When Our Bodies Speak
By Enid Martinez

I am grateful to the Canary Club members who participated in the small pilot study on Managing Mild Hypothyroidism in Women using Subtle-energy Holistic Intentional Focus for Transformation (SHIFT).  In addition I would like to thank the staff at Holos University Graduate Seminary, and in particular Dr. Bernard Williams for being an inspirational mentor in this process.

The intentions of this aspect of the research were:

- to observe the subtle energies of the body and how they communicate when intention for healing and visualization are used,
- how to clearly explain the SHIFT method to participants (briefly described below),
- to fine-tune the process through repetition and based on my own observations as well as the participants’ feedback*.

* Feedback was obtained from participants in terms of physical/emotional and/or any other sensations, if experienced at all.  Feedback was also obtained in terms of satisfaction or lack thereof on how the facilitator engaged throughout the process in terms of attitude, communication, caring and professionalism.

The SHIFT method is a spiritually based healing process which utilizes the concepts of consciousness, intention, visualization and energy to promote a sense of wellbeing.  The study helped greatly in fine tuning certain steps, and obtaining important information about the process of healing, intention and the relationship between healer and the recipient of healing.

Below are observations gathered based on the information and feedback provided by the participants as well as my own observations as facilitator.   Firstly, a description of data sample and feedback forms is presented.  This is followed by a brief description of the etheric body and then by participants’ qualitative feedback in terms of how they felt during the sessions as well as my own descriptions of what I sensed from the body’s subtle energies.  Feedback on the thyroid in particular is also shared.

Description of participants:

 In total there were ten Canary members participating and two non-canary members.  The data was gathered from the Canary club members only.  All participants were female ranging in age between mid-twenties to mid-fifties.  With the exception of one participant who decided not to participate in a second session, everyone else had two phone sessions of approximately one hour long each.  Feedback was obtained from eight of the nine Canary Club members who participated in both sessions and two of the non-canary club members.   Data is provided based on the Canary Club members only.    Eight provided evaluation forms only and seven of the nine provided hypothyroidism history feedback as well.  Of the eight who provided evaluation forms, all felt that the technique was explained clearly and that the facilitator showed professionalism, and a caring attitude during the sessions.   Seven out of eight felt strongly that the questions they had were answered in a satisfactory manner, and one out of eight gave a neutral response.  Six out of eight felt that the concept of Higher Self was explained satisfactorily, while the other two felt between neutral and slight yes.

Of the hypothyroidism history questionnaire, six out of seven engage in some type of exercise program at least three times per week in form of yoga, exercise, meditation, massage.  The time of diagnosis of hypothyroidism ranged from one year ago to nine years ago, most falling within the last four years. Three out of seven did not know the cause of the condition, three admitted to knowing the cause and one did not answer the question.  Five out of seven are using medication, with Armour being the one used most (four out of five).  Five out of seven use nutritional supplements.  Two out of seven have family history of hypothyroidism, two responded not having a family history and three did not respond to this question.

The etheric body and the subtle energies of the body

In many traditions, it is believed that our bodies are not just made up of flesh, blood and bio-chemicals.  The body is also composed of energy, energy in terms of life force that feeds our cells and keeps us alive.  This energy resides within our physical bodies and extends beyond them.  When it extends beyond our bodies, it is commonly known as the aura which some clairvoyants claim to see.  In some traditions, the aura is known to have seven main bands of frequency.  Four of the auric layers or bands take up most of our attention and represent the spiritual, the mental, the emotional and the physical aspects of ourselves. 

The etheric body is believed to be the part of the auric field that is closest to the physical body, and it is considered as the part of the aura that processes the life force into and through the physical body providing it with the much needed energy.  The etheric body is considered by many as the energy that engulfs our organs, like a twin body.  In addition, it reflects in the physical body information that is contained in the auric field, especially as it pertains to the four main layers named previously.

The etheric body includes seven major energy centers commonly known as chakras (a Sanskrit word for wheel).  These are believed to spin in a counterclockwise direction to give out energy and in a clockwise direction to take in energy.  Each chakra is believed to have a characteristic speeds and frequencies.  The etheric body is also includes the meridians which are distribution channels of the energy that runs through our bodies.  For example, the meridians are what acupuncturists mainly focus on.

Each chakra is thought to be linked to a particular endocrine gland and organs and symbolically represents an aspect(s) of our psyche.  For example the fifth chakra is believed to govern the thyroid gland and rules our self-expression, choice and will.

The SHIFT (Subtle-Energy Holistic Intentional Focused Transformation)

The SHIFT method was developed as a way to communicate with the etheric body through focused intention.  In this specific study, the session entailed connecting with the etheric body, through the chakras, with the intention of promoting health to the thyroid gland and establishing a harmonious relationship between the thyroid gland and the rest of the body.  The SHIFT method is based on the premises that consciousness permeates everything and that we are all connected, hence we are able to communicate with not only our own energetic/etheric body but with others’ as well.  The etheric body is believed to respond to intention taking the message through the chakras into the physical body, possibly affecting it.  If consciousness does permeate everything, then we should be able to establish a two-way communication with our etheric body, including our cells, with the intent to heal.

The sessions were done at a distance, via phone contact.  Although I was the facilitator in this study, I will refer to it in the third person, for easier reading.   Based on these sessions, impressions are presented below that were sensed by both the facilitator and participants as well.   The etheric body seems to speak as follows:

From the facilitator’s sensing:

Colors:  There are theories that state that we are made of light.  When white goes through a prism, it breaks into a spectrum that encompasses the colors of the rainbow.  Each chakra is believed to comprise one of these seven colors, ranging from red (first chakra) to indigo (seventh chakra).  All etheric bodies of participants showed colors. When there were imbalances sensed in the energetic field, the colors tended to be dull, almost lifeless, and the spinning of the chakra would be almost stagnant.   After the energy blockages were cleared in each chakra, the new intention was brought into each of these energy centers.  The intention was to bring healing to the thyroid and to bring harmony to the relationship between the thyroid and the rest of the physical body.   As the chakras absorbed this energy, the colors were observed to become alive, vibrant, some with sparkles, and the chakra would spin faster.

The chakras would signal, by the intensity and purity of color, that the healing intention had been absorbed.  The vibrancy of a color was utilized by the facilitator as one of the cues to move to the next chakra.  Sometimes there would be combinations of different colors within the same chakra or various shades of the same color, for example light to bright blues.

Another cue used to move from one step of the process to the next was the facilitator’s own body.  The facilitator would use her body as a pendulum that would move in a certain direction while a step was in process and would stop moving when the etheric body signaled to it that the step was completed.
 
Spiral/Spinning:  The chakras are said to spiral in a counter clockwise direction to emit energy and clockwise to receive energy.  The body would signal sluggish energy flow by a very slow moving spiral, sometimes the motion would be so slow that it seemed as if the chakra was stagnant.  As the chakra was cleared, balanced and the new healing intention brought in, it would start spiraling faster, until it would spiral at a speed where it felt balanced by the facilitator.  The speed of the spiral, whether too sluggish or too fast, is used as a signal of imbalance.  For example, with one of the participants, the lower chakras were more sluggish than usual, while the upper chakras felt as if they were spinning much faster than their balanced speed.  There was a sense of disconnect between the upper body and lower body as if they were both on different agendas.  After the clearing and balancing, the body seemed as if communicating evenly, there was a sense of wholeness and of being on the same page.

Centrifugal force:  As the chakras absorbed healing, these would start pulling in the energy offered, and the pulling would be felt by the practitioner as if a centrifugal force was acting upon and suctioning the needed energy.  These episodes were particularly strong when the participant admitted to be more focused on the healing intention while in the relaxed state.  This type of signal occurred mostly on the second session.  This is an important clue from the body since it seems that the more the participant is open to this type of healing and focused as well on the healing intention, the faster and deeper the chakra seems to absorb the healing energy and intention.

Images:  The body also speaks in terms of the symbolic language of images.   The facilitator sensed many types of images and communicated with these images as a way to establish an understanding of what they represented.  These images had within their essence emotional charge.   For example in one of the participant’s chakras, the image of a little girl crying came up.   When she was asked for the reason she was crying, she said that she did not like changes and that she felt alone. Then a white teddy bear showed up with a blue star hung around its chest.  The blue star emanated unconditional love.  The little girl was happy and hugged the teddy bear which accompanied her always. 

Another image was of a woman dressed in a white gown, barefoot.  She was standing with her hands placed on the back of her waist, on the kidneys area.  The woman looked very fatigued, drained.  She complained that she was very tired, exhausted.  As the healing light entered the chakra, the image changed to the same woman being placed on a bed and was pampered, massaged, fed and taken care of.   Her dress then turned green.  She felt renewed, relaxed and vibrant, and she smiled.  Since this was at the third chakra level which it is believed to rule the adrenal glands, it made me wonder if this woman represented the state of her adrenals.  The participant later shared that she also watches her adrenals as part of her healing process, and that she senses that her thyroid gland condition has some connection to her adrenals.

Another image from a different participant was of a very angry, small, dark creature, with pointy teeth.  The facilitator sensed resentment and unresolved anger, frustration and sadness.  A sense of loss and unresolved emotional issues accompanied this image. When the creature was addressed by the facilitator, it stated that it needed to be listened to without judgment.  There was also a sense of anger related to a particular time of the participant’s life that was unresolved.  As the creature was listened to with unconditional love and compassion, it transformed itself into white light, emitting healing energy.  The participant later identified having unresolved painful emotions related to the information this image was transmitting.

Images are frequent aspects of communication that the body uses to share imbalances and unresolved issues.  Conversing with these images, with non-judgment and unconditional love, often brings insights which seem to positively impact the healing process.  For example, one participant took the insight provided by an image and was able to confront certain challenges at her job that were causing her excess stress.  She felt better after she took action.

Because we focused the healing intention on the thyroid gland, I share sensations below that were experienced by myself as well as some of the participants, specific to the thyroid.  Again, images provided are symbolic representations of the healing process as experienced by both facilitator and receiver of healing. The participants’ feedback was taken by me over the phone, at the end of each session.  The observations are provided in italics:

From facilitator: 

Thyroid gland looked porous. Pores seemed to be dried up and the thyroid looked shriveled.  As healing energy was being absorbed by the gland, it looked less porous, and more filled.

Physical thyroid is not filling its etheric counterpart, it looked as if the physical gland was much smaller than its etheric partner.  The gap between the two seemed wider than normal.  After the session, it started to expand and fill in the gap between them.

Thyroid felt like a thin membrane more than a gland.  As the healing intention and energy was being absorbed by it, it started to fill in, becoming more pumped, fluffy and started to take on a pinkish and lavender color.

Thyroid absorbed the healing light and intention as if the light was rain.  It started to drink it like water.  Felt like it needed plenty of hydration.

Thyroid looked fiery, its left side looked crumbled, distorted and with flame-like colors.  It took a long time for it to absorb the healing light.  Felt as if it needed hydration, water.  After a while it started to change colors to lavender and it looked fuller, less hot, it got cooler.  There was a sense of relief, and freshness.

From the participants:

Very tight sensation in the throat, it was gone after a few moments.  The tightness went away.

Felt a warming sensation on my thyroid, more on its right side.   Then it went away.

My thyroid felt like a box with a right and left lid.  I saw that the lids were open, the thyroid exposed, lifted, and it was moved forward, exposing the parathyroid.  Saw my middle finger on the parathyroid filtering the chakra colors.  Dead tissue was removed by vultures selectively spotting the dead tissue.  Once they were done, the thyroid was placed back, and the lids closed.

Other sensations from the participants:

All participants experienced a state of relaxation throughout the sessions.  Some were more relaxed the second time around as they became familiar with the technique, and as they trusted the process more.  This was important for me to know because one of the questions that I set out to answer from the pilot study was whether to do one or two sessions in the full study.   Most participants felt more at ease, relaxed at a deeper level on the second session.  Many felt a sensation of lightness, floating, drifting into deep relaxation.  Some used the time to focus the healing intent on their thyroid and body.

Colors:  Again this seems to be a common tool of communication from the body, as some participants also saw colors ranging, from blues, to lavender, purples and sunshine colors (within the yellow to orange spectrum).  Many times the participants would see the same colors as the facilitator.

Images:  Approximately four participants experienced vivid images, mostly symbolic, with colors.  These images were moving images. For example, one participant saw how a female elephant was clearing her chakras with its trunk, and was able to describe her place of peace and healing process through images of animals and interaction with them. Two other participants experienced images as static pictures.

Pressure:  Two of the participants experienced pressure in certain areas and then the release of the pressure.  Specifically these two participants experienced the pressure on the neck, then the sensation of release of this pressure, followed by a sensation of lightness.

Tingling:  This was also experienced by approximately three participants, as the chakras were being cleared and balanced and as the healing intention was being absorbed by these energy centers.  The tingling was experienced mainly on legs and arms.

Pulsating sensation:  Pulsating sensation on a particular area was another experience felt from two other participants. This was followed by a decrease in the pulsating sensation.

Conclusion:

In this particular healing modality, the etheric body communicates with the recipient of healing as well as with the facilitator.  Communication seems to take place via physical sensations in terms of tingling, pressure, pulsating, warmth, colors and images.  These sensations are subjective experiences both for the facilitator and for the participant. 

It seems that the more the participant is focused on and open to the healing process and intention, the more interaction between the etheric body and the participant there is.  The level of openness and awareness seems to influence the participant’s interaction process.  The key is to remain relaxed, focused, and to not force healing but to allow it instead.

Perceptions of colors and images were found to be the most frequent sensations among the participants, as well as the facilitator.   Sensations in terms of tingling, pressure, pulsation, warmth varied more among participants.

Much information is still needed as we continue to further explore how consciousness and the subtle energies of the body communicate and what we can do to enhance intimacy and clarity of communication.   The more we learn to communicate with our inner world, the more insights we obtain into our own healing process.  Establishing a better understanding on how the subtle energies behave and communicate may help us to enhance our healing at all levels: spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically.

The person receiving the healing seems to have more impact on the healing process, in terms of trusting, intending, focusing and allowing.  The facilitator provides a framework or map for the healing to unfold, and can be a guide who enhances the communication of spirit, mind and body.  This framework is sustained by unconditional love, and non-judgment, as love is a powerful tool in any healing process.

I want to thank again the Canary Club, its members and its founders for the loving support and the trust they have placed in me.  Thank you for allowing yourselves to explore additional avenues of healing that integrate the spirit, the mind, the emotions and the body.  I hope that this has been an insightful and healing experience for you. It has been quite wonderful, insightful and humbling for me. 

 If any of you who participated in this study experience changes within the next two months, whether in terms of changing medication, improvement on blood test results, or making insightful choices as a result of these sessions, it would be greatly appreciated if you further share it with me.

Blessings.

Enid Martinez