Up until mid 2012, I was a sceptic of any form of alternative therapy. My background as a medical doctor made me think that if I had not learned it in medical school, then it can’t work to help people get better. My entire perspective changed, when a friend of mine help my symptoms of stress and burnout, simply by changing the energy of my body, through a method called tapping.

So what is tapping and how does it fit into this growing paradigm of energy medicine? Well, tapping refers to a process of using your fingers to tap on certain energy points of your body, the same ones used in acupuncture. This process helps shifts your energy can alleviate the symptoms of stress as well as other forms of illnesses. It is but one of the methods used in the broader context of energy medicine.

On a basic level, energy medicine is based on the underlying principle that our physical and mental states, and life as we know it, are based on flows of energy. In essence, disruptions in the subtle energy flow in humans can cause or contribute to illness and disease processes. Principles of energy medicine are grounded in thousands of years of history and acknowledged in over 97 cultures.

In Chinese medicine, bioenergy is referred to as ‘Qi’, in Indian Ayurvedic medicine, it is referred to as ‘Prana’.  Many different energy therapies such as acupuncture, kinesiology, Reiki, Qigong, are based on similar principles and increasingly substantiated and practiced by Western medical and scientific communities. In Australia, therapies like these are included in the context of alternative medicine and are even being taught as a subject in some medical schools.

In the Western world, energy medicine techniques have been referred to as bioenergy therapy, biofield therapy, contact healing, distant healing, therapeutic touch, emotional freedom technique or thought field therapy, tapping or quantum techniques.

Traditional religious faith is not a prerequiste for practising or receiving energy therapy (thereby different to ‘faith healing’). The science behind bioenergy is growing everyday, with many experts such as Deepak Chopra and Dr John Demartini speaking on these topics to packed audiences around the world.

Aside from the theory, the skill of healing the body’s energy system is very practitioner dependent and therefore it is important to understand the credentials or experience of the practitioner. The therapy can complement existing medical treatment in the treatment of certain illnesses, particularly those with mental and emotional components.

Energy-based techniques can also enable a lighter and more attuned mental state, which aids personal development, career aspirations and interpersonal relationships. These widespread benefits are one of the reasons for their popularity, and why they are sought after outside of the western medical system.

Energy medicine is an exciting space that is moving rapidly, and transforming lives for the better all over the world. The future is sure to see more integration with mainstream therapies and undoubtedly some significant breakthroughs in healing the mind, body and soul.

Have you ever experienced an energy medicine technique for yourself?