Center for Advanced Energy Medicine » Education

Personal Change: How-To

Maggie — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 04:59:43 +0000

Choices ~ Always Choices ~
Always Changing
(Photo by Maggie Begley)

Energetic Bodywork ~ An Avenue for Lasting Change…

On one of Oprah’s final shows, she was reflecting on lessons learned. Oprah was interviewing an anorexic woman who was being given the advice, by a celebrity guest, to “Just change the way your brain works,” in other words, to just change her thoughts. And the woman replied, “But HOW do I do that? I’ve tried and it hasn’t worked.” Oprah said it was at that moment that she realized that she not only had to show people different possibilities for change, but she also had to show them HOW to accomplish that change in their own life, by giving them the tools to do so.

I agree, we do have to have a tool box of resources that we can go to for support. Such basic information as to the “care and feeding” of our own body: HOW to eat and exercise right, how to lose weight, how to meditate, how to have better interpersonal communication, organizational and personal make-over skills, as well as how to awaken politically and philosophically to new ideas. But some things go way deeper than the how-to basics, like with this poor anorexic woman, who felt helpless and eventually succumbed to her disease.

We don’t have to stay victims. If we can manage to get help, we can get to the undercurrents of psychological trauma that’s going on, which often influences all else that we try to accomplish. I, and many of my clients, have asked the same question: “But HOW can I change? What can I DO?” It is never as easy, nor happens as quickly as we’d like. We just want it fixed, and NOW! But it takes awhile to unravel those things, most of which have been with us, at least initially, since birth. Like unravelling necklaces that got intertwined in the jewelry box, it takes gentle patience, not force. Pulling and tugging just makes the knots tighter. But if we are not DOing, we feel like we have no control, and we don’t like that! Sometimes no matter how much our Conscious Mind wants something, our Subconscious/Unconscious Mind may not be ready, it’s just not up to speed with the rest of us yet. Those energetic blockages in the Subconscious/Unconscious Mind, are what need to be dealt with first, or at least in conjunction with that which we are already conscious of.

“A real solution comes only from within and then only because the patient has been brought to a different attitude.” ~ Carl Jung

Energetic Bodywork is one of the best things you can DO to facilitate this movement of energy towards a ‘different attitude.’ I can personally attest to this. The Fundamental Field Bodywork portion (Gentle Balancing Touch), is one of the most important things I have participated in. That (largely Unconscious) Mind-Body connection is what helps integrate disparate parts of our Selves, thus making the ‘different attitude’ an obvious and welcomed by-product of the process. You can’t just think or will your way to changing those deeper unconscious dysfunctional un-truths, those learned thought patterns that compulsively drive you to feel or act the way you do, even when you try your best not to. Eventually you will embark on a journey of personal and psychological processing. As I said, energetic bodywork has been my preferred route. (Click here to investigate other avenues of psychological processing/change. Though I know nothing else of the mudrashram.com organization, theirs was the only other post I found on the internet today that spoke of psychological processing in a way in which I could relate, and thought very interesting as well).

This inner attitude is not so much about DOING, as it is about BEING…patiently waiting for our own information to be revealed as our own Innate Intelligence permits and deems it so. Certainly another thing that we can DO is to consciously maintain a positive and open attitude of surrender about going through the painful process of returning to a healthy, authentic place, finding a lesson in every situation and learning from it, with gratitude. This is easier if you have a spiritual belief/community, and/or a practitioner/loved ones to support you during the tough times. The Mind-Body connection healing process of awareness is a very visceral experience, sometimes without words, only FEELINGS and sensations (like shivering, shaking, stomping, kicking, anger, crying, and familiar physical pain/discomfort). I’ve heard many a therapist say, “You have to feel it to heal it,” and “Breakdown equals break through.” I’ve learned to trust and honor every feeling, sensation, thought, and vision I have, as it always speaks to me. Even though I may not understand what is happening at the moment, I eventually notice a pattern and make a connection (over time, with help from Energy Resonance Scanning, and from my own intuition and experience). All those things you think are crazy are trying to communicate something to you that you are holding in your Unconscious/Subconscious Mind. All I can say is, it is a process, unique to everyone, but with the same disconcerting components…Growing Pains!!! All of us who are going through the deep healing that is born of integration and purification tend to feel majorly crazy, like we are going bonkers, and losing it.

To give you another perspective on the process, from another culture, read the following excerpt, which is just a portion of a bigger article:

The Shamanic View
of Mental Illness
(featuring Malidoma Patrice Somé)

by Stephanie Marohn
www.stephaniemarhon.com

(Excerpted from The Natural Medicine Guide to Schizophrenia,
pages 178-189, or The Natural Medicine Guide to Bi-polar Disorder)

What a Shaman Sees
in A Mental Hospital

In the shamanic view, mental illness signals “the birth of a healer,” explains Malidoma Patrice Somé. Thus, mental disorders are spiritual emergencies, spiritual crises, and need to be regarded as such to aid the healer in being born.

What those in the West view as mental illness, the Dagara people regard as “good news from the other world.” The person going through the crisis has been chosen as a medium for a message to the community that needs to be communicated from the spirit realm. “Mental disorder, behavioral disorder of all kinds, signal the fact that two obviously incompatible energies have merged into the same field,” says Dr. Somé. These disturbances result when the person does not get assistance in dealing with the presence of the energy from the spirit realm.

One of the things Dr. Somé encountered when he first came to the United States in 1980 for graduate study was how this country deals with mental illness. When a fellow student was sent to a mental institute due to “nervous depression,” Dr. Somé went to visit him.

“I was so shocked. That was the first time I was brought face to face with what is done here to people exhibiting the same symptoms I’ve seen in my village.” What struck Dr. Somé was that the attention given to such symptoms was based on pathology, on the idea that the condition is something that needs to stop. This was in complete opposition to the way his culture views such a situation. As he looked around the stark ward at the patients, some in straitjackets, some zoned out on medications, others screaming, he observed to himself, “So this is how the healers who are attempting to be born are treated in this culture. What a loss! What a loss that a person who is finally being aligned with a power from the other world is just being wasted.”

Another way to say this, which may make more sense to the Western mind, is that we in the West are not trained in how to deal or even taught to acknowledge the existence of psychic phenomena, the spiritual world. In fact, psychic abilities are denigrated. When energies from the spiritual world emerge in a Western psyche, that individual is completely unequipped to integrate them or even recognize what is happening. The result can be terrifying. Without the proper context for and assistance in dealing with the breakthrough from another level of reality, for all practical purposes, the person is insane. Heavy dosing with anti-psychotic drugs compounds the problem and prevents the integration that could lead to soul development and growth in the individual who has received these energies.

My view on this is slightly different, as I feel that none of us are healers per se, though we can heal our Self; in fact that is our mission, with the help of God, the Creator, the Energy Source of Love. Along the way, we lose track of our own Divine Essence, it’s no wonder to me that it is such a crazy-making adventure to find our way back. Unfortunately, our Western culture doesn’t do a very good job of supporting this process, I think because it is such a foreign concept, so mysterious, and therefore scary, to most. I so agree with this sad misinterpretation that people who are struggling in this way are dismissed, instead of supported. Later on in the article the Shaman refers to possession by outside spiritual/psychic entities being problematic. To this I would say, I don’t think we are necessarily “possessed” by any outside entities, but rather by the constraints and traumas, the energy fields of our own poor minds. Although, I would agree that our individual energetic make-up can make us more vulnerable to certain outside entities, as with the energy fields of other people, places and things we encounter — such as a stressed-out partner, a frenetic traffic jam, a flu virus, certain foods or medications — which can destabilize and disrupt our own systems in the process. So I suppose, why not other more psychic and/or spiritual entities? Regardless, I think the same would hold true, you have to be a energetically receptive host in the first place for anything outside yourself to take hold. That’s why being grounded in your self is so important. Reel it in. Ask for Divine protection and guidance, and highest healing good, for whatever you do.

Here’s some further insight, from an acquaintance of mine who asked to remain anonymous. This was she and her husband’s experience with the benefits and challenges of receiving psychotherapy. I give this example, and the one above, so that if you are going through this, you don’t feel quite so alone:

“BOTH my husband and I have been working on these things during the past couple of years…Last year, because of the work he and I had been doing with therapy, he TRULY got in touch with his authentic self. This resulted in a break-down, of sorts. He had severe anxiety attacks – not realizing what they were initially, and seeking medical ‘solutions.’ His therapist said he had seen this many times and, while it was scary to watch, he had never had anyone who hadn’t landed on their feet. My husband did. As he now says, be careful going into therapy and digging deep – the end result is INCREDIBLE, but the process can be challenging.”

This was also my personal experience as a patient, under the care and guidance of my mentor Dr. Metz, as well as witnessing it with a few of my own clients. Just for clarification, Dr. Metz and I are not psychotherapists, but we do deal with the psyche as an energetic field, from an Energy Medicine point of view. There is no doubt that the psyche and the body are an intertwined, interconnected system, with the Unconscious Mind largely in control of the show! The goal is to bring the entire cast of characters to center stage, so that they can be fully revealed, and dealt with in the light of day! You can then write a new and improved script for yourself.

I also must emphasize that the healing process is ultimately about love, compassion and acceptance, not about assigning blame or judgement. Even if we go there first, for valid reasons, we eventually learn to look beyond and deeper. It’s about connecting to the ENERGY of the emotion, feeling, or thought. Relationships create their own dynamic which become an entity of their own. Ultimately, we are angry at situations, not people. Reflecting on our relationships with other people is our way in to discovering the pain. Working through that emotion we feel towards another is part of discovering the trauma. Eventually we will be able to be more objective and to forgive the person, ourselves, and the situation. Remember, we are all at least half responsible for every adult dynamic we are part of. In this way, we are all students, and teachers, of one another.

The connections and realizations of the Conscious Mind usually come last, as the final step, not the first. Or in a series of slow unfolding, as often the pain is too much to bear and/or the information is too much to integrate all at once. That’s why it’s called a “process,” of processing. We are healed from the trauma once that energy is able to circulate freely through all the three Poles of the Fundamental Field: Positive Pole (Conscious Mind – Central Nervous System), Neutral Pole (Subconscious Mind -Parasympathetic Nervous System), and Negative Pole (Unconscious Mind – Sympathetic Nervous System). I myself have suffered from many illnesses. Energy Work has helped me get in touch with the dissociated emotional pain that got displaced into my body, making me ill. Once I healed the emotional pain, the illnesses diminished or ceased altogether. I only have a few left now, maybe three…believe me, there used to be many more, at least a dozen.

I realized along the way that stress, from holding those emotions, plus all the new triggers, was one of the largest culprits (and I think that’s true for everyone). When I took a 5-month trip abroad, my illnesses disappeared after a week or two. To me that was no coincidence! Not that the trip was easy breezy, it was not. But it allowed me a temporary reprieve from my limited sense of self and the expectation and overwhelm of responsibility that I was feeling at home. For me, travel has always been a welcome drug of choice. In Polarity Therapy terms, it supports my Ether Element, the Element that governs identity, self-expression, communication, boundaries, personal space, freedom and beauty. Ahhhhhh, just the thought of it makes me breathe easier.

What is your pain? And what is your ‘go to’ place? What information can you learn to incorporate, to DO? And then, can you learn to just BE with yourself, and your emotions, from a place of acceptance, in a way that is honest and supportive? You can start by asking for Divine Guidance and Protection, set a healing intention, ask questions, contemplate and reflect on the answers that come to you. Trust the process that unfolds…for better or for worse, in sickness and in health. Make a commitment to love your Self, as you would love another.

FF: Glossary of Terms

Maggie — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 02:59:25 +0000

Everything in this glossary has a unique take, via Dr. Metz’ Fundamental Field Theory & Therapy. Some are common psychological terms which you may recognize, however we use them within the context of Fundamental Field Theory & Advanced Energy Medicine Therapy, which sets them apart.

Terms listed with (FF) prefixes mean that they are a concept unique to Dr. Metz & part of his Theory. We have put this list together for the benefit of our patients/clients (& those who visit our websites), as a reference guide for the terminology we use during our treatments & the ensuing healing processes.

Listed alphabetically, not categorically:

Addiction / Codependence / Passive-Aggressiveness / Obsessive-Compulsiveness / Anal-Retentiveness = unconsciously motivated dysfunctional behaviors which attempt to meet needs/calm anxiety/gain control in indirect ways, without having to face the problem head on, through: relinquishing personal power through dependence fixation; care-taking others at sacrifice to one’s self; non-confrontational hostility; fixation on indulgent & repetitive activities; fixation on order & perfectionism.

Block = disruption in the flow of energy (mind, body, emotion, spirit).

Chakra = literal meaning is “spinning wheel”; denotes various energy centers throughout the body.

Compensation = a survival/adaptive strategy which doesn’t resolve a problem, but it’s what helps to keep us together by having another area, of our system or our lifestyle, pick up the slack & allow us to function until we’re ready to heal (a neutralizing vector charge). Compensations can be supported as part of the therapy. Even smoking, overeating or overworking can be a compensation, which shouldn’t necessarily be taken away before dealing with the deeper issues that they are compensating for, otherwise they’ll just pop up in another unhealthy way.

Conflict = at odds within self – can be the conscious mind vs. unconscious mind, the conscious mind vs. conscious mind, or the unconscious mind vs. unconscious mind.

Decompensation = getting worse because the thing was allowing us to function has been taken away at the wrong time. This can render us unable to function without any real benefit & make us act/feel crazy. A therapy which is wrong for us or takes us too far can decompensate us. Even a flu bug, a bad night’s sleep or the wrong foods can, as well. A specific stress such as this can specifically alter / effect the compensation we have in place, in a direct & localized way.

Defense = a survival/adaptive strategy which doesn’t resolve a problem, but it’s what keeps us together by creating a block in that energy field. We are anticipating & warding off “danger” by creating a barrier to protect the self, which blocks energy. The energy in the system that wants to flow is continually pushing against the defensive block. Maintaining that block takes a lot of energy, puts pressure on us & creates conflict, pain/discomfort within us (mentally/emotionally/physically).

Depletion = getting worse / feeling badly because of energies being drained in a specific area, can be cumulative or for various reasons.

Destabilization = getting worse, a specific stress which causes a generalized stress reaction, weakening the entire system & showing all the weakest links.

Dissociation = parts of the system run away into space (the subtle ether aspect of the body) in order to escape. Dissociated parts have escaped for a reason…too much pain to deal with at one time. These dissociated parts can wreck havoc, until the time comes for them to be healed.

Displacement = can’t deal with the situation in one place, so it’s thrown into a “safer” place that it would not normally go (takes a lot of unconscious energy, intention & effort).

Enmeshment = internalizing/responding to/taking responsibility for the “Need”, or expectations, being directed specifically at you, inappropriately, by someone else in order to get their needs met & making you responsible for doing so (like “Need”, usually initially experienced with a parent when we were young, making us more vulnerable now).

Fundamental Field (FF) = is the name for the fundamental pattern which arranges the field of subtle Life-Energy, organizing matter into the forms & functions of life, as a large-scale atomic structure. FF Theory & Therapy was developed by Dr. Richard Metz.

(FF) 3 Components of Stress:

Stressor = the actual cause, internal / external
Information Processing = how we perceive of & react to the stressor
Stress Effects = how the cause / processing affects our system

(FF) 3 Magnetic Poles:

Positive Pole = conscious/subconscious mind, thoughts body, head & spinal cord associated with chiropractic & cranio-sacral therapy, central nervous system.
Neutral Pole = semi-conscious mind, sensations body, meridian points all over the body associated with acupuncture & jin shin jyutsu points, parasympathetic nervous system.
Negative Pole = unconscious mind, emotions body, chakra system at caduceus associated with ayurveda & polarity therapy, sympathetic nervous system.

(FF) 3 Types of Treatment/Process/Effect:

Beneficial = addresses one or more symptoms. Differentiated from therapeutic – a temporary, though beneficial, shift of energy which does not address the deeper problems, but may hold you together / make you feel better in the meantime. After stopping the therapy, the symptoms usually return (like when that cup of coffee wears off, this can apply to supplements or treatments too, as well as other interactions with people/places/things).
Performance-Enhancing = enhances the energy facilities, ahead of time, that are needed to perform better in a specific situation (which may address a specific symptom).
Therapeutic = addresses one or more causes, a deeper & more lasting shift in energy which continues after stopping the actual therapy (treatment, supplements, or otherwise).

(FF) 4 Aspects of Fundamental Field Therapy:

Energy Resonance Evaluation (Scanning) / Intuitive Medicine
Energy Awareness Dialogue
Active Energy Integration
Gentle Balancing Touch

Graphics by Maggie (such as they are)

(FF) 4 Quadrants of the Phase Space Fractal Atom (PSFA) = the value of all the variables in one’s FF, how they interact, & define their position on the PSFA Quadrants, which are referred to as states of Yin, Yang, Stable & Adaptable:

Yin = traditionally, being yin & adaptable was what one needed to be as a mother to connect with, raise her family & keep it together (i.e., gathers sensory information – receptive & passive, cyclic by nature, more dependent, high connectivity, low energy, unconscious emotionally driven, past-oriented, internally referenced, mentally active, less boundary). Hypo- & Hyper-Yin states are out of balance & unhealthy.
Yang = traditionally, being yang & stable was what one needed to be as a father to protect & provide for his family (i.e., takes motor action – assertive & aggressive, random & unpredictable by nature, more independent, low connection, high energy, conscious rationally driven, future-oriented, externally referenced, physically active, more boundary). Hypo- & Hyper-Yang states are out of balance & unhealthy.
Adaptable = a normal & healthy state, generally for a female (i.e., high connection, high energy, unconscious emotion, future-oriented, externally referenced, less boundary). Reactive & Chaotic are extremes of Adaptability which are out of balance & unhealthy.
Stable = a normal & healthy state, generally for a male (i.e., low connection, low energy conscious rational, past-oriented, internally referenced, more boundary). Resistant & Stuck are extremes of Stability which are out of balance & unhealthy.

(FF) 5 Components of Intuition:

Energy Resonance
Higher Knowing
Psychic Phenomena
Subliminal Processing of Sensory Information
Synchronous Resonance.

(FF) 5 Levels of Vibration:

Psychology = Emotions, Passions, Issues
Motion = Elongated, Speed, Shaking, Moving, Contracted
Physiological Motivation = Sleep, Breath, Hunger, Reproduction, Elimination
Biochemistry = Organs/Organ Systems, Diet, Infection, Disease
Structure = Hair, Skin, Vessels, Muscle, Bones

(FF) 6 Situational Questions/Answers To Be Considered In Regards to Adaptive Strategies / Physical Manifestations / Behaviors / Accidents / Events / Traumas (“Was this situation a result of..?”):

Purpose = something that’s unconsciously & intentionally created by us for a reason, to serve a purpose in our life. We change our energy to manifest it.
Consequence = something that’s a consequence of something that’s been created for a purpose. It has no purpose itself, but it’s the price we pay for the manifestation.
Co-Opting = something that occurs afterwards – using something that comes along, altering it, hanging on to it & using it for a purpose.
Circumstance = something that just happened, that anyone may have experienced if put in the same situation.
Combination of the Above
None of the Above (i.e., stems from something like stress or depletion).

(FF) 6 Subsystems & their Associations. These are established systems in & of themselves, which Dr. Metz considers as part of the Fundamental Field Pattern:

Ayurveda/Polarity Therapy System (5 Elemental Chakras) = associated with the chakras at the caduceus on the midline of the torso: 1.) Ether (Throat); 2.) Air (Heart); 3.) Fire (Solar Plexus); 4.) Water (Sacral); 5.) Earth(Root). Ayurveda/Polarity Therapy Associations ~ Digit – Element (Chakra) Emotion: Thumbs & Big Toes - Ether Element (Throat Chakra #5) Joy & Grief; Index Fingers & Toes - Air Element (Heart Chakra #4) Love & Sadness; Middle Fingers & Toes - Fire Element (Solar Plexus Chakra #3) Forgiveness & Anger; Ring Fingers & Toes - Water Element (Sacral Chakra #2) Bonding & Detachment; Pinky Fingers & Toes - Earth Element (Root Chakra #1) Courage & Fear.
Cranio-Sacral Therapy = a relatively recent energy-based therapy developed here in the U.S. by physician & osteopath William Sutherland in 1898-1890; therapy focuses on the areas of the skull, cerebral spinal fluid, & sacrum.
Jin Shin Jyutsu = literally means Art of God & Man, an ancient form of energy-based therapy from Asian traditions, consisting of 26 Safety Energy Locks – points of energy – on the Universal Harmonizing Energy Circulation Pattern. Jin Shin Jyutsu Associations ~ Digit – Emotion: Thumbs - Worry; Index Fingers - Fear & Anxiety; Middle Fingers - Anger; Ring Fingers - Grief; Pinky Fingers - Pretense/Trying too Hard.
Polarity Therapy = an energy-based therapy developed by Austrian-born naturopathic, osteopathic, & chiropractic doctor, Randolph Stone, in the 1950′s; first to combine an ancient form of healing, Indian ayurveda, with modern scientific principles.
Traditional Chinese Medicine Acupuncture Meridian System – 5 Elements = associated with the chakras on the hands & feet: 1.) Water; 2.) Wood; 3.) Fire; 4.) Earth; 5.) Metal. TCM Associations ~ Digit – Element (Meridian): Thumbs - Metal (Lungs); Index Fingers - Metal (Large Intestines); Middle and Ring Fingers - Fire 2 (Circulation /Sex / Pericardial and Triple Warmer); Pinky Fingers - Fire 1 (Heart & Small Intestines); Big Toes - Wood & Earth (Liver & Spleen); Index Toes - Earth (Stomach); Middle Toes N/A; Ring Toes - Wood (Gall Bladder); Pinky Toes - Water (Kidney & Bladder). These organ meridians are said to be most influenced by these Seven Emotions: Heart = Joy; Kidney/Lungs = Fear & Fright; Lungs/Large Intestines = Grief & Anxiety; Spleen = Pensiveness; Liver/Stomach/Spleen = Anger.

Healing Crisis = a vital part of the healing process, when a compensation is taken away, or released, at the right time, when you have the energy/support to deal with something you were previously unable to let go of. This can be extremely uncomfortable, disturbing or unsettling, especially if you try to fight it. After all, this is the gunk you’ve been avoiding for the very reason that it is so painfully unbearable. Try not to analyze or judge. You must be present & “feel it to heal it.” You don’t have to “do” anything to try to fix it. This is not about taking action. This is about lovingly & compassionately giving yourself the space & permission to face the pain & be with it. No one can do it for you, or make it better. It is recommended to have a trusted other to call on if it gets too unbearable, especially if you think you might hurt yourself. If you are alone, try to bring yourself back into your body & calm down by taking a shower, eating, going outside (in bare feet), cuddling an animal, or reading a comforting spiritual or inspirational text.

Increased Defense/Compensation/Conflict = when you are pushed toward something, either internally/externally, & you don’t want to be; it is beyond your resources to deal with it & you feel extremely overwhelmed (the least little thing, from another person’s point of view, could be what pushes you over the edge & even you may not know why).

Need = internalizing/responding to/taking responsibility for the general neediness in your environment, which is not specifically directed at you, but that you are vulnerable to.

Normal Process = any “healthy, well-balanced” person would react in the same way in your situation; it is a normal & natural process that you’re going through.

Over-Compensation = taking a neutralizing/counterbalancing compensation too far, past the point of utility, thereby creating new symptoms within the compensation.

Pathway = the intensified & specific flow of energy in a particular direction (i.e. meridian).

Point = a concentrated area of energy that reflexes to other places in the body.

Processing / Re-associating = usually part of the healing process, though it can happen as a result of decompensation which is not ideal. Working through something, reconnecting with formerly dissociated parts of the energetic system (this can happen unconsciously, you may feel its effects but not know what’s going on). This cannot be forced through will alone, but what we can do is to set an intention for healing, remain open to the process & trust it, be mindful & “feel it”, but try not to “act out” on others. The energy is moving through all of the system & you are dealing with it without dissociation or compensation blockages. You can have processing without releasing, but not releasing without processing, unless it’s not in a healing context – retrauma or decompensation.

Processing Sensitivity = new on old trigger (there is some objective truth to what’s happening, but subjectively your reactive charge is more intense than it should be for the actual circumstances). Usually occurs when we are also going through, & trying to deal with, the processing/releasing phase of healing. This can make us more prone to projection/transference.

Projecting = projecting our inner psyche outwards. Making someone else responsible by attributing (something in one’s own mind) to another person, group, or object (i.e., you yourself are angry, but you don’t see it, you see the other person as the one who is angry & therefore the one with the problem). Usually this manifests in our relationships (unconsciously) because of the dysfunctional bonding patterns we formed as children. We unconsciously attract, or are attracted to, the people or situations which resonate with this pattern, until we heal it within ourselves.

Recapitulation = repeating a childhood pattern (automatically implies retraumatization, reenactment of something that is unresolved, dissociation & transference).

Recovering = resolving an issue; processing, integrating, & accepting it into your system.

Regression = not part of the healing process, getting worse, reacting negatively, energies are heading in the wrong direction.

Releasing = when the energy starts to shift as a part of processing as part of healing, or as a result of decompensation, what emerges from letting go of compensation/releasing the blocks. This cannot be forced through will, but what we can do is to set an intention for healing, remain open to the process & trust it, be mindful & “feel it”, but try not to “act out” on others.

Reorganizing = part of the healing process, usually a more permanent shift to a higher state (or lower, which may not be healing).

Resolving = part of healing, getting better, reacting positively, energies are heading in the right direction.

Retracing = same process as regressing, except this is part of the healing process. Letting down defenses & letting go of compensations, if they exist, & then putting them back up again & going backwards, in order to stabilize & consolidate gains (two steps forward & one step back). Applies to more than just psychological processing.

Retrauma Sensitivity = part of the healing process, new on old trigger (we are still sensitive, but not out of projection or transference, a more mindful, less reactionary state). Sensitivity is conscious, which makes it better than a reactionary state of projection & transference.

Sanskara = a trauma/issue that we have brought with us from a past life, & is still affecting us. If it can’t be explained by this life then it is sanskaric, everything else is karma.

Stabilization = an incomplete compensation that keeps you stable. It is not neutralizing, but it keeps you from getting worse.

Transferring = making someone else responsible by redirecting feelings & desires, especially those unconsciously retained from childhood, towards a new object. Transference is a more global form of Projection, like “Projection-Gestalt”, taken as whole, not as a summation of individual parts. Usually manifests in our relationships (unconsciously) because of the dysfunctional bonding patterns we formed as children; unconsciously we attract, or are attracted to, the people/situations that resonate with this pattern, until we heal it.

Trauma/Retrauma (Old/New) = an emotional/mental/physical/physiological event which causes damage & can trigger a defensive/compensatory reaction pattern that blocks energy.

(Last updated 12/18/11).

Life-Energy: The 3 Poles

Maggie — Fri, 27 May 2011 04:32:12 +0000

In Dr. Metz’ Fundamental Field Theory of Life-Energy, the subtle energy that organizes the body is primarily magnetic energy. It is an expression of Spirit (through the fundamental forces of nature, primarily electromagnetism), in an atom-like configuration. The Fundamental Field Pattern of Life-Energy is what creates, organizes and sustains the mind, emotions and body. Chakras, per Dr. Metz, have subatomic particle-like properties, and when looked at as a group, they have an atomic-like structure. In other words, different chakras have different positive, neutral, and negative electro-magnetic charges. The spinning chakras create the three Poles of the Fundamental Field: Positive, Neutral, and Negative. If you were to talk about these three Poles of the body from his theoretical perspective, with any other practitioner, they wouldn’t know what you were talking about, unless they were familiar with Dr. Metz and his theory. For instance, if you went to your acupuncturist and said, “I need a little work on my Neutral Pole today,” you would get a quizzical look in return. Dr. Metz’ Theory is very complex in its simplicity, at least to me (complex to me, simple to him ). To see how this pattern unfolds and functions, you’ll have to take his seminar or read his book. Being the developer of this Theory, presently he is the only one who thoroughly understands it and is the only one who can teach this broad understanding of the energetic body.

Image via Google

The Positive Pole of the Fundamental Field:

Located at the Head, Spinal Cord, Sacrum & Coccyx, via Chiropractic & Cranio-Sacral Systems, Conscious/Sub-Conscious Mind (Thoughts) & Central Nervous System.

Image via Google

The Neutral Pole of the Fundamental Field:

Locations All Over the Body via Acupuncture Meridians of Traditional Chinese Medicine & Jin Shin Jyutsu Points called ‘Safety Energy Locks’, Semi-Conscious Mind (Sensations) & Para-Sympathetic Nervous System.

The beauty of Fundamental Field Therapy is that once you know the context of the larger pattern of polarized energy flows, you don’t have to know every detail of the system. I am not as familiar with the Acupuncture Meridian System, or the Jin Shin Points,

Image via Google

which are part of the Neutral Pole, but I do know where their reflex areas exist in the body. By contacting the palms of the hands and feet, as well as the specific points on the digits for Acupuncture Meridians, and any of the 26 Jin Shin Points, I can address the Neutral Pole without having to know all of the particular details ascribed to each point.

Per the International Academy for Medical Acupuncture, from whom Dr. Metz is certified in Acupuncture Meridian Therapy: “Meridian therapy is the accepted name employed by those who practice the principle of Acupuncture without the use of a penetrating needle. Acupuncture is a principle, not a technique. Therefore there are many ways to stimulate an Acupoint other than a needle, just as there are many different strokes used in swimming. Many practitioners use electronic stimulation, laser beam or pressure massage to treat an Acupoint. The principle of Acupuncture does not change, only the technique.”

I am very familiar with the Negative Pole, its associations and contacts. My training is in Polarity Therapy which, along with the Indian System of Ayurveda, is included in the Negative Pole of the Fundamental Field.

Image via Google

The Negative Pole of the Fundamental Field:

Located Along the Midline at the Caduceus, via the Chakra Systems of Ayurveda & Polarity Therapy, Unconscious Mind (Emotions) & Sympathetic Nervous System.

“It is important to note that the Fundamental Field Theory does not negate any healing discipline, or conventional medicine; it can, and does, function as a valuable adjunct to conventional medicine and psychotherapy. Nor does it translate one discipline into another. For example, it does not translate polarity therapy into acupuncture, or vice-versa. Instead, it shows how such disciplines relate to one another, how they connect, interact, function as a whole, and can be understood within the context of modern science, as an interdependent network of energy and information, in an atom-like form and function. Rather than diminish any discipline, the Fundamental Field provides an opportunity for practitioners and doctors to enhance their practice and understand how their approach relates to the broader context of medicine, healing and science.” ~ Dr. Metz

In Dr. Metz’ Theory, these subsystems are all valid ways of viewing and working with the energetic body. Each sub-system has a mind-body emotional component, as well as a connection to other areas of nature, food, the seasons, astrology and the cosmos. Their integrity is maintained within the larger context of the entire energetic pattern of the Fundamental Field. Like unique branches of the same tree, you can examine one part of one branch, and be able to deduce a lot about the tree, but it is not the same as stepping back and taking in ALL aspects of the tree as a magnificent whole.

I will end with this overview of the Fundamental Field by Dr. Metz:

Image via Google

“The Source Chakra for the creation of the Fundamental Field of Life-Energy is located between the eyes, at the Eye-Center (also known as the ‘Brow Chakra’). It has an electrostatic charge, positive for male or negative for female. When it spins, as all chakras do (‘chakra’ means ‘spinning wheel’), it creates a magnetic field, like the field around a magnet, not unlike the magnetic field of the earth. This magnetic field has three Poles: Positive, Neutral and Negative. Within each of these Poles, new chakras are created. These chakras are the atomic components of the Fundamental Field.

In the Negative Pole are the electron component chakras. These five chakras have a negative electrostatic charge and when they spin they create the Five Elements of Ayurveda/Polarity Therapy : Ether, Air, Fire, Water and Earth. However, unlike the atom, the Fundamental Field electron components are held relatively stationary. They do not orbit around the protons and neutrons (the nucleus). In the Neutral Pole are the neutron component chakras. They have a small gender charge and when they spin, they create the Five Elements of Acupuncture: Wood, Earth, Water, Metal and Fire, which are distributed on to the hands and feet. In the Positive Pole is the chakra of Positive Fire, the proton(s) component. It contains the positive form of the other elements. It is considered one chakra. Thus, there are seven chakras on the midline of the body: The one Eye-Center Source Chakra (a.k.a. ‘Brow Chakra’), the one Positive Pole Proton Chakra above the Eye-Center (a.k.a ‘Crown Chakra’), and the five Negative Pole Electron Chakras below the Eye-Center. There are also five Neutral Pole Neutron Chakras on the hands and feet.

Image via Google

The Fundamental Field and its large-scale (fractal) atomic energies function as a hyper-dimensional (subtle dimensional) organizing principle interacting with material reality on and through the quantum vacuum (the vacuum energy field of space). As an organizing principle it does not specify details. These are filled in by environment and evolution of various life forms. It is the universal blueprint of life, it will work on aliens, if they exist.”

(Last edited 10/19/11).

Life-Energy: Ether

Maggie — Fri, 27 May 2011 04:26:20 +0000

: Space, The Final Frontier
(Image via Google)

Energy is what animates us and gives us life. Everything (including every thought, word, and deed) is made up of energy and carries an energy field with it. In nature, there are five primary subtle energetic elements: Ether, Air, Fire, Water, and Earth. Ether is equated with Space, inner as well as outer. In this last post in my series of five, I will discuss the elemental energies of Ether, both its Chakra and its Vibrational Levels within the body, as the Negative Pole of the Fundamental Field, the magnetic pattern of Life-Energy.

It has been said that the Ether Chakra is a container, which “holds the space” for the other elements to express themselves. Emotions and other stresses often get clogged here, and we need to free up the space, one way or another, to get the energies flowing again. We’ve all experienced getting a “lump in our throat”, having a “pain in the neck”, or “needing our space”. That’s no coincidence. Even art looks more balanced when you create a little empty “negative space”. It’s just better when we don’t try to fill everything up. And I mean everything. But most of us are often very uncomfortable with empty space and quietude, but we have a habit of not liking things that are good for us. That doesn’t make it right.

Ether energies arise from the 5th Throat Chakra as it spins, carrying a negative electrostatic charge. This Ether/Throat Chakra is located in the region of the throat, with reflex areas at top of the head, midline, hair, face, ears, body cavities (i.e. lungs, bladder, mouth), thyroid, neck, skin, joints, thumbs and big toes; it also associated with addiction, environmental and other sensitivities, psychological and auto-immune disorders. With auto-immune problems, you basically have a situation of “self attacking self”, when your own system doesn’t recognize itself. This attack by your immune system on your own cells, tissues and organs causes inflammation and damage which leads to auto-immune diseases, which may be a primary or contributing factor in cases of: arthritis, alopecia, asthma, celiac disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, diabetes, endometriosis, fibromyalgia, hepatitis/cirrhosis, inner ear disease, lupus, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, and ulcerative colitis, to name a few.

Issues that also pertain to the Ether/Throat Chakra are in the spectrum of: Space, spacial relationships, coordination (i.e., quick reflexes vs. clumsiness), boundaries, travel, time, organization of items and information (i.e., such as with classwork, office files or computer work; also, being a “neat-nick” vs. “clutter-bug”); and ambiance (being aware of and appreciating subtle nuances). Also, how you perceive and deal with yourself and others in terms of identity, acceptance, acknowledgment, self-expression, and communication (speaking and hearing in the truest sense; also, being shy or excessive talking). If we are having challenges with issues such as these, they are usually old ones, being triggered by new ones. We are unconscious of many of the traumas we carry around with us. Those past thoughts and emotions often get disassociated and “thrown off” for our physical body to hold, and deal with. With Ether it could be that extreme grief gets held in your joints, causing joint pain. When you deal with the grief, the pain in the joints goes away, at least that’s what happened for me. Because Ether has to do with boundaries, or lack thereof, Ether depletion makes one more open to “letting everything in” (such as viruses, or environmental contaminants) and “inviting it in for tea” , creating a hospitable environment for it to thrive. Our psychological proclivity to taking in things which are not ours, at sacrifice to our own self, is also what’s at play here. If there’s any kind of problem, we tend to blame ourselves first (with depression, anger turned inward, and thoughts of suicide).

Any depletion or excess in this Ether/Throat Chakra, be it emotional, mental or physical (whether you are consciously OR unconsciously aware of it), will affect these areas in particular, as well as your entire system. In the examples given here, those with Ether weakness are of course the most vulnerable, and these areas/issues are usually the first to show up in times of stress. As we know, the mind/emotions can affect the body. For example, if you are in a situation in which you feel you “trapped” and you feel like you can’t speak or are not being heard, it may show up physically as insomnia and/or neck pain. Your physical body can also affect your emotional body. So, if you are stressing your body by living or working in constant proximity to people and noise, or you get a virus, this can destabilize your emotions around feelings of self-worth, wanting to be acknowledged, needing time alone and wanting to retreat or sleep, and if that doesn’t happen it could make you more stressed out, creating a feedback loop of mind-body-mind-body stress. This is partly how the connection works. Of course, each person and situation is different, and the interactions can be a little more complex than that, but Dr. Metz and I have a handle on that in terms of helping you to figure it out. That’s our job.

Dividing our energetic body into these Elemental components and approaching them in this way, helps us to organize and understand its features better. But when it comes down to it, there is a lot of overlay, interplay and interaction going on between the Chakras and their Levels that is not so cut and dry. This is true especially since each of the five Elements are associated with their respective Chakras (#1 Earth/Root Chakra, #2 Water/Sacral Chakra, #3 Fire/Solar Plexus Chakra, #4 Air/Heart Chakra, and #5 Ether/Throat Chakra), and then each Chakra is comprised of five Vibrational Levels (#1 Earth/Structure, #2 Water/Biochemistry, #3 Fire/Physiological Motivations, #4 Air/Motion, and #5 Ether/Psychology). This is part of what makes us “fractal” (having the same configuration at all scales of measurement).

Per Dr. Metz:

“A good analogy here is to see each Chakra as as a musical note. The five Chakras are part of a scale of seven Chakras and there are five overlayed octaves, referred to as the Vibrational Levels. Therefore each Chakra vibrates five notes, each an octave above or below the other. For example, each Chakra vibrates five notes, a note from each Vibrational Level, or octave. In the body these “notes” are: Ether (Psychology), Air (Motion), Fire (Physiological Motivations), Water (Biochemistry), and Earth (Structure). In other words, each elemental Chakra vibrates at each of the five elemental Vibrational Levels, each note with their own attributes.”

In the Ether/Throat Chakra, the attributes of the five vibratory levels are: 1.) Psychology = grief, jealousy and joy; 2.) Motion = expansive and enlongated; 3.) Physiological Motivation = getting sleep (i.e., dream cycles, restorative cycles, insomnia, apnea, or oversleeping, etc.); 4.) Biochemistry = the bodily fluid of saliva, as well as interference from food, supplementation, drugs, allergies, sickness, and disease (including cancer) that affect the Ether reflex areas/organs; 5.) Structure = hair and teeth.

Thus, based on our fractal nature, you will find something you can relate to in all of the Chakras, but some might stand out to you more than others. That has been the case for me. Since my most basic trauma occurred in Ether, I’m all too familiar with the ramifications of its disruption. I think it’s part of what makes me so engaging and empathetic, as well as easily overwhelmed. It’s not so much that I absorb other people’s energy, as I react within myself to certain patterns that people present. The exception is when I am giving a treatment. I can maintain very clear boundaries and can easily distinguish “who is who”. And in this case, I don’t feel responsible for solving their problems…”You’re not responsible for everything on God’s Green Earth”. When a acquaintance told me that once, it really hit home, and I listened. For me, I didn’t know it at the time, but I was unconsciously recapitulating a childhood pattern – that it was up to me, and me alone, to fix the problems I saw and to make it all better. With lots of inner work on my self, I’m slowly outgrowing that compulsion, and becoming more balanced around what I do/don’t do. My only responsibility now is to stay connected to my authentic self which helps me to better serve and to be a healthy role model, which enables me to do well at my job. I now realize that is ultimately up to the client to take the ball and run with it, with me cheering and offering support from the sidelines. I am seeing these healthy skills becoming tangible in other areas of my life as well. It is, and has been, quite a journey…getting reacquainted with all my disassociated parts. Fundamental Field Therapy is what made it possible for me; that special integration of mind-body awareness that comes from the bodywork, and the “awareness dialogue” that happens as a result.

These are some of the ways you can keep your Ether energies balanced: Surrounding yourself with, or wearing, the color blue; listening to the sound of silence; connecting with Spirit via meditation or prayer services; engaging in the arts of music and Feng Shui (getting organized and creating ambiance); traveling; focusing on the sense of hearing; getting a facial or a neck massage; practicing yoga or tai chi; eating foods that are artfully presented and eaten in beautiful and calming atmosphere. You can also contact any of the aforementioned Ether reflex areas on your own. For example, when I’m trying to fall asleep at night, I automatically hold my hands to my throat, or grasp my thumbs. You often see Babies doing this too, sucking their thumbs that is, to self-soothe and maybe even drift off to sleepyland.

The general rule for keeping everything in balance is not to over-do or under-do anything. “Everything in moderation” is sometimes easier said than done, but it’s important to at least keep ourselves reminded of that fact, and to have fun exploring the various possibilities that come our way. Finding what works best for us is a journey of discovery. (Since everyone is unique and different, I’m a big fan of “whatever works”! ) As dynamic energetic beings, we are not fixed entities. It is necessary, therefore, to re-evaluate ourselves on a continuing basis, and to make the needed adjustments as we proceed on our path.

Life-Energy: Air

Maggie — Wed, 11 May 2011 04:06:11 +0000

Up in the Air with Lofty Ideas (Image via Google)

Our mind affects our body, and our body affects our mind. It’s all interconnected. Here is some information about the mind-body connection via Dr. Metz’ Fundamental Field Theory. I know it’s a different way of viewing things for most of you who will read it. It has its roots in Indian Ayurvedic philosophy, and Polarity Therapy (which its creator, Dr. Randolph Stone, referenced and then linked it to modern science via the magnetic model of energy). Dr. Metz has taken it a step further.

Energy is what animates us and gives us life. There are several vibratory components in the body, expressing this Energy in various ways. All of nature is made up of these subtle elemental energies, all with different rates of vibration, from subtle to gross: Ether (Space), Air (Gases), Fire (Transformations), Water (Fluids) and Earth (Solids). In terms of density, Air is the second most subtle of the energies. Dividing the Elements of our energetic body, and approaching them in the following way, helps us to organize and understand its features better. But when it comes down to it, there is a lot of overlay, interplay and interaction going on that is not so cut and dry. You will find something you can relate to in all of these Elements, but a few might stand out for you more than others. The Fundamental Field Theory/Therapy applies to animals as well. Your pets have their own problems, and like children, they are energetic sponges for what’s going on around them, in their caretakers’ lives.

These elements are also associated with the Astrological signs. Air in particular represents the signs of Aquarius, Libra, and Gemini. In the following descriptions of Air, the Air Signs (or those with lots of Air in their charts) are most vulnerable in the areas mentioned. Air is near and dear to my heart, as I am a Libra, a self-proclaimed “bleeding heart”, an obsessive thinker, a fast-talker, and have breathing problems and immune disorders, to name a few things.

In the body, the Air Element arises from the #4/Heart Chakra as it spins, carrying a negative electrostatic charge. The Heart Chakra is located in the region of the heart, with reflex areas at the shoulder tops, thymus, mid-back, kidneys, calves, ankles, index fingers and index toes; it also encompasses the nervous, respiratory, circulatory and immune systems. It also involves the qualities of movement, gentleness, lightness, quickness, and mental acuity.

The Air Element also pertains to the issues of: How you perceive and deal with yourself and others in terms of unconditional love, affection, compassion, charity, empathy, passing judgement, receiving or offering emotional and mental support; If we are having challenges with issues such as these, they are usually old ones, being triggered by new ones. We are unconscious of many of the traumas we carry around with us. Those past thoughts and emotions often get disassociated and “thrown off” for our physical body to hold, and deal with. Psychologically, Air is associated with love, desire, sadness, and disappointment; it is speedy motion; physiologically, it is associated with breathing; biochemically, it is associated with the bodily fluid, sweat, as well as interference from food, supplementation, drugs, allergies, sickness, and disease (including cancer) that affect the Air reflex areas/organs; structurally, it is associated with the skin.

Any depletion or excess in this chakra, be it emotional, mental or physical (whether you are consciously OR unconsciously aware of it), will affect these areas in particular, as well as your entire system. The mind/emotions can affect the body. For example, if you are in a situation in which you feel you are not being cheered on or supported, or feeling suffocated by “smother love”, it may show up physically with lung problems, tight shoulders, or immune trouble due to a weak thymus. Your physical body can also affect your emotional body. So, if you are stressing your body by living or working in a smoke-filled or allergenic environment, this may challenge your lungs and destabilize your emotions around feelings of disappointment or lack of affection about something that is already an issue in your life, making it feel worse. This is partly how the mind-body connection works. Of course, each person and situation is different, and the interactions can be a little more complex than that, but Dr. Metz and I have a handle on that in terms of helping you to figure it out. That’s our job!

If you have problems with any of these things, it could be due to blockages in these particular areas, or at any point in the system which reflexes to these areas. Dr. Metz/myself would determine that by using what Dr. Metz calls “Energy Resonance Methods”, which is a skill that one can learn, a “felt sense”, not necessarily a psychic or an intuitive one. (It’s like tuning an instrument, or your voice, to a pitch pipe. You can hear and feel the resonance, whether the two are in tune or not. Anyone can develop this skill with desire and practice.) Similarly, Dr. Metz and I can scan one’s system with a question in mind, and we can feel the resonant pull of energy when we’re in sync with the question. For instance, we could ask, “What is the energy in the system currently dealing with that is most urgent?” We might get verification on our answer by running our hands along the body, and feeling a resonance when we get to the kidneys, which could mean the Air Element is being disrupted. That would pose another set of questions, such as: “Is this person stressed and by what? What is draining the energy there?”

Some Air Issues that could be in question are: Are you experiencing too many mental demands, taking intensive night classes after a full day’s work? Not eating enough fruit and nuts? Feeling overly compassionate, crying at commercials and the like? Unable to get in touch with your true heart’s desires? Unable to connect from the heart or say “I love you” with ease? Feeling scattered and/or moving too fast? Air-headed, or too “in your head”?

During a treatment, the client’s system takes in the energy being radiated and focused by the polarity and placement of the practitioner’s hands, like acupuncture does with needles (and jumper cables do with a battery). With the intention and attention, of both practitioner and client, towards “Highest Healing Good”, the client’s own innate intelligence does triage and sends the energy to where it’s needed most. After the treatment Dr. Metz/I would again reassess the client again, via Energy Resonance Scan, and make suggestions as to what the client might do to facilitate/maintain an energetic balance appropriate to their system.

In general, these are some of the ways you can keep your Air Element balanced: Surrounding yourself with, or wearing, the color green; listening to, or playing, high-pitched fast music; engaging in the art of dance; focusing on the sense of touch and sour tastes; and eating green food, and foods that grow 6 feet or more above the ground (fruits, seeds and nuts).

The key to keeping everything in balance is not to over-do or under-do anything. “Everything in moderation” is sometimes easier said than done, but it’s important to at least keep ourselves reminded of that fact, and have fun exploring the possibilities!

Life-Energy: Fire

Maggie — Sat, 07 May 2011 21:13:15 +0000

Keep the Home Fires Burning

In the body, the Fire Element arises from the #3/Solar Plexus Chakra as it spins, carrying a negative electrostatic charge. The Solar Plexus Chakra is located in the region of the solar plexus, with reflex areas at the head, forehead, eyes, umbilicus, mid-back, thighs, liver, gall bladder, middle fingers and middle toes, blood and circulatory system, digestive system (assimilation), metabolism, and the stress response of the conscious mind.

The Fire Element also encompasses the issues of:
How you perceive and deal with authority figures, including yourself; personal power, control, and transformation; will, vitality, enthusiasm, brightness, expansiveness; and physical activity. Psychologically, Fire is associated with anger, rage, frustration, resentment, and forgiveness; it is shaking motion; physiologically, it is associated with the urges of hunger and thirst; biochemically, it is associated with the bodily fluid, urine, as well as interference from food, supplementation, drugs, allergies, sickness, and disease that effect the Fire reflex areas/organs; structurally, it is associated with the blood and lymph vessels, arteries, veins and capillaries.

Any depleting activity in this chakra, be it emotional, mental or physical (whether you are consciously OR unconsciously aware of it), will affect these areas in particular, as well as your entire system. The mind/emotions can affect the body. For example, if you are that you are in a situation which you feel you have no control over, it may show up physically as an ulcer or migraine headaches. Your physical body can also affect your emotional body. So, if you are physically stressing your body with overwork, stress and strain, and/or eating too much fatty, acidic food which affects your gall bladders ability to process fats…this might make you more susceptible to feeling vulnerable around other people’s “demands”. This is partly how the mind-body connection works. Of course, each person is different, and the interactions can be a little more complex than that, but Dr. Metz and I have a handle on that in terms of helping you to figure it out. That’s our job!

If you have problems with any of these things, it could be due to blockages in these particular areas, or at any point in the system which reflexes to these areas. Dr. Metz/myself would determine that by using what Dr. Metz calls “Energy Resonance Methods”, which is a skill that one can learn, a “felt sense”, not necessarily a psychic or an intuitive one. (It’s like tuning an instrument, or your voice, to a pitch pipe. You can hear and feel the resonance, whether the two are in tune or not. Anyone can develop this skill with desire and practice.) Similarly, Dr. Metz and I can scan one’s system with a question in mind, and we can feel the resonant pull of energy when we’re in sync with the question. For instance, we could ask, “What is the energy in the system currently dealing with that is most urgent?” We might get verification on our answer by running our hands along the body, and feeling a resonance when we get to the liver, which could mean the Fire Element is being disrupted. That would pose another set of questions, such as: “Is this person stressed and by what? What is draining the energy there?”

Some Fire Issues that could be in question are: Are you experiencing too many physical demands? Not eating enough complex carbs? Angry or frustrated over a situation? Feeling a lack of drive, will, personal empowerment? Or are you too bossy or controlling, and need to de-stress and diffuse?

In general, these are some of the ways you can keep your Fire Element balanced: Surrounding yourself with, or wearing, the color yellow; listening to, or playing, loud staccato music; engaging in the art of painting; focusing on the sense of sight and bitter tastes; and eating foods that grow from ground-level to 2 feet (grains, legumes and seeds).

Life-Energy: Water

Maggie — Sat, 07 May 2011 20:53:49 +0000

Water is about bonding & relationships.

The Five Subtle Elemental Energies of the body are the same as those in nature: Ether (Space), Air (Gases), Fire (Transformations), Water (Fluids), and Earth (Solids).

The Elemental Energies in your body also have the same color configuration as a rainbow: Ether (Blue), Air (Green), Fire (Yellow), Water (Orange) and Earth (Red). In the Negative Pole of the Fundamental Field of Life-Energy (a.k.a. the Sympathetic Nervous System, the Chakra System at the Caduceus, and the domain of the Unconscious Mind), the Water Element is the second most dense of these Five Elemental Energies.

In the body, the Water Element arises from the #2/Sacral Chakra as it spins, carrying a negative electrostatic charge. The Sacral Chakra is located at the sacrum, with reflex areas at the chest/breasts, shoulder blades, sacral belly, bladder, spleen, lymphatic system, reproductive system, secretory glands, hips, pelvis, buttocks, feet, ring fingers and ring toes.

There are also five Levels of Vibration within each of the Five Elements. (Think of there being five 5-layered cakes. Each cake when sliced has five layers). For example, the Water Element, on the Level of Psychology (Ether/Space), is associated with attachment and letting go, lust and gluttony; on the Level of Motion (Air/Gases), it is flowing movement; on the Level of Physiological Motivation (Fire/Transformations), it is associated with sex, regeneration and reproduction; on the Level of Biochemistry (Water/Fluids), it is associated with interference from food, supplementation, drugs, allergies, sickness, and disease that effect the Water reflex areas/organs; on the Level of Structure (Earth/Solids), it is associated with the musculature, tissues, glands, membranes, ligaments and tendons.

The Water Element also encompasses the Issues of: Family, bonding, being parented and parenting, physical nurturing, sexuality, sensuality, creativity, and emotional acuity. Any depleting activity in this chakra, be it emotional, mental or physical, will affect these areas in particular, as well as your entire system. For example, your emotions can affect your physical body. If you are feeling abandoned or overwhelmed in a relationship, it may show up physically as painful shoulder blades, immune issues due to clogged lymphatics, lack of libido, menstrual pain, or even prostate or breast cancer. Your physical body can also affect your emotional body. So, if you are doing too much bending/lifting putting stress on your hips and sacrum and/or eating too much fatty, acidic food effecting your ability to fight off viruses…this might make you more susceptible to feeling vulnerable around sexual or physical nurturing issues, feeling closed down, or conversely, like you’re not getting your needs met. This is partly how the mind-body connection works. Of course, each person is different, and the interactions can be a little more complex than that, but Dr. Metz and I have a handle on that in terms of helping you to figure it out. That’s our job!

If you have problems with any of these things, it could be due to blockages in these particular areas, or at any point in the system which reflexes to these areas. Dr. Metz/myself would determine that by using what Dr. Metz calls ”Energy Resonance Methods”, which is a skill that one can learn, a “felt sense”, not necessarily a psychic or an intuitive one. It’s like tuning an instrument, or your voice, to a pitch pipe. You can hear and feel the resonance, whether the two are in tune or not. Anyone can develop this skill with desire and practice. Similarly, Dr. Metz and I can scan one’s system with a question in mind, and we can feel the resonant pull of energy when we’re in sync with the question. For instance, we could ask, “What is the energy in the system currently dealing with that is most urgent?” We might get verification on our answer by running our hands along the body, and feeling a resonance when we get to the feet, which could mean the Water Element is being disrupted. That would pose another set of questions, such as: “Is this person stressed and by what? What is draining the energy there?” Some Water Issues that could be questioned are: Too many parenting responsibilities? Not drinking enough water, or eating enough leafy greens? Overindulging? Hormones gone askew? Fighting a virus?

After information is gathered, through these means and discussion with the client, bodywork can then begin. There is another set of questions that helps direct the customized protocol, but intuition, in addition to resonance, is now the best way to treat the energetic system, being that it is interconnected in ways that are complex and not linear. During a treatment, the client’s system takes in the energy being radiated and focused by the polarity and placement of the practitioner’s hands, like acupuncture does with needles (and jumper cables do with a battery). With the intention and attention of both practitioner and client towards “Highest Healing Good”, the client’s own innate intelligence does triage and sends the energy to where it’s needed most. After the treatment Dr. Metz/I would again reassess the client again, via Energy Resonance Scan, and make suggestions as to what the client might do to facilitate/maintain an energetic balance appropriate to their system.

In general, these are some of the ways you can keep your Water Element balanced: Surrounding yourself with, or wearing the color orange; listening to or playing slow smooth music (like the cello); getting your feet and hips moving through swimming/dance; making love or getting a massage; playing with children; cuddling animals; engaging in the art of cuisine/cooking; focusing on the sense of taste, salty tastes in particular; and eating orange foods, as well as foods that grow from ground-level to two feet (leafy vegetables, melons, cucumber, squash).

The key to keeping everything in balance is to not “over-do” or “under-do” anything. “Everything in moderation” is sometimes easier said than done, but it’s important to at least keep ourselves reminded of that fact, and have fun doing it!

Life-Energy: Earth

Maggie — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 20:19:00 +0000

Earthen Solids

The Earth Element is the densest of the five elemental energies in the Negative Pole of the Fundamental Field. It is associated with the #1/Root Chakra at the base of the spine at the coccyx, low back, abdomen, adrenal glands (stress response), the neck, knees, pinky fingers and toes.

The Root Chakra encompasses the issues of career, money, the basic necessities of life and survival. Any depleting activity in this chakra, be it emotional, mental or physical, will affect these areas in particular, as well as your entire system. For example, if you are worried about money, or your house, or your job, it may show up physically as low back pain. The physical can also affect the emotional, so if you are doing things that are stressing your low back, this might make you susceptible to feeling more vulnerable about finances. This is how the mind-body connection works.

Ways to keep Earth in balance is by tuning in to: the color red; slowing down, steadiness, structure, security and groundedness; low droning sounds (like listening to or making a drumbeat); your sense of smell; the art of aromatherapy, sculpture and gardening; weight-bearing exercise, such as rock-climbing; sweet tastes and eating foods that grow below the ground (roots and tubers, like potatoes, beets, carrots, onions, garlic, and jicama). The key is to not under-do or over-do anything.

On the Psychological Level the Earth Element is associated with: fear, worry, insecurity, greed, courage and generosity; on the Level of Motion, the energy is contracted; on the Level of Physiological Motivation it is associated with digestion, elimination in particular; on the Level of Biochemistry it is associated with the blood, and issues of food, allergies, sickness or disease that affect the Earth reflex areas; and on the Level of Structure it is associated with bones and joints.

Similarly, we scan your system with a question in mind, and we can feel the resonant pull of energy when we’re in sync with the question. For instance, we could ask, “What is the energy in the system currently dealing with that is most urgent?” We might run the hand along the body, and feel a resonance when we get to the adrenal glands. That would pose another set of questions, such as: “Is this person stressed and by what? What is draining the energy there? Too much worry? Too much sugar? Too little rest?”

Science, Spirit, or Skeptic?

Maggie — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 21:37:59 +0000

I just read an article at Skepdic.com, where the healing art and science of acupuncture was described as “an ancient superstition”, dissing Oprah and Dr. Oz in the process. I take offense at this, namely because it disregards and discredits another culture’s revered 5,400 yr. old tradition, which is based on their historical empirical findings. Though not expressed in modern scientific terms, those findings are still based on scientific principles. (And there is a modern scientific theory that incorporates acupuncture’s traditional meaning and methods…it’s called Dr. Metz’ Fundamental Field Theory! Surprise! ). Oh, and just to give things additional perspective, I’ve heard that Chinese practitioners have refered to our “relatively new 200 yr. old western medical viewpoint” as…”alternative medicine”!

Just because Traditional Chinese Medicine was discovered “pre-technology” or “pre-science”, to me, actually makes it more wonderful and amazing. Those ancients must have been so observant, in-tune with nature, and so smart! Granted, I’m not dismissing the fact that some things are deeply-rooted in superstition ONLY, and do not serve anybody well. However, there can also be potential for such strongly imbedded “superstitions” to provide a very valuable service and resource, by helping folks to maintain a sense of cohesion, continuity and order within their community, and the ability to feel like they have a bit of control over their environment. After all, isn’t that what we’ve all trying to do, past and present? In whichever way we go about it? … It’s called “Existential Angst”. When traditions are purely based in fear and denial, that is never a solid foundation, though it does give some credence the “power of belief”, even if it’s in what might be considered a “placebo-type” activity to others. Also who’s to say what is, or is not, “reality”, “illusion”, “science”, “spirituality,” “superstition”, or “an old wives tale”?! These kind of thoughts and labels sound too judgmental and limiting, from my point of view. The Universe is much bigger and broader than all this “hot mess” that we’ve turned it into with our narrow humanly perspective.

I consider any dang phenomena that happens in this world to be very complex, not easily explained, whether or not you put it into a book (although, I too am biased since I think Dr. Metz comes pretty darn close!)…or in a cubicle, a confessional or on the altar, or stick some needles in it, and stew it in an herb pot! I’m trying not to get too defensive, angry or irritated, because that just takes us all farther apart. I believe, you can’t knock it if you haven’t tried it! Understanding coupled with personal experience, is key. If something is foreign to you, instead of “knocking it” try to understand it and where it’s coming from, instead of letting fear and ego get the best of you! Everything is subjective anyway, each and every one of us views life through multiple filters. (For instance, right off the bat I can come up with at least eight filters of my own: Being a 45- year-old female, raised in Santa Rosa, California, USA, by Depression-Era Catholic parents from the mid-west!) The first step is realizing that fact about ourselves, and everyone else! This has the potential to bring us closer together, and to our own Truth.

Consider this quote from renowned physicists, Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow, from page 44 of their new book, The Grand Design, in which they present their theory called, “Model-Dependent Realism”):

“Strict realists often argue that the proof that scientific theories represent reality lies in their success. But different theories can successfully describe the same phenomenon through disparate conceptual frameworks. In fact, many scientific theories that had proven successful were later replaced by other, equally successful theories based on wholly new concepts of reality”.

“Science creates its own reality as much as it discovers it.” ~ Dr. Metz

I ventured into all of this in the first place, because I was up late again last night, messing around on the internet and decided that I wanted to say a little something about MY definition of Spirit and Soul…for obvious reasons . As I’ve said before, I believe both are of Divine Origin, and are part and parcel of Universal Love and Knowledge:

SPIRIT = Our unique personality attached to this body, this lifetime. We HAVE Spirit! We are Spirited!
SOUL = Our unique little piece of God-Self, which is attached to our mortal body while we are in it, giving it animation in this life/lives to come. Our Soul and its Divine Origin are immortal and everlasting. We ARE Soul. We are Soul-Full!

The Universal Life-Energy that flows from above, into and out of our bodies, circulating in prescribed pathways, is what creates, organizes and sustains our physical body, giving us LIFE.

WE are the interface where God, Soul, Spirit, Mind and Body come together in Holy Union. That makes us co-creators, co-procreators, and co-conspirators!

That’s my story, and I’m stickin’ by it! (At least until I explore and learn something new).

FF in a Nutshell

Maggie — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 00:00:07 +0000

People have asked me what the Fundamental Field (FF) actually is, what it looks and feels like, and here is my answer, based on my experience and what Dr. Metz has explained to me:

Dynamic Divine Energy is the Blueprint for all that Matters (pun intended)!

Fractals in Nature
(Image via Google)

We are FRACTALLY connected to the entire universe by an energetically polarized atom-like, FRACTAL pattern that occurs across all of creation (“fractal” meaning, same pattern, different scales). Dr. Metz calls this his “Fundamental Field Theory.” In his theory, the human body is made up of the Fundamental Field pattern of Life-Energy. Dr. Metz can show you how, but it takes a book and a seminar from him to do so sufficiently.

The Caduceus Symbol (Image via Google)

The FF Atomic Pattern of Life-Energy has 3 Magnetic Poles: Positive, Neutral and Negative (these names are not value judgements – energy just “is” – they refer to the energetic charge): The Positive Pole is located at the head, spine, sacrum and coccyx; the Neutral Pole is the Acupuncture/Jin Shin meridian system on the head, limbs and torso; the Negative Pole is the Chakra system formed by the energy pathways criss-crossing along the spine, often referred to as the caduceus, as demonstrated by the “staff” emblem. (Actually the proper use of the caduceus symbol is a subject of debate, a form of it is still used by the American Medical Association and other conventional medical groups. Regardless, energy pathways do criss-cross along the spine in that fashion, so I imagine that had something to do with the origin and widespread use of the symbol).

In short, the FF consists of: 3 Poles, 5 Gross Aspects (as States of Matter), 10 Elements, 18 Spinning Chakras, 26 Sub-Chakras, 3 Dimensions of Space, 1 of Time, and 5 Subtle Vibratory Levels. The 5 Subtle Vibratory Levels are: Psychology, Motion, Physiological Motivation, Biochemistry and Structure. These resonate with and organize the 5 Gross Aspects within the body: Space; Gases; Chemical Transformations (which create heat, energy and change); Fluids and Solids.

The Fundamental Field Pattern
(Photo by Maggie Begley)

The above is a hand-drawn, simplified rendering by Dr. Metz of the Fundamental Field Pattern of Life-Energy, denoting the major Energy Centers & direction of Energy Flows: Red is the Central Nervous System of the Positive Pole; Orange is the system of Jin Shin Points in the Neutral Pole; Blue is the Caduceus/Ayurvedic/Yogic-Chakras in the Negative Pole, as well as the Acupuncture Elements on the hands & feet in the Neutral Pole; Green is the Acupuncture Meridians of the Neutral Pole; & Purple is the Polarity Energy Flows of the Negative Pole.

The FF can be approached practically and therapeutically with Energy Resonance Evaluation (Scanning), Energy Awareness Dialogue and Active Energy Integration (making Conscious AND Unconscious Mind-Body connections), as well as Gentle Balancing Touch (a hands-on protocol), that maximizes the flow of Life-Energy throughout the system, optimizing health. When a person comes in we assess their entire energy system, on every level, to determine how these energies are interacting and how to best intervene for the highest good of the patient – the complete, and therefore ultimate, Mind-Body Energy Medicine. A session incorporates the modalities of Cranio-Sacral Therapy, Jin Shin Jyutsu and Acupuncture Meridian Systems, as well as Ayurveda and Polarity Therapy, all in one treatment. FF Therapy depends not only on knowledge of the energetic system, but also on the use of Intuition and Energy Resonance Scanning. The latter is actually the best and most efficient way to approach a bodywork session, as each unique system, at any one time, has too many complex interactional variables for an overly structured, linear “one-size-fits-all” treatment method.

We all know how mechanistic Western Medicine likes it specialists, there’s a doctor for every body part it seems. Eastern-influenced Energy Medicine, in its own way, has its specialists too, from different cultures and times: Cranio-Sacral Therapy, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Jin Shin, Indian Ayurveda and Polarity Therapy, to name a few. FF Therapy is truly a generalist, holistic, Advanced Energy Medicine as it includes all of these subsystems into one theoretic model and therapeutic modality. It isn’t a specialty medicine for one area of treatment, it sees the bigger picture of how all these specialties fit together and interact as a part of one Energetic whole. Each part, each modality is valuable on its won, and effects the whole. But isn’t it better to at least start out with looking at the whole first and then deciding how, what, when and where your focus should lie, and why? …All, one, or none?

The Fundamental Field approach is more efficient, let’s just say that. And that’s it, in a nutshell!

(Last edited 11/11/11).