Basics of Healing Energy -By Nicki Scully
Movement is energy. Emotion is energy. To some who cannot see it or feel it, it may not appear to exist. Yet even the most insensitive person can see energy rising from pavement on a blistering day. And we all know when we are lacking in energy, for without it we cannot function.
Energy is defined by the physical and functional characteristics of how it behaves. Energy is active ? it is constantly in motion. It heats our houses and runs our cars. Energy not only changes inert matter, either by moving it, stopping it, or changing its direction, it also animates our emotions and our passion.
Physicists recognize that the universe contains infinite potential energy. Energy is easily moved with intention, and flows through the inter-connected, ever-changing patterns that make up the whole of creation. When our minds envision color, shape, or movement, the energy responds.
The power of our healing work comes from this understanding of energy: we can effect form intentionally by developing our thoughts with imagination, will, and focused attention, and by engaging our senses. The subtle, intangible energies we use in healing are malleable, and if our awareness is trained to sense them, we can mold those energies into tangible, substantial form.
When we work with the energy fields that surround life forms, such as the auric field around a person, we affect a more basic reality than the physical, and as a result, the physical is invited to change. Matter is an end product of the process of giving form to energy. Although we work at an earlier stage of the process of manifestation, when you change the level of the energy, there is a physical effect that you can witness. Consider the process of ice turning to water, and then to steam.
Just as intelligence permeates the universe, energy itself is infused with consciousness, vitalizing the tapestry of life and informing the patterns that connect all things. We are all connected, and we are all affected by the acts and thoughts of others. Life forms that grow in colonies, such as coral, fungi, and ants, exemplify the cooperative effort that produces many individuals as part of a whole. In actuality, all life is composed of cooperative and symbiotic relationships, because energy at its basis is love.
The energy that vitalizes matter is imbued with intelligence that is cooperating to create matter. Simply allowing energy to move through you and out your hands into another form will create an effect. That is its purpose and its joy. With the addition of intention, you give this energy direction (marching orders). We have the opportunity to exercise our choice to empower and direct energy for healing.
A good parallel example can be found in the practice of the martial arts, tai chi and qigong. As the practitioner puts out the call, the energy comes in, focuses and intensifies, often raising the physical temperature of the body of the person, or of the specific place in the body where the energy is being directed. It is most important to develop and attune your abilities to visualize and to focus your awareness and intention through practice.
It must be noted that energy does not moralize. The power to change things is dangerous when wielded by one who is not in service to the needs of the people and the creation. When we set out to change things, even in healing, we must always take care to examine the possible consequences of our actions, and keep ourselves clear and centered. That said, we cannot be attached to the result of our healing work because we do not decide the form in which healing happens. That is decided by all the consciousness involved, including the one who is receiving the healing. Although the same is true when you intend harm ? that harm is only received if there is an acceptance of and permission for it to manifest ? you are still responsible for your own intentions.
As you develop skill in healing, you will come to realize that it is not possible to act unilaterally, because we are all connected ? we are all one. Healing as a creative process is a cooperative venture, the work of a collaborative team that brings about more than the original intention of the instigating healer, and usually surpasses it. A healer who clings to an expectation will be disappointed and will not perceive that her motivating intention has spawned something beyond her original imagining. When you invoke a healing process with this work, you are the person who is presenting an idea to a collective ? yourself, your spirit allies, and the higher self of the person you are working with. The collective fulfills that idea in its own way, and what manifests surpasses your idea and is in harmony with the intentions and consciousness of all involved.
As you focus your attention on energy, it begins to reveal itself in various forms. You can walk into a room of people and in an instant know a great deal about them because of an energetic connection that you feel. Certainly, when you are in the presence of deep love, sexual attraction, or acute repulsion, you have instinctive awareness of energy at work. It becomes palpable, tangible. At times it seems as though you could “cut it with a knife.”
When you have more energy, you get more work done. On the other hand, when energy is blocked, it stagnates and is hard to move. By involving yourself in practices such as yoga, martial arts, or healing, you honor and develop a more conscious relationship with the subtle energies that move through us all ? and you keep them flowing.
Try rubbing your hands together quickly for a moment, and feel the heat that is created from the friction. Continue rubbing for another moment; then hold your hands about twelve inches apart facing each other. Slowly bring them together. What do you notice? Can you feel the pressure as the auric field that surrounds each hand presses upon the other? Does it tingle? Does it feel warm or energetic? Is there a thickness? A tangibility? The energy that you have stimulated is a palpable force that you can develop and direct, and, ultimately, use to effect healing.
There are many ways to raise or develop energy for healing. Rubbing the hands together can certainly give a person the feel of it. Just doing that simple exercise ? and directing the energy in your palms toward wherever you wish to send it ? can create change. In fact, this is a good way for the uninitiated to begin to experience energy and its movement. You can easily feel its transmission by putting your hands on your own body, especially if you direct it to a place that is in pain.
Our bodies function somewhat like batteries. We expend energy and then recharge through eating, resting, and exercising. When we are in emotional crisis or even near it, we feel drained. Healing energy, on the other hand, comes through you, not from you. Our physical bodies exist in layers of subtle energy fields, called auras, which extend out from our physical form. Those who “see” auras, either naturally or through training, can be informed by the color and animation evident within these subtle bodies. These fields provide information about the physical, emotional, mental, and even spiritual status of an individual. That information can be useful in diagnosis of disease. Often the information in one’s auric field precedes the actual physical manifestation of illness or healing.
The clearer your energy field is, the easier it is for the subtle energies to pass through your body, and the better attuned you are to receive them. No matter how much training we have, if we allow static or corrosion to interfere with our connection to source, we will not have access to the fullness of our resources. In this way we are similar to an automobile battery: when the cable gets corroded, the charge cannot get through. If the conduit is kept clean, then we will be more successful at whatever we attempt.
Energy also exists within things, in accordance with their power. You can see energy surrounding plants and trees, even people, especially if you sit with them and defocus your eyes. There is a very subtle glow, a radiance of life that surrounds all living things. When you focus on that surrounding field, you can actually see the movement of prana, as it is called in India, or chi, as it is called in China. You can feel it radiating from all forms of life in nature, from people, and even from so-called inanimate objects that have power, such as art or sculpture that was created with intention.
Intention is a key word here. Intention combined with attention creates opportunity to make something happen, to harness and direct energy to manifest in specific ways, for specific purposes. In the work of Alchemical Healing, intention and attention are keys that unlock the mystery of healing, of co-creating reality, and of manifesting your most fulfilling destiny.
Physical health is directly related to energy, whether it is energy that heals or energy that stops you cold in your tracks. Dealing with energy is the crux of the matter. The more you pay attention to energy, the more aware you become of its subtler aspects. Often in this kind of healing work, less is more: the subtlest energies can make the greatest difference. The primary energy in Alchemical Healing is what we call the Universal Life Force ? the infinite activity, the movements of light and vibratory frequencies that are the basic constituents of life. By whatever name it is called, and there are many, this life force energy can be channeled through your body in a way that regenerates you while you are simultaneously directing it out to others or into yourself with intention. This force is activated by intention, and it becomes more accessible through the attunements offered here.
When you have activated this energy within your own body system, you are connected to the infinite source and can now access it more strongly at will. There are many pathways and disciplines through which you can facilitate this connection. Once the connection is made, you will have it for the rest of your life. Because the source is limitless, it will always be there. You cannot use it up, but keep in mind that you must stay aware of the difference between your personal store of energy and the infinite Universal Life Force.
One of the main pitfalls in healing is thinking that you are the one doing the healing. Therein lies the first paradox. You are and you are not.through you, and you honor the infinite and intelligent source, then it will always be there for the asking, and it will never run out. You are the conduit through which the energy flows. There is an important distinction to make between your personal power and the Universal Life Force. If the power comes from you ? from your personal store of energy ? you have only a finite amount and can use it up, leaving yourself drained and vulnerable.
This article was excerpted from Alchemical Healing, ?2003, by Nicki Scully.
Breathing For Health
www.DailyOm. April 13, 2005
Breathing For Health
Deep Belly Breaths
Most of us take the act of breathing for granted, but without it we could not exist. Breath is the essence of life, and although we are always doing it, many of us do not do it properly. The simple act of breathing has become a scientific study, with books and workshops to instruct us how to do it correctly. So vital is proper breathing to physical, mental, and emotional health, that it is a primary component to many yoga practices. Pran means “life force”and yama means “control”. Pranayama then is “control of breath”.
Breath not only provides the oxygen so necessary to life, it connects our body to our mind and spirit. Natural, healthy breathing is essential to good health. Not only does proper breathing enhance heart, lung, and brain function, but oxygen flow is necessary to cell reproduction. A “cleansing breath” is aptly named for the intake of oxygen that restores the entire system. Breathing also puts us in touch with ourselves. Taking the time to learn to breathe properly makes us conscious of our breath, calling us to be present. Simple breathing techniques can relieve stress and help us work through anger and even depression.
A baby sleeping is the perfect example of proper breathing. The deep belly breathing that babies engage in, without even trying, is how best to oxygenate the body. Breathing deeply into the diaphragm brings energy to the Solar Plexus, the chakra that governs ego, emotions, and intellect. Following a baby’s example, breathe deeply through your nose, expanding your abdomen fully. Slowly and completely exhale through your nose, pulling your abdomen in so that all the air is released before taking another full belly breath. Practicing deep belly breaths regularly will get you into the habit of breathing properly all the time, just like a baby.
Being A Strong Container
Being A Strong Container
Grounding Oursleves
We often hear people telling us to ground ourselves, but we may not be sure what that means, and how we might do it. Grounding ourselves is a way of bringing ourselves literally back to earth. Some of us are more prone than others to essentially leaving our bodies to and not being firmly rooted in our bodies. There’s nothing terribly wrong with this, but while we are living on the earth plane, it is best to stay grounded in our body.
One of the easiest ways to ground ourselves is to bring our attention to our breath as it enters and leaves our bodies. After about ten breaths, we will probably find that we feel much more connected to our physical selves. We might then bring our awareness to the sensations in our bodies, moving from our head down to our feet, exploring and inquiring. Just a few minutes of this can bring us home to bodies and to the earth, and this is what it means to ground ourselves.
We can go further by imagining that we have roots growing out of the bottoms of our feet connecting us to the earth. The roots flow with us so we can we always move, but at the same time, they keep us grounded. We receive powerful energy from the earth, just as we do from the forms of energy we associate with the sky, and our body is a tool that brings these two energies together in a sacred union. When we are grounded, we essentially become a strong container in which our spirits can safely and productively dwell. This is why grounding ourselves everyday, especially at the beginning of the day, is such a beneficial practice. Fortunately, it’s as simple as bringing our conscious awareness to our bodies and the earth on which we walk.
Breathing for Beginners
Breathing for Beginners
From “Ananga Sivyer’s Living by Design Blog” by Ananga
Posted by: ananga
If you can read this, then the chances are you don’t consider yourself a beginner at breathing. After all, you’ve been doing it for years. But are you really breathing or are you operating on automatic pilot and missing out on a whole host of breath related benefits.
Breath awareness helps the body detox, repair, regenerate and blow stress away. Read on to discover the simple secrets of how your breath can calm your mind and heal your body…
Influencing Autonomy
Breathing is the only vital autonomic bodily function that can be consciously controlled and directed by the mind. This is so for a reason; your breathing is a bridge between your body and your mind. To allow your breathing to remain unconscious and automatic is to exist in a realm where that bridge is obstructed.
The breath is intended as a balancing device, a tuning tool that allows you conscious control of your emotions, and access to states of deep relaxation and harmony. Your breath holds the key to the door of compassion and understanding for all living beings. Why? Because it is in the moments of peace and stillness created by breath awareness that you can get in touch with the inner you. The peaceful, calm and competent you, and the you that can extend empathy, care and concern to others.
Being able to control your breath means being able to control your mind and being able to deeply nourish, oxygenate and detox the cells and tissues of your body.
When you are rushing about too busy and too stressed to eat properly, breath properly etc etc you are also too busy to connect properly with others. Over years of observation it has come to my attention that stressed people are not popular people. They are snappy, selfish and a strain to be around. They are missing out on the sweetness and subtleties of life. Stress robs us of the pleasures to be found in simple things in life and can cause us to drive others nuts with our ranting about little inconveniences that become mountains of self-obsessed stupidity.
Stress is a personality spoiler – breathing practice is a personality nourisher. It may well be one of the most powerful, yet overlooked tools in personal development.
Deeply Does it…
Deep breathing is also detoxing to the internal organs as the diaphragm assists the heart by massaging the organs as it draws down to breath deeply and then pumping blood strongly back up to the heart and lungs for more effective cleansing and re-oxygenation.
Detoxing, regeneration and repair of the body are further enhanced and triggered by the parasympathetic switch brought about by deep breathing. Slowing and deepening your breathing is a sign to your body to switch off the “fight or flight” responses that operate when you’re under duress.
The trouble with the hustle and bustle of modern life is that your body may perceive you to be always experiencing stress to some degree. If you are in the habit of breathing rapidly and shallowly, your nervous system may not get the message to “stand down” and you may be rapidly burning your energy reserves by living on constant standby.
That standby state keeps adrenaline coursing through your veins, puts your digestive system on hold, and causes excess heat and acidity in the body – which are two major causes of degeneration and disease.
Slow Your Breath and Lengthen Your Life
The Vedas teach that life duration is measured in breaths and that there is a direct relationship between how fast you breath and how long you live. To breath rapidly and high up in the chest squanders your vitality. It makes you gasp like a fish out of water. Slowing your breathing preserves your vital energy and calms your spirit.
A recent study in India concluded that the average volume of air inhaled can be increased by up to 50% after just 15 minutes of deep diaphragmatic breathing and that the average number of breaths per minute reduced from 15 to just 5 breaths a minute thus making breathing more efficient, energy producing, and stress reducing.
“When breathing is depressed or strained, all sorts of diseases will occur. Those who wish to nurture their lives must first learn the correct methods of controlling the breath and balancing energy. These breathing methods can cure all ailments great and small.”
from Precious Recipes by Sun ssu-mo of the Tang Dynasty
How to Educate Your Lungs
Both Qigong (which literally mean “energy work” or “breathing skill”) and Yoga teach a basic form of diaphragmatic breathing that can be learned and practised easily and without complex instruction.
Daily sessions of 10 to 15 minutes are long enough to make a significant difference to your life, the added benefit of regular practice being that you will educate yourself to be always more mindful of your breath, or at least to know how to stand down and recover quickly from stress and emotional upsets.
Here’s a quick guide to deep diaphragmatic breathing…
Stage 1: Inhalation
Inhale through your nose. Relax your diaphragm as you breath in and let it draw the air down deep into your abdominal cavity (i.e. Stomach area). Allow your ribcage to relax and expand as you breath in so that your lungs can get “topped up” right up to your collarbone area.
Then press the air down into your diaphragm so that your stomach wall is pushed out.
Stage 2: Retention
Hold that breath! Consciously hold the breath for about 5 seconds then relax and let it out.
Stage 3: Exhalation
Pull your stomach in and up and let the breath out in a slow steady stream through your mouth. Be sure to fully empty your lungs.
Stage 4: Empty Retention
Pause for a few seconds with your lungs empty before starting again with the next complete and deep inhalation.
In pranayama, Yoga’s ancient system of breathing for health and longevity, it is this held empty state that is considered the most beneficial to the body and the mind.
For FREE relaxation and breath awareness meditation MP3s visit the Moments of Tranquility MP3 collection at http://www.ananga.squarespace.com
2007 Ananga Sivyer
Being Clear About Desires- Getting What We Want
August 20, 2008
Being Clear About Desires
Getting What We Want
Know your real edge
Know Your Real Edge and Don’t Fake it
It is honorable for a man to admit his fears, resistance, and edge of practice. It is simply true that each man has his limit, his capacity for growth, and his destiny. But it is dishonorable for him to lie to himself or others about his real place. He shouldn’t pretend he is more enlightened than he is–nor should he stop short of his actual edge. The more a man is playing his real edge, the more valuable he is as good company for other men, the more he can be trusted to be authentic and fully present. Where a man’s edge is located is less important than whether he is actually living his edge in truth, rather than being lazy or deluded.
Pick an area of your life, perhaps your intimate relationship, your career, your relationship with your children, or your spiritual practice. For instance, you are currently doing something to earn a living. Where do your fears stop you from making a larger contribution to mankind, from earning a higher income, or from earning money in a more creative and enjoyable way? If you were absolutely fearless, would you be earning a living in exactly the same way as you are now? Your edge is where you stop short, or where you compromise your fullest gift, and, instead, cater to your fears.
Have you lost touch with the fears that are limiting and shaping your income and style of livelihood? If you have deluded yourself and feel that you are not afraid, then you are lying to yourself. All men are afraid, unless they are perfectly free. If you cannot admit this, you are pretending to yourself, and to others. Your friends will feel your fear, even if you do not. Thus, they will lose trust in you, knowing you are deluding yourself, lying to yourself, and are therefore likely to lie to them, consciously or unconsciously.
Or, perhaps you are very aware of your fears: your fear to take risks, your fear of failing, or your fear of succeeding. Perhaps you are comfortable with your life, and you fear the lifestyle change that might accompany a change in career, even though the new career will be closer to what you really want to do with your life. Some men fear the feeling of fear and therefore don’t even approach their edge. They choose a job they know they can do well and easily, and don’t even approach the fullest giving of their gift. Their lives are relatively secure and comfortable, but dead. They lack the aliveness, the depth, and the inspirational energy that is the sign of a man living at his edge. If you are this kind of man who is hanging back, working hard perhaps, but not at your real edge, other men will not be able to trust that you can and will help them live at their edge and give their fullest gift.
As an experiment, describe your edge with respect to your career out loud to yourself. Say something like, “I know I could be earning more money, but I am too lazy to put in the extra hours it would take. I know that I could give more of my true gift, but I am afraid that I may not succeed, and then I will be a penniless failure. I’ve spent 15 years developing my career, and I’m afraid to let go of it and start fresh, even though I know that I spend most of my life doing things I have no real interest in doing. I could be making money in more creative ways, but I spend too much time watching tv rather than being creative.”
Honor your edge. Honor your choices. Be honest with yourself about them. Be honest with your friends about them. A fearful man who knows he is fearful is far more trustable than a fearful man who isn’t aware of his fear. And a fearful man who still leans into his fear, living at his edge and putting his gift out from there, is more trustworthy and more inspirational than a fearful man who hangs back in the comfort zone, unwilling to even experience his fear on a day to day level. A free man is free to acknowledge his fears, without hiding them, or hiding from them. Live with your lips pressed against your fears, kissing your fears, neither pulling back nor aggressively violating them.
excerpt from “Way of the Superior Man”- by David Deida
