Most people have never had a conversation with their allopathic doctor about the relationship between good health and the free flow of energy in their bodies. Yet energy medicine is beginning to surface in medical discussions on national television programs as a new frontier in health care.

Energy medicine adopts Albert Einstein’s understanding of the fundamental nature of the universe as energy, rather than matter. As applied to health care, this concept that energy precedes the appearance of matter provides two unique opportunities: to detect and treat disease patterns before they manifest physically and to enable a selfempowered approach to healing.

There is a noted relationship between stress and the flow of energy in our bodies. Energy hygiene is a personal wellness routine rooted in the idea that our bodies have an immense capacity for self-healing if they are unencumbered by excessive stress. Because stress causes the body to release chemicals that have been linked to aging and chronic disease, energy hygiene encourages individuals to make better choices that can enhance, rather than deplete cellular vitality. The solution seems simple; lessen the stress and improve the flow of energy in the body. However, the vast majority of stress stems from subconscious patterns existing outside our ordinary awareness.

The idea that subconscious patterns of thoughts, feelings and emotions can affect our physical health has been explored in psychoneuroimmunology (effects on immunology) and epigenetics (effects on gene expression). Theoretically, the body records or otherwise remembers every event that occurs, including responses to life events. As a result, networks of subconscious programming form unintended neural pathways, which can be detrimental to physical health.

Several methods have been proposed to help people eliminate subconscious programming, and two are noteworthy: Thought Field Therapy (TFT) and Healing Codes. Both are easy to practice, inexpensive to learn and can readily become a part of anyone’s energy hygiene routine.

TFT, developed by psychologist Roger Callahan, is a self-tapping method that draws from acupuncture principles to target whole-body meridian points found in the face, upper chest and hands. Because it seems to have beneficial effects for those struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), it has been used throughout the world to assist those touched by major traumatic events. While TFT does not remove the memory of these events, it does help release the associated emotional trauma that is the real source of harm to the human body.

Healing Codes was developed by Dr. Alex Loyd, a psychotherapist. It involves simple hand positions directed at various combinations of four healing centers, located in the head and neck, which govern every major system of the body. These centers reactivate the neuro-immune function so it can resume its job of healing physical anomalies.

Practicing energy hygiene promises many benefits—renewed youthfulness, peace, greater joy, improved relationships and better health, which can yield savings in family healthcare costs. Yet hygiene alone is not a substitute for regular visits to an allopathic doctor.

Energy hygiene can be an important addition to anyone’s daily wellness routine. As little as five to 15 minutes a day can make a difference. With this new knowledge, we may now make better choices regarding the quality of our lives and our health.

Debra Mater, Ph.D., runs a Matrix Energetics practice in Brookfield. She’s passionate about helping others see that the human potential for healing and transformation transcends the limits of ordinary physics. Visit DebraMater-InfinitePossibilities.com.