Dubai-based community of pranic healers: Healing illness and anxiety with energy flow
Pranic healers explain complementary method that works in rhythm with your body
Dubai-based Gauri Bhatia’s recovery in 2014 was nothing less than a miracle. The veteran pranic healer, who has been in the emirate for the past 33 years, recalls her endless struggles with health. “It was never good. I had back issues, and migraines all the time. My health never stayed well,” she notes. In 2014, it took a rather dark turn as she fell ill and had to go to Mumbai, India to consult with doctors about her spine. Confined to wheelchairs and a bed for months, she was told to undergo surgery from different doctors. They told her that the surgery could lead to paralysis.
By chance, her sister-in-law put her in touch with a Dubai-based pranic healer. “She explained to me what pranic healing was, a no-touch, healing modality. So she started my healing,” says Bhatia. The first session seemed promising, and Bhatia felt better, though she thought it was a coincidence. As the sessions continued, she realised she was healing. “I still remember the day that I could get up from the bed, and take a walk on the balcony. I could see the sun shine and I felt the energy around me, and I could feel the changes in me,” she says.
Finally, after taking classes on pranic healing in Mumbai, she returned to Dubai without surgery. Later, Bhatia, after her course on pranic healing, took small steps to heal others from pain and aches. At first, as she saw remarkable changes, she thought that it was a coincidence. Her belief became in pranic healing became solidified as she saw more people recovering from her healing, including people with crippling pain.
Bhatia is one of the many from the Dubai-based community of pranic healers from Golden Lotus Pranic Healing Meditation Center, Dubai, whose lives changed after adopting this method of healing. It’s not a replacement for modern medicine by any means, as the healers emphasise clearly. Simply put, it’s about channeling the energy around you, to heal yourself. “Pranic healing is completely complementary, we do not interfere with the doctor’s medication,” says Bhatia. “We work on the energy system of the body,” she says. “We do not interfere with what doctors say, or regular medical treatment or medications," she adds.
What is pranic healing?
This method of healing is all about utilising the energy around you, or ‘prana’ as it is called in Sanskrit, and healing the afflicted part of you, explains Dubai-based Shanu Anand, who has been a pranic healer for several years, leaving behind her profession of banking. As she reveals, the Founder of Modern Pranic healing and Arhatic yoga is Grand Master Choa Kok Sui, and she was introduced to pranic healing by Prakash Balgopal, the head of pranic healing Middle East from GMCKS Pranic Energy Healing centre in 2001. There are several sources of energy, most of which come from the sun, air and earth. Even walking barefoot on grass can give you a different energy, adds Anand. In pranic healing, you need to be aware of the different energies around you, in order to heal yourself.
“For life to exist in you, you need to have life energy,” she says. “So, you need to increase the life energy in a certain part of you,” she says. The healer, then ‘transfers’ life energy from the environment to the patient, through a series of ancient and rather esoteric means, without touching the person. As the energy is transferred, healing is accelerated. “The healer is just a channel,” she explains.
Explaining the concept of aura and chakras that are central to understanding pranic healing, Bhatia says, “In simple layman’s terms, it’s like a car that has four wheels. If one of the wheels are punctured, it won’t function properly. The same thing in our human body, we have aura that is all around us, which is an invisible energy force-field. It differs from person to person. In this energy system, there are energy centers, known as Chakras. In our energy system, we treat the chakra that’s affecting that part of the body,” she says. Chakras are responsible for controlling and energising ograns and parts of our body.
There are two major techniques in pranic healing, cleansing and energising.
Cleansing
When you fall and get injured, you clean the wound first, before applying any ointments or bandage.
In the same way, a patient who comes for pranic healing, goes through ‘scanning’ first, where the healer assesses the energy and the chakras around the person. We scan and see where the energy is congested, or if it is depleted, explains Bhatia. “We first see what the root cause is, she says. And then, the cleansing begins.”
Cleansing is at it sounds, you “clean” out the dirty and negative energy surrounding a person. The body has numerous ‘chakras’, which are the energy centers that supply life energy to vital organs, explains Anand. When this chakra is contaminated or dysfunctional, owing to the person’s anxiety and stress, the psychological functioning of the person will be affected too. “So, we cup our hands and sweep the dirty and diseased energy from the affected part and throw it into a bowl of salt. When the dirty energy is cleansed, we sufficiently energise the chakra,” she says.
The body has numerous ‘chakras’, which are the energy centers that supply life energy to vital organs. We cup our hands and sweep the dirty and diseased energy from the affected part and throw it into a bowl of salt. When the dirty energy is cleansed, we sufficiently energise the chakra...
In pranic healing, the healer will move their hand in a sweeping motion few inches away from the affected part or chakra to remove the dirty and diseased energy and throw this into the salt bowl. This process continues, till the chakra and part is sufficiently clean of the dirty energy.
Energising
Now you need to be filled with positive energy. How does that happen?
“We go into the chakras controlling that organ, which is what we learn in the Pranic healing course,” explains Bhatia. Every person is different, though the ailments might be similar. "The major chakras or energy centers not only control and energise the internal organs, but also control and affect ones's psychological conditions. The major chakras have corresponding psychological functions. By treating the chakras, the patient will be healed,” she says.
The major chakras or energy centers not only control and energise the internal organs, but also control and affect one's psychological conditions. The major chakras have corresponding psychological functions. By treating the chakras, the patient will be healed..
‘It’s all about taking charge of your life'
For Coelho, pranic healing is all about taking charge of her life and it empowers her. Recalling her journey to pranic healing, she says, “I was working in a construction environment, which can be stressful. I had two small sons, and it was all becoming so exhausting. I was busy juggling between work life, family needs, and would ensure even little things like helping them finish their homework.”
The emotions of work stress and lack of self-love began to feel overwhelming, as she realised that she was taking all her frustration out on them. “I knew that they were not doing anything wrong, but I needed to change my attitude towards life. I started going for Twin Heart Meditation," she says.
As she immersed herself in Pranic Healing, she felt more ‘informed’ and was able to handle her life better, by paying attention to her personal and work life. Finally in 2017, Coelho left the construction industry and took to pranic healing full-time. “Instead of looking for answers outside, I looked within. Now I teach people to take control of their lives,” she says. “You need to be aware about the energies surrounding you and cleansing the negative ones,” she adds. It’s also the belief that you can emerge victorious, and not be overwhelmed by negativity around. “Everything is energy, and it can be changed, if you work on it systematically, you can see the difference it makes to life's challenges," she says.
Instead of looking for answers outside, I looked within. Now I teach people to take control of their lives. You need to be aware about the energies surrounding you and cleansing the negative ones...
Coelho mentions pranic healing offers relief and healing from not only physical ailments but also stress, anger, bitterness, sadness, depressions or addictions will be gradually reduced and even removed over time with regular healings.