Healing Through Intuition: Embracing The Power of Our Mind through Meditation and Energy Work

Throughout human history, we have thrived through community and shared storytelling. These skills have enabled us to adapt, survive, and care for ourselves and one another. Every culture has developed its own stories that are meant to guide our understanding of reality, and provide essential knowledge for navigating physical, emotional, and spiritual ailments. While many of these traditional practices and rituals have evolved or been replaced by modern medicine, they remain deeply rooted in our collective and intuitive desire to be protected-by, guided-by and connected-to something beyond ourselves.

In this article, I share my own experiences with several intuitive forms of healing, and what they have taught me about love, compassion, self-leadership, empowerment, and the power of our imagination. I often feel that our verbal language sometimes muddies or falls short of conveying these experiences, so I encourage you to keep an open mind as you read about my journey. This work may be considered spiritual, mystical, non-verbal, energetic, or intuitive, and in my view, these aspects all grow from the beautiful and infinite creativity of the human mind. Rather than dismiss this form of work through the lens of hard empirical evidence, I believe its truth lies instead in personal experience and intuition. Learning to truly trust our own perspective, without the need to put words to our experience, allows us to embrace the richness of our interconnectedness and our potential for self-healing.

This article is part 7 of a collection of writings about my healing journey.

WORKING WITH OUR INTUITION AND INTENTION

In the medical and pharmaceutical world, we rely heavily on numeric data to determine the value of treatments and the effectiveness of drugs is often compared to the placebo effect. Contrary to being a sign of failure, the placebo effect actually highlights how our minds can heal us and the power of the mind-body connection. When considering interpersonal healing, there are a number of physiological processes that we are not overtly aware of, which sync up when we come together, such as the rate of our breath, or the rhythm of our heart beats.

In ancient healing practices and in our own lives, many small rituals and habits that help us regulate are performative, with their power lying in the act itself. How can we leverage this deep connection within ourselves and others??

In some belief systems, there are energy centers or meridians in our bodies that align with hormone-producing glands, such as the third-eye chakra aligning with the pineal gland. In other perspectives, energy may be seen as "spirits" existing within or around us. From shamanism to Reiki, various “energy work” frameworks have been created to navigate human issues by employing different rituals and mindsets, and many of them seem to run in parallel. The boundaries of what constitutes energy work is often vague, but for me, it touches our "essence of being," "soul," or "spirit" and is non-dogmatic. In my view, this is why a kind person, even without formal energy or spiritual healing training, can make you feel whole, cared for, and loved simply through their presence or energy.?

OUR MIND IS OUR REALITY

My journey into energy work began with an eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) session. EMDR is a clinically-employed technique for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that aims to bring cohesion between the left and right hemispheres of the brain by stimulating the two hemispheres in an alternating fashion (e.g., by tapping left and right hands) while processing difficult memories. Our right brain (which governs our nonverbal creativity, intuition, and senses) remembers the sensations and emotions of trauma, while the analytical and verbal left hemisphere is overwhelmed and offline.?

During one particular session, I worked through a difficult memory where I felt completely stuck and unable to take any sort of action to resolve the situation. My dad had driven off, leaving me alone in the dark on an unknown road—both literally and figuratively—and I had no idea what to do next as I watched the tail lights moving away. After numerous attempts to approach the scene differently to no avail, my mind finally imagined a ghostly robed old man who came to me, placed his hand on my shoulders, and explained my dad's actions in a way that comforted me and that I could understand. In that moment, I felt supported and cared for, rather than lost and abandoned. Although I knew this didn't happen in "real life," it was real enough for my mind to find resolution for that unresolved traumatic moment. This experience marked the beginning of my journey into understanding how my own imagination, much like a child's resilient imagination, could create realities that help me along my mental wellness journey.

This experience with EMDR served as a gateway for me to explore energy work, which I had previously dismissed as "woo woo," "out there," "a trend," “not real”, or "extreme." Although EMDR itself is not technically a form of energy work, it is a treatment approach that relies on our minds to recover and resolve what our material bodies could not.

The following practices are a small subset of tools that I’ve personally investigated. In your own journey, I encourage you to explore both within and outside yourself, trying and discovering what resonates with you. Make your practice and your connection your own. A common thread among these frameworks or tools is the practice of working with a clear and positive intention while protecting and honoring the receiver. It's not the tools themselves that heal, but the connection within yourself or the other individual offering their energy.

Family Constellation

Family Constellation aims to uncover and resolve unconscious family dynamics that may affect an individual's well-being. The method involves exploring relationships and events within a family system to reveal hidden patterns and unresolved traumas. In a Family Constellation session, individuals (either in a group or one-on-one) use representatives or objects to symbolize family members and other significant elements from their lives. This external representation can help you understand the underlying issues and dynamics in your family. The goal is to bring healing, understanding, and resolution to issues impacting your life, often beyond your conscious awareness.

My first experience with family constellation was transformative and opened my eyes to the power of my intuition. I selected other individuals in the group to represent my family members, and even though I hadn't shared anything about my family dynamics with them, those dynamics played out before me. For example, when I placed the individuals in the circle, I immediately noticed that I had placed everyone so they faced different directions, not looking at each other. I had subconsciously chosen individuals who accurately reflected the roles of my family members. It was incredibly healing to witness these dynamics and see the participants guided toward a positive path in a non-verbal manner.?

When it was my turn to represent someone for the family constellation experience of other individuals, I did not have a script or any knowledge to lean on except for my intuition. Although I found myself a bit worried and uncertain if I was “playing the part properly”, it became clear that the actions that felt “right” to me had a profound impact on the individual witnessing their life narratives play out. By simply “being” in those moments, I was healing myself and others. This experience deepened my trust in the wisdom of my intuition (my brain clearly picked up way more subtlety than I was consciously aware of) and demonstrated the richness of information that our senses gather to inform our feelings, views, and actions.

Akashic Records

The term “Akashic Records” refers to the collection of all thoughts, events, and emotions ever experienced by all human beings that have lived. It is considered a repository of universal knowledge accessible through deep meditation, offering insights into past experiences, present circumstances, and future potentials. My first workshop exploring the Akashic Records was one of the strangest experiences I have participated in. Initially skeptical, I observed the practitioner heal others using "light language" or "speaking with sound." When it was my turn, I stated my intention, and the practitioner began to speak in a way that caused an overwhelming sensation of crying and release, even though I couldn't understand a single word.

As a skeptic, I tried to rationalize the experience by considering how the practitioner brought me into a meditative state, set a shared intention, and used intuitive sounds that made me feel deeply understood. Another part of me wondered if it was his expression of humanity and empathy that allowed me to lower my guard and release the tension I had been holding. Regardless of the specific mechanics involved, it was a transformative moment where I learned that what I felt was "real" was all that mattered for my own healing. This practitioner also taught me an important lesson: it's okay to acknowledge not knowing why or how, and to simply follow your intuition (or inner knowing). Other practitioners that I worked with focused on creating a visualization meditation for me to access the records to address personal topics and find peace in unsolvable problems. Through continued experiences with the Akashic Records, I began to discover that the power of my imagination, which I had first discovered in my EMDR session, could be harnessed to help myself find closure in the difficult relationships I had with other “souls”.?

Reiki

Reiki is a gentle healing practice where practitioners use their hands to promote relaxation and balance. Light touch or hovering is typically applied on or above areas such as the head, shoulders, arms, stomach, and legs. This gentle and compassionate touch or hovering aims to channel the flow of “universal energy” and enhance our body’s natural ability to heal. At first, I was uncertain about Reiki because of how some practitioners professed that it could solve almost any issue. My initial experience with Reiki was in a group setting and left me unable to relax, and I felt uncomfortable with the symbols used in the practice (the symbols are typically hand gestures performed by the Reiki practitioner to amplify the intentions of healing).

Eventually, I decided to try approaching Reiki from a massage therapy lens instead, and I pursued Level 1 training through my massage therapy school. I understood how touch itself was inherently healing, regardless of one’s beliefs about the concept of energy work. In my first individual session, I felt a heightened awareness of my internal experience. My limbs felt like they wanted to move, my toes and legs tingled, and I felt comforted and calm in the stillness. Despite these sensations, however, I still wasn’t convinced of the power of the practice beyond touch.

Over time, as I completed Level 2 Reiki training, I realized that, despite what I considered distracting performative rituals, Reiki was fundamentally a meditation practice of interconnectedness. So, I began to build my own practice and deepen my connection with “universal energy”, which is the concept that the framework of Reiki is built on; Reiki's soft quietness helped me create space in a way that other meditative practices had not. As a practitioner, I have experienced a deeply meditative state and a clear mind, acting as a "clear channel" for people to receive energy from the "universe"—or, from another perspective, sharing my deep state of meditation with someone else through touch and intention. I now believe that Reiki is a beautiful meditative modality for promoting inner peace and harnessing the benefits of kind and compassionate touch, which we often do not receive or give enough to others.

Shamanism

Shamanism is an ancient spiritual practice in which shamans act as intermediaries between the physical and spiritual realms, connecting with spirits to offer healing, guidance, and wisdom to their communities. This practice involves journeying to altered states of consciousness through visualization, often using rituals like drumming or chanting, to diagnose and heal spiritual imbalances, retrieve lost soul parts, and cleanse negative energies. Central to shamanism is a deep respect for nature and the belief that all living things possess a spirit, fostering a worldview of harmony and interconnectedness with the natural world.

Through spirit work, journeying with intention (which I would consider to be a form of visualization meditation), and rituals rich with theatrical elements, participating in a core shamanism training opened my eyes to how stories, thought patterns, and community can help us feel a sense of belonging and grounding. Beyond the deep and joyous connection to nature, individuals exploring this kind of practice develop relationships with “spirits”—whether seen as imaginary friends, teachers, guides, gods, or aspects of oneself—that can provide answers and strength. Although the framework of shamanism may differ from what we traditionally think of as meditation, these practices heavily rely on inner vision and the power of the mind to create reality.

As someone who has struggled with feelings of isolation as an only child and daughter of immigrants, and someone who never felt a true sense of belonging, I found profound support and connection within my own mind and the "spirits" or "energy" around me. I journeyed to connect with spirit helpers, retrieve power animals, and explore other worlds while maintaining my own boundaries. Unlike references in popular culture to shamanism, you never lose yourself and are completely aware and present.?

The practice of communing with these spirits reminded me of clinical psychotherapy approaches that are focused on identifying and reintegrating all of the parts of ourselves, including our inner child. I internalized and felt from these experiences that I am not alone and that there are others who will support me, even if I cannot see them with my eyes open. Put another way, I learned that even if I do not see someone in person, such as a friend, it does not mean that they do not care for me. Overcoming fear of harm and developing self-leadership and empowerment has been a significant part of my journey as I continue to honor my needs and energy. It's no surprise that these practices offer numerous benefits to both mind and body–from visualization journeys to the call to move, dance, vocalize, perform, and be alive.

SENSING “ENERGY” IN THE MIND AND BODY

In my exploration of movement-based energy work, I integrated techniques from my massage therapy training and yoga practice into my energy work. What might it look like to move through the world not focused on my visual experience, but rather my other senses? Through intuitively experimenting with somatic movement, I found that joint mobility, combined with breath, visualization, and yoga sequences, could release tension, stress, and even trauma.

This discovery aligned with practices like Qi Gong, where the focus on energy (Qi) enhances a non-verbal sense of connection within ourselves and our environment. I found that moving with intention, often with eyes closed, deepened my awareness. I began to experience the “flow of energy”, or what I would personally characterize as being in such as meditative state of present-ness (quieting of the prefrontal cortex or thinking mind) that I felt like I was breathing and moving in unison with the very subtle movements or rhythms of the universe, such as the breeze or air. This sensation is what I label to be “tapped into energy”. Through these practices, I experienced a profound sense of freedom, lightness, letting go, and healing by slowing down and tuning into the needs of my body, just as an animal might navigate the world without critical thinking abilities.

HOW TO FIND AN ENERGY HEALER

There is truly someone out there for everyone. There are no formal accreditation or certification bodies in these fields, and finding a practitioner is part of the journey of learning to trust yourself and tune into your deepest needs.?

Explore local businesses, meet people, ask for recommendations, and use your intuition to guide your choices. There is no “right” way to practice or perform these modalities because every individual’s connection with “the universe” is unique, and what works for everyone is different. Trust yourself and seek individuals who demonstrate high integrity, have their own grounded meditation-related practice, and genuine intentions—those who make you feel safe, cared for, and are open-minded about their beliefs. Energy and spiritual work is egoless, so the skill of the practitioner lies in their ability to be deeply connected to their practice rather than a credential or sweeping promises. Often, a practitioner is intuitively creating the right conditions for your body or mind’s natural healing processes to take over, rather than themselves applying some sort of healing. Approaching this search from a place of curiosity rather than fear or judgment will enhance your ability to connect and receive.

In my view, the biggest benefit of practicing and receiving energy work is developing a strong sense of inner knowing. This has led to greater confidence and belief in myself–while navigating the world and making decisions both big and small. In my experience, energy work can help quiet the logical, analytical mind and reduce self-doubt where other modalities may fail to profoundly connect us with our authentic being. Remember, we all have the capability to heal ourselves and each other. May your heart and spirit be free, and your light shine brightly towards your truth.

With gratitude and loving kindness,

Audrey Tsaima

Somatic Yoga & Meditation | Life & Mindfulness Coaching | Therapeutic Massage | Mind, Body & Energy Healing

Wellnesswithaudreyt.com

ABOUT

Audrey’s calling is to help you strengthen your mind and body, and cultivate inner peace. This drive stems from her own personal lifelong learning journey to heal from childhood trauma and find joy.

Before becoming a wellness practitioner, Audrey worked for over a decade at the intersections of technology, experiential learning, psychology, and human-centered product design. She built experiences that taught people technical and behavioral skills to thrive in a challenging world, and coached teams through change. As an ex-Linkedin content producer and Amazon product manager, Audrey understands how difficult it is to be mindful of and care for ourselves in a fast-changing and distracting world. Audrey holds a Master of Education from Harvard and she is a yoga teacher, transformative life coach, and energy healer.