How to Heal Yourself
2 October 2006, The Telegraph - Kolkata, India

H .S. Kumar, a senior manager at a Delhi-based software development firm, was facing a tough time in office when a recessive phase hit the software industry a few years ago. Projects were hard to come by and human resources had become scant, leaving the firm in a terrible fix. But instead of fretting through sleepless nights, Kumar, along with a few of his colleagues, did something that many cynics were tempted to call foolhardy — they regularly practised several exercises in pranic healing. “In a few months’ time, our company got more projects and began to recruit more engineers,” says Kumar. “Thanks to pranic healing, we got an opportunity to evolve as a business organisation”.

Unbelievable? That’s pranic healing for you. And healing business ventures is about as far as it can go. In between, of course, its followers claim it stands to heal everything you could virtually think of — the body, the mind, character, relations or even the house you live in. And while you’re at it, pranic healing, say experts, could also help you heal yourself.

This may seem to challenge the faculty of science, which has no room for paranormal or unfounded theories. And that, probably, is the reason why a large section of the medical fraternity tends to view practices such as pranic healing sceptically. “At most, alternative therapies offer instant relaxation, since they require patients to do deep breathing and de-stressing exercises. It has a placebo effect on patients who believe that these exercises are going to cure them,” says Delhi-based psychiatrist Sameer Parikh. “But to say that pranic healing could be a clinical cure for a disorder such as depression and could be as effective as medical intervention would be stretching it too far,” he stresses.

But several doctors also say otherwise. “In the past, processes such as Kirlian photography and aura imaging have proved the presence of an energy field around entities, and the fact that living beings exist within an energy field has been given the nod by science,” says R.K. Tuli, a qualified doctor, and currently head of the department of holistic medicine at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, Delhi. “Modern medicine has its limitations, in that it can only heal the physique, but falls flat when it comes to emotional healing. It is only with alternative therapy that a complete cure can be arrived at,” adds Tuli, who’s been dabbling in alternative therapy for more than three decades.

It was to unite the conventional with the alternative and get the best out of both practices that the Apollo group of hospitals founded a holistic medicine department at its Chennai unit eight years ago. “Subsequently, we opened similar departments in Delhi and Hyderabad, to offer our patients a complete wellness package,” says Anjali Bissel, spokesperson for the group.

As a mode of alternative therapy, pranic healing came to India about a decade ago, says Yulia Pal, trainer at the MCKS Pranic Healing Centre in Greater Kailash, New Delhi.

The therapy was the brainchild of Choa Kok Sui, a chemical engineer and businessman of Chinese descent who grew up in the Philippines and researched extensively on oriental forms of therapy to come up with the concept of pranic healing. The Pranic Healing Foundation was registered in India in 1997-98, and currently has 16 foundations across several Indian cities, including Calcutta, Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai and Bangalore, each of which runs several chapters across the city. “In the beginning, we would give free demonstrations and free healing sessions to people to popularise the therapy,” recalls Pal. “In due course of time, things picked up.”

The therapy essentially involves the treatment of energy — called ‘chi’ or ‘ki’ — as the basis of all existence. “All bodies in the Universe possess an energy field around them and exude energy that is their own into a vast medium where it mingles with energy released by other bodies,” says Hina Goyal, healer and head of the GMCKS Pranic Healing Centre in Vasant Vihar, New Delhi. “Energy can be either good or bad. And the role of a healer, under such circumstances, is to scan the body’s energy field, cleanse bad energies and infuse a fresh lease of good energy which contributes to healing.”

Energy, say healers, can be scanned through nodal points called chakras. The human body, according to pranic healing, has 11 such chakras situated along the central axis of the body. All a healer needs to do is scan these points and then proceed to eliminate bad energies. And the scanning is non-intrusive in nature — unlike Reiki, no touch is involved.

And since there is no physical touch at work, pranic healing doesn’t treat the distance between the healer and the patient as a factor. “Many of my patients reside in Dubai and Singapore, and I can treat them sitting right here in Delhi,” says Goyal. “Having a photograph of the person in front of me certainly helps, since it assists in concentrating on him or her, but that’s just about all it takes.”

But if it is really that effective, how well is pranic healing catching on in India? Comparative figures are provided by Annu Gupta, trainer at Y.V. Pranic Healing Centre, Rohini, Delhi. “When I learnt pranic healing about 10 years ago, we had training sessions once in six months. These days, we conduct a session every weekend,” she says. Through its years of operation, the Pranic Healing Foundation has trained about a lakh people in the basics of the therapy, claims Goyal. About 1,500 learn pranic healing every year in Delhi alone.

Today the aim of the grand master [Choa Kok Sui] is to have a pranic healer in every household, emphasises Goyal. If the current trend is an indication, that day may not be too far away.

Source: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1061002/asp/atleisure/story_6785552.asp

Healing Breath
14 September 2006, Hindu Business Line - India

What is prana? Why does this universal life force or bio-energy attract thousands who believe in its power to heal?

Its potent call was evident in the 2,250-strong, pan-Indian attendance during Philippines-born Grand Master Choa Kok Sui's 54th birthday celebration at Bangalore's Christ College auditorium on August 15. The founder of Modern Pranic Healing and Arthatic Yoga spent Independence Day interfacing with practitioners during an unusual third Indian visit this year.

The gathering included practitioners from among 90,000-plus Indian pranic healers, including 12,000 based in Karnataka alone. The attendees were drawn from 16 healing foundations across Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Delhi. That's besides international participants from Australia, Canada, Dubai, France, Italy, the Philippines and Sri Lanka. Master Choa's discourses drew a significant IT and BPO presence.

On August 16, over 520 pan-Indian pranic healers met him at Bangalore. At Kolkata, close to 1,000 people attended Master Choa's meeting on August 21.

The spiritual guru, whose 19 books, translated into 72 languages, have been published in 72 countries, is a big draw. He has been an annual visitor to India since 1991, when he taught an initial course at Kottayam.

This year, he also led the 7th World Pranic Healers' Convention at Mumbai from May 12 to 14. Today, Bangalore's M.S. Ramaiah Hospital has a Department of Pranic Healing, while the Apollo Speciality Hospitals in Chennai and Kolkata have pranic healing clinics.

No-touch system

To the uninitiated, what is pranic healing? It is an ancient no-touch system that uses the activated energy chakras in the human palm, known as chi in acupuncture, ruah or breath of life in the Old Testament, to self-repair the body. How? By revitalising the life force in the affected being or body part through its aura or electromagnetic field. An effective practitioner is re-energised while healing others.

Some facts seem significant. That pranic healing is intended to complement, not replace, allopathy. That healers are not medical doctors, but doctors can practice healing. That healers should not interfere with prescribed medications or treatments. Among participants at Bangalore, Kombli Rajagopal, 67, is managing director of the Planetary Peace Movement, which she co-founded with the guru in 1999. She teaches one of his popular works on meditation at Bangalore schools like Bishop Cotton's for Girls, Innisfree, New Horizons, and others. "To me, pranic healing is about a whole way of life. About positive attitudes which regard each problem as a challenge," she says in a telecon.

Way back in 1994, hers was a different perspective. Diagnosed with a major heart condition, allopathic practitioners had given her six months to live.

But Kombli learnt pranic healing from her 18-year-old son. "Once I healed myself, it gave me great self-confidence in my ability to be self-sufficient," she adds.

Challa Srishant, 23, a Hyderabad-based coffee exporter, was another attendee. His story is as dramatic: "Between the ages of 11 and 13, my parents used to take me to a pranic healer in case of any health problem. I called him a `magic doctor' because, with a mere wave of his hands, I'd feel better. When I turned 13, my mother asked me if I wanted to learn to heal others. I agreed, in anticipation of learning magic tricks! That was my introduction to spirituality. There's been no turning back since then."

How does Master Choa regard the overview? Some answers emerge from an e-mail interview with him.

Spiritual mission

When did he first feel the call of the spiritual? "At about 12 years, I had a natural attraction to paranormal and spiritual subjects. I graduated as a chemical engineer, then partially followed my family's tradition of business. Later, I shifted focus towards my spiritual mission," he responds.

Why did the ancient practice need a new lease of life? Master Choa says, "It could only be practised by an elite few. My job was to develop a very effective healing system, which ordinary people could learn in just a short period. Anybody can practise pranic healing now. The knowledge of being able to deal with simple ailments is quite empowering."

His spiritual gurus included Lord Mahaguruji Mei Ling, and his disciple Chohan Jig Mei Ling. By degrees, Master Choa has gone on to expand consciousness in multiple ways — including the current disciplines of Arthatic Yoga, Crystal Healing, Pranic Self-Defence and Superbrain Yoga.

What makes pranic healing stand apart from other alternative medical practices? "It is faster and more effective. It is non-invasive and does not require physical contact with the patient. The use of colour pranas at the advanced levels is unique; its techniques are more scientific," he stresses.

Why do some pranic healers often experience symptoms like vomiting, tummy upsets, heavy sweating, and so on? Master Choa clarifies, "Some healers do not follow the prescribed pranic healing procedure and end up absorbing some of the negative or dirty energies from their patients, thus causing their bodies to get sick. But such healers probably constitute less than five per cent of the practitioners."

Is modern pranic healing a distillation of other existing systems such as Chinese Chi Kung, Reiki, Christian `laying on of hands,' or the Tibetan healing arts? He says, "Yes, you could say it is a synthesis of the important points from each system. Healing was an art then, not a science. Our spiritual thesis was to develop the healing art into a fully developed healing science. The preparatory work began when I was a teenager. It took more than 18 years to develop Modern Pranic Healing."

In our age of scepticism, has it been tough to find global acceptance? "The closed-mindedness of people has been a major obstacle. Where people are willing to learn new things, pranic healing was easier to teach and propagate," Master Choa states.

Does he feel our world is ready for a major shift in consciousness? Master Choa says, "Evolution is inexorable and continuous. There will be not just one but most likely several more major shifts in consciousness, over the years. Greater awareness of energy healing systems is one such sign."

Can that be the last word? Perhaps not — until each of us is in touch with the healing touch of prana within.

Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/life/2006/09/15/stories/2006091500100200.htm

Hospital Group Chairman Healed By Pranic Healing

Dr. Pratap Reddy, the chairman of the Apollo Hospital Group in India, was cured recently by Pranic Healing. Please click the this link  to read a short article on his comments.

The Magnetism of Pranic Healing
1 May 2005, Articulations Deccan Herald - Bangalore, India

Have you ever wondered why sometimes you take an instant liking to complete strangers and other times even a friend’s presence makes you irritated? Well, it’s all in your aura. Human aura is the bio-electromagnetic field, which contains the blueprint of the physical body. The aura contains all the information about not only your body, but your mental, emotional and spiritual states as well. And this principle is the foundation for alternative healing methods like reiki, pranic healing, chakra cleansing, etc which focus on healing a person at the aura level to bring about her physical well-being.

These methods have come a long way from being just 'the last resort', to being accepted as scientifically tested and validated ways for good health. Which means, now you can give yourself some instant reiki to get rid of that headache after a long meeting at your workplace without attracting curious glances and raised eyebrows from your colleagues!

But for those who are still skeptical about alternative healing therapies, Jim Sorden, a senior certified pranic healer based in Santa Barbara, California, has some strong evidence to prove the effectiveness of such techniques.

He was part of a study conducted in one of the hospitals in Santa Barbara, California to test the effectiveness of pranic healing. The study proved that preparing birthing rooms by using pranic healing techniques had a positive effect on the birthing process and the condition of the patient after the delivery. (The details of this study are available on the website: www.pranichealing.org)

Pranic healing is an energy-based healing technique that works on the principle that the healing process is accelerated by increasing the flow of healthy energy or the healthy 'prana' which is also known as 'chi' (pronounced 'ki').

Explaining the principle behind this thousands of years old healing system, Danny Gorgonia, one of the main teachers for the World Pranic Healing Foundation in India, says, "Prana is in abundant supply all around us. Pranic healing is all about transfer of healthy prana to the patient through a set of techniques. Much before a disease manifests in the physical body of a person, its traces are found in the etheric body or the aura. When this etheric body is treated with healthy prana, it brings about the corresponding well-being in the physical body too."

Pranic healing is not a new concept as in the ancient times, it was widely used by spiritual teachers and healers to treat the patients. But like many other ancient holistic healing systems, it was relegated to obscurity till Grand Master Choa Kok Sui reintroduced it to the modern world in his book 'The Ancient Science and Art of Pranic Healing' in 1987.

Introduced to pranic healing in 1992, Danny says this holistic healing method changed his life in a way he had never imagined. "Working as civil liberties lawyer in the Philippines, I was involved in some legal matters concerning the Pranic Healing Foundation. That was when I first came to know of pranic healing. What it did to my health really changed my whole perspective towards life. I took it up as a hobby but slowly legal profession became my hobby and pranic healing a profession," he says.

“The spiritual experiences I have had after getting initiated into pranic healing have been tremendous,” says Jim Sorden, whose most touching experience as a pranic healer was in the year 1994 when an AIDS patient came to him for healing. "Within two months the patient could walk again and within three months he was back at his work. It's been 10 years now, and he is doing well," Jim says with a sense of fulfillment.

A pranic healing student is taught to scan patient's aura, identify the problem areas and infuse fresh prana into the aura through a set of techniques, which will heal the illness at all levels.

"Pranic healing reduces stress, improves interpersonal relationships and awakens the hidden potential in every human being," says N J Reddy, an electronics engineer from IIT, Delhi, who has been practicing pranic healing for the past 11 years.

An integral part of pranic healing, twin hearts meditation is a beautiful technique where one directs love and gratitude to flow from one's heart and crown chakras, and blesses the earth. "Twin hearts meditation is a way of giving one's thanks to the mother earth. In the process the blessings one receives in return are also immense," says Nandakumar, president of the Indian Association of Pranic Healers.

The All-India Pranic Healing Foundation Trust in Bangalore coordinates the activities of various Pranic Healing Foundations set up throughout India. Anapana Wellness and Research Centre, Bangalore, the research wing of the All India Pranic Healing Trust, is a multi-specialty rejuvenating centre that combines pranic healing with other alternative therapies to treat patients.