The Extreme Importance of Self-Care as a Healing Touch Practitioner. . . . . .and How NOT to Set Yourself Up for Failure © (including “Tools for the Trade”)

As Practitioners, who we are, and how we live, have a direct influence on the healing experience for our clients. Some may disagree and say “it is not we who are doing the healing, so it shouldn’t matter who we are or how we live our lives.” I agree, but only to a certain extent. 

As practitioners we are only facilitators for the healing process. However, the condition of the practitioner can influence the healing. This is what differentiates us in our profession from other occupations and vocations where people perform jobs. As we develop in our healing work, we realize more and more that our work as practitioners is not about what we do, but it is about who we are.

Daily, we should strive to become a clear vessel and channel for healing energy so that our clients receiving the work can have better access to healing energy. Many healers say an affirmation or prayer before they begin their healing session intending to be a clear channel for the healing energy.  Do you think this is enough”? My answer is “No.” An important element for success is Daily Self-Care.

Why is Self-Care important? In our Healing Touch sessions with clients, a unified energy field is created which is a combination of both of our energy systems and the environment that directly influences each other. We learn in the Healing Touch Program that if the practitioner has a depleted energy system (i.e. if they don’t feel well), it will not serve the client to receive a Healing Touch session from that practitioner, for in fact, the client’s energy system may be stronger than the practitioner’s! It is important that the practitioner’s energy system be grounded and in a state of balance and harmony when offering Healing Touch. To be in an optimal state of harmony and balance we must address our energy system every day.

What are the common blocks and barriers to Self-Care in Healers? I’ve made the observation (including watching myself) that many practitioners resist their own self-care. Interestingly this similar pattern is found in nursing and other female dominant service related professions. 

There can be many reasons for this:

-As health care providers we are natural caregivers and often we want to put others first.

-A strong embedded belief system that dictates it is selfish to be focused on yourself.

-Feelings of guilt if you take care of yourself before others.

-Still operating in the old health care paradigm where the provider ‘has no needs’.

Then there’s just plain resistance to hearing the same ‘Modern Mantras’ we hear over and over again about what we “should” be doing, such as:

--Eat balanced meals with little or no sugar/coffee/deserts

--Daily exercise

--Drink plenty of water

--Meditation / prayer

-- Right (Healthy) relationships

--Adequate rest

--Nutritional supplementation

--Receive holistic modalities for maintenance and care

We try, and sometimes we get it and sometimes not -and then we realize this Self-Care thing can be a full time job! Well, at least the guidelines are good – but can we do it all? What happens when we don’t cover all our Self-Care bases? We feel depleted - that’s what happens! Then we feel guilty because we have let ourselves down! How do we deal with this and care for ourselves effectively and comfortably?

Let’s go to one of Einstein’s well known statements:  -“No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.

Let’s change our consciousness about this issue starting with changing our perspective.

What are the Tools of being an effective Healing Touch Practitioner?

Answer: Our Hands -- Our Heart -- Our Body -- Our Mind -- Our Spirit -- Our entire energy system.

As practitioners we need to view ourselves - body, mind, spirit - as the main tool for healing. When we view it through this lens the typical blocks to self-care dissolve and our daily practices are easier - becoming naturally formed habits.

So when we talk about: “Feeding the body balanced meals of wholesome nourishment without much sugar” –  Fuels and grounds the energetic system and physical body and keeps them grounded in order to be able to do the work.

“Getting frequent exercise” – Mobilizes your lymphatic system which can be sluggish due to lack of mobility and helps to facilitate the removal of toxins and keep your tissues oxygenated.

“Drinking plenty of water” – Keeps the practitioner’s energy system in a good place to be a conductor of energy.

“Meditation and prayer” – Help the energy system to become fully charged in order to enhance the practitioner/client relationship.

“Right (Healthy) relationships” – Maintaining ‘right relationships’ are keys to supporting and recognizing our value and who we are in the world in relation to others.

“Adequate rest” – Helps the body to rejuvenate, rebuild, and heal itself.

“Nutritional supplementation” – Helps to keep certain systems in good working order – especially the endocrine/hormonal and nervous systems – the systems that directly connect to the subtle energy system.

Receiving holistic modalities for maintenance and care” – This is like going to a garage for a tune-up – and to keep our tools and instruments sharpened, shiny, and in optimal working order!

The Next Level Tool Self-care is not for faint of heart, nor does it come without a large price tag – time, money, and constantly working on ourselves. This is where dedication prevails – it is what separates the professional healer from the hobby healer. Interestingly, this is frequently the place where the healers who succeed/or will succeed in business show up – and part of that has to do with the “Next Level Tool.” Guess what it is? Money.

The first question that comes to mind when you look at that laundry list of self care items is -- how much money it will cost? Money is an extremely important tool and is necessary for many of those daily self-care items. If you fi nd yourself having a hard time with this area – change your consciousness around this as well. See money as a tool – and know that money is a form of manifested energy that is available to support you in your professional healing journey. You may find that you will manifest it more easily to support you in your Healing Touch work!

Originally published in Energy Magazine July 2009