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After working as a massage therapist for several years, Marjorie Fein grew bored with bones and muscles, and pondered which way she wanted to go next with her wellness learning journey.
As it happens, she took a continuing education course and absorbed the principles so deeply that she became a teacher herself.
The course she took introduced Fein to the teachings of Eden Energy Medicine founder Donna Eden. According to Eden's website, the teachings are based on a transformational healing modality that empowers the individual with tools to improve mind, body and spirit using one’s own body energies to lead a more vibrant life.
That attracted Fein, who said she wanted to work with a broader range of people as she tried to figure out whether to study nutrition or acupunction. Then she took a course Omega Institute here in Rhinebeck.
"Literally, the only reason I took on this course is that it was the only class that gave me continuing ed credits for my license," Fein said during a phone interview from her home in Woodstock. "I had no idea who she was or what she did, and I really fell in love with it for a couple of reasons. One is that there's absolutely no dogma about it. People get into this work from being teachers, therapists, physical therapists, massage therapists, doctors, and acupuncturists, and Donna's whole thing is to take this work and make it and use it in whatever way works for you. The other thing is that we use something called kinesiology or muscle testing.
“So, for example, if I have ten clients who all have irritable bowel syndrome, we are all completely unique people, and so there's no cookie-cutter formula. We use the muscle testing. We call it energy testing, to assess the energy systems so that each individual gets a completely individualized treatment,” she said. “So I love that because it means that anything I do, it's because your body told me it needs that, not because I had an idea that I thought was brilliant.”
Fein will be in Batavia to teach two Eden Energy classes on Sept 28 at Batavia First Presbyterian Church, 300 E. Main St., Batavia.
“I met Donna in 2002, and I was already a massage therapist. I started blending this into my work. I've been doing this full-time as an energy healer, probably since 2003, so it's been pretty much my main modality for the last almost 22 years."
After doing bones and muscles for as long as she did, she was looking for a new approach to help people heal.
"One thing is that we really teach people self-care," Fein said. "We teach them how to do techniques on themselves so that they get the power. I mean, this is kind of my mission statement, giving people power and authority over their own life experience, physically, emotionally and spiritually."
Eden's work about energetic modalities, which is called an energy system, she said.
"Just like we have a physical body that has, I think it's nine organ systems, a respiratory system, a cardiovascular system, a digestive system, each of those systems has a completely different form and function, and all of those have to work together to create a healthy whole,” she said. “We also have energy systems. So, for example, Chinese medicine acupuncture uses an energetic system called the meridian system, and they stick needles in points along the meridians. If you go to someone who practices Ayurveda, they work with the energy system called the chakras, and they move and work in a completely different way.
“What I love about Donna's work is that we work with nine different systems, and we work with them simultaneously,” she said. “So that way, for one person, if you have an irritable bowel, the core issue might be in the meridian, for someone else in the chakra, or for someone else in the aura. So understanding those nine systems and having the muscle testing to let the body tell us where the core issue is, it allows us to track the human in front of us, rather than use a cookie cutter protocol for any one ailment.”
The basic premise of energetic healing, she said, is that anything that is happening physically or emotionally within someone’s body has an energetic core to it, and the body and emotions express what is happening energetically.
“Like Einstein, we believe that energy creates matter, so we work with this creative force of the body, the energies and then the body and the emotions express differently,” she said. “So, whereas Western medicine is usually what I would call reactive medicine, you have an imbalance, there’s something wrong, and then you treat the symptom, but you’re not treating, in most cases, what actually created the problem in the first place.”
During each class, Fein will provide some education about the subject matter and then allow attendees to approach her one at a time so that she can work with them to get a sense of what’s going on with their particular energy system.
These last several years have meant an uptick in cases of increased stress due to the pandemic, political turmoil, climate change and overall negative undercurrent, she said. And when you are under stress, your body goes into “fight or flight” mode, which is a primitive response that can then trigger physical, emotional and/or spiritual responses and symptoms, she said.
That, in turn, can lead to poor digestion and healing. While the stress can serve a purpose and is meant to be short-term, when it continues and is ongoing, “it takes a toll,” she said.
All of your resources are going to the stress. However, if people can build up resilience, “you are reclaiming those resources,” she said.
Fein is an advanced practitioner and a founding member of Eden’s faculty since it began in 2005. She has developed a full-time practice with Eden Energy and works with clients, teaches workshops and writes about the topic.
There are two classes available and they are interactive with group attendees, she said. If you are someone that feels like no matter where you go you’re a target, and you experience physical or emotional symptoms; you feel bloated every time after eating or gain weight no matter how much you diet, it may very well be related to stress and your energy, which are examples of something Fein can test for, she said.
Classes are:
Class 1 - Easy Does It will deal with emotional distress, and focus on stress, anxiety and depression, which she believes Western medicine has little to offer beyond medication. Energy medicine gives the tools to build resilience to life’s stressors as well as how to calm upsets when they bubble up.
“When we are at ease emotionally, every aspect of our lives is improved,” she said. “We heal better when we feel better.”
The workshop session will include practical skills of easy-to-apply techniques that one can use in every day situations to calm the mind and boost stress resistance; emotional relief techniques to reduce the way your distress expresses itself; self empowerment to gain tools and take control of your emotional state any time and anywhere; and help for loved ones that may be suffering.
Class 2 - Make Friends With Your Food will involve energy medicine for healthy digestion. This workshop includes practical techniques to support and strengthen the organs of the digestive system, and lifestyle guidelines that promote healthy and happy mealtimes.
Cost is $75 per class or $125 for both. Registration deadline is Sept. 26. For more information or to register, go HERE.
