Forward

The notion that improving the flow of energy in your body can improve your sense of wellbeing may seem quite foreign. We have all been taught to believe that the only solution to feeling better is to take over the counter and prescription drugs, and, in severe instances, have parts of our bodies cut out. I have no doubt that at some time in the future those approaches to wellbeing will be regarded as quite primitive just as we now regard blood-letting with leaches as a rather barbaric practice. Today, when speaking about the human body the word energy is generally thought of as just get-up-and-go or vigor. You might say, “I have a lot of energy so I think I will take a run.”

Consider machines for a minute. A car does not function properly unless energy in the form of electricity flows properly to the spark plugs. A computer does not function properly unless the electrical energy flows through the circuits in exactly the right way. A compass does not operate properly unless the magnetic energy flows properly through the needle. A television does not display the picture unless the electromagnetic energy flows through the air to reach the antenna. In all these examples, energy is not vigor or get-up-and-go, but, rather a force that somehow flows through the machine in prescribed manners and in prescribed pathways.

An excellent example is an ordinary flashlight. Imagine a flashlight that has the best case possible, a perfect halogen bulb, a well designed reflector, an excellent lens, a well-designed on/off switch, and the most popular brand of batteries. With that picture in mind, what is the key component to make the flashlight work? It is simple; the batteries must have just the right amount of energy flowing through them, through the switch, and through the bulb. If there is no energy, then the flashlight will be dead. If there is too little energy, then the light will be dim. If there is too much energy then the bulb will burn out.

Many different cultures have discovered that the human body is much the same as the flashlight. At the moment, Chinese Medicine is gaining popularity. It teaches that there are reservoirs of energy in the body and rivers of energy circulating through the body. Some of the rivers are like the Mississippi River and others are like small streams. These rivers supply the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and organs with the energy that they need to get their jobs done properly. If a river has too much energy, too little energy, or is blocked then the organs and tissues it supplies will not receive the proper amount of energy and, like the flashlight bulb, they will not function optimally. For example, if the stomach receives too little energy, then you may always feel like your stomach is full of food. On the other hand, if it receives too much energy, then you may always feel hungry.

Unlike a flashlight, the human energy system is highly sensitive to information contained in the energy itself. Every type of energy also contains information. Even the simple flashlight contains information about whether the light is on or off. Information in the human energy system is millions and millions of times more complex. It contains signals from the environment, signals from within the body, and signals that shape the construction of the body in the DNA itself.

In order for you to experience optimum wellbeing, your body batteries must be fully charged and the energy in those batteries must circulate properly through the rivers to supply the organs and tissues with the energy and information that they need. It is really just that simple. This book will teach you simple ways to get energy tune-ups.

An important source of energy in the body is the food that you eat. Certain foods enhance the production of energy. Chinese Medicine also teaches that particular foods optimize the flow of energy in particular rivers in the body. Of course, food also supplies the nutritional building blocks for the organs and tissues. So, the food you consume is an important topic of concern.

Conversely, toxins have a negative effect on the production and flow of energy in the body and result in negative biochemical effects. Toxins include chemicals, noise, electromagnetic signals, and even certain emotions and thoughts. Reducing or eliminating toxins is another major topic of concern.

Energy flow in the body may be significantly improved through the application of certain tools and techniques to specific locations, called “points” or “energy points”, on the body. That is the essence of the science and art of acupuncture. In Chinese Medicine, acupuncture needles are inserted into these locations and manipulated in particular ways in order to achieve desired results. This book does not attempt to make you an acupuncturist. You must receive the proper extensive training to become a qualified acupuncturist. However, there are alternative, modern tools that you may consider for properly stimulating locations on the body. These tools and the proper locations are the third major topic of concern.

Chinese Medicine is a form of medicine and, consequently, teaches specific ways to determine the presence of certain maladies in the body and combinations of points on the body that will treat them. You should be clear that this book does not do that. If you have a specific malady or western disease that you would like to treat with acupuncture, then it is important that you see a qualified acupuncturist fully trained in Oriental Medicine. This book will only present simple ways to use common points and safe tools to improve the overall flow of energy in the body and improve the overall state of wellbeing.

This book is designed to be a practical guidebook for taking actions that improve the state of wellbeing. It is not intended to be a manual to explain elaborate theoretical models or discuss the merits of one approach versus another. If you are a health care practitioner, then you may find many of the topics in this book already familiar. I suggest you skim through the areas that you are familiar with, because each area is at an introductory level. You may find some of the specific forms and techniques presented in this book useful in your practice.

If you are not a health care practitioner, then this book will be an introduction to many new concepts. In the workbook section you can find references for more reading material. However, the information in this book by itself is more than sufficient to make significant progress in rebalancing and revitalizing anyone’s energy. It is much more important to actually do something than to read. Using the many techniques presented here will start a path to health and wellbeing. Then additional reading may be done. The techniques and exercises presented in this book will work and produce results if used consistently.

The book is divided into four sections. The first section presents the theory that is useful to know. It is not the purpose of this section to stir debate among different theories. Its purpose is to give a framework in which to use the rest of the material in the book. If you are familiar with some other theory, find the points of similarity and not the points of difference. The second section contains the actual Natural Energy Balancing System. It describes the tools that are used in the system and details the methods for how to use them. The third section extends the Natural Energy Balancing System by discussing some specific conditions and how Natural Energy Balancing can be applied to them. The fourth section is a practical reference containing energy point locations on which to use the tools, forms to use to determine the points to use, and additional reading suggestions.