The Human-Energetic Complex and Bodywork

This article was featured in the September/October 2021 edition of Energy Magazine and was specifically written for bodywork practitioners.

Author: Marisa Chadbourne, LMT

As a bodywork therapist, it’s been my experience that every time we touch someone physically, we are also touching the person energetically. When a teacher told me this in college, I laughed to myself and thought, “not in my practice.” My plan was to become a sports massage therapist; there would be no need to concern myself with these silly ideas of energy. However… after a few months of practicing massage therapy, I began to understand what my teacher meant. Energy transference is real whether or not someone believes it’s possible. I was indeed starting to experience some of my client’s symptoms and it quickly became clear that what I was feeling was their energy. That made me wonder, if I was feeling their energy, were they also feeling mine?  About a year into my practice, I began studying with a friend and mentor to learn more about subtle energy. This began to stir up my curiosity, leading me to become fascinated with how the physical and subtle energy bodies work together.

All human beings consist of biological structure and subtle-energy; I like to call this the human-energetic complex. Similar to the mind-body complex, the two are never separate from one another and always communicating as one. When our physical structure changes, so does our energetic system and vice versa. In this article, we’ll be focusing on the human-energetic complex and the effects of bodywork, plus some simple tips to neutralize any energy transference that may occur.

When I’m asked to explain the human-energetic complex I often answer with a question: Why doesn’t the subtle energy system float away from the human body? My answer is always the same because the two cannot be separated. There’s a lock and key between structure and energy, which many believe occurs within our fascial system (a type of connective tissue).

Firstly, the fascial system is omnipresent throughout the human body as one continuous web-like structure connecting all parts and systems to one another. (1) It’s the only system that comes in contact with every other system. James L. Oschman refers to the network of connective tissue as “The Living Matrix” which acts as an electronic circuit with the capability of transferring energy very rapidly from place to place. Oschman writes “The present view is that the entire living matrix forms an electronic, protonic, and photonic network reaching into every part of the body” (2). A significant aspect of this matrix is that it’s primarily in a liquid crystalline form. For the purpose of this article, I’d like to focus on the parts that create this liquid crystalline structure and conduction of energy, the collagen, and ground substance.

Collagen is a protein that makes up forty percent of the human body and appears in the development of the human embryo just twelve days following fertilization. (1) Its long white fibers provide the fascial system with bio tensegrity and support while forming the structural fabric of the body. Collagen also acts as a biological semiconductor allowing energy to flow through this fabric for intercellular communication. It’s also important to note the giant arrays of collagen that form this structural fabric include other connective tissues and bones, which are also highly crystalline material. (2) Ground Substance is a mucopolysaccharide gel found in all of the body’s connective tissues, and can be looked at as the main ingredient for its production. (1) It can vary considerably from a watery sol-state to a viscous gel-state. We can also refer to it as liquid crystal water or H3O2. (3) The collagen forms membranes in the shape of microtubules to help control its fluid flow and pressure, creating rivers of cell communication and energy flowing through the entire body.

There is a great analogy from Tom Meyers, LMT, comparing our fascial system’s structure and fluid flow to a grapefruit. “Imagine that you could somehow magically extract all the juice out of a grapefruit without disturbing the structure within. You would still have the shape of the grapefruit intact with the rind of the dermis and areolar layers, and you would see all the supporting walls of the sections. Plus, we would see all the little filmy walls that separated the single cells of juice within each section. The fascial net provides the same service in us, except it is constructed out of pliable collagen instead of the more rigid cellulose. The fascial bags organize our ‘juice’ into discrete bundles, resisting the call of gravity to pool at the bottom.”(4)

Another interesting aspect of the fascial system are the seven horizontal bands of fascia that wrap around the torso. They are also referred to as body retinacula or body straps. Dr. Schultz describes these bands in his book called “The Endless Web”, as common fascial patterns “These patterns appear as straps—bands that we see running horizontally around the body, almost like retaining belts holding in the soft tissue. These are relatively independent of the muscle anatomy of the body. They are unexpected and unexplained, but they are visible soft tissue structures.” (5) What fascinates me about these bands is not only are they found at the level of the spinal junctions, but they also seem to line up with the traditional chakra system. Perhaps these bands also have a role in harnessing these energy centers in place because of their liquid crystalline nature. Additionally, there are vertical myofascial meridians that have similar patterns to traditional acupuncture meridians of energy. 

(Graphic: Chakra_Fascia)

The liquid crystalline properties of the fascial system play an impressive role in forming subtle energetic systems at the cellular level. The physical body and subtle energetic systems join together with these liquid crystalline components to form bioenergetic resonance, an essential building block of the human body. The flow and strength of our subtle energy systems rely on the energetic properties of our liquid crystalline structure. Scientists have begun to recognize that these liquid crystals possess some of the same energetic qualities of solid quartz. (6) They can also create, transmit, and receive biophotons. This quantum field of biophotons must be present for subtle energy communication to take place between the tissues and molecules. (7)

This amazing network is like a super highway for cell communication and energy transference, which can be affected by physical manipulation and subtle energy. Fascial types of bodywork change this super-highway by creating space for a smoother flow of energy — similar to clearing a traffic jam.

Now let’s return to Tom Meyer’s grapefruit analogy, “The fascia’s role of directing and organizing fluids within the body is primary to an understanding of how manual or kinetic therapy of this matrix can affect health. When you roll the grapefruit under your hand prior to juicing it, you are breaking up these walls and making it easier to juice. Fascial work does much the same in a human, leaving our ‘juices’ freer to flow.” (4) You can say that energy gets stagnated or stuck in soft tissue restrictions, like a dam blocking a river flow. We can soften these restrictions, opening the dams for better energy flow and cell communication. Once energy is no longer trapped, it can move freely and the human-energetic complex can provide optimal function and support.

It’s been my experience that when these soft tissue changes are made, energy transference between the client and practitioner can increase. All living beings and matter have a natural energy exchange between them, which can also be beneficial at times. When a practitioner facilitates soft tissue change, it makes space for energy movement and the possibility of transfer from energetic matrix to matrix. One of the first things I learned as an energy practitioner was to stay fully present and heart centered. This creates a safe space in which the client can feel energetically supported while they are being physically touched. It’s also so the practitioner has a grounded and strong energy field. When we have this presence, it lessens the likelihood of taking on the client’s energy. Here’s an analogy using a garden hose and a spider: the garden hose represents the practitioner’s energy field and the spider is the client’s energy. How would you stop the spider from climbing into the hose? You would turn the water on full strength so the spider can’t crawl inside,rather than just a trickle. When a practitioner is centered and fully present it’s like turning the water on full strength.

Here are some simple techniques that can be used to neutralize unwanted energy exchange. The best place to find this neutralization is in nature, particularly water, earth, and sunlight. There are electrons and negative ions found in nature, which naturally calm and ground us. You can step outside in between clients and place your bare feet on the ground, or simply let your body soak up the sunlight for a few minutes. When you’re finished for the day, try to use water by taking a long shower or bath. Personally, I like to imagine in my mind’s eye that the water is washing away any energy that doesn’t serve me as I watch it go down the drain. Play around with these to find what resonates and works well for you. I love how nature provides us with ubiquitous support, making its gifts always available to us! The human-energetic complex is a boundless system, holding a deep intelligence that can be accessed at any moment.

References

1. Juhan, Deane. (2003) Job's Body. Barrytown, New York: Barrytown/Station Hill Press, Inc.. Kindle Edition, location 1821, 1827, 1835, 1842, 1908, 1915 of 9794.

2. Oschman, James. (2016) Energy Medicine: The Scientific Basis. Elsevier Ltd., p. 145, and 169.

3. Pollack, G. (2013) The fourth phase of water: Beyond solid, liquid and vapor.

Seattle, Washington: Ebner & Sons Publishers, p. 32-33.

4. Meyers, Thomas W. (2014) Anatomy Trains: Myofascial meridians for manual and movement therapists. Elsevier Ltd., p. 18, 27-28, and 275.

5. Schultz Ph.D., R. Louis; Rosemary Do Feitis. (1996) The Endless Web. Berkley, California: North Atlantic Books. Kindle Edition, p. 54

6. 5. Gerber, R. (2001). Vibrational medicine: The #1 handbook of subtle-energy therapies, Third Edition. Rochester Vermont: Bear & Company, p. 251, 253.

7. 6. Dale, C. (2009). The subtle body: An encyclopedia of your energetic anatomy. Boulder, Colorado: Sounds True, p. 50.