Massage & Bodywork

March | April 2014

Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/259468

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 112 of 141

110 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 1 4 technique ENERGY WORK VS When my oldest son was 3, he would only eat off a square plate. Nothing rounded, convex, or (worse) chipped. "Mommy, pointy corners," he would insist, "not stupid corners." He would even push away a bowl of ice cream if it wasn't domiciled in a perfect square. When it comes to food and kids, parents seldom have a vote, although we like to fool ourselves that we do. By the time my son was 4, nearly every dish in the cupboard was square. It took me a few years to fi gure out that Michael was on to something—something mystical, scientifi c, and powerful, and an idea that I incorporate daily into my healing craft. HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES Across time, and around the world, the use of shapes and symbols has been key in architecture, religious rites, design, communications—and healing. Archaeologists, anthropologists, and geometricians often use the term sacred geometry to describe the meaning and effects of shapes on the human body and psyche, but also on other living forms. After examining a few historical concepts about the power of shape, I'll turn to the scientifi c research that supports a practical integration of basic shapes and symbols into your healing practice. Mircea Eliade, a respected anthropologist, explores several cross-cultural symbols and their meaning in his book Images and Symbols (Princeton University Press, 1991). 1 One key image found around the world, including in ancient Babylon, Egypt, Greece, and India and in shamanistic cultures in the Americas and Asia, is the "Center of the World" or "Cosmic Tree." The Shape of Healing By Cyndi Dale

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of Massage & Bodywork - March | April 2014