Energy Healing: A Weekend At Omega Institute
Originally, I set out to do a simple question and answer interview with the inspiring Priscilla Bright, MA on her upcoming energy healing workshop with Anne Hoye September 16-18 at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY. But as soon as she spoke, I knew that wouldn’t do. In fact, once I heard not just the love but also the cadence of her voice, I quickly threw aside my list of questions and had the urge to drop to the floor and do a Wayne’s World style ‘We’re not worthy!’. But that’s exactly beside the point - because we’re all worthy, and with that mindset, one of the tenets of the Barbara Brennan method of healing, one can positively and profoundly affect their health and well-being in addition to those around them.
Energy healing is both a simple principle and extremely complex, as explained by Dr. Barbara Brennan, the former NASA physicist, renowned healer, best-selling author of Hands of Light, and founder of the Barbara Brennan School of Healing. But in the spirit of keeping this post brief, let’s just say that ‘vibes’ and the energy field in and around us has been proven to exist, and that working to heighten the frequency of this energy vibration can proactively transform the health of our bodies, mind, and even our life circumstance. If you don’t believe me, read this little post and you’ll see we’ve all experienced this phenomenon.
And this is great news for all of us, because it means the more we know about energy dynamics, the easier it becomes to choose what best serves us in life, and the less likely we are to be affected by someone else’s bad mood. In even more exciting words, when you understand how to strengthen your energy field, the possibilities to create positive change for yourself and others are endless! (And if you still don’t believe me, let me tell you that I found this work because I used its principles to help heal myself from chronic migraines)
But back to the lovely Priscilla Bright. Back in the 70’s, studying for her BA in Ecology, she looked at the effects of organic farming practices and basic (but again, also kinda complex) TLC for plants, she wondered about applying these principles to humans. While we’re now awakening to the effects of environmental, nutritional, and adrenal stress on our bodies (and still have ways to go to fully integrate this knowledge), at that time, the idea was relatively new to our industrialized culture. As was the idea of energy healing. Fast forward to the 80’s, with a Masters in Public Health from Boston University, Priscilla was working on corporate mindfulness programs and with health practitioners to help reduce stress levels in the workplace, when she came upon the book Hands of Light. She immediately saw the potential in such an approach and enrolled in the Barbara Brennan School of Healing.
At BBSH, she learned that by teaching people how to strengthen their energetic fields, they felt empowered, and were thus able to empower others - sometimes even just by STANDING next to them! In other words, when practitioners see their own highest potential, they're better able to see their clients strengths rather than weaknesses, to see them not as a suffering victim or mal-intentioned person, but to recognize their gifts. And if you think about the possibilities on a global scale…well just imagine! After several years as a teacher at the school, Ms. Bright became the Dean of the school working closely with Barbara Brennan. The healing school was founded in 1982 and has graduates from over 50 countries.
At the upcoming workshop at Omega, students will learn the basics of the technique. Of course, the proof is in the practice, but as we come together as a group near the peaceful Catskill park that lies just north of NYC, we’ll learn how to strengthen our auras, utilize intuition, and open energetic blocks. With more free-flowing energy, we can find our deeper purpose in life, perceive our unique gifts, and in turn see it in others.
I ask about the typical audience for her workshops, but now that energy work is becoming widely accepted, it varies. For the lay-person like myself, the benefits are obvious. She tells me there are a lot of healers (ie. nurses, therapists, acupuncturists) who come to learn how not to feel depleted at work, but instead keep up their own energy when dealing with clients. ’It’s not about a healer being able to fix a client,’ she tells me, ‘it’s about the healer learning how to be fully present for the patient, so they can empower that person to help themselves.’ This exchange serves both people.
Because I’m curious about the reach of this work, I inquire about Priscilla’s private healing practice in NYC. Her clients range from lawyers to healers to those who are chronically ill and wish to take their healing into their own hands. Priscilla tells me, ‘It’s very exciting. Energy healing is now where Yoga was 20 years ago. I believe that soon everyone will be practicing.’ And judging by how I feel at the end of call, I certainly hope she’s right.
The workshop will be led by both Priscilla Bright and Anne Hoye, current Dean of BBSH. Together, they have over 40 years experience teaching this work. To learn more about the upcoming workshop and Omega Institute, check out their website. And to find out more about Priscilla Bright, please visit her website. Last, for information on the Barbara Brennan School of Healing, please visit their website here.
Photo by: Nelly Volkovich
