Judie Ives-Acton uses Reiki and
drumming to treat her fibromyalgia
Some of the crystals and other items
Judie-Ives-Acton uses during energy healing
“Energy healing has grown, but it’s like the fibromyalgia:
don’t tell anybody you’re doing it,” said Ives-Acton. “You can’t
talk about this stuff to the average person. They think you’re
nuts.”
I know how Ives-Acton feels. I’ve had people suggest I’m
crazy. Or that perhaps I should try just not being sick.
In Windsor, therapeutic touch, Reiki, crystals and other
energy healing techniques - like drum circles or meditation can be found in several places, like White Feather Holistic Arts
in the heart of the city on
Ottawa Street. I took the
chance to receive a Reiki
treatment and speak to Tracey
Rogers, owner and operator.
Entering White Feather,
the light scent of incense
burning and the rhythmic
beating of drums takes over.
Offering meditation, drum
circle, or astrology events on a
regular basis, White Feather
provides a home for those
seeking treatment through holistic practices. I was excited to
try something new.
Rogers exuded calming energy and quickly settled my
nerves. The Reiki treatment had me lie on my back on a
massage-type chair, and Rogers placed crystals on various
spots - like my forehead, or “third eye” as she called it.
North Americans in general have become more
holistically-inclined in the last decade or so, looking beyond
medication for treatment. Accupuncture, chiropracty and
massage therapy are now frequently covered under many
workplace health insurance plans, and most doctors don’t
hesitate to recommend incorporating vitamins, dietary
changes and exercise into a treatment plan. Even herbal and
folk remedies have entered the mainstream lexicon, with most
people acknowledging that things like lavender can help with
relaxation and gingko biloba can sharpen memory. But energy
healing practices still spark suspicion, perhaps because its
elements are intangible - you can’t see energy, so how can you
manipulate it?
Cindy Rivait, Reiki practitioner and crystal therapist with
Integrative Healing Arts Studio says fear plays a huge part in
the stigma surrounding non-traditional treatment options.
“Although Reiki healing dates back thousands of years in
other cultures, it is still relatively unknown in Western
culture,” explained Rivait. “Hospice introduced Radiance
Touch 20 years ago, and Therapeutic Touch ten years ago. Both
are forms of energy healing.”
Cancer pain, ADHD, mood disorders and more can all be
Energy healing
practices still
spark
suspicion