Energy, What is it and is it really possible to see and feel it?
A Report on Attending Mietek Wirkus's Bioenergy Seminar
By
Allison Carlson, Atlantic University
(Part 2 By Lisa Frish, follows...)
As I entered the class I wonder what is this bioenergy class going to be about? Everyone had so many great things to say about this man named Mietek Wirkus. As he entered the room I was immediately aware of the positive energy he carried. It was very pure and felt serene to me. As he entered, immediately the room became calmed by his presence. I noticed that I was very calm and felt a sense of reassurance. I have never experienced such a presence from anyone.
As the evening went on I noticed that Mietek spoke very little. His assistant pointed out the reason for his silence. She said you cannot "move energy" or send "healing energy" while you talk. This comment did not make sense to me until we started doing the energy exercises. Mietek's assistant described all the exercises but she became a "distraction" for me because all I wanted to do was sit in the room with Mietek and bask in his positive calming energy.
I began to wonder what is all this energy stuff about and can we really receive what this man has set out to teach us. As we began the exercises I noticed that I was able to do most of what the instructor guided me to do. I actually saw my energy created between my fingers as I followed the instructions for the exercise. I held my pointer fingers together and pulled them slowly apart.
As I did this I could actually see and feel the energy between my fingers. Then the instructor had us use two fingers, three fingers and then our entire hand. I could not believe what I was seeing and feeling. It seemed unreal so my mind began to wonder if I was actually just "imagining" that I was seeing and feeling the energy; then when I was able to repeat the exercise over and over I knew I was tapping into what Mietek was teaching. I also realized and accepted for the first time in my life the fact that I am energy.
Mietek explains bioenergy as "The phenomenon called life that has two components: the first is biochemical, while the other pertains to energy. These two aspects can exist separately, but not in a form recognized as life on planet Earth. Energy animates matter by penetrating it. Its withdrawal from the body signals clinical death (when EEG and EKG can no longer be detected). Clinical death initiates the process of decomposing the body into the smallest biochemical particles. We are all built from these two components -- biochemical matter and energy. The energy that animates the bodies of humans and animals is known as bioenergy -- the energy of life. This force surrounds every cell like a miniature wire, providing a blueprint for the physical body and also serving as a medium for the flow of information throughout the body. Bioenergy also extends outside of the physical body, creating low frequency electromagnetic fields around us (as well as other subtle energy fields not yet recognized by science). In a larger context, bioenergy is an inseparable component of the Universal Energy."
That was the definition he gave us in class and one that I had to read over and over to grasp. We are all energy and we can actually be trained to see our energy and others if we practice enough. This made me think of Edgar Cayce when he said "anyone can do this work if they are willing to pay the price". Having the gift to see the human energy field is not something I tell a lot of people. It seems that once someone knows you can see their energy they always seem to ask "what does my energy look like?" Prior to this class I would become embarrassed when someone would ask me if I could see their energy.
Here is a story that explains why I choose to monitor who I tell that I can see human energy. I attended a class a while back and noticed a woman in the class that seemed a bit agitated. I casually looked at her on several occasions and noticed a green half mask on her face located at the first layer of the field called the etheric field. As class went on I noticed again how agitated this woman was and how it began to affect my own energy. I casually mentioned that I was able to see energy during the sharing time in class. During a break in class this woman made a "b-line" for me and informed me that she could see energy too. I told her that was "really cool" and then she asked the "dreaded" question. She asked me what color her energy was. I did not want to tell her about the green mask because I felt that it was not the best time for me to "see" her energy because I was so engrossed in the class. (I would like to point out that seeing someone's energy is not an on demand thing because it requires me to be in the proper space.) Just as I finished my sentence she said that she saw my energy and it looked like a half green mask on my face. I nearly fell to the floor. I wondered if this could be mirroring. This brought a tremendous awareness to me. The most fascinating thing was neither one of us was aware of what each other was seeing.
Mietek's class helped me filter what happened with the women in class and the green energy mask. Even when we see energy it can be viewed as information for us to become aware of. It may mean that there is an energetic balance or imbalance and with skill and practice one can correct their own energy and then help others to correct their own energy.
Raising the healing energy in our bodies takes practice. In class we did a few exercises that helped raise our energy. We held an imaginary ball between our hands and allowed ourselves to feel the energy ball. This was very easy for me to do and I felt that the ball could grow bigger and bigger as I concentrated on my breath and the ball. The minute I would think of anything other than the ball of energy I would lose the ball. I continued to do the exercise and noticed the more I do it the longer I can hold the focus.
Another interesting exercise was the breathing exercise. We were instructed to take in a breath while counting to eight, holding the breath for four counts and then releasing the breath while counting silently to eight and then leaving the breath out for four counts. After we did this breathing rhythm 10 times we were instructed to look at our hands and see "A PURPLE CIRCLE" on the palms of our hands with white in the middle of the circle. It was our hand charka opening up. Again I was blown away by the connection between the breath (life force) and the physical body. I can actually open my own chakras with this breathing exercise.
Due to this course being a "beginner" energy course the instructor's assistant spent the majority of the time explaining our energy fields. They felt it was necessary for the class to know what they were looking at if they were able to see one of the fields. I will explain each layer of the five fields we reviewed in class.
The first layer is called the etheric layer. This layer is the outline of the physical body and reaches about 2-3 inches off the body. This field moves with the person when they move. It is easy for me to see on others and I usually see if first around their head. This layer mirrors the physical body. Mietek said, "It does so in the same way a magnet unites with iron".
The etheric field is also called the "double body" (by Shamans), the "blueprint" (by Scientist) and the "shadow body" (by the Aborigines). This outer field gives bioenergy healers insight about how energy is flowing inside the body.
Mietek explained the many functions of the etheric fields.
It's a blue print of the body.
It's an energetic and thermal blanket for those with weak fields.
The field supplies the physical body with vital energy (qi,chi, mana, prana).
It transfers vital energy from the universal fields of the cosmos and "feeds" it to the individual fields of human beings. This transfer takes place by means of the system of energy centers called the chakras.
Mietek continued to explain how the 7 charkas have a connection our organs and glands. The chakras are also connected with the emotions. I bet my 14 year old son's chakras are spinning out of control as he goes through major emotional and hormonal changes in the next few years.
In class it was explained that we have 7 sounds that go with each chakra. These sounds are unique to us just like our finger prints. We received these tones from the universe when we were born. These tones are "heard" in the third layer called the mental layer.
The next field we investigated was the astral field, this field is also known as the emotional field. Cayce called it the aura. The astral field is more subtle than the etheric field. It vibrates at a higher rate than the etheric field. The astral field gives us information. It may warn us or confirm our intuition. It also helps us come up with a first impression. This field looks like a large "cocoon". It can only be seen when someone is motionless and in a deep state of meditation.
We balance our physical energy in the etheric field and our emotional energy in the astral field. The chakras are connected to this field as well. The heart chakra is the most important center to this field because the focus of this field is our emotions and how we work on them with love and compassion. When bioenergy healers work with clients that are in an emotional state of turmoil they may focus on the heart chakra during a healing session.
The third layer we discussed in class is the mental layer. The chakra associated with this layer is the third eye. The third eye, after it is developed not only becomes aware of energy flow between the fields but it can help us understand more fully the sense that we are all one and our senses of separation from others is just and "illusion". This field is the highest a person can reach when they set out to help others. It was said that when healers work with this level they can actually help change the way their clients look at themselves and others by changing negative thought patterns into positive attitudes. This new energy vibration then influences the astral field by correcting negative emotions and then it begins to influence the etheric field by improving the energy flow in the physical body. Learning this piece of information actually helped me integrate a lot of information that I have learned about myself through the masters program at Atlantic University. I had a major "AHA" moment.
All three energies from each field intertwine with each other. When we are around people that make us feel good that means our energy is vibrating at the same rate as the other person. When we are around people that make us uncomfortable our energies are simply vibrating at a different rate. We need to be aware of these exchanges with people because it happens every day of our lives. Mietek stressed the importance of protecting ourselves from people trying to take our energy and making sure we are aware of taking energy from others.
One of the techniques they taught us to use when we felt someone was trying to take our positive energy is to place your left hand over your liver and your right hand over your spleen.
When you are speaking with someone and they want to face your body so your chakras and theirs are lined up all you need to do is turn your body away from theirs slightly so your chakras are not in line with theirs. I have used this technique and find it to be effective.
The last two fields we discussed are the casual body and the buddhi body field. The casual body is the field that correlates with reincarnation. This field holds all the information needed about our reincarnation. It is the layer that comes up with our karma. This field holds the information about when we will be reborn and where our birth will take place. The buddhi body is how we directly connect with God. It is the level where we work on our spirituality. Mietek said "only we can work on this field, no one else".
All of the layers I have explained are external energy layers. We did touch on the internal layers of the energy field so I feel compelled to mention them. They are the skin, nervous system, blood circulation and bones and joints. We did a few stretching exercises to feel the release of energy held in our bones and joints. We did breathing exercises to move the blood around our circulatory system. These exercises were easy and took very little time to do. It all makes sense to me now that I have reviewed the material and made an effort to do the exercises for the last 21 days. As I walked away from the class and the wealth of information I felt a sense of accomplishment. It is not easy to understand how or why we see what we see. It is not easy to understand why I can see energy and my friend in the class can only feel energy.
Mietek, his wife Margaret and their assistant Laura said over and over in class "the more you work with the exercises the easier it will be to see, feel and move the energy inside and outside of the physical body". They are right. Mietek states The "how" is in the "doing" and Cayce states "Application is key!"
A Report on Attending Mietek Wirkus's Bioenergy Seminar
By
Lisa L. Frish, Atlantic University
Energy is a fascinating subject to electricians but the subject becomes more and more obscure when we use it in daily life. I could say, "I am feeling pretty low on energy today, I had a rough night last night and couldn't sleep." Other people would understand what I am talking about even though we have not defined the term energy in the relation to the human body. There are many examples of this subtle energy that manifests in our daily conversations. The party room was full of high energy. The court room was weighed down with a heavy energy. That child had endless energy. What specifically is this energy we all speak of? Certainly, not the stream of voltage that we receive when we plug our toasters into the wall. Electricity is just the most common referral when we think of energy. We do understand that there is magnetic energy because we have seen magnets pull and repel each other. Also radiant energy was used historically as rocks were heated in the fireplace and then slowly released the heat (energy) next to cold toes. This is the same concept that keeps beach sand warm for a short while after the sunset. Working with machines, I learn about potential energy. If two pieces of metal are forced together with much pressure, there is the potential for one of those pieces to shift or bend. And, then, there is a more controversial energy called Bioenergy. 'Bio' for biological and energy to refer to that something within us beyond blood flow and nerve signals. It can be referred to as 'the spark of life.'
This is the energy that I was interested in. Upon further research, I am not the first person to ponder about this. In fact, this energy has been studied for over 1000's of years. It can be called Chi, Prana, Ki, Qi, Holy Spirit, body double, or by many other terms throughout history. Exercises and experiments also have been done to raise and lower this energy. Examples include yoga, Tai Chi, healing hands, shamanic excitement, controlled breathing and mediation just to name a few. I have experimented with these concepts before but the energy connection didn't click in my thought process. Even if the instructor would stay "The MOST important part of Tai Chi is to balance and control your inner energy," I didn't get it. I would think that this would be a pleasant side effect after I mastered the moves. Never realizing that I was supposed to be practicing moving the energy within self along with the physical movement, I said, "Great, let's get started so I can get to that point where the switch was flipped and I would be balanced."
It was at the Miotek Wirkus conference (hosted by the Association of Research and Enlightment at Virginia Beach) that brought awareness to this energy we all radiate. After a good intellectual discussion, we did some important stretches that resemble moves from Tai Chi or yoga. Mentally, I was making notes and comparisons. Ok, I have done this before. Nope, this is new, how does it go? Then, the first energy exercise changed my viewpoint. We were asked to hold our hands with finger close (but not touching) in front of us like we were holding a ball. In a short while, the tips of my fingers tingled. I was amazed. Interestingly enough, my friend saw the energy and the lady next to me felt it as heat. How you become aware of it is not as important as your ability to recognize that it is there. Margaret Wirkus, Miotek's wife, explained that the energy is easily felt with this exercise because the energy field radiating from one hand will come in contact with the energy field of the other hand. This specific energy field radiates through our being and extends beyond the skin by a few inches.
All the remaining exercises for me were a new experience from old understandings. I have meditated before by gazing at a flame but never before focused on moving energy while doing it. I could feel the energy bubble up my spine like water filling a well. The assistant instructor, Laura Mead, explained that these feelings are the energy moving through the chakras and that all people will experience moving energy in their own unique way. I had book knowledge of chakras and the subtle energy but I would have never believed that this energy could be felt or controlled.
Taking the energy concept one step further, Miotek will use his energy excess and skillfully assist others in their energy blockages. I believe that his excess energy is partially generated by skilled control over his own energy, accompanied by the energy generated through the heart chakra by unconditional love pouring out. Yes, out! Laura Mead helped me understand this difficult process because I felt that this would drain Miotek of his energy if it was pouring out. She likened the process to spinning a fan blade and the more the blade turns the more energy it creates. I understood. If I pull in to my chakras from someone else's energy, then it can only create energy and spin as long as it is being fed by the other person. But! If I spin it myself, then I create my own energy. I can create as much as I want or need. I envision the whole concept to the words of the Psalm 23 verse 5 when it states "My cup overfloweth." The cup is the heart chakra and it is overflowing with energy created by this powerful thing called love. I believe that this might have been how Jesus could heal with just words spoken. It is because the love that he manifested was so full of divine energy and power. One of the exercises led by Laura Mead was the Heart Chakra meditation. A meditation that mindfully focuses on growing and directing loving energy created from the heart. I practice it every chance I get because I need a lot of work to break through some of the barriers that I had constructed to protect my heart from being hurt. The statement that 'Love is all powerful' took on new meaning.
Another significant point that I took from the course was from Laura Mead explanation of the fan blade (stated earlier). During class, we learned techniques on how to block negative energy or how to protect your own energy from being drained from someone else. Laura explained that if the blades are spinning so fast with love pouring out, the force is so strong that no negative energy can get it. If loving energy is pouring out so strongly from an unending source, then there is no need to protect a limited supply. My 'aha' moment was the deep knowing that 'love is the answer'. It is always the answer. This was very important for me personally because I was having an experience with my daughter that I did not know how to handle. She was going through a very difficult time in her life where her house was destroyed by fire, she had a premature baby, and she has significant health problems. She would show up at my house and after 3-4 hours, I was completely drained of energy. I had compassion for what she was going through and knew that she needed this time and energy for pure survival purposes. Even so, I was becoming more and more drained and with lack of energy -- frustrated. I loved her and cared for her, but felt my heart chakra slowly closing and it was sending out a small stream of energy. The more I searched for answers, the more people were telling me to kick her out, cut her off, or push her away. They would tell me she was an energy vampire and I was caving in to being a victim. I remained open to her visits, but closed my heart to protect my energy. I could not make sense of the previous comments. I loved her and could not just leave her when she needed me. But I couldn't keep feeding her every ounce of energy I had either. It was at the conference that I learned that I could create enough heart energy to continue to feed her the unconditional love she so much needed to get through the difficult time. It took two months (I was not very skills with the heart chakra exercise immediately). At first, I practiced the Heart Chakra exercise and sent her as much love by imagining it radiate from my chest and feeding into her need. The first week was difficult because she still could drain me faster than I could replenish. But then I began to notice a big change. I withstood 10 hour 'marathons' and didn't get drained at all. Soon, she began to mirror the energy I was giving and it wasn't draining at all. After a month, her visits were shorter as she was starting to feel her own energy moving. Now her visits are, on most occasions, joyful and pleasant.
Another example that I feel is worth noting is the love I was feeding the premature baby. Beginning life 2 months early at 3 pounds is quite a struggle. I made it my job to also "chest" feed as much unconditional love that I could from my heart chakra to the baby as I could muster. I knew her mother was ill and may have been drained of her resources to a point where the baby may have needed some from another source. Not knowing what I was doing back then, I cuddled with the baby and let my defenses down. I was sending loving energy. My husband told me that when I was caring for the baby, my face would light up and I simply glowed. He was not directly seeing my aura; he just noticed the change of my expressions and demeanor as I raised my loving energy. I would like to think that I contributed in some small way to the child's current excellent health and advanced development.
Upon returning from the Bioenergy conference I decided that the energy whcih can be created with unconditional love was going to be my life focus. I purchased several books that I felt would be great references. One book was by Lilla Bek and Phillippa Pullar called Healing With Chakra Energy: Restoring the Natural Harmony of the Body. I was encouraged by the synchronistic explanations and understanding of this energy. It was this book that made me think of energy more in the terms of a vibration. The imagery that I manifested was of how the vibrations of sound waves can organize metal chips on a stretched out canvas. The pulsing vibrations of the sound would energetically "bounce" the metal chips into patterns. Seen another way, the vibrations of one tuning fork can set off another tuning fork. Our energy works in the same fashion when it comes to healing. If we 'ring' true at a high vibration, then others can pick it up. Lilla Bek quotes, " It is true that there are very few healers who are able to manifest the highest healing abilities of, say, Christ or Buddha- in fact, most people are not even aware that there are different levels of healing energy and that a healer's powers will depend on the level of vibration he can bring through." (pgs. 21-22) How true it was for me. I did not even know I was vibrating at a higher level with my granddaughter and at a lower level around my daughter when I became protective of my self.
It is so much more than just our personal energy. This is how we are connected to the Universal Whole. Everything vibrates, even stones. The molecules are much slower and denser, but they still move. As we are more aware of our own energy, we notice other people's energy. When we understand human energy, we notice animal energy. And it continues on, to noticing the energy that is all around. Lilla Bek describes it well by saying, "All energy, all the forces of the universe, are movements which emanate from one source, one point, the centre of all consciousness. They radiate out in all directions, travelling through space in rhythmic vibration in the form of waves. The point of distance from crest to crest is known as the frequency. The movement of life is a rhythmic pulsation, an expansion and contraction, which is reflected in the changing cycles of the year, in spring, summer, autumn and winter, in the waxing and waning of the moon, in the heart-beat and the breath. The flower, the tree, the crystal reflect the order of the world and express divine harmony. Light, colour and sound manifest the rhythm of life." (pg. 41) I would like to think that Lilla has just described the energy that emanates from the centre of all consciousness and our ability to access this energy as our ability to merge with the the Ultimate, which I have termed God.
Edgar Cayce is famous for his statement that "the mind is the builder." The mind directs the energy. If I think of doom and gloom, my vibrations will lower. If I think happy and positive thoughts, my vibration is higher. In either case, we are creating vibrational energy. Healing only happens with higher vibrations. The medical industry has been studying the phenomenon and has coined the phrase 'placebo effect'. Lilla Bek states, "It has been proved by orthodox medicine that, in 40 per cent of cases, placebos will cure the disease." (pg. 53) Unfortunately for the scientist, the placebo effect has an annoying way of creating havoc on experiments that rely on the reliable consistent and measurable results of the scientific method. People's vibrations are an outlying factor that is not measured and is variable. If we could take this concept out of the laboratory and into the real life aspect of daily healing, then the process is not a block but a boost in self healing. The people who raise their own energy vibrations by using interesting concepts such as hope, prayer, meditation and so much more, are the people who are more likely to have miracle cures. What a beautiful concept; one that I feel is worth exploring more. And this knowledge was just the first layer of energy that affects the physical body. Other layers extend out and become even more subtle. But that was beyond our beginner course content. We were given the information that explains the layers like an anatomy book would explain the different aspects of the physical body. Learning about the first layer was inspiration enough for me in one weekend.
*Energy graphic by Henry Reed