IN DEFENSE OF THE WORD AND CONCEPT OF ENERGY I have listened to a variety of people recommending that we abandon the word and concept of “energy”. I can appreciate where they are coming from – the word is abused by a variety of people who ignore both logic and science. And I am fine with people who themselves want to drop that term and concept. However, I prefer to defend this word and concept by using it more clearly, rather than just abandoning it. Number one, it’s just not going away. People will continue to talk about energy – it is in our vocabulary – so we may consider the usefulness of clarifying it. Some people suggest that we use the language of psychology instead of using the term or concept of energy. To some extent, I agree. And it is certainly important for students and practitioners of massage and bodywork to have some understanding of its possible psycho-physiological affects. We of course need to be clear, understanding psychology better does not change our scope of practice or entitle us to engage the client in therapeutic discussions about their psyche. Our medium is touch. However, psychology does not cover some of the important territory that the “proper” use of the term “energy” may clarify for us. First we need to remember that “energy,” as used in the context of massage, is largely being used to refer to the subjective aspect of the client’s experience. Whereas science primarily helps us describe and understand the physical aspect of the person; one may consider anything beyond the physical, beyond structure, as energetic. That subjective sense of energy is covered by the first two definitions below. The definition of energy from the Merriam Webster dictionary: 1 a : dynamic quality b : the capacity of acting or being active c : a usually positive spiritual force 2: vigorous exertion of power : EFFORT 3: a fundamental entity of nature that is transferred between parts of a system in the production of physical change within the system and usually regarded as the capacity for doing work 4: usable power (as heat or electricity); also : the resources for producing such power To these I would add the feeling of energy within or flowing through the body. This feeling is described in various ways by psychology (esp. bioenergetic), as well as by vocabularies from Asia – chi, prana, meridians, etc. Some people do not prefer to use these languages, however, for others they are fundamental to their therapeutic approach and understanding. Note, the definition 1c above recognizes the use of the word energy to denote spiritual levels of experience. Particularly contentious to science-based thinkers is this transmission of energy from one being to another. Some say this never happens; for others experiences of energy on the level of spirit may be among the most important in their lives. However, people who want to add credibility to their spiritual experiences sometimes confuse the physical definitions of energy, using those as literal fact, when they are actually using those concepts as metaphors to help capture an experience which is hard to put in words. While allowing for the important and anecdotal evidence of energetic experiences, I want to emphasize that so-called pure energy work, which does not involve soft tissue manipulation or even in some cases touching, is not within our scope of practice. I have no problem if people want to take supplemental CE courses to explore this realm, but at the least perhaps the field can agree that energy work should not be included in basic training in massage. When I use and feel the usefulness of the word and concept of energy in massage, it is with the understanding that if we see ourselves as contacting not just the structure of the client but also his or her energy, we may be able to get more thorough, more complete positive therapeutic results. Many of the meanings of energy are not objectively verifiable. They are primarily subjective experience. But the content of massage is as much the subjective experience of wellness, of restored energy, as it is verifiable anatomical or physiological results. With these considerations in mind, I contend we would lose something quite important and helpful by dropping the word and concept of energy. Let those who prefer not to use it certainly feel free to not do so. And let those who prefer to use it, be assisted by being clearer in their concepts.
Posted on: Tue, 30 Dec 2014 18:00:01 +0000
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