5 Energy Healing Techniques and What Each One Involves
Energy healing techniques are practices that work with the body’s energetic or emotional systems to support overall wellbeing. The five most widely recognised approaches are the Emotion Code, the Body Code, Reiki, acupuncture and EFT tapping. Each targets different layers of the body-mind connection, from trapped emotions to physical energy flow, and can be used alone or alongside conventional care.
What is the Emotion Code and how does it work?
The Emotion Code is an energy healing technique developed by Dr Bradley Nelson that uses muscle testing (applied kinesiology) to identify trapped emotional energies stored in the body. Once identified, a practitioner releases the emotion by running a magnet or their hand along the Governing Meridian, the energy pathway that runs along the spine, typically three times. Sessions can be conducted in person or remotely, because the work operates through the body’s energetic field rather than physical proximity.
The premise is that unresolved emotional experiences leave an energetic imprint. These imprints, or “trapped emotions,” can influence how you feel physically and emotionally long after the original event has passed. Clients often describe a sense of lightness or unexpected emotional ease following a session, sometimes after carrying a particular heaviness for years. Because the process is gentle and non-invasive, it tends to suit people who feel overwhelmed by talk-heavy approaches or who simply want to explore what might be sitting beneath the surface.
What does the Body Code involve and how is it different?
The Body Code is an expanded energy healing technique, also developed by Dr Bradley Nelson, that builds on the Emotion Code. Where the Emotion Code focuses specifically on trapped emotions, the Body Code uses a comprehensive map of six categories of imbalance: energies, circuits and systems, toxins, pathogens, structural issues and nutritional deficiencies. A practitioner works through this map using muscle testing to locate the root cause of a presenting issue rather than addressing only its symptoms.
Think of the Body Code as a more detailed investigation. A session might reveal that a persistent tension in the shoulders is linked to a trapped emotion from a decade ago, a nutritional need or a structural imbalance held in the body’s energy field. The practitioner then works to correct each imbalance found. For people who feel that something is “off” but have struggled to identify exactly what, this layered approach can feel genuinely illuminating. Like the Emotion Code, sessions are equally effective in person or at a distance.
How does Reiki support the body’s energy?
Reiki is a Japanese energy healing technique in which a trained practitioner channels universal life force energy through their hands, either placed lightly on or just above specific areas of the body. The goal is to clear stagnant energy, reduce stress and encourage the body’s natural capacity to restore balance. Sessions are quiet, restful and deeply relaxing, and are typically conducted on a massage table with the client fully clothed.
Reiki originated in Japan in the early twentieth century through the work of Mikao Usui, and has since spread widely into complementary health settings around the world, including hospital programmes in several countries. Practitioners hold each hand position for several minutes, moving systematically from the head to the feet. Many people report a warmth or tingling sensation during treatment, though experiences vary. Reiki is a wonderful example of a “doing nothing” practice, where the invitation is simply to receive, rest and allow the body to respond in its own way.
Please note: Reiki is an educational example included here as a well-known energy healing modality. Zoe Bentley Healing specialises in the Emotion Code and Body Code, which are the core techniques offered through this practice.
What is acupuncture and where does it sit in energy healing?
Acupuncture is one of the oldest energy healing techniques in recorded history, rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and practised for over 2,500 years. It involves inserting very fine needles into specific points along the body’s meridian system, the network of energy channels through which qi (life force) is understood to flow. When qi is blocked or unbalanced, the theory holds that physical symptoms and emotional distress can follow. Acupuncture aims to restore flow.
Modern research has explored acupuncture’s effects on the nervous system, with some studies pointing to its influence on pain signalling and stress hormones. It is used widely for chronic pain, digestive concerns, anxiety, sleep disturbance and hormonal balance, among many other applications. Acupuncture is performed by licensed practitioners and sits at an interesting intersection: it is one of the few energy healing modalities that has been formally integrated into mainstream healthcare settings in Australia and internationally.
Again, acupuncture is shared here as context for a broader conversation about energy healing. It falls outside the scope of what Zoe Bentley Healing offers directly.
How does EFT tapping work as an energy healing practice?
EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques), often called tapping, is an energy healing technique that combines elements of cognitive therapy with acupressure. A person uses their fingertips to tap on a sequence of meridian endpoints on the face, collarbone and hands while verbally acknowledging a specific emotional or physical concern. The process is designed to reduce the intensity of the emotional charge attached to a memory, fear or physical sensation.
EFT was developed in the 1990s by Gary Craig, building on the earlier work of psychologist Roger Callahan. One of its most accessible qualities is that it can be self-applied, making it a practical everyday tool. Research published in journals including the Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine has found reductions in cortisol levels and anxiety symptoms following EFT sessions, lending it a growing evidence base among energy healing approaches. Many people begin with a practitioner to learn the process and then continue independently at home.
EFT is a wonderful self-care tool worth exploring if you are drawn to working with emotional intensity in a gentle, body-based way. Like the other modalities here, it is offered as educational context. The work at Zoe Bentley Healing centres on the Emotion Code and Body Code, which offer a similar focus on emotional release through the body’s energy field, with the added benefit of a practitioner guiding the process on your behalf.
Which energy healing technique might be right for you?
The best energy healing technique for you depends on what you are looking for and what resonates. If you are carrying emotional weight that does not seem to shift no matter what you try, the Emotion Code offers a direct pathway to identifying and releasing specific trapped emotions. If your concerns feel more complex or layered, perhaps involving physical symptoms, persistent patterns or a sense that multiple things need attention at once, the Body Code provides a more comprehensive map to work from.
Approaches like Reiki, acupuncture and EFT tapping each have their own beautiful strengths and are well worth researching if you feel called to them. What most of these techniques share is a fundamental respect for the body’s intelligence and its innate desire to move toward balance. They treat the whole person rather than isolating a single symptom, and they work gently rather than forcefully.
If you are curious about what trapped emotions or hidden imbalances might be influencing your life right now, the most grounding next step is simply to experience a session and notice what shifts. You do not need to have it all figured out beforehand. The body tends to know what it needs, and a skilled practitioner can help you hear it.
Book an Emotion Code or Body Code session with Zoe Bentley Healing