vessels and then has even more sub pathways than any of the other radiant circuits.
05. Setting the Energetic Tone for a Session
Contributor: Nancy Kilham
The Difficult Case workshop was an amazing weekend with many incredible experiences. I want to share something that was a constant subtle theme during the weekend for me, i.e. setting the energetic tone for a session.
Attending the energy medicine workshops is always a very powerful experience and I often feel like I am swimming in a sea of energy. The interconnectedness of this work, how energy moves around us, between us, and through us, is one of the more abstract aspects of energy medicine but one Donna alludes to often. Being balanced in your own energy body and creating a clear intention is such an important step in the practice of this work. Preparing ourselves prior to working on others is essential for the work to be appropriate and of the highest benefit.
One of the things we did at the workshop was work as a group on one person with a difficult illness case. The groups were approximately 13 people each and that is a lot of energy to be focused on one person. In our group, we began the process by synchronizing our energies. We did this by being present in the moment with ourselves and each other. We introduced ourselves and consciously created an intention together to honor this process and to create a circle of energy that had integrity and respect. We could all feel the energy come up and the session was incredible. We were able to work in an amazingly fluid fashion integrating intuition, knowledge of the work, and honoring of the process as it unfolded. A powerful healing took place for our client because she was ready and open to receive the experience and we as a group had set the stage for the energies to move.
Preparing yourself to do this work is a very personal process. The five minute routine, crown pull, grounding or any of the energy medicine techniques that bring you into balance will make your session more balanced. When your energies are humming you become a much more effective and responsible conduit of the energies. Another piece that I believe is really important, and Donna personifies, is holding the intention that whatever you are doing will be for the highest good of the person you are working on and the highest good for you as a participant in the healing experience. We can learn all the techniques in the world but if we are not clear in our intention and present with the energies, we can not access the true richness of this work.
Thank you Donna, David and everyone for such a wonderful opportunity to learn.
06. The Soft Approach to Moving Energy
Contributor: Rebecca Gold
I don’t see energy in a way I can consciously recognize as in a shape or color but I am aware of energy by tactile awareness and by a knowingness. I do trust my awareness of energy and hope to develop a visual awareness someday.
When working with other people’s energy, I have noticed that moving too quickly or chaotically can move a lot of energy but can cause disturbing physical responses such as dizziness or nausea. I like to think of approaching other people and their energy fields as similar to approaching a timid child or a nervous animal. I approach softly, hold still and let their energy move towards me when they are ready.
For example, as I clear a chakra I start by holding my hand still very close to their body or resting lightly on their body (this works especially well for heart or solar plexus). When I feel the energy come to meet my hand, I move it in slow circles. As I move into the next level or feel less energy connection, I stop and pause until I again feel the energy ready to meet me. I then continue slowly through the levels. That way I feel that it becomes an effortless dance with the client agreeing to the work and participating with the deep healing that can occur.
07. Learning From What Works and What Doesn’t
Contributor: Given Bliss
I am so new to this community that I could consider everything technical that happened during the Difficult Case workshop to be an aha! Even so, there are two things that I would like to mention which made a difference for me.
First, watching Donna take steps to balance the client’s energy and seeing that for her having something not work was a source of information just as having something work was a source of information gave me a more effective way of looking at my own work.
In the past, when I would make a correction and it wouldn’t hold my first thought was that I had done something incorrectly. Now I can see that it is just another piece of the puzzle.
My second Aha! came from observing the people involved in this workshop. There is a song by Kate Wolfe. This is the first verse and the chorus:
Kind friends all gathered ’round
there’s something I would say.What brings us together here
has blessed us all today.Love has made a circle
Which holds us all inside,
Where strangers are as family
Loneliness can’t hide.So give yourself to love
if love is what you’re after
Open up your heart
to tears and laughter,
And give yourself to love,
Give yourself to love.
This is a song I sing to bless and welcome the souls and spirits who show themselves to me. And at the Difficult Case workshop, I found myself in a community of people who have given themselves to love. Thank you and Bless you.
08. Setting the Session Pace
Contributor: Barb Scholz
When Donna worked on Kathy Wilmering, who has multiple sclerosis, she said several times that people with MS (and other seriously ill people) can only take small “doses” of healing work. She emphasized that they have trouble assimilating a lot of input and that includes energy work. This sank in deeply. I often feel like I need to take care of everything that relates to a problem when I see someone.
It also brought to mind some basic principles that I learned over the 20 years I have studied and used homeopathy. There is an idea of matching the pacing of the symptoms or person’s constitution with the inherent pacing of a remedy you select for treatment. An example would be a very fast moving flu that brings on a high fever and chills suddenly would need a high intensity remedy like belladona. However, a slow paced summer cold that makes you tired but you’re not sure that you’re sick and slowly reveals another symptom each day or two, taking a couple of weeks to run its course. This symptom picture would require a slower paced remedy like gelsemium.
So how does this relate? It made me wonder if there is a way to look at the pacing or basic rhythm of the illness and the person’s constitution and have that set the pacing for the healing session. So a person who has a great deal of sensitivity would need healing in a shorter, less intense session than someone who has a lot of intensity. I am going to be more mindful of the intensity of work and try to match it to the client and their issue.
My second aha was more of a synthesis. When we divided up into groups to work on our person with the “difficult case”, the group I was working with first talked to the person about the unfolding of the case history. As we discussed the progression of ailments, I got out my star chart with the 5 elements. I marked the progression of the issues that came up on the chart and watched the progression of energy issues by observing the progression of related meridians.
For example, ulcers – stomach meridian (yang earth), upper wisdom teeth surgery – spleen meridian (yin earth), spleen rupture and removal – spleen meridian (yin earth), diabetes – spleen meridian (yin earth), kidney stones – kidney meridian (yin water, controls spleen meridian), …. you get the picture. As I did this, the case history was no longer a wild progression from one thing to the next, seemingly jumping in a chaotic fashion. Instead there was a definite pattern that centered around earth element and its control flow of water. This gave me a much deeper insight. The symptom picture seemed chaotic, but the underlying energy message was very consistently pointing to a major imbalance amongst the elements in the system.
I am looking forward to pursuing this way of looking at case histories with my clients. In the past I have had the “sense” that most of the issues in a complex case were coming out of an underlying energy imbalance, but this gave me a way to try to decode the energy message that the symptoms present.
09. Importance of Treating the Vivaxin
Contributor: Mega McGrew
The one thing that impressed me the most about the conference was when Donna was working with Kathy Wilmering. After Donna tried everything, Marta Vila said, “why not try the vivaxin.” Donna then set about testing for the vivaxin and once the direction was found and corrected, she tested again and found that everything held. I never realized how important the vivaxin was until then. It is now one of the things I test and check first.
The second thing I learned was Orthobionomy, which is bending the body around the muscle you are trying to release. Donna demonstrated this on me. The spot that held some pain was on my hip. Donna found the spot and had me bend into or around the place where she was pushing hard into a muscle. I found that it then did not hurt. Folding the body around the muscle while pushing in cushions and softens the muscle, since bending into the area shortens the distance the muscle stretches from origin to insertion. Since I am a body worker, this was a valuable piece of information.
10. The Power of the Group Healing Process
Contributor: Nancy Heyerman
One of my biggest aha’s from the Difficult Case workshop was in witnessing the deep impact we can have when coming together with intention and skills combined. I am so eager to hear the 6 month follow-up from each of the 5 clients. I came away with renewed interest and inspiration to get back to a more active practice of study and work on my own energy body and others. I am also feeling very overloaded/overwhelmed due to the demands of my life currently. I am pulled in many directions – just trying to keep my head above water. Life seems to be this way for many around me right now. Assimilating skills now is my focus. I have been using the 14 individual meridian tests daily to get comfortable with those and have also used the “folding” technique for pain release a couple times.
Ed. note: see Mega McGrew’s submission above for a description of this Orthobionomy technique.
11. Donna As Detangler and Other Observations
Contributor: Sara Allen
The “Pain and the Difficult Case” workshop was a wonderful weekend. I think it was the very best class I have ever taken with Donna. I am tickled pink that I was there.
DONNA THE DETANGLER
I loved watching Donna detangle the difficult cases. By detangle I mean, she would try one thing and make a little progress. Brush another direction and get a little more information. Have things fall apart only to reveal more information. It was amazing to watch Donna do the healing dance on just one client for an extended period of time. As she was working on Carolyn, it dawned on me why Sandy Wand is so good as an energy practitioner. Sandy simply watched Donna work for so many years, just as we were all doing that night.
I hope Donna teaches more classes in this manner. It was fabulous. I am going to try to teach a couple of classes in this manner as well.
STRING OF PEARLS
I have always loved the Pearls that Donna throws out. By pearls I mean the little tidbits of information and tips on how to do things better. I got enough Pearls this weekend to string a long strand. Here are a few:
- When weak on spleen, rake energy across the chest and run spleen meridian backwards. Trace spleen forward 3 times.
- If there is chronic pain for a long time, there are probably neurological issues as well.
- If someone is not getting better, look to homolateral and/or neurological.
- If bladder is involved, everything hurts more–everything is more sensitive.
- Hook ups really help to hold change.
- Massaging adrenals (bottom rib on back) is a deep sedation of Triple Warmer.
- Spin magnet over both ends of a meridian to keep the energy moving.
- Work gait points on the feet when pain is not directly located on a meridian.
- Heel pain is on Bridge Circuit and Regulator flow.
- Go SLOW, Slow ,slow when treating someone with multiple sclerosis. Give lots and lots of assimilation time.
- On very weak people, use the bicep muscle to energy test for info
- Stomach 42 (3 finger widths above the base of the 2nd toe) is 4 times more active and affects EVERYTHING on Stomach meridian
- Stomach 42 is good to tap if you have been flying for a long time. So are Stomach sedation points.
- While working on someone, check whether penetrating flow stays strong (hand over mouth, then energy test). If Penetrating Flow is holding, work is penetrating deeply! Very cool!
- Do a hook up on yourself before doing surrogate work.
- If the energy strengthens by turning alarm point ‘dial’ clockwise, use strengthening points on that alarm point meridian. If the energy strengthens by turning the alarm point ‘dial’ counterclockwise, sedate the points on the meridian for that alarm point.
The pearls are my favorite part of any adventure with Donna.
IF YOU THINK IT, TRY IT!
During my group session with Shanti and Neville, I was in awe of how no idea was a bad idea. When stumped, we just started trying things. Is this field holding? Is this alarm on? Is this thought pattern reversed? There are no bad ideas, just process. This is the formula for expanding intuition. Think it. Try it. What happens? Intuition is a skill like anything else; it needs practice.
This is also a great way to teach a class. It builds courage to trust the inner voice. Just let a group move through a case.
STRANGE FLOWS & CHOCOLATE
The chocolate cake at lunch on Saturday was a Strange Flow inducing experience. After I licked my plate in public, I took an extra piece up to my room and rubbed it all over my naked body! Oh my! How’s that for an Aha!
12. What’s Happening Energetically When On Drugs?
Contributor: Lila Henry
I am teaching an introduction to energy medicine class at the local junior college. One of the students asked about drugs, like Ecstacy and Coke. “You’re so open, things pour out of you that you usually wouldn’t share with someone. Is that good? Are you unzipped then?”
My feeling is that one’s inner healer is much wiser than modern psychedelics. But I have no idea how to answer this, as drug use never came up at any of the workshops.
Can someone explain what is happening energetically when one is on drugs? I told the student I would try to find out more.
13. Reversing Homolateral: Lesson from the 5-Day Intro
Contributor: Annie Shaw
Two friends told me to attend Donna’s 5-Day Introductory Conference so that I could teach them. Last night at our local networking group, I taught the “strange flow” exercises/rhymes (thank you Sara Allen!) Tho I never wrote down the rhymes + moves, they are in my brain and in my body. And I laugh. They do connect me all together.
The demonstration of how a reader whose energies were “off” impaired the energy levels of the audience was a huge “aha” learning for me. My energies remained weak — I held a homolateral pattern. And so I am faithfully crossing over my energies. Crosscrawl, homolateral-crawl, cross etc twice daily or more when I’m feeling “not quite tops”. After almost 4 weeks of practice, I am now able to tell when my energies reconnect and they are staying connected for longer periods.
I talk with many individuals/groups on a daily basis. Now, with a strong (and increasingly stronger) crossover pattern, my innate vibrancy can shine and attract. With a homolateral pattern, I weakened others. Now, I know how to correct that weakening pattern. There was so much more… these are my greatest learnings for now! I am grateful for all the training!
14. Healing Ourselves — It’s Intuitive!
Contributor: Barbara Northrop
This story would not have had any importance to me if I had not been to Donna’s workshop. It verifies Donna’s claim that intuitively we all know what our bodies need, if we just listen.
I teach kindergarten. On the third day of school I was testing my new students to see what they knew. I asked them to write numbers as high as they could go. As I moved around the room, I stopped at one little girl. She had gotten to 8 and was writing them all over her paper. I told her what a good job she was doing and asked if she could go any higher than 8. She replied, ” Of course, but I really like 8’s.” “What do you like about them?” I asked. She looked at me with wide eyes and replied, “Well, they make me feel–(pause)smooth. They help me.” I sat down beside her and asked, “How do they help you?” She replied, “Well, sometimes my eyes, no my brain doesn’t work right and when I draw 8’s then it works better.” I was surprised and asked who told her to do that. At which point she declared, “NOBODY, I thought it up all by myself!” It was several days later I received the paper work on this child and learned that she had a learning disability. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we all could listen to our bodies and think up cures for our disabilities, as this small 5 year old has done.
15. Chakra Clearing on the Back to Clear Past Issues
Contributor: Joyce Browning
I would like to share with you an event that occurred during our five day intensive course in Miami. My friend was having a lot of flux from all the energy that was swirling around the room and was feeling just awful. While Donna demonstrated the Chakra balance to us, two of the group leaders worked on my friend. At the end of the session one of the leaders asked Donna what to do when you have tried everything and nothing has worked. Donna came over took a quick look at my friend and said “Oh I see the problem, turn over”. Donna could see my friend needed her Chakras worked from the back because she had a lot of issues from the past that were coming up.
Now I will never forget that the Chakras may need to be worked from the back. And it was good to see that even experienced practitioners can get temporarily stumped at times.
I work with my friend quite often and sometimes it takes a long time to work through all the issues, but by using Donna’s book, Energy Medicine, and energy testing we can always find something that works. I am thankful to Donna and David for writing an amazing book that is full of information and so easy to follow that it can be used by anyone. I am truly grateful to have had the opportunity to attend the 5 day course. It was amazing to be among so much energy and love and to meet wonderful people from all over the world.
16. Energy Technique For Losing Weight
Contributor: Lynn Bretsnyder
Discovering Triple Warmer-Spleen imbalance was like the “missing link” in my efforts to heal and lose weight. Previous to the workshop I had tried everything to lose. In one week since the workshop started, I have lost 5 pounds. I am feeling vibrant and alive. I will be forever grateful to Donna and her workshop for this knowledge.
Speaking of knowledge, I also feel that the combination of people I met, and new energy flows, especially the strange flows, have allowed a window of wisdom to enter. I feel an opportunity and desire to leave the old patterns and stuck behavior behind. The best part is it seems to be coming from a warm, safe and peaceful place. A place of wisdom.
I’m grateful to be able to help friends and family. I have already helped a friend with migraines keep them at bay with the exercises.
Thanks for a great intensive.
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Statement of Ownership, Membership and Copyright
The Energy Community Report is owned solely by Word Jenny, Inc., of Louisville, Colorado. It is published by Word Jenny, Inc. in collaboration with Innersource, of Ashland, Oregon, and The Energy Medicine Institute, of Ashland, Oregon. It is distributed by subscription only by Word Jenny, Inc., and back-issues are posted on the site of the Energy Medicine Institute (www.energymed.org). This publication is ‘of, by and for’ the energy practitioner. It is intended to be a place for peer collaboration among members: sharing of insight, asking for assistance, testing ideas, and improving the profession. The report is distributed by email to its members.
Kaelin Kelly, Editor
Les Squires, Technical Editor
Energy Community Report
Louisville, Colorado USA
Copyright (c) 2003 Energy Community Report
