Explainer | What is a pranic facial? A chemical-free, no-touch stress reliever – part of the energy healing wellness trend that has Kim Kardashian and Prince Harry’s attention
- Instead of massage and lotions, pranic facials use crystals that ‘absorb’ negative energy to target physical and emotional stress and make the face look younger
- They’re a form of energy healing some celebrities swear by – Prince Harry wrote about it in his memoir, Spare. Practitioners explain the wellness trend
Facials at salons, where dozens of products are used, are a common part of people’s beauty routines. But have you tried a pranic facial? The no-chemical, no-touch, no-massage treatment is a go-to wellness trend for many.
With the coronavirus pandemic having nudged some people towards a chemical-free, nature-based lifestyle, more are looking for sustainable wellness solutions. A pranic facial is one such option, say practitioners.
Instead of using products to rejuvenate the skin, a crystal pen is used to transmit energy, a crystal ball to hold energy and a bowl of salt water to cleanse the aura.
“Pranic facials involve pranic healing, which was developed by Grand Master Choa Kok Sui of the Philippines. It uses prana, the Sanskrit[-derived] word for ‘life force’, which keeps a person alive and in good health,” says Neha Singh Ishawasya, a certified pranic healer based in the northern Indian city of Varanasi.
“During the facial, energy is transferred from the healer (who is a storehouse of energy) to the receiver, whose energy sources are low or depleted.”
Ishawasya, who has been performing pranic facials since 2015, says energy is foundational for everything we do with our bodies.
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“The idea is that we have this bank of energy, and we have to replenish it or replace it. A pranic facial works on this principle. Just like you have power banks for low-battery phones, you have healers for those whose energy is low.”
When emotional garbage is cleared out through a pranic facial, the face starts looking younger, brighter and revitalised.
Ishawasya says that, unlike a salon facial that gives only a temporary glow, a pranic one goes deeper to impart a permanent one.
“The crystals play a primary role in the healing process as absorbers of negative energy. They are quartz rocks which target different kinds of physical, emotional and spiritual stress, and repel negative energy.”
According to Kajal Dowlani, a pranic healer and tarot card reader based in Jaipur, in northern India, physical problems arise due to imbalances in a person’s chakras – the main energy points in the body. A pranic facial can correct them.
“When this emotional garbage is cleared out through a pranic facial, the face starts looking younger, brighter and revitalised.”
The treatment restores equilibrium among the 11 chakras, or energy centres – seven main and four minor – three of which are in the face: vishuddha (throat), ajna (third eye), and sahasrara (crown).
After the consultation, the healer scans the energy levels of the body, using their hands but without touching, to understand its condition via the aura and the chakras.
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“The skin is cleansed, moisturised, toned and regenerated by applying energy techniques. As the facial doesn’t require touch, distant clients can also benefit from the treatment. The glow is instant, whichever part of the world you are [in],” adds the therapist. She has clients who take her US$30 facials remotely from the United States, the UK and the United Arab Emirates.
Ishawasya says that for optimal effect it is best if the client is close to the healer rather than thousands of miles away.
One of her clients who recently had a pranic facial, Varanasi-based radio disc jockey J Trisha, says it was a rejuvenating experience.
“From the moment the session began, I felt an incredible sense of calm and relaxation wash over me. The soothing effect on my face was particularly noticeable. As the session progressed, I was amazed at how quickly I began to feel the effects of this powerful healing technique,” she says.
“I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a natural and effective way to rejuvenate their mind and body.”
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Increasingly, the pranic “facelift” is also becoming popular. It works at a more intense level to reduce signs of ageing, and uplift the sagging and loose skin in the neck and collarbone area, to make the face look younger.
