Energy workers in Maryland recently faced a significant challenge to their right to practice. Two bills, SB 817 and HB 1156, were introduced in a misguided attempt to curtail the practice of non-licensed "massage" therapists in brothels. These bills would have made it illegal to work with the human energy field by anyone other than an elite group of therapists licensed through specific national accreditation organizations.

This legislation posed a significant threat to legitimate energy workers, and grassroots action was immediate across social media and the internet. Working with change.org, Energy Medicine Professional Insurance spearheaded a campaign of letter-writing to the Maryland legislators and collected more than 5,000 signatures on a petition to stop these damaging bills. On Monday morning, February 17, 2014, the power of the people was obvious, and the bills were withdrawn.

Eden Energy Medicine (EEM) mounted a Facebook campaign, was in the process of mobilizing our practitioners to write letters to Maryland legislators and local papers, and was gearing up to testify at a Senate committee hearing when the good news came in. We applaud the Maryland practitioners of EEM, Healing Touch, Reiki and other energy modalities for taking an active role in getting these bills stopped.

Erin Harris of Energy Medicine Professional Insurance pledges to work toward "legislation that clearly defines alternative and complementary medicine and protects those modalities that operate without a license. It will also work to put in place safeguards that every practitioner can follow to allow for a safer and more transparent working environment."

Bravo! Everyone wins when the right to choose your own health care is protected and competent practitioners are free to practice safely and effectively.

I still believe there needs to be oversight to protect the public against frauds and charlatans; but I also believe that the freedom to chose will provide at least some regulation, even if it is the "invisible hand". 

Peace and Healing Through Metaphysics;

Marty and LuckyLee