What is healing? It is said to be the transference of energy from one to another. I believe that with belief, intent and focus, healing ability can be engaged by all of us. There are many structured healing modalities that can assist a person move into a state of readiness. It often begins with meditation, shifting one’s consciousness to the heart and intending to send healing energy to another. The recipient decides, at some level, what to do with the energy that is received. Energy can be sent in the presence of the other or remotely. 

Besides formal healing, there is healing that we do in our lives. Reaching out to another who is going through a difficult time, listening to and supporting a friend or family member, sharing a smile, giving a gift to one who will appreciate it. Caregiving is another type of healing. Over the years, I found myself in that place several times.

I was in my forties before I thought about healing. One day my husband said he had a backache and asked if would rub it. When I placed my hand on his back, he was surprised that it was at the exact location of his pain. As I focused on that area, I could feel his pain. It was my intent to release the pain. I kept my hand in place and felt the pain coming out. At that moment my husband said that the pain was leaving. While I did not think that was unusual, my husband did. I thought everyone could do that but he assured me that they did not. After that, when he had pain, he asked for my healing touch.

I did not pursue formal training in healing at that time but when asked, did hands-on healing. In the years following my awakening in 2000, I thought about further engaging healing in some way. Between 2011 and 2018 I had spiritual readings in which healing ability was mentioned prominently.

Looking back, I realized that my first healing-related experience occurred when I was 12 years old. Six years earlier, my mother was diagnosed with a severe case of rheumatoid arthritis. Today’s medicines were not available and she was often in bed in a lot of pain. Her condition continued to decline. On the day she died, the doctor was at our home and on the telephone, calling an ambulance. I went into her bedroom and asked what was wrong. She said that her chest hurt. I rubbed it for a while and then asked if it felt better. She said yes, it did, a mother’s love. I had no way of knowing that she was having a heart attack. My father told me to go outside to my brother, which I did. Shortly after I felt compelled to return to her room. She was passing.

In 2004 my husband was diagnosed with a neurological disorder. His health began to decline in 2009. It was important to me that he remained at home throughout his illness. I was his primary caregiver and I did what I could, with love in my heart. My goal was for him to have the best possible life in spite of the illness. He passed in May 2017. I look back at that caregiving period as comforting for him and a further opening up of my healing abiity.

The day before he passed, his massage therapist arrived and gave him a massage which helped relax his muscles. I walked out with her as she was leaving. As she neared her car, I noticed two hawks flying above us and pointed them out to her. Four more hawks arrived and they all continued circling over the driveway. Then four left and shortly after, the last two left. That day I researched hawks and learned that in the Native American and some other ancient cultures the hawk is considered a spiritual animal, one who bridges this world and the next. After my husband’s passing and to this day, I see hawks frequently. I take it as a sign that he is near. I have seen a hawk sit on the step outside the door to the house for quite a while, and another time on the backyard deck railing for long time. One day while I was driving, a hawk flew alongside my car next to the passenger side window for quite a while. It flew at the same speed as I was driving.  It was a very special experience. I hope the hawks never stop being near me.

In 2019 I decided to further develop healing. I attended a Reiki certification class. My purpose in taking the class was to learn more about healing and the class gave me a really good introduction to energy work. During that class I noticed that I didn’t feel any of the things I was used to experiencing when doing hands on healing: vibration, heat and sometimes feeling another’s pain and release of it. I found the Reiki healing modality to be more subtle. It is a wonderful process in which placing oneself in readiness and through intent, healing energy is directed to another. One time, we did a healing session with horses which was very enjoyable and fulfilling.

Since then, I continued my energy work with animals, sometimes with a hands-on approach and other times, Reiki energy work. I find that animals are open to receiving energy and quickly release their pain. I can tell that a dog is receiving energy when it starts panting and sometimes drinks water. An example, the dog might have a very warm head which seems to me that it might have a headache or is holding tension. That is how I interpret what I am receiving. By keeping my hand on its head and choosing healing energy to come through me, in a few minutes the head cools down. When there is a cat around it often comes forward when I am doing energy work and jumps on my lap. I believe cats perceive and respond to energy flow. They are drawn to it. Horses are not as demonstratable as dogs and cats. Observing head and facial movements is the way to know when a horse is receiving energy. A lowered head, relaxed eyes, blinking slowly and lip movements are signs. It is really good when a horse yawns, even better when it does so repeatedly, which is a sign that it is releasing tension and relaxing further. Sometimes it will drink water. Energy working within the body stimulates the digestive system and it may go to the bathroom.

Today I have learned to consciously engage healing. When I place my hand on the area of another’s pain, I sometimes feel it in their body. I focus and intend to send healing energy and when I silently say “engage healing” it feels as though something turns on in my body and I feel energy begin to flow to the other. It is often described by the recipient as heat or tingling. Their pain comes out through my hand and into the air. It does not stay with me. At times, healing is also done remotely, using the same steps as in-person healing. It is important to note that everyone engages healing in their own way. My experience is described above. For some, while doing energy work there are no physical sensations. That doesn’t matter, the energy transmission is still occurring.