Spritual healer gives cleansing tips

By: Katie Uhlan

Posted: 3/18/05

Sometimes cleaning out your closet just isn't enough.

Last night, Dawna Martin, an expert in transformational healing, taught the ways to control and manipulate your surroundings in order to create a sacred space for yourself, during "Space Clearing" a hands-on lecture in the "Discovering the Intuitive You" series.Martin believes that all things have energy and it is up to people to channel that energy, whether cleansing a space of its negative energy or filling a space with energy they wish to obtain.

Martin discussed one way of clearing a space simply by changing its smell. Burning incense of certain herbs can help to achieve whatever sensation one would like. For those living in a dorm room she also gave alternatives. Essential oils can be mixed with water and sprayed or sprinkled throughout your space. Aromatherapy baths can cleanse people's energy and that of their rooms.

"Different scents help you react in a different way," Martin said.
Sage can be used for protection, health and wisdom; lavender can be used for purification, peace and love. By changing the way a space smells you change the space.

Another way to cleanse a room is through sound. Striking a tuning fork changes the vibrations of the room, and the sound remains for some time.
"Walk around the perimeter of the house making a certain noise," Martin said.

The simplest way to change a room, according to Martin, is to light a candle. While lighting the candle channel intentions for the space. The light energy will disperse and bring those intentions to the room.

Martin also gave the recipe for making your own holy water. She said to take water, preferably from the rain or a spring, add salt and put in your intentions. She said another way to use holy water is to sprinkle it in front of all doors, windows and entryways to a house. By focusing your intention on good this will allow only good energy to pass into your home.

Martin acquired many tools and methods from the Native Americans, for example, the use of a dream catcher, which is shaped like a spider web with a hole in the center, designed to trap bad dreams and thoughts in the web and allow only good dreams to pass through the center. Dream catchers are used often for infants, over their cribs.

Crystals hold energy, Martin said. In order to cleanse yourself or your space focus all your positive energy into a crystal and keep it in the room for continuous positive energy that lasts for long periods of time.

Martin also talked about the presence of ghosts or spiritual entities.

"There is always a reason why a spirit is around. It could be a spirit guide or a guardian angel," Martin said.

She explained ghosts as not fully passed on yet. For some reason they are not yet ready to leave. Laura Heckmann, a 4th-semester marketing major, talked about feeling a negative energy in an elevator or a bathroom with a mirror.

"I was born with an active intuition," she said.

Heckmann became interested in the metaphysical when she was very young. She also talked about her interest in the Silva method, which, she said, was a way of developing extrasensory perception (ESP).

Martin said people could already have altars set up in their room and not even know it. An altar does not have to contain religious or spiritual items, it only has to be precious objects, like photos of loved ones or objects that have significance. Some examples Martin had set up were candles, small statues and figurines.

The talk, which took place at and was hosted by the Women's Center, ended with a group meditation led by Martin to cleanse the energy in the room. Meditation is different for all people, it depends upon your minds eye, Martin said.

Martin, who graduated from UConn in 1998, became involved in the metaphysical 12 years ago while doing research in herbalism and spirituality. She met someone involved in shamanic work, the use of ecstasy to heal and make a person whole, and got interested in healing work. At UConn she was a member of Pagan Organization for Diverse Spirituality (PODS), and in 1999 she became a Reiki Master, which is another form of energy healing. In 2001 she opened The Wellspring Center in downtown Willimantic to provide holistic healing, which has since closed. She now teaches earth spirituality, Reiki and shamanism, and intuitive healing classes. She also sees clients for healing and makes her own herbal products.