Looking for a solution other than pills? Here, we look at three forms of drug-free, alternative medicine aimed at providing either emotional or physical healing, or both.
#1 Reiki
Who practices it?
Reiki energy healer and teacher PAMPOSH DHAR has been practising reiki for 18 years now, and teaching it for 11. Pamposh is also a counsellor, coach and meditation teacher, and offers counselling services, individual coaching, group self-development workshops, meditation courses and corporate training at Bukit Timah-based holistic centre, Terataii.
Who is it for?
Anyone who wants to improve their physical, emotional, mental or spiritual wellbeing. Pamposh says her reiki clients come to her to relieve stress, recover from injuries and illnesses – some even supplement their medical treatments with “gentle and positive” reiki energy – and heal from emotional pain such as broken relationships or the loss of loved ones.
What is it?
A form of energy healing, reiki is a hands-on technique that comes from Japan and is based on the idea of the unseen life force energy that flows through us all. According to Pamposh, the practice of reiki is a gentle and non-invasive yet powerful process used for healing and spiritual growth purposes; a reiki healer channels or “conducts” energy through her hands.
Pamposh says many people decide to learn reiki in order to channel this energy to themselves and their family members on a regular basis, which is why she also teaches workshops at various levels. Every reiki course includes attunements (a form of energy “alignment”) that bring the students’ energies into better balance, helping to clear any energy blocks, which, she says, are often created by our human tendency to hold on to the energy of negative experiences.
“These attunements open up the students to the reiki energy, enabling them to channel the energy to themselves and others,” says Pamposh. “Each course also teaches about reiki channelling and associated concepts, such as an understanding of the chakra system and principles for living well.”
What are the benefits?
According to Pamposh, reiki can help people recover from physical illnesses and injuries, and can heal emotional wounds by releasing the energies of both new and old emotional pain. Since the energy is so positive, she says, reiki can help with depression and anxiety, reduce stress and improve mental clarity.
Terataii
#04-03C Sime Darby Centre, 896 Dunearn Road
8218 3950 | terataii.com.sg
#2 Energy healing
Who is it for?
Anyone suffering from emotional or physical pain – this includes everything from chronic aches to turbulent emotions to anger issues and chronic sinusitis. PANKAJ GUPTA of Scientific Wellness Services says that 70 percent of his clients come to him for unexplained physical pain – “unexplained” because the usual methods have not been able to provide lasting relief; they normally seek his help once they’ve exhausted all their conventional options.
What is it?
EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques), often called “tapping,” is the best known form of energy healing and was developed by American engineer Gary Craig in the early 90s. Often referred to as needle-free acupuncture, it incorporates the Chinese energy meridian system into the therapy process by tapping on energy points, repeating reminder phrases and performing short kinaesthetic movements, thus permitting energy to release or redistribute. However, unlike acupuncture, EFT can be used to heal emotional pain.
Our bodies have an energy system that tends to develop blocks over time, leading to physical manifestations in the form of pain or other illnesses. So, even if someone has physical pain, the root of it is actually emotional, according to Pankaj. EFT, he says, is particularly effective in eliminating emotional pain, which would “rob us of our daily happiness”. In order to clear these invisible blocks, Pankaj must first uncover one’s “core issues”, which involves asking about his clients’ emotional histories, reading their body language and picking up on their vibes. The fear of losing a loved one, for example, might be credited to the fear of being alone, while a phobia of flying might be traced to control issues. Once Pankaj gets to the root of the core issue, he can clear the corresponding energy block with an appropriate tool like EFT; lasting relief, he says, can only occur once the block has been cleared.
Rebirthing Breathwork, an ancient form of energy healing based on ancient Yogic principles, is another method Pankaj uses to help his clients shed their emotional pain. It has nothing to do with birth or rebirth as the name suggests; rather, people often feel “reborn” after these sessions.
Who practices it?
Healer Pankaj has over 40,000 hours of healing experience under his belt. In addition to using EFT, Rebirthing Breathwork, and other healing and diagnostic tools to help his clients resolve both physical and emotional issues, he teaches people how to heal themselves through the workshops he runs across the world year-round. What are the benefi ts? Energy medicine can lead to relief from both physical and emotional pain, and an overall enhanced state of wellbeing. Pankaj believes that when one begins healing, not only will a problem resolve, but everything will also start to get better as a whole – from relationships and financial conditions to health issues and children’s behaviours, due to the change of vibes being sent out energetically. And, if you can’t make it to Pankaj’s Orchard-based location, you can do your session over Skype, which makes this type of treatment extra easy.
Scientific Wellness
8491 0565 | scientificwellness.sg
#3 Chiropractic care
Who practices it?
Chiropractor DR TRAVIS FISHER of Genesis Chiropractic, who has provided care to the international community in Singapore and other parts of Southeast Asia for the past 10 years, provides treatment to the whole body by performing “adjustments” to the spine and other joints that have become misaligned.
Who is it for?
People of all ages – from babies and children to adults and the elderly – may benefit from chiropractic care. Dr Fisher’s patients come to him for everything from headaches, colic, ear infections, high and low blood pressure, and back, neck and limb pain to poor posture, Bell’s Palsy, scoliosis, autism, ADHD, stress, sports injuries, asthma and allergies, pregnancy care and infertility.
“Everyone should be checked for misalignments, which are silently affecting their overall health, and should get adjusted by a licensed, qualified doctor of chiropractic when necessary from birth, to prevent dysfunction and enhance human potential as we grow and develop through the various stages of our lives,” says Dr Fisher, whose evaluations begin with a consultation, followed by a detailed examination and posture analysis. Recommendations are then made based on an individual’s unique needs, and certain rehab and posture correction therapies may also be recommended if needed.
What is it?
The human body was built with an innate healing system; chiropractic care removes interference of this system that’s caused by misalignments of the spine and joints, resulting from emotional, chemical and physical stresses on the body (including deficiencies, thoughts, traumas and toxins). These misalignments put pressure on the nerve system, reducing the necessary communication between the brain and body, required for the body to function and heal properly; only when the proper neurological flow between body and brain is restored can true balance and health be maintained.
“Chiropractic care is well-known for its ability to make huge improvements to back pain, neck pain, migraines and headaches,” says Dr Fisher. “But what some may not realise is how important chiropractic care can be for cultivating a healthy body, and healing and optimising your entire system. Quite simply, when you get your nerves firing better, everything else can fall into place.” He adds, “As a society, we were brought up to assume that there will eventually be a magic pill, lotion or injection to help every ill. The truth is, we already have an amazing system within us for self-healing.”
What are the benefits?
Dr Fisher says that chiropractic adjustments can naturally help reduce nervous system disruption, thus enhancing the body’s potential to heal itself, and improve its ability to adapt to daily stress. In fact, studies have shown that getting one’s spine adjusted decreases levels of the stress hormone norepinephrine in the body, which, in turn, helps with boosting immunity, relieving symptoms of sicknesses and diseases, and restoring normal function back to the body. According to Dr Fisher, an adjustment by a skilled doctor of chiropractic may take only a minute or two, but the healing nerve energy it releases can last for hours, days or even weeks, depending on the stage of your health and care.
Genesis Chiropractic
#08-13 TripleOne Somerset, 111 Somerset Road
9810 9909 | genesischiropractic.sg
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This article first appeared in the June 2018 edition of Expat Living. You can purchase a copy or subscribe so you never miss an issue!
