Energy Suckage

I love today's APOD pic - it's galactic cannibalism at its best, one galaxy merging with another and the inevitable suckage of energy, billions of stars, dust and the like.

I think it a truly universal concept that all of us are familiar with. We're all guilty, one time or another of being energy suckers. It's not our fault, we're weak, reaching out, forgetting our divine nature. And when we forget that we're connected to the source of all energy, we also forget how to fill ourselves up. We lose our inspiration, we feel down on ourselves. And the only way we can think of filling back up is to take energy from the first available source - usually the first person willing to indulge us our sob story.

Now this is natural behaviour from time to time. Well, I say that it's natural but it's certainly something to work towards overcoming. Moving past this point of needing others' energy means that you find a way, in your darkest direst moment, to fill up from the source.

The problem with this is that often, when things are going badly for us, we shove our heads up our arses so far we can no longer see the light. And then we become the victims rather than the heroes of our own comic book.

Be a hero in your dark moments. Here's how.

Step 1 : Remove head from arse.

Step 2 : Remember you are a divine being. You are only light and energy inhabiting a body for a short time.

Step 3 : All you have to do to feel better is open yourself up to the universal energy and be a receptor. Be open. Resist the urge to close up shop and shut everything out. This isn't going to help you.

Step 4 : Visualize the energy pouring into you and warming you from the inside out.

Step 5 : Let go. Move on. Your life is waiting. And it's better than you can imagine.


Don't get the impression that I'm saying you shouldn't reach out for a sympathetic ear from time to time. We all need love and friendship. But getting beyond the need for others' energy means that we are truly exploring our own potential for self-healing.

Now let's see if I can listen to my own advice next time life dishes out citrus.

Mindbody

It's one of those things that we all know intuitively, but never talk about. The mind-body connection.

I've recently taken up Bikram Yoga, a rather challenging form of yoga which involves 26 postures to be completed in a room heated to roughly 42 degrees or 107 Fahrenheit. One of the final poses is, I find, the most challenging. It's a very simple back bend, done while standing on your knees. It's designed to open the chest and the heart chakra. They call it the Camel. I call it my nemesis. It occurs roughly 80 minutes into the class, and it's known to trigger the 'fight or flight' response.

The first time I did that posture I cried. Just a few tears, but it was shocking enough. The second time I did it I felt like I was going to throw up, and as I pushed through it, a tingling sensation crept over my whole chest - a very strange sensation I can't describe accurately. I have done this pose now over a dozen times with varying results. The tingling one being the most common side-effect.

The last time I did it, however, was interesting to me, because the minute the instructor announced Camel to be the next posture, the tingling sensation began. I hadn't even done the posture. The very thought of this next posture invoked the same reaction in my body as if I had actually done it.

It reminded me of a recent study of brain development I read about - people who visualized themselves playing chess, or doing complicated math equations formed the same neural pathways as the people who were actually doing those things. What does this mean?

Could I do my yoga asanas (postures) entirely in my mind with the same benefits? No, probably not... BUT it does serve as a powerful reminder of just how connected the brain and the body are.

Those of us who are stressed out all the time aren't doing ourselves (or our bodies) any favours. As we continue to repress, internalize and deny ourselves our emotions, all we're doing is forcing them to retreat somewhere into the body where they become ulcers, or fat deposits, or tumors.

So let's visualize ourselves completely relaxed, calm and able to take on the day's stresses in stride. And I'll work on visualizing myself getting through that damned Camel posture.

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UPDATE: Just finished what I would easily consider my BEST yoga class EVER. Not only did I do Camel... I did it further and with more ease than I ever thought possible. The trick? I saw myself doing it with ease just seconds before I actually did it. I always say the proof is in the pudding... (because I love handy cliches) and boy was there ever good puddin' today.