As many of you know, I am a strong advocate for the massage and bodywork field committing to understand energy as well as structure. My book’s subtitle is “How To Combine Structure and Energy in Bodywork.” I think exclusively structural and exclusively energetic bodyworks both have the weakness of not approaching things holistically.
For me, energy is a general and common sense term used to refer to things that are not obviously “physical” or “material”:
Thoughts, feelings, beliefs, sensations (much of what is considered psychology), spirit and soul (however you conceive of them) (“Energy – the strength and vitality required for sustained physical or mental activity.
A feeling of possessing such strength and vitality.”)
Then also electro-magnetism, force fields, waves, vibration, etc. (” Energy – the ability of a physical system to do work on other physical systems’)
I do believe there is a relationship between these two domains. However, it’s not very clear and many wishful energy thinkers just assume they are using physics terms accurately and scientifically, when they are in fact using them as metaphors. Of course, all words are metaphors, so I have no problem talking about waves when it’s clear I’m using poetry to evoke reality.
Here is a study with, I suspect, many holes but also likely some important truths. Feel free to read it – ideally to highlight what can help us see how structure and energy integrate. Also of course to note where they lose track for wishful thinking.
One part of me keeps thinking that trying to ground energy psychology in physics is off-base – another is intrigued to see how these realms indeed are related. I suspect we’ve got a long way to go! It’s important and exciting! Mind-body dualism, your days are numbered! 🙂
http://www.heartmath.org/research/research-publications/electricity-of-touch.html