Subtle Energy and Its Influence on Women
By Meredith Young-Sowers • Walpole, NH

When we have a diagnosis of any of the reproductive cancers (breast, ovarian, uterine, or vaginal) or any other major imbalance, we benefit from taking a much closer look at the flows of energy that directly affect our reproductive system and what we can do to restore balance and health.

Our entire reproductive system is most generally concerned with helping us build on our past. It holds the energy of the teacher, the builder, the creator, the pioneer, and the healer. But issues with our reproductive systems ask us to rethink and reframe our past in order to generate a powerful future and to be in touch with and live from our inner passion right now.

Subtle energy refers to the energy movement within us that we cannot see with our physical eyes, but we appreciate because we experience the results. We see and sense health and the lack of health, for example. We know when our head or heart aches and when we feel clear and aligned with our true self. Subtle energy is the essential architecture that supports our physical organs and systems.

In order to sense what is happening at a subtle energy level, we need to stop physical activity, get quiet emotionally and mentally, relax our need to find an immediate solution or outcome, and just sit with ourselves. In this way our intuition deepens to intuitive perception, or the ability to perceive what lives at the subtle energy level rather than only at the physically manifested level. For example, we might feel deeply tired, and after getting quiet for a little, we recognize our need for an hour without interruption. And so we clear our schedule for that hour.

When we sit quietly and without our normal agitation, even if we still have lots of disruptive thoughts going on, the immense power of our intuition and its next, more refined level — intuitive perception — can guide us toward the rebalancing agents we need. These are teachable moments when we’re open to a different way of approaching our illness or difficulties. This all happens at the subtle energy level.

Having plenty of physical energy is not to be confused with the movement of subtle energy. We can easily override our awareness of subtle energy imbalances with bursts of energy or adrenaline, which keep us moving in our single-minded focus on our goals and the outcomes of our efforts. When we are physically busy, we have our eye on what we want to happen tomorrow and how we will get there, rather than on the process we’re in right now and how we feel about what is going on in the moment.

The Three Levels of Healing

To understand the flows of energy that support our health, we need to be aware of the three levels of healing: physical, emotional, and spiritual. Physical healing comes from our life-long commitment to well-being and our awareness of all the body’s processes and our lifestyle and activities. We heal emotionally by changing the ways we react to others and ourselves: when we change our perspectives, we shift our attitudes and beliefs, which in turn affects our behaviors. In other words, our actions align with our refreshed way of perceiving the world around us. We heal spiritually by finding our place within the Great Mystery — or God — within us. This can be as simple as a prayer, a smile, or an alignment with what is good and lasting — that is Love.

These three sets of subtle energies are distinct to the degree that we can sense them individually, but they are not separate when it comes to our health. Imagine walking into a grocery store and picking up a head of broccoli, a gallon of milk, a box of dried noodles, and a package of shrimp. These are separate items, but once we combine them to make a casserole, their energies merge into a single dish. You can still distinguish the broccoli from the shrimp, but they have come together. Further, the freshness and health of each item is essential to the quality of the casserole. When the individual energy flows of our body are likewise compromised, the total state of our health is jeopardized.

Every organ and system in our body interacts in a complex and mysterious way. True healing must take place on all levels — on the level of the physical function of the organs and on the levels of the energetic functions of mind and spirit. When we interrupt one natural flow of energy, another is often able to compensate, keeping us from realizing the degree of imbalance that may actually be present. Eventually, as we age, the natural flows have more to contend with and so more care is required.

Whatever our age, however, the healing remedy we seek whether for active disease or prevention of illness, whether for a migraine or a heartache, requires we bring our attention home to our own deep heart. It is in this quiet inner sanctum that we find the support and guidance for our lives and the motivation to bring the best energy to our bodies and our lives.


Excerpted from the book Spirit Heals. Copyright © 2007 by Meredith Young-Sowers. Reprinted with permission of New World Library, Novato, CA. www.newworldlibrary.com or 800/972-6657 ext. 52.

Dr. MeredithYoung-Sowers, DDiv, is an expert in the field of integrative healing, focusing on the role that emotions and spiritual energy play in the healing process. She has developed the Stillpoint Model of Integrative Life Healing as a way to share her in-depth understanding of healing with students around the world. Her previous books include Wisdom Bowls and Agartha: Journey to the Stars. The Stillpoint Foundation website is www.stillpoint.org.