Children, tweens, and teens experience shamanic energy healing differently than adults. And working with them brings challenges we should all be aware of. Both as parents wishing to offer our tween to have a session and as practitioners working with children, tweens, and teens.
In the first post in the sequence of three, I referred to three challenging characteristics of shamanic energy healing with children: Can they really see energies, the effect of social awareness, and their permission.
In this post, allow me to reflect on tweens in shamanic energy healing and the challenges they offer us as teaching.
Tweens in shamanic energy healing sessions?
Tweens bring with them particular challenges to energy healing and shamanic energy healing.
When children enter their tween years (approximately ranging from ages 9 to 12, but different for each child), their mind enters the process.
It’s no longer about just experiencing. They ask questions and need to understand.
Children who are familiar with the language of energy
Some children grow up with an energy language at least partially present in their homes. This plays out in giving room to intuition, what the child or parent senses, children practicing mindfulness, yoga, meditation, or witnessing their parents practice some type of non-religious spirituality.
Maybe their mom uses the help of an energy healer or shaman.
Perhaps they know others whose work is in the various modalities of healing.
My own daughters have grown up together with my personal evolution. They have seen me meditate. They have supported me, and still do, when I participate in a class or lead one myself.
In many ways, they are a barometer for whether what I am doing is precise or not. If indeed it is right for me to participate in a class, or to teach one, even if this means I am not available for days—and in today’s reality, this means that I am in my office, traveling the world through zoom—they are supportive: They cook, take care of our four dogs and the laundry. They are extra helpful, allowing me the time and focus I need. And if it’s not precise, they are needy, and I can’t participate.
My daughters actually took it a step further, and almost two years ago, they initiated a group of their friends and their mothers who meet weekly for shamanic journeying—bringing the gift they experience communicating with their power animals and journeying for their own healing to our community.
But what about children/tweens who do not speak “energy” at home?
My daughters also have friends who do not speak this language of energy. At first, I was careful not to bring it into any conversation while next to them. Respecting their own parents’ choices of what they wish to expose their children to, or at least trying to.
Now, it is not me bringing it forth but my daughters. They share. They talk. It is who they are.
They also know who not to talk about energy with. They are always (true to this post) happy to explain to other children what their mother does.
I find it extremely important, serving as a beacon. Since if and when these children, who are less exposed to the language of energy, need to talk to someone who is conversant in it, they will have my daughters and me. And this is so important.
I wish I had known someone who spoke this language when I was young.
Energy language is more and more present. And when it is, it is much easier to communicate with the children about energy healing since they know and feel, and most have not forgotten that they are energy and love.
For many who are able to sense the energies, meeting an energy healer, who talks about it, gives them further confirmation of what they already know.
Are there children/tweens who don’t speak “energy”?
In my limited sample of observation, I tend to feel that those not speaking the language do not speak it because of fear.
Usually, fear inherited from their parents. Who closed this door because they either chose to or were made to forget. Forget what we all are. And if we are energy, we also need energy healing, as part of our healing modalities, together with other conventional methods.
This brings me back to why I strongly encourage parents to have a session before their child has one. Experiencing it is an essential building block.
A similar invitation to first experience is given to any child, especially tweens who have experienced energy and already have this door open, but are also starting to experience their own skepticism, or that of their parents or their friends.
It starts with trying. Merely encouraging the experience—as we encourage our children to experience and try many things in life. Often by giving an example or trying with them.
Further, in the case of energy healing, being there with them, respecting them, and asking for permission involves them in their own healing.
Some children will experience energy healing as a coming home.
Others will not connect to it. And that too is fine.
We are so rich in healing modalities that we can all find the ones we truly relate to.
Further Reading
Read here about the challenges of energy healing with teens… And here, about the challenges of energy healing with younger ages.
Next Steps?
Explore the Nurturing Your Child’s Energy Field and the Spiritual Techniques for Grounding FREE Resources.
Learn more about the Shamanic Journeying with Children and Teens Course. A Course for you, the parent (teens over 15 can participate with their parent present, learning and experiencing together) offering all the information (and beyond) that you need for you to guide your children, tweens, and teens on Shamanic Journeying.
