27/05/2026
Over the weekend I completed 3 days of intensive training in Shamanic Womb Massage, and yesterday I went through what I believed to be a 'healing crisis'.
This sounds quite dramatic! And in the moment it can feel pretty crappy 😩
No matter how long I’ve done this work, I still sometimes forget how powerful it can be — until I’m suddenly reminded in the most intense and often unexpected, way.
So I wanted to do a post to highlight what a healing crisis is and what a healing crisis/process might look like.
What is a 'healing crisis'?
A healing crisis can be "defined as a time during the release process when old symptoms temporarily resurface, moving you from the chronic stage back through the acute phase of the problem while on the way to true healing.
As toxins are released from all levels of your being, you may experience one or more of the following symptoms: flu-like symptoms, fever, headache, sore throat, coughing, aching joints and muscles, tingling sensations, nausea, constipation, and diarrhea. Temporary changes may also take place in your sleep habits such as needing to sleep more often and longer or being wide awake when you normally sleep."
(Taken from reiki.org.uk)
These are just the physical symptoms, it is also possible to experience emotional symptoms such as deep emotions and memories resurfacing, negative feelings or thoughts, and questioning of beliefs and self identity.
This can occur from any energy work such as:
Massage
Reiki
Reflexology
Breathwork
Sound bath/healing
Yoga
And many more
This is just scratching the surface, as there is only so much I can put in one post!
And this is not meant to scare anyone, in fact the opposite - it can be a bit scary, but is a part of healing, and therefore should be seen as a positive experience (although can be difficult when going through it.) I do talk somewhat with clients about possible after effects, but my experiences over the last few days have given me a nudge to share more.
Things to remember:
Feeling these symptoms after a treatment/session is normal - it is nature's way of clearing the mind, body and soul (Continued in comments..)
