Heart’s Calling: Self-Healing Through Awareness
Cindy Libman, LICSW, LMFT, AEH
Pat Davies, MA, LP, LMFT, AEH
Many people today are becoming aware of their innate ability to heal themselves. Healing can
mean any kind of transformation of blocked energy – be it physical, emotional, or spiritual. In the
physical body, blockages can be experienced as tension, tightness, numbness, or pain. In the
emotional body, blockages can take the form of depression, agitation, fear, disappointment, or
grief. In the mental field, blocked energy manifests as negative belief systems, denial, and
judgments. Any discomfort in your body or in your life is a direct message that you are out of
alignment with your true Self. Messages of discomfort can be received through our senses, our
thoughts, or in the form of metaphors. As you become consciously aware of these signals of
discomfort, you can use the following practice of Awareness Release Technique (ART) to
release these blocked energies.
Stage One – Centering and Invocation
Sit quietly and begin to breathe. Consciously breathe deeply and evenly to facilitate a
connection to your inner guidance. Invite your higher Self (the higher, wiser you that is your true
Self) to guide you in this process. You can also call for the assistance of the universal energy,
God, or any other Enlightened Being. Take about five minutes for centering and invocation.
Your intention is to discover the core energy of a specific problem (physical, mental, or
emotional).
Stage Two – Awareness
Awareness is a quality of your soul. Allow your awareness to scan your body and show you
where it wants to work. Use your awareness like the beam of a light from a flashlight,
illuminating a particular place in your body. A sense of pressure or discomfort (physical or
mental) will show you where you need to begin. An energy block is a dense, unconscious, lower
frequency vibration – a stagnant energy. This is a very important step, because often simply
bringing your attention to the block begins to release it. ART brings awareness into the dense
energy, increasing its vibration so that it can begin to move. Continuing to focus awareness
there allows the energy to expand and reveal itself to you.
Stage Three – Identification
Imagine that the energy you’re experiencing could be seen. Begin to look carefully at the
size, shape, color, and texture. Feel into it and expand your heart. You want to get as much
information about this energy as possible, because with information comes understanding. The
more clarity you have, the easier it will be to release. Ask yourself these questions:
.. Where is it? Pinpoint the exact location in the body.
.. Are there borders?
.. How big is it?
.. Is it contained in the body or does it expand out of the body?
.. What shape does the energy take?
.. Does it have a color?
.. What is the texture?
.. Is it hot or cold?
.. Are there any sounds or words associated with the energy?
.. What does the energy have to say to you about the problem?
Stage Four – Release
The release begins the moment your awareness touches the energy. The awareness goes
into the block, expanding it. As it expands, you may get in touch with the deeper emotional
aspect of the problem. The release may begin subtly and build with time until there is a moment
when a push is needed. Often sound or physical movement helps the energy to begin to
release. Remember that the blockage may have many layers, because it may have been
repressed for years out of fear and denial. Just soften, breathe, and allow the energy to move
as it wants to.
Continue to breathe consciously, allowing the higher Self to work through you rather than
trying to figure everything out. Breathe, wait, watch, be patient, and trust the process – holding
loving kindness for yourself and the energy. Each block is a teaching for the soul. As the energy
is released, you may feel a shift, feel or see light, and have a greater sense of your true Self.
Stage Five – Integration
After the release, a vacuum exists where the energy was. The integration stage involves
filling of the vacuum with the qualities of your essence that were obscured by the blockage.
These are qualities such as unconditional love and freedom. The more awareness you bring to
it, the more your true essence can fill the space.
Stage Six – Gratitude
You’ll know that healing has occurred when a feeling of gratitude wells up and expands your
heart. Sit and breathe this energy of gratitude until you feel complete. There is a sense of well-
being, connection to yourself and others. There may be a sense of deep calmness and even
bliss. To ground this experience, you might journal, draw, or create a symbol or affirmation that
represents the transformation. This is a process that takes practice and can facilitate deeper
and deeper healing with repeated use. Working (either individually or in a group setting) with
others who have experience with ART can often be helpful.
Note: Dr. Robert Jaffe taught this process in his energy school. It was expanded on and taught
to us by AlixSandra Parness, founder of the Inner Focus School for Soul Directed Advanced
Energy Healing (www.InnerFocus.org).
