What is a healer and what do they do? By Victoria Mulhearn

A healer is in my opinion both ourselves and the person to whom we are reaching out to for help. They, through engaging in some form of ritual/technique create sacred space that facilitates a positive…

A healer is in my opinion both ourselves and the person to whom we are reaching out to for help. They, through engaging in some form of ritual/technique create sacred space that facilitates a positive change to take place within the physical body or psyche on some level. A desire to heal must be present from the recipient. Although we often see “The healer” as being outside of ourselves, “The healer” is in fact ourselves. The “outside” healer simply facilitates the deep changes that take place within.

One dictionary definition of ‘heal” is to repair by natural processes. To restore (someone) to health. To repair (a rift in a personal relationship or an emotional wound). A healer being someone who facilitates this.

When contemplating the question, what is a healer and what do they do it becomes apparent that a certain belief system is central to the healer.
For example, Louise Hay, (You can heal your life) from my understanding believes we create every so-called illness in our body. She believes the body like everything else in life is a mirror of our inner thoughts and beliefs. Every cell within our bodies responds to every single thought we think and every word we speak. Louise and others like her, therefore create healing by getting us to look at our thought patterns and particularly the area of lack of self-love.

Once identified, and we begin to get a sense of how our thoughts can create reality we are encouraged to think about the areas of our life that are not working and examine our belief systems. Then once we are willing to change, recognising awareness is the first step in healing, we replace our limiting thought patterns with positive uplifting words, known as affirmations. As a result a positive shift or change can occur within either our mental, emotional, physical body or environment around us. This further reinforces a new model of positive thinking that facilitates our healing.

Whilst supporting Louise Hay with the belief that our thoughts help to create reality and by sending positive messages to our body healing can take place. I also feel that the diseases that so many people are afflicted with are not solely due to our inner thoughts and are far more complex than this model of healing suggests.

Dr.David Hamilton (It’s the Thought that Counts and How You can Heal your Body) draws on scientific research that supports the belief that our body and mind are intertwined and particularly how love has a powerful effect on the body.

We are all familiar with the term ‘Placebo effect’. Placebo medicines are often used in clinical trials where the effectiveness of a certain drug is being tested. The placebo drug looks exactly the same as the actual drug containing medicine, except from its own side it possesses no healing properties. The idea behind this theory is therefore if any curing takes place it can be accredited to the medicine.

In practice though many people do experience healing with the placebo drug. Doctors are very aware if patients have faith in the medicine and the doctor whether it is placebo or not they have a higher percentage of recovery. Some doctors believe it is important to give patients a new drug, which is being advertised as the new wonder drug as often the previous drugs lose their miraculous healing powers. This strongly suggests that our thoughts and beliefs and the involvement of the mind are intertwined within our own personal journey of healing.

There has been much scientific research on the placebo effect over the last few years. A study in1996 compared the effectiveness of different coloured capsules which unknown to the volunteers contained the same substances. A group of medical students were asked to take either a blue or pink capsule being told that the capsule contained either a stimulate or sedative. Both capsules were placebo and so contained neither substance. The report showed that throughout the study the blue capsules were more powerful sedatives than the pink. It was probably because the volunteers associate the colour blue with calm and this association brought about a feeling of relaxation in their minds and then their bodies.

Another study of many different brands of aspirin tablets found that the ones with a red cross on them were the most powerful. This was presumed to be because the red cross is usually associated with healing and brings about feelings of relief. This feeling would have transferred into the body facilitating healing. Interestingly from a personal viewpoint when sharing the teachings of a Lakota Sioux sweat lodge ceremony the direction of north brings in the colour red. In this round we visualise healthy red blood cells and pray for healing. In this ritual we are consciously using the vibration of the colour red and its symbology for healing.

Candace B. Pert is a research professor in physiology and biophysics and has written an excellent book called Molecules of Emotion. Her research shows how the chemicals inside our body form an information network, linking the mind and body.

She stresses that for healthy blissful living we must take responsibility for the way we feel. The belief that others make us feel good or bad is untrue. Consciously or unconsciously we are choosing at any given moment how to feel which then affects every aspect of our physiology.

During a wellness conference in which Candace Pert was present. A question was posed. Why is the spiritual aspect of healing sometimes overlooked in mind-body health? Two of the responses were

‘That it is too difficult to describe and more difficult to research. In addition people equate spirituality with religion, which often divides us and brings up strong disagreement.”

Candace who represents the scientists responded by saying,

“That she feels that there is no scientific reason to leave spirituality out of medicine. It is a habit that our culture has gotten into ever since the seventeenth-century philosopher Rene Descartes declared body and soul to be distinct, separate entities entirely unrelated to each other. The truth that I have learnt through my own late twentieth- century science is that the soul, mind and emotions do play an important role in health”

From all of the above, this supports the belief that we ourselves because of this mind body connection are the healer and an active part of the healing process. Often when we think of healers we think of someone or something outside of ourselves. When in fact a huge portion of the medicine lies within. For me this is incredibly empowering not only for myself but to pass onto others.

Many people are moving away from the medical model of “fixing it” dissatisfied with drugs and surgery. When we look at the belief system of healing within the paradigm of shamanism, particularly Sandra Ingerman (Soul retrieval, mending the fragmented self) a different model for healing is presented. Mircea Eliade, author of Shamanism Archaic techniques of Ecstasy describes a shaman as a person who makes a journey in an altered state of consciousness. Through journeys a shaman retrieves aid and information to help a patient, family friends or community. Generally a shaman or shamanic practitioner uses percussion as a means to enter into altered state. Based on ancient teachings, Sandra recognises that at certain times of our life there is some loss of vital essence, which she calls soul loss. Today we often find soul loss is as a result of trauma, death, accidents, surgery, illness, abortions, miscarriages, addictions etc. She believes that part of our vital essence separates from us in order to survive the experience by escaping the full impact of the pain. In the medical model, psychology is the primary method for healing this type of trauma. However, Sandra points out (and she holds a masters degree in counseling psychology) this only works with the parts that are home!

How a shamanic practitioner facilitates healing with soul loss is to journey on behalf of the person afflicted, connect to the soul parts and bring them home, restoring wholeness. A choice to return must come from the soul itself once it learns how the original situation has changed. The practitioner then receives information on how it is best for the client to integrate this soul part back.

Personally this is a model that I support. How can we heal a part that is no longer with us? It can explain why after years of psychotherapy the client often feels no further forward.

I received a soul retrieval four years after the death of mum and experienced immediate and permanent healing from nightmares that had consistently afflicted my dream state. The following three nights after the retrieval I dreamt of mum in a positive way and even embraced myself when I was a little girl having just broken my clavicle. It makes sense that there would have been a degree of soul loss having broken my clavicle at such a young age. I find this aspect of the retrieval fascinating, as this was certainly not in my conscious thoughts when receiving the retrieval yet a soul part was also brought back at this time.

Healers can use many rituals to facilitate healing. If we take Peggy Dylan as an example we can see how she uses fire walking, arrow breaks, sweat lodges, stories, psychological techniques and breathwork to create a positive shift in the person’s energy field. Lets take breath work as an example.

A typical breath work session requires someone to lie down and begin to take rapid breaths in succession through the mouth. The practitioner at this point sits by their side in silence holding a sacred, safe space. Initially effort is required to keep this rate of breathing going but after a few moments this pattern becomes established. The recipient may experience tingling, often intensely in the hands, face and abdomen. Crying or laughing, may also accompany this. When the session is complete breathing returns to its natural rate and a great sense of relaxation and ease is felt in the body.

The belief behind this technique is that we all hold limiting patterns that are linked to the breath and physiological response. Most of us breathe apically (upper part of the chest) and have developed a constant pose of the flight or fight mechanism. Tight abdominal muscles etc which restrict the flow of breath to the lower portion of the lungs and oxygen. A tense shallow breath communicates through our autonomic nervous system that there is something potentially dangerous in life releasing adrenalin into the blood.

Peggy Dylan gives this example in her training week at lendrick.

Take for example a baby who has a lovely relaxed nervous system. Baby is playing quite happily. A spider has crawled onto her arm and she is watching completely enthralled, fascinated enjoying the tickly sensations on her skin. Mum walks in, sees the spider on her precious baby, screams, knocks off the spider or kills it shouting nasty big spider!! As mum screams her breathing has become shallower. Happy baby now starts to cry and her physiology changes. The hysterical reaction from mum causes a change in the medulla oblongata in the brain. Next time baby sees a spider she is likely to have the same physiological response in her body. The baby is programmed.

Fast forward into the teenage years. The young girl is at the movies with her new boyfriend whom she likes very much. He gently tickles her forearm lovingly. The girl freezes. She does not feel this but big bad spider on her arm and her body physiology changes. She cannot understand her response.

Most of us have this type of patterning, which is hooked into our breath. When we focus on the breath these limiting patterns can be bought to the surface and cleansed. Breath work allows the areas where we have restricted ourselves to be moved. Every time we have an intense reaction to stimuli we are accessing a programme, which is held in memories that is linked to our breath.

So how do healers enable healing to take place? Firstly as with all healing a safe sacred space has to be created. There is complete acceptance, compassion and love, no matter what your story and a strong element of trust are present. There also has to be willingness on behalf of the recipient to want to heal and bring about change. I believe all six have to be present for complete and deep healing to take place. I believe partial healing can take place if one or more of these elements are missing.

Peggy uses the ancient ritual of an arrow break, where an arrow is placed in the soft part of the throat and is broken against a board. Utilizing the strong breath and focusing single pointedly on a fear or limiting pattern that we wish to break through healing can take place instantly. What is interesting about this technique is that we use the energy of fear in a positive way to break through our other fears or limiting restrictive patterns that are holding us back. This energy can also be used positively at a fire-walk with the same outcome. If I can break an arrow at my throat, if I can fire-walk, poses the question, what else can I do?

On a personal level, I walked my first fire walk at age 27 with the intention of unlocking more of my potential, the results have been unfolding ever since! The breath work sessions that I did healed the anger. Those hurtful, limiting emotions are no longer triggered and are simply no longer part of my reality.

Finally let us look at reiki in the context of what is a reiki healer and what do they do. Reiki practitioners use the universal life force energy by placing their hands upon the recipient or themselves to help to move Qi stagnations by raising the vibrational frequency of the organs, cells etc into a more optimum state. Every organ and cell when in perfect health vibrates at an optimum frequency. Our energy is constantly changing from moment to moment depending upon a multitude of factors. When we give reiki to others or ourselves whether this is human or animals, a change occurs in our vibrational frequency.

I believe the body is always attempting to find balance when not in harmony. Reiki is one way in which the body responds to align that which has fallen out of alignment, whether this is emotionally, mentally, physically or spiritually. Because it is a universal wave and part of the energy that is all around us it is a completely safe form of healing. The recipient does not need to understand how this works only to wish to receive the energy. This therefore makes this form of healing accessible to animals, children, very sick individuals (comatose too unwell to actively partake), plant life, electrical equipment as well as adults who are not familiar with looking at the body as a energetic field. This form of healing from a Reiki practitioner whilst needing some form of understanding of Reiki and energy in general does not require extensive training, making this accessible to everyone.

The recipient/practitioner may feel, sense, and see numerous visions, sensations or emotions. Whilst this is not necessary for healing to take place it does in many ways help them to generate faith quicker. For those who do not experience much initially the results of the reiki working with them will generate faith.

The role of the practitioner is to give a brief explanation about Reiki and how energy stagnations can cause symptoms. The emphasis is that the Reiki energy helps to raise the vibrational frequency in the recipient’s body restoring well-being and wholeness. The practitioner is a conduit, a vessel through which this energy flows. It is stressed that the practitioner facilitates the healing; it is the Reiki (universal energy) that actually heals.

The misconception that they are doing the healing has two downfalls. Firstly it can lead to pride or ego developing, as they believe the healing results are all down to themselves. Secondly some individuals with low self-esteem may develop the belief that they can’t heal and are not good enough. If in class training this point is emphasized and time is taken to explain how our bodies are fields of energy and how Reiki works on many levels often at the same time. Then I believe these two down falls can be avoided. As a result practitioners develop confidence in the Reiki and in themselves by not taking on board the responsibility of I must heal the illness/ symptoms that they are being presented with but trusting the unfolding.

In my experience of 19 years working with reiki I have observed that if time is spent creating a safe and sacred space. If love, trust, acceptance and compassion are present from the practitioner and there is a willingness from the recipient to heal, this creates the optimum conditions for healing to take place.

So how does a Reiki practitioner facilitate these six conditions?

In order to demonstrate this, it is important to clarify the distinguishing differences between each factor.

To create a safe and sacred space we need to provide a suitable environment in which to give a treatment. The room needs to be warm, not over stimulating with the decor and not a space where you store all your personal belongings. You want to create a feeling of space in the room and not a feeling of being cramped. I believe by creating a feeling of space, this on an energetic level will enable the recipient to relax and allow an expansion of his or her own energy fields facilitating the healing process.

Personal specific religious objects should be kept to a minimum. For whilst you may be comfortable with images of Buddha’s, the cross, Shamanic feathers, drums, rattles, crystals etc, the recipient may not and may be a cause for them not to relax throughout the treatment.

A comfortable bed, preferably a treatment couch with a clean cover, pillow and optional blanket is available. Music can be made optional. This helps to relax the client and is something that the client will be familiar with. Have a jug of water and tissues nearby. By explaining to your client where the nearest bathroom is, how long the treatment will last, what a treatment involves, a brief description of energy and that there will be time to discuss anything after the session will enable the client to feel safe. By dressing professionally, in comfortable clothing, i.e. trousers and a tunic and carrying out an assessment prior to the treatment recording as to why the client has come to receive Reiki will all help on a physical level to help them feel safe and relaxed.

On a practical level make sure you will not be disturbed by phones ringing, children needing your attention or any other form of disturbances. This is something that needs to be considered more if working from home.

To create sacred space we can use our second-degree reiki symbols to clear the space, raising all incoherent energizes in ourselves, the client and in the space that are not conducive to the treatment. We can harmonise the energy enabling effective communication between the recipient and ourselves. Symbols can be drawn over the treatment bed, setting up a Reiki programme to best support the needs of our client. This is all done prior to the client arriving. We call in our teachers and assisting guides/Masters to assist us in this session. This is then reinforced when we do the protection once the client is lying down, remembering we say “ I will be with you in a moment I am doing my preparation”. To say to someone you are putting up protection can invoke the energy of fear which is the opposite of which we are attempting to create.

On a physical level having a candle burning often invokes the sacred within as we often unconsciously connect to our inner flame burning within our hearts.

I would also suggest that 10 minutes is taken for yourself prior to a session. This time is used to move your busy engaged mind from the activities you were doing before to a quieter internal space. You could give yourself Reiki for this time, stand in the symbols or sit in meditation, which ever feels appropriate.

If time is taken to do this you will find that the environment is more conducive to a healing session. The energy will support both you and your client to develop a good rapport and they feel safe in this sacred space that you have created.

A good rapport is a necessity for your client to develop trust. This is two fold. Trust in you as a therapist and trust in the Reiki. You facilitate this trust by firstly creating the suitable environment, dressing appropriately, carrying out an assessment and giving a detailed explanation as to what is involved in a session. Displaying your Reiki certificates in the room and mentioning your training will also nurture the initial bond of trust.

This will deepen as you continue to work together. The client knowing, having been communicated to them by you that all information given is completely confidential. At this point I want to stress the importance of remaining professional at all times, particularly as you may get to know the client very well over a period of months. A down fall that I have noted with some therapists whom I have been attending is that after a while they begin to bring in their personal life and as a result it often leads to me counseling them whilst I am receiving a treatment myself! After a while I no longer return to the therapist, as I am no longer receiving what I was attending for.

One way to avoid this is when asked the common question on arrival “ how are you?” no matter what is going on in your world you reply “I’m fine thank you, how have you been since the last session?” This is not the time or space for you to be processing. This can be done with your own therapist or group of friends. In this way trust will develop and the clients needs are consistently being met.

Trust from the effectiveness of Reiki can develop either on the first session, after a few sessions or be there as soon as they come in for a session as they are already familiar with the healing energy of Reiki. The results of Reiki even if they are working differently than the client expected will always help to develop trust. This is supported by the therapist’s own understanding of energy and Reiki as a whole.

I have included compassion, love and acceptance as three other conditions that facilitate healing. All three are states of mind and have to be generated by the therapist. All three are part of our core nature when we are in our purest form, with acceptance referring to non-judgement, non- discrimination. These are internal factors within ourselves and cannot be created by the external environment. The degree of compassion, love and acceptance from the therapist will vary considerably depending upon the Spiritual development of the individual.

A dictionary definition of compassion is “ a feeling of distress and pity for the suffering or misfortune of another”.

From a Buddhist perspective they refer great compassion to “ as a mind that cannot bear others to experience pain and that wants to release all living beings from every kind of suffering”.

As a therapist we have a deep heart felt wish to relieve the distress of someone’s suffering, whether that be on a physical, emotional, mental or spiritual level. We have the gift of Reiki to change another beings discomfort to either an outcome of healing or curing. When this affects someone we know we can offer a session of hands on Reiki to help them with their discomfort.

Our compassion can also be invoked when we hear of someone else’s distress either through the newspapers, television or through conversations with friends. We have no direct relationship with these people, yet we also have a deep heart felt wish to alleviate their sufferings. We all understand that as complex and unique as we all are, we all share one wish. This wish has two aspects–to be happy and not to suffer. Even animals share this same wish. As Reiki practitioners when this compassion arises we can send distant healing, through the use of our symbols.

As we progress on our spiritual path, this type of compassion is generated more and more. It is known as ‘Great compassion’. Initially we may only have compassion for our loved ones, and ourselves seeing others as not being involved in our life. With time, practice and understanding as we begin to understand that there is no separation and that we all share this same wish to be happy, this type of compassion arises more frequently. We therefore spend more time doing distant healing and actively involved in activities that help to make other peoples lives more comfortable.

The Dalai Lama states that “Pure compassion is not biased or partial; it is thoroughly imbued with equanimity and encompasses both friend and foe.”

Much has been written about love from poets to Spiritual leaders to songwriters. We all hold some understanding of what love means.

One dictionary definition describers love as “ To have a great fondness and affection for a person or thing. An intense emotion of affection, warmth and regard towards a person or thing.”

The famous words from The Prophet, Kahlil Gibran speaks of love

“Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself.

Love possesses not nor would it be possessed;

For love is sufficient unto love”

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear”[ 1 John 4:18]

“Without love, human society is in a vey difficult state;

Without love, in the future we will face tremendous problems. Love is the center of human life.”[Dalai Lama]

So how do we as Reiki practitioners generate love?

In many ways this is like the mind of compassion. We initially love our family and friends cherishing them dearly. This feeling of love arises easily with people whom we are familiar with and so again with the mind of compassion and the feeling of love we reach out with Reiki when we see our loved ones in pain or experiencing difficulties. As we progress spiritually we learn to cultivate this same emotion for strangers until it arises spontaneously. We learn to cherish others as we would ourselves and close friends.

Reiki is often described as the energy of love. If we then bathe ourselves in this energy every day, our whole being begins to radiate this wonderful exultant vibration. It is an unspoken vibration, yet when it is in its purest form, not tainted with wrong intention etc this energy pervades your being and moves you into a space of peace and tranquility. It is not hard to imagine that if we bathed ourselves in the opposing energy of hatred, from wrong action, impure thought and indulging in immoral behaviour on a daily basis. Then this field around us would vibrate at a very different frequency and others would experience this as a feeling of uneasiness and agitation or fear.

Our core nature is love and on a deep primoral level we all can recognize this truth. For me when this energy is present, when stainless and pure I relax in the presence of these individuals knowing that I am safe held and loved. This is the energy that I believe is most conducive to our Reiki sessions.

Let us look now at the last internal favourable factor that can affect the effectiveness of our healing as Reiki practitioners- acceptance.

One dictionary definition of acceptance is “To receive [someone] into a community or group.”

Acceptance for me is inclusive of all. It is a place where we practice equanimity, a belief that all beings, humans and animals are equally deserving of love, happiness healing etc. It is a mind that many of us need to cultivate so that firstly we are able to notice when judgement arises and secondly have a method to disperse this mind and generate a mind of acceptance.

As Reiki practitioners we need to develop the mind set that no matter what a person communicates to us through a session, whether it is through their speech, present or past actions that they are accepted and not judged. For me understanding the laws of karma and the different delusional minds some of which are, anger, impatience, jealousy, greed, ignorance and, understanding that our core nature is love, kindness and compassion helps me to refrain from going into a mind of judgement.

If for a moment we take the view of reincarnation and the possibilities of countless previous lives we can see how we ourselves may have committed countless acts of unkindness, had previous addictions depending upon the different backgrounds we have been born into. The laws of karma say, “Consider you have done it all”. This is quite a thought I admit, however when we do look at this possibility we can see it is just a matter of time and circumstances that separate us from this person to whom we may be judging.

When we look at the viewpoint that our core nature is pure speech, pure thoughts and pure actions, a bit like a radiant blue sky that is always present but is covered by clouds. Well the clouds are our delusional minds. Those minds that judge, those minds that get angry, stressed jealous etc are the clouds. When we work with the delusions the clouds are removed and the blue sky- our core nature revealed. This is the same for all beings. This is one way in which we may develop acceptance, non-judgement.

As Reiki practitioners this is communicated in our body language and speech. For someone to really open up, to touch those parts that they may feel ashamed of to share, they have to feel accepted and not judged. You may be the only person to whom they ever share this information. The Reiki will facilitate the healing but you have to have the door open so that they can walk through it.

Finally let us look at willingness from the recipient to heal.

One dictionary definition states, “Favourably disposed or inclined. Cheerfully compliant”.

I believe this is crucial for healing to take place. If someone for a multitude of reasons does not wish to heal, has no desire or inclination to change then healing is limited. We can offer Reiki to someone, but if they refuse, even if we feel this would help their pain, situation etc we have to let go, simply keeping the offer there if ever they change their mind.

We became familiar earlier with how research has shown how our physiology responds to our thoughts. If the main thought, the main message they are sending through their system is “I cannot heal, I will always be in pain”, their physiology will respond to these messages. What we can do is to love this person and this energy in itself will have a degree of impact. However to heal, to cure, the active participation is required from the client. Healing is not a passive activity there has to be some willingness however small to change and heal.

On the other hand if someone is lying on your treatment couch, even if they have no idea of what is involved in Reiki but have a deep wish to heal, have enthusiasm to make the changes that are required on whatever level, healing will and does take place.

Finally what practices does a Reiki practitioner need to be pursuing to create, a safe sacred space, love, compassion, trust and acceptance?

I believe Reiki is a portal that opens us to many worlds, many possibilities, many paths. Through the daily practice of Reiki all these favourable qualities are cultivated and nurtured. Then as we all hold different karmic paths and tendencies the Reiki will help with each of our own individual unfolding. Like a lotus flower as we walk our chosen spiritual path the petals unfold beautifully and with grace. We each find our path which best moves us in the direction of perfecting our nature. Pure thoughts, pure speech and pure actions. Thoughts, speech and actions that only create peace and happiness for all living beings.

Let us now look at how Reiki facilitate distant healing when hands are not in contact with the recipient?

I believe this is possible because there is no separation from each other. That we are not disconnected individual entities but are in fact linked through a network of intricate subtle energies. There is absolutely nothing that can exist independently. Whenever we take the time to examine an object, person or plant life we can clearly see how each requires something for its survival or existence.

Take plant life for example. The plant initially needs a seed, which comes into existence from a previous plant. The seed needs water; sunlight, soil and food without any of these factors in the correct quantities the seed will fail to flourish.

As humans we need a planet to live on, the sun for warmth and to grow our crops. The rain to nourish the crops and for us to drink and stay clean to help prevent disease. We need company for our mental and emotional well-being. These are just a few of our requirements.

Take a wooden table as another example. It can only come into existence once the wood has been cut down from a tree. The tree can only come into existence with all the factors it needs to survive. The table needs a human to cut down the tree and then assembly it in such a way it takes on the appearance of a table. When we understand that nothing can exist independently from its own side it becomes easier to understand how we are all linked energetically and how when we tap into this energetic system how distant healing becomes possible.

The Field by Lynne McTaggart looks at our mind and body believing that we are not distinct and separate from our environment but a series of pulsating energies that constantly interact with this vast sea of energy all around us.

Another way to look at this is to see that one possibility is that in the beginning everything sprang from God/Devine/Energy/Source. Well if all there ever was, was God/energy etc and everything sprang from this, then everything must consist of that which it sprang from. In this case energy. Thus reminding us again of the lack of separation with our planet and all that exists upon it.

In conclusion from a personal point of view I believe that in all healing the most important aspect is to bring to each and everyone’s awareness the importance of kindness and compassion to themselves and others. The importance of avoiding as much as possible harm with our words and actions to all living beings. The importance of training the mind so we can learn to recognise the states of minds that cause further suffering within us and tame them so we are able to hold inner peace for longer in any situation. To know the work starts with ourselves, with our own thoughts, words and actions.

A teacher/healer who does not teach/heal from this place, a place of love and compassion perhaps cannot facilitate the healing of others as deeply in this place. This is the deeper spiritual healing. When someone teaches a sweat lodge with the soul intention of making money, power and ego this vibration has to communicate differently than a teacher like Peggy. A teacher who at her very core is love. Whose years/life times of spiritual awakenings are communicated non-verbally and speaks to our hearts impacts us and changes us forever. This surely has to be a deeper healing.

In this essay I have attempted to discuss but a few of the vast amounts of ideas, studies, different healing techniques to help us to understand a little bit more when we explore the question. “What is a healer and how do they heal?” I believe this is an on-going question as science continues to be able to measure more and more subtle energies, which are present when we engage in healing. We live in an exciting time when science begins to verify that which has been practiced since the beginning of time. By it becoming verified and recognised a wider audience can be reached. Audiences who unlike others who have faith and an inner knowing can open themselves up to the infinite possibilities of healer heal thy self.

Victoria Mulhearn