A Beginner’s Guide to Energy and Spiritual Healing

Understanding the Basics of How Energy Flows, Balances, and Heals

Introduction – The Energy That Connects Us

Energy and spiritual healing are ancient practices that share one simple truth: everything is connected. From the heartbeat and breath to the warmth of a kind thought, life is a continuous exchange of energy.

When that flow becomes blocked or unbalanced — through stress, loss, or disconnection — we may feel tired, anxious, or emotionally flat. Energy and spiritual healing work to restore that balance, gently aligning the body, mind, and spirit so that our natural capacity for healing can re-emerge.

“Healing doesn’t add anything to you — it reminds you of who you are.”

What Is Energy Healing?

Energy healing is based on the understanding that every living being has an energy field, often called the biofield, aura, or life force. When this field becomes disrupted, it can affect the body’s emotional and physical wellbeing.

Practitioners use light touch, intention, visualisation, or sound to help rebalance energy flow. As energy moves freely again, people often experience greater calm, clarity, and vitality.

In physics, this idea aligns with the recognition that everything in the universe vibrates — from atoms to thoughts. In spiritual traditions, it is the movement of prana, qi, or spirit.

What Is Spiritual Healing?

While energy healing focuses on vibration and flow, spiritual healing connects to the deeper dimension of consciousness and meaning. A spiritual healer works as a channel for divine or universal energy, directing love and light toward the recipient’s highest good.

Spiritual healing often addresses the emotional or soul level — helping people release grief, restore peace, and reconnect with their inner guidance. It reminds us that healing isn’t always about “fixing” but about returning to wholeness.

“Energy healing restores flow; spiritual healing restores faith.”

How They Work Together

Energy and spiritual healing are complementary. Energy healing works through the body’s subtle systems; spiritual healing works through the consciousness that guides them.

Both invite balance between body, mind, and soul. A Reiki session, for example, may calm the nervous system (energy) while also awakening spiritual insight (consciousness). Together, they help the individual reconnect with life’s natural rhythm.

Common Forms of Energy and Spiritual Healing

1. Reiki – Japanese technique for relaxation and stress reduction through hands-on energy transfer.

2. Spiritual Healing / Divine Healing – Channelled healing through prayer, light, or the healer’s intention.

3. Sound Healing – Using bowls, gongs, or voice to align vibration and emotion.

4. Qi Gong & Tai Chi – Movement practices that circulate life force through breath and awareness.

5. Chakra Balancing – Working with the body’s main energy centres to release stagnation.

6. Meditation & Breathwork – Direct ways to calm the mind and balance energy.

7. Spiritual Counselling – Blending intuitive insight and healing presence to support personal growth.

Each path uses different tools, but all share the same intention: restoring harmony and awareness.

What the Science Says

Although energy and spiritual healing are often viewed as “alternative,” a growing body of research — including studies from Australia — supports many of their observable effects.

At Western Sydney University’s NICM Health Research Institute, scientists study integrative and complementary health approaches, including biofield therapies, meditation, and whole-person healing. Their findings show that relaxation-based energy practices can reduce stress, anxiety, and fatigue when used alongside conventional care.

The University of Melbourne’s Music, Mind & Wellbeing Initiative explores how sound and vibration affect the brain and nervous system — offering a scientific basis for sound-based energy healing. Meanwhile, the University of Sydney’s Mind and Brain Centre and RMIT University’s School of Health and Biomedical Sciences have conducted studies into mindfulness, neuroplasticity, and emotional regulation — all of which align with the principles of energetic coherence and self-healing.

Internationally, organisations such as the HeartMath Institute (USA) and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) (USA) continue to explore how electromagnetic, emotional, and spiritual factors influence wellbeing.

While the precise mechanisms remain mysterious, the outcomes are consistent across studies: relaxation, connection, and enhanced self-healing.

What to Expect in a Session

Energy and spiritual healing sessions are usually peaceful and restorative. You may lie down or sit while the practitioner gently places their hands near or on the body, or works with energy intuitively.

You might feel warmth, tingling, gentle pulsations, or deep calm. Sometimes emotions or memories surface as energy releases. Each session is different — what matters most is how you feel afterward: clearer, lighter, and more centred.

How to Begin

If you’re curious about energy or spiritual healing:

• Try a guided meditation or Reiki session to experience energy movement.

• Spend time in nature — one of the most powerful energy rebalancers.

• Practice gratitude or prayer to lift your vibration.

• Journal your experiences and how your energy feels throughout the day.

• Trust your intuition — it’s your most direct link to your energy field.

Energy healing isn’t something done to you — it’s a reminder of your natural state of harmony.

Returning to Wholeness

Energy and spiritual healing remind us that we are part of a greater flow. When that flow is restored, life feels lighter, brighter, and more connected.

Healing is not a miracle; it’s the body and spirit remembering how to move in tune again — with nature, with love, with the quiet rhythm that’s been there all along.

“Spiritual healing is not about changing who you are, but remembering that you are already whole.”

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Bibliography and Further Reading

Titles are available to purchase by clicking on the links where possible

Brennan, B. A. Hands of Light: A Guide to Healing Through the Human Energy Field. New York: Bantam, 1987.

Oschman, J. L. Energy Medicine: The Scientific Basis. Edinburgh: Elsevier, 2015.

Rubik, B. “The Biofield Hypothesis: Its Biophysical Basis and Role in Medicine.” Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 8(6), 2002, pp. 703–717.

HeartMath Institute. Science of the Heart: Exploring the Role of the Heart in Human Performance. Boulder Creek, CA: HeartMath Institute, 2016.

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) — “Reiki: What You Need to Know.” https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/reiki

NICM Health Research Institute (Western Sydney University) — Research & Publications page https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/nicm/research/publications/nicm_reports

University of Melbourne — Music, Mind & Wellbeing Initiative research page https://psychologicalsciences.unimelb.edu.au/research/music-mind-wellbeing

RMIT University — Complementary & Integrative Health / Complementary Medicine research page https://www.rmit.edu.au/about/schools-colleges/health-and-biomedical-sciences/our-teaching-areas/complementary-medicine

University of Sydney — Brain & Mind Centre Year-in-Review 2023 https://www.sydney.edu.au/brain-mind/news-and-events/news/2023/12/05/brain-and-mind-centre-year-in-review-2023.html

Australian Sound Healers Association. “The Science Behind Sound Healing.”Available at: https://www.australiansoundhealersassociation.com.au/science 

Natural Therapy Pages. “A complete guide to energy healing in Australia.” [online] Available at: https://www.naturaltherapypages.com.au/article/energy-healing-guide-australia 

Goldsby, T. L., & Goldsby, M. E. “Sound Healing: Mood, Emotional, and Spiritual Well‐Being Interrelationships.” Religions, 13 (2) (2022): 123. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13020123