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100 m a s s a g e & b o d y w o r k m a r c h / a p r i l 2 0 2 0 technique ENERGY WORK We usually ask clients about their goals at the beginning of a session. Typical responses unfurl a list of symptoms to relieve, broken bones (or hearts) to recover from, and nearly unlimited other desires for improvement. However great or small the healing objective, it will be much easier to accomplish these goals if the client can become aware of an even bigger mission—their life purpose. What do you think of when you hear life purpose? Maybe an immediate response pops into your mind. You might focus on anything from raising your children to running a business. Your thoughts might run more fundamentally (like getting your bills paid on time) or philosophically (like embracing love). There isn't a wrong answer, but it can be important to figure out whether your client has a genuine sense of purpose or not, for one vital reason. YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE: BEING CLEAR IS HEALTHFUL Studies have proven that people with a strong sense of purpose are less likely to develop sleep problems, have a heart attack, or die prematurely. 1 They also have less chance of getting Alzheimer's disease and are able to handle pain better and live longer. In fact, a study of over 73,000 Japanese men and women found that people life: feelings, thoughts, and perceptions. Though each of these pillars of purpose are partially formed from somewhat quantifiable energies, such as our genetics, biochemistry, and memories, they are more immeasurable than measurable. If you want to help a client uncover and relate to their life purpose, you have to find practical ways to address these three subtle characteristics. For instance, I worked with identical twins a few years ago. They had just celebrated their 40th birthdays and were both employed as accountants. Both lived in the suburbs, were married, and had two children. The twins came in because Betty was concerned about her sister, Beth. "Beth has everything she could ever want," pointed out Betty, who was sitting next to her haggard-looking sister. "But she's always unhappy." Beth was so dismal she could barely nod. Betty continued, "As you can see, she's too thin and can hardly take care of her job and kids. Honestly, can't you show her how happy she could be?" Beth admitted to having lost her appetite and being sad most of the time. She also felt aching and sickly, though doctors had ruled out a variety of diseases. Already on her third set of antidepressants, Beth hadn't "perked up," as her sister put it. Beth was experiencing an existential crisis. Her feelings, thoughts, and perceptions were telling her that her life lacked meaning, hence her psychological and physical downturn. Although the external factors of her life matched those of her genetically identical twin, Beth's soul was formed from different ingredients than Betty's. Feelings, Thoughts, and Perceptions How These Subtle Pillars of Purpose Can Help Your Clients By Cyndi Dale who have a strong connection to their sense of purpose, called ikigai, tend to live longer than those who don't. 2 As a subtle energy expert, I believe these statistics are even more compelling when viewed through the understanding of energy. SUBTLE ENERGY Subtle energy, often considered invisible and immeasurable, is largely comprised of quanta, the tiny particles that determine what appears or disappears in everyday reality. Though tiny, quanta are extremely powerful in that they organize physical energy. What does subtle energy have to do with a sense of our life purpose? There are actually three subtle concepts—or pillars of purpose—that feed into a meaningful