| My Background |
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Ten years ago I lived in New York City, and I’d never heard of energy healing or huna. If I had heard of them, I can’t say I would have been all that interested. Today, I live in Chicago, and holistic health is a central aspect of how I live and think. How did that happen? Here’s how: After high school, I went to Oberlin College, where I received my bachelor’s degree in Psychology. This provided my first serious study of mind-body connections. The program was rooted in Western science, and emphasized the body, especially the central nervous system, as the essential variable in the workings of the mind. Indeed, all mental activity was viewed as an offshoot of neural processes. Though my studies have become less conventionally “Western,” since then, I still see this as a very valuable perspective. Everyone can benefit from understanding how the body affects the mind. Where I see this perspective as limited is in how it focuses on one direction of a two-way street. Need proof? Think of a wonderful memory, dwell on it for at least a few seconds, and notice what happens to your body. (You can choose a terrible memory too, but personally I like the wonderful ones.) The mind is more ephemeral and amorphous than the body, and so the Western tradition, which prefers to deal in tangibles, has not spent anywhere near the time and energy mapping the mind that it has mapping the body. Other traditions have taken a different approach, but I’ll get to those a little further down. While at Oberlin, I began studying and practicing Qigong. Qigong (pronounced CHEE-gong) is a moving energy meditation derived from Tai Chi. It’s purpose is to create a healthy flow of energy through the body. It was my first prolonged encounter with what is called “subtle energy.” Subtle energy is a generic term for the life energy flowing in and around our bodies. It is termed “subtle” because it is difficult to feel, especially if you have no inclination to look for it. Through qigong, I was able to connect with this energy on a daily basis. This turned out to be only the beginning of my interest in subtle energy. After graduating Oberlin, I moved to Japan to teach English and experience a different way of life. There, I happened to come across two teachers, Hari Tahil and Petya Lowe, who taught me an incredible amount about energy healing. Over the course of a year, I studied four different energy systems with them. Each system is designed to be complete unto itself, and each allows for profound work on oneself and on others. For more on these systems, see How I Heal. In March 2006, I moved to Chicago to start a new chapter of my life. While wandering a bookstore, I happened (depending on how you feel about coincidences) to spot a book by Serge Kahili King. I had heard the name before in one of my energy healing classes, so I decided to pick it up. That was my introduction to the fascinating ideas of Huna. Huna provides, among other things, a comprehensive perspective on how mind and body work on their own, and in relation to each other. The ideas are balanced with practical applications that facilitate a harmonious relationship between mind and body. I took to the philosophy right away, and, as it’s a philosophy that’s meant to be put to practical use, began incorporating Huna into my healing work (both on myself and others). Over time my interest and understanding grew, and a year after I first started reading about Huna, I traveled to Hawaii to take two workshops with Dr. King himself. Each workshop was a week long, and packed to the brim with learning and hands-on experience. In the first week, I learned about as much as I ever have in a week’s time. The same was true for the second week. The workshops served to fill out, enhance and integrate my knowledge and practice of Huna. My studies of how humans work has, and continues to lead me to fascinating, enlightening and wonderful places. I would encourage anyone with a curiosity about mind, body or both to explore these areas in whatever way they see fit. I am happy to answer any |