While most people will never give up their access to conventional medicine, many have and are expanding their treatment options to include alternative methods, from using herbal medications to Traditional Chinese Medicine to a whole host of energy healing methods. The list of what's available is so extensive that people new to the energy healing world can become overwhelmed, and they may end up choosing an inappropriate form or giving up altogether. For beginners who have not received a recommendation for a specific form of energy work, looking at easy, minimal-touching, or non-touching methods is a start.
1. Reiki
Reiki involves a trained practitioner letting universal energy flow through them and into you, essentially cleansing and recharging your energy. This is not a situation in which the person feeds you their energy; they merely act as the channel between energy and physical form. Reiki usually involves some light touching up and down your body, from your scalp to your feet; it should not involve touching anywhere that is of a sensitive nature. If you have aversions to being touched or don't want to be touched in specific areas (e.g., the lower abdomen, an old injury site), speak with the practitioner first to set boundaries.
2. Chair Yoga
Yoga in all its forms has many fans, and you can choose between too many styles to list here. For beginners who do not have the best balance or who are not fans of doing anything on the floor, there is a form of chair yoga you can try. This is a gentle form that lets you sit in a chair as you stretch and form poses. You may also want to look at non-stretching types of yoga such as yogic breathing.
3. Acupressure
Acupressure is a variation on acupuncture in which pressure points are pressed physically but not poked with needles. If you've been interested in acupuncture but don't like the idea of all those needles, acupressure is your thing. Obviously, acupressure relies on touching, so it's not suitable for those who don't want to be touched at all. If you are OK with some touching but don't want that on various parts of your body, you may want to look at reflexology, which is essentially acupressure but on the feet and hands only. If you're interested in more esoteric forms, you may want to try Jin Shin Jyutsu, a form of pressure that promotes energy balance in the body.
4. Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)
Not quite acupressure but still involving hitting certain points to rebalance energy is EFT, which several sites have promoted as "tapping." This uses quick, light tapping motions on various body points to help release energetic blockages and limiting beliefs. The practitioner has you identify an issue you want to release, which can be emotional (e.g., money blockages) or physical (e.g., sensitivity to fragrances), and the two of you try to drill down and find the real feelings behind the issue.
For example, your money blockages may have started when your parents repeatedly took the paychecks that you earned as a teen, making you subconsciously believe that you don't deserve to keep the money. You'll work out a statement to say in a specific format while the practitioner taps certain points that are usually on your head, hands, arms, and neck or shoulders.
There are additional techniques like Alexander and Feldenkrais. Take time to start reading up on some. Let yourself just choose whatever sounds good, research it a bit, and then either look for a practitioner in an energy healing directory or move on to research another modality.
