Category: emotional healing

Dealing with Negative Energy

Article by Brooke Chang, Pathway to Joy and Healing

Several former clients in my Reiki Therapy practice had asked me about dealing with others’ negative energy. This question may appear simple on its face, but it’s quite complex. When encountering negative energy, we first must evaluate whether this is, in fact, another’s negative energy, or is this our emotional reactions triggered by our encounter with this person.

What we observe in others frequently is a reflection of what is within us. When there is this mirroring, our egos will automatically blame or accuse others for this negative experience, therefore, labeling this person with bad or negative energy.  Did you emotionally react or become upset by this interaction?  Did you feel any fear or discomfort?  If yes, then you were triggered by your encounter with them.  Therefore, the emotional injury is within you, and your avoidance of this person will not rid this emotional reaction or fear in the future. The only to way to prevent this recurrence with another is by healing the injured part of yourself. Try to identify the root of the fear or discomfort, and emotional trigger. This conscious awareness of the root cause will begin the healing process.

If you didn’t emotionally react or become upset, and didn’t feel fear or discomfort during your interaction, you simply did not enjoy this experience, and prefer interacting with others, then this may very well be negative energy from the other person. In this situation, you can observe your interaction with them in a detached way, and refrain from identifying with this person or situation. This process transmutes the negative energy to a more neutral one.  Frequently, any future contacts may not occur again because the two of you do not attract.  Any future interactions may be very superficial and handled with limited contact.

Most negative energy or interactions are emotional triggers causing fear, discomfort, or upset. It is a mirroring within you of the energy from the other person.  I have noticed within myself that if I don’t heal this emotional injury within me, this type of interaction simply will repeat with another at a later time. May you find healing within and transmute any negative energy you encounter. (Copyright 2023 Brooke Chang with All Rights Reserved.)  

I would love to hear your comments or anything you wish to share below!

Comfort Zone

(Copyright 2023 Brooke Chang with All Rights Reserved.)

If this resonates with you, please leave your thoughts or comments for me below. I love to hear from you!

Letting Go of Codependency


Article by Brooke Chang, Pathway to Joy and Healing

Leaving my Reiki practice was one of the more difficult decisions I’ve had to make, as I recently decided to retire from my practice. This decision came particularly difficult because I truly love and care about my clients.  When I realized that my relationship with them had been based on codependency on my part and dependency on many of their parts, I felt that leaving my Reiki practice was the best solution in order to take ownership of this problem.

On a cool January day, I walked with some reservation and anxiety to my Reiki studio located in an older mall with a fountain in its center. As I entered the mall, the smell of disinfectant was strong, and the air was cool since the landlord never turned on the heat. I took the elevator to the second floor where I entered a shared suite and reception lounge. The couch and chairs in the reception lounge were modern with a tree of life sculpture hanging on the wall.

As I unlocked the door to my Reiki studio, the smell of a lavender candle lingered in the air which was used for a client from the previous day. In the Reiki studio, two original abstract landscape paintings by my husband hung on the wall along with my Reiki Therapy certificates. Several Himalayan salt lamps and wicker style furnishings were positioned around the small room. Muted light shone through the frosted windows and door. I felt calmer and less anxious as I prepared to tell my first client that we must conclude our time together and about my retirement from Reiki practice.

When my first client arrived, I greeted her cheerfully in the reception lounge and asked her how she was doing as we walked together to my Reiki studio. I took a deep breath and shared the difficult news about the codependency and dependency relationship that I have with my clients and our need to conclude our sessions due to my retirement. To my surprise, she seemed okay with our concluding. She asked a few questions about my retirement and wished me well. With each client thereafter, we had this discussion where I expressed what I needed to address with each of them. 

Codependency defined by Merriam-Webster is a psychological condition or a relationship in which a person manifesting low self-esteem and a strong desire for approval has an unhealthy attachment to another person. It places the needs of that person before his or her own. In codependency, a person tries to satisfy the needs of another who may have an addictive or emotionally unstable personality.

My codependency began in my childhood with parents who had addictive and emotionally unstable personalities.  I learned to be their emotional care taker, and that setting boundaries was unsafe. My family dynamics were full of abuse, violence, and violation of personal boundaries, as my refusal to comply resulted in more emotional and physical abuse. After I complied with their demands, I suppressed the subsequent rage, anger, sadness, and fear that I felt.

My failure to be able to set healthy personal boundaries plagued me for most of my adult life. I suffered from guilt, obligation, and over-responsibility. My conditioned behaviors continued as I simply gave into others’ demands and gave up my own health, safety, time and resources. This continued into my Reiki Therapy practice.

The dynamic of Reiki Therapy lends itself readily to a codependent practitioner and dependent client relationship. The client has a passive role in their healing as they lie on a Reiki table while the practitioner performs the energy work. The client participates little in this energy healing. The practitioner becomes the caretaker while the client becomes the dependent to this practitioner and her energy work. This dynamic also occurred with my Reiki practitioner, when I received Reiki Therapy earlier on my healing journey.

I further became aware of the lessons that my clients were teaching me. I learned that I can’t save everyone and only they can save themselves. I am only a guide to support their healing journey. I also recognized that I must, as the practitioner, take responsibility to change any unhealthy dynamics with them. I referred many clients to psychotherapy to help them become more independent in their own healing, and to begin to reduce their sessions with me in order to conclude our work together.

Shortly after these conversations with my clients, I experienced a massive energetic heart release. It felt like strong tremors emanating from my heart chakra while I slept; this experience felt like it lasted for hours although I believe it only occurred for several minutes. I had experienced this type of energetic release before after major shifts within my emotional landscape. I also felt a tremendous relief come over me and overall wellbeing. Sadness, loss, and even anger and resentment also came over me, as I re-experienced what I must have suppressed as a child.

The letting go of this codependency is essential for my emotional growth. Each time I let go, I begin to grow, change, and ultimately, heal the trauma that has been stored within my energy field for most of my life. Each growth and change I experience culminates in my spiritual transformation to become the person I am intended to be. Peace and love, Brooke (Copyright 2023 Brooke Chang with all rights reserved. May be reblogged in its entirety with credit to this author, but may not be copied or excerpted.)

Our Neuropathways affect Spiritual Consciousness

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With the advances in neuroscience, brain research as shown that physical wiring of the brain is effected by our thoughts moving through it. During periods of sustained attention, neurons will wire together to create neuropathways directly affecting what we experience in our lives.  Therefore, if our thoughts involve fear, worry, and doubt, then more neuropathways will wire together causing us to experience more of these feelings in our lives.

This is known as neuroplasticity, also known as brain plasticity,  and is defined as changes in neural pathways and synapses which are due to changes in behavior, environment and neural processes, as well as changes resulting from bodily injury.  Neuroplasticity has replaced the formerly-held position that the brain is a physiologically static organ, and explores how – and in which ways – the brain changes throughout life.

Therefore, in order to change our neuropathways, we must begin by changing our thoughts to compassion, kindness, and unconditional love. I have witnessed changes in people I have observed who have changed the course of their lives to more positive results in that they met their perfect mate, got the job in their chosen field, and found a community of friends they longed for.  The following posts provide specific methods and techniques to change our brain’s neuropathways as follows:  Rewiring the Hardwiring, Rewiring the Hardwiring II, and Rewiring the Hardwiring III.

These positive results began with changes in their thoughts, whereby their neuropathways began to change,  and resulted in concrete positive changes in their lives.  Along with these positive thoughts, practicing acceptance and surrender will bring further peace and bliss into ours lives.  It is wonderful to see that spiritual consciousness can be explained through modern science.  (Copyright 2013 Awakening Journey with All Rights Reserved)

Source: Our Neuropathways affect Spiritual Consciousness

Steps to Healing Past Emotional Pain

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During these past few months, I have been confronted with some deep seeded distrust as a result of my childhood abuse by and a philandering father.  As an adult, I attracted men like my father into my life causing more emotional injury and trauma to my life.   This has translated into distrust of men that is deeply ingrained within me.  These past emotional injuries resulted in deep blockages within my sacral and heart chakras.  In my attempts to unblock these chakras, I have tried the following methods:

  • Letting go what you can’t control and letting go of past emotions and behaviors through intention, belief, and actions
  • Awareness of triggering thoughts, events, and statements by simply observing them without reaction
  • Acknowledge your fears through stating them out loud or writing them down
  • Forgive yourself and others for past mistakes and failures by accepting your past
  • Learning to love yourself through self care, setting healthy boundaries with others, and nurturing yourself

At the root of distrust is the lack of self love and fear.  When we fear betrayal and being hurt again, we have not forgiven ourselves and others for injuring us.  We have not learned to love ourselves through setting clear and healthy boundaries with others, and taking responsibility for and control of our actions that are forms of self love.

When we learn to let go of the past through clear intentions that we no longer want certain emotions and behaviors in our lives, we follow up with the belief that we can and will change them, then follow through with consistent change in our actions.  Good luck with healing your past emotional pain. (Copyright 2017 with All Rights Reserved)

 

Sacral Chakra Healing

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My biggest hurdle is my jealousy from a sacral chakra blockage caused by childhood sexual abuse.  This abuse began at the age of eight years old by my father creating an unhealthy triangulation between my father, my mother, and me.  My father also had many sexual and romantic partners while married to my mother.  My jealousy has to do with distrust of men, and feeling unworthy due to my relationship with my father.

Recently, I have felt pain and discomfort in my sacral chakra area, and suffer an urinary track infection.  When we have blockages within our chakras, we are more likely to experience physical problems and illnesses in that region of the body.  Although I am treating my symptoms with antibiotics, I must clear this deep and stubborn blockage in this chakra.

These blockages occur in many layers of pain and emotional wounds. I already have removed some of these deep and stubborn layers, but I still must work deeper and deeper to clear the remaining blockages.  I us the following six techniques:

1) Creative practice (Dance, art, music, singing, etc.)

2) Exercise, particularly in nature

3) Hip opening yoga postures

4) Crystal healing

5)  Throat chakra opening and clearing

6)  Learning to let go of your past through Emotional Release Practice

Good luck with your sacral chakra clearing and healing journey. Sending blessings of love!  (Copyright 2017 Awakening Journey with All Rights Reserved)

Moving Through Fear

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Fear is like waves on the ocean that come in ebbs and flows.  This is what I have been experiencing after a recent argument with my Twin Flame.  His behaviors triggered my past injury that felt so painful that I reacted in a way I have not reacted in over 15 years.  I thought that injury was healed, but I am realizing that I still am emotionally wounded.

This emotional wound causes me to behave with distrust, jealousy, and fear of betrayal.  I also realized and acknowledge that this wound is within me.  I believe that my twin and I share similar emotional wounds causing us to trigger each other, and share the same fear of being injured again.  I have been observing my thoughts and feelings as these waves of fear hit me.

Last night, I admitted to my Twin Flame my deepest fear of no longer being young and pretty as I age.  My fear is that someday in the near future, he will trade me in for a newer and younger woman.  Just saying these words out loud made my fears dissipate.  It connected me deeply with my Twin to share such vulnerability and deep seeded fear of unworthiness and lack.

Fear is the voice that prevents us from being injured again, but it also is the voice that prevents us from moving forward in our lives. It keeps us stuck in the same emotionally wounded place as when we first were wounded by someone we love.  Facing our fears is the first step to dissipating this fear, and taking away its power to rule our lives.  May you overcome your deepest fears.  (Copyright 2017 Awakening Journey with All Rights Reserved)