Finding Healing, a Healer, meditation groups, etc.
How do I find healing or spiritual activities in my community, or find a healer? At first glance it can seem like nothing is happening. However chances are very good that there are people involved in these activities in your community or nearby. The following is a list of ideas on finding what you seek.
One thought: there is as wide a variety of people involved in healing and spirituality as in the general population. If the activity you are considering does not offer a warm and open face, remember that you are looking to nourish yourself, not to immerse yourself in the conflicts of others. If the message is high pressure, so are the personalities behind it. Until they can move beyond that, they will not be able to teach you to do so either.
> Look for small bookstore specializing in books on psychology, healing, occult and spiritual paths. Check their bulletin board and ask at the counter.
> Weekly newspapers that cover entertainment or alternative perspectives list community events (keep checking) and may also have ads or specific listings. Also be on the lookout for local monthly publications devoted to change, healing, spirituality - these are often distributed free.
> Find a meditation group in your area and ask people there. If the group focus is that their style of meditation is the only beneficial one, find another meditation group.
> If there is a center where workshops, dance, yoga or Tai Chi is held, see if they have a bulletin board or can give you a lead.
> Health, Wellness and Metaphysics expos are popular in some areas. Go to one and ask lots of questions.
> Coop or organic food store bulletin board.
> Practitioners may band together to share a space/center. Sometimes these centers can be found under psychotherapy or massage in the phone book (though they offer much more). Locally we have names such as "The Awakening Center", "LifeWorks", "SoulWorks", "Hinesburg Healing Arts".
> Adult education schools sometimes have introductory meditation, Tai Chi, Chi Gung and other classes. Usually you can get the instructor's phone number and talk to them before signing up.
> The Sufis offer "Dances of Universal Peace" (simple dances and chants from all over of the world, fun and you don't need to be a dancer) and "Universal Worship Service" (a worship service honoring all the sacred traditions of the world) to the public.
Practitioners
If no luck with options above, try the following:
> Ask a massage therapist for a referral. A few do energy work also.
> Phone book under health or holistic practitioners. Most will not be listed.
> Barbara Brennan School has a website - ask for referral (I am not a graduate, nor are many of the people who practice styles similar to her description in book "Hands of Light").
> Sufi Healing Order website - this is spiritual healing but some of the members use energy techniques. Ask for referral from one of the Contact people in your state but be aware that they may not know which members work with energy. (This is not a large organization. I am a member).
Is this practitioner for you?
Healing requires trust. After you meet any practitioner, I recommend you first ask yourself if you inherently trust this person - ask your feelings and intuition. It's OK to be anxious about what may come out of working with a practitioner but if you have any doubts about the person themself, go elsewhere. If you have a strong gender preference in practitioners, honor it. Different styles of healing work suit different people. If nothing is happening after three sessions, either you and the practitioner (or the work) don't click or you are not quite ready for the level of work. Try another style or direction. If you feel nothing is happening and you are a person of strong expectations, keep in mind that healing follows its own direction and healing that is not related to your expectations often needs to occur first.
Another thing to consider is whether you want your healer to have a spiritual perspective to their work. Since spiritual growth is a personal process, it is not part of many training programs. Yet many healers find it important. The basic spiritual perspective is that you are already perfect and whole at your inner level. Then part of the process of healing is one of discovery of ourselves, of who we really are. This contrasts with another common perspective where there is something wrong with you that must be "cured" or eliminated.
Good luck in your journey
Healing techniques can be very dry and mechanical. It is the practitioner and the client who supply the intuition and the heart to the work. And the heart is the gateway to healing, compassion and spirit.