Explorations in Energy

Grounding, centering, and creating healthy boundaries are the three most important energetic states for being able to expand consciousness through energy awareness. In addition, they are the rescue trio when we become overwhelmed with the challenges of expansion.

 

Whether doing energy work or facing the difficulties of life, there can be moments when we feel disconnected, overwhelmed or drained. Sometimes, we wonder if we’re even sane. If this is happening to you, don’t worry. These feelings are natural and to be expected. If we go through life and never feel them, we haven’t challenged our comfort zone or stretched our growth edge. When we do feel lost, this trio helps us reconnect.

 

Grounding: Strength and Balance

Grounding connects us to our body and to Earth, providing strength, balance and the ability to grow. When grounded, our body is a ‘grounding rod,’ connecting our flow of energy with that of Earth. Both our physical strength and the amount of energy our system can process are increased when we are in flow with Earth. Grounding is as simple as putting our attention on Earth and connecting. Where attention goes, energy flows. When we put attention on Earth, our energy descends into Earth, and Earth’s energy rises within us. When we are grounded, we are fully in our body and have access to our felt-senses and perceptions.

 

Grounding balances our energy field by dispersing excess charge. It helps us release anything we’ve picked up from other people and helps rebalance and charge our energy system. Grounding establishes roots that replenish our energy and establishes strength, flexibility and growth. In short, grounding helps us be more connected, responsive, engaged, energized and fully present in the moment. 

 

Simple Grounding exercise (adapted from Earth and Sky Meditation, Subtle Energy Work)

1. Place your attention (and hands, if you want) on your lower abdomen, under your belly button and above your pubic bone. This area is the center of your physical body. In martial arts it’s called the Hara or Tan Tien, the energetic core where our physical and spiritual bodies meet.

2.  As you inhale, visualize energy flowing down into your body through the top of your head. 

3. Breathe this energy all the way down into your Hara.

4. Exhale, and imagine this energy flowing out through your sacrum and feet deep into the Earth sending three, strong roots into the ground. 

5. Inhale, and bring the energy of Earth up into your body through your roots, bringing the strength of Earth into your body.

6. Exhale, and send your energy down into Earth.

7. Continue to inhale and exhale through Earth.

8. In just a few breaths you will enjoy the benefits of feeling connected to your physical center and the Earth.

 

​

Centering

Centering focuses our attention in the heart, the seat of Shen, where our core-self resides. Centering provides heart-focused motivation and intention, instilling inspiration, spirituality and integrity. The heart-center is the home of our connection to our spiritual Source. It is sacred space. When we’re centered, we’re aligned with our values, integrity, and inner truth. We have access to unconditional love and divine inspiration. Centering helps us stand resolved and compassionate in the face of obstacles.

 

The heart-center has a direct connection to our hands which is how we touch the world. We lend a helping hand, handle responsibility, and carry our hearts in our hands. The hands and the heart are energetically entwined. Transmitting love through our heart center and directing it with our hands can have a powerful impact.

 

Simple Centering exercise:
(adapted from Winged Disc Meditation in the book Subtle Energy Work)
Listen to an audio version below
 

1. Put your left hand over your heart and cover it with your right hand.   

2. As you inhale, imagine light from your spiritual Source entering the top of your head and collecting in your heart, filling it with brilliance.

3. Exhale and open your arms, letting the energy of your heart flow out through your hands to the world.

4. Bring your hands over your heart with each inhale.  

5. With each exhale, release heart-centered energy through your hands and heart to the world.

6. As you proceed, the energy building in your heart forms a magnificent star.

7. Continue the exercise until you feel the clear, calming effects of centering.

​​

​

Creating Boundaries

Our boundary is the place where we end and another begins. It marks our emotional, physical and energetic space. Healthy boundaries protect us from taking on what isn’t ours and from projecting onto others what isn’t theirs. It contains the amount of energy we are dealing with so as not to blow our circuits. In their protection, grounding, centering and healthy boundaries help us show up as our full, authentic self. We feel linked with others without losing our personal identity, uniqueness, or autonomy. Creating and maintaining healthy boundaries requires both discernment and flexibility.

 

When we have poor boundaries, the demarcation of our aura may appear either very weak or very rigid. When it’s weak, we can take on another’s energy, be susceptible to psychic attack, or become dependent on another to bolster our energy. We can lose our connection to our center and have trouble walking an individual path. We can lose awareness of our body and miss the energy information the body provides. Without boundaries, our personal power is diminished. Effective energy work becomes difficult if not impossible.

 

Rigid boundaries reflect detachment from life. The aura becomes hard and impenetrable. While this seems protective, flow is essential to health and function. Lack of flow causes isolation. Overly rigid boundaries give the illusion of personal power, yet are as energetically disabling as not having any boundaries at all. Again, with rigid boundaries we lose connection to our body and the information brought through energy awareness.

 

One of the greatest benefits to healthy boundaries is the creation of neutral space. Neutrality is essential in accurately sensing energy, receiving intuitive information, and facilitating a healing response in the body. When we are invested in an outcome, our attention is linked to the outcome and that is where our energy flows. Our intuition then reflects our preferences. Neutrality trusts the universe/divine heart/higher truth/god to hold the highest outcome so that we can remain unbiased.

 

Healthy boundaries demonstrate that we know who we are, have confidence, are connected to source, and trust and respect the path of others.

 

 

Creating Boundaries exercise 
(adapted from The Spiral Pillar of Light in the book Subtle Energy Work)

1. Ground and center as above.

2. Spread your arms straight out from your body and demark your personal space. Twist, bend, move in every direction and explore your space.

3. Inhale and imagining a Pillar of Light coming down into, through, and around you to the Earth, creating a circle of safety and peace.

4. Breathe into your core and expand your brilliance. Fill your personal space with light.

5. Intend that only input for the highest and best good of all enter or leave your boundary.

6. Create a garden in the space inside your circle and don’t let anyone in who doesn’t respect the garden. This is your space, keep it clean.

 

​

Grounding, Centering and Creating a Boundary exercise
Listen to the audio versions below.

1. Put your right hand over your Hara (the area under your belly button and above your pubic bone) and your left hand over your heart.  

2. Inhale and visualize energy flowing into your body through the top of your head. 

3. Breathe this energy through your body all the way to the area under your right hand, your Hara. Let this area fill with light.

4. Exhale and imagine sending this energy out through your sacrum deep into the Earth like sending roots into the ground. 

5. Inhale and visualize energy rising from the Earth through your body to your heart under your left hand. Let this area fill with light.

6. Exhale and imagine sending this energy out through the top of your head as branches of a tree reaching into the sky.

7. Continue breathing through the branches and roots of your energy body while filling your Hara and Heart. These two areas and the space between them are your core. Cradle the energy in your core between your two hands.

8. Continue until you feel the clear, calming effects of being centered and grounded.

9. When you are ready, as you inhale, bring energy in from Earth and sky at the same time.

10. Exhale and send the energy out into the space around you, filling it with light.

11. Extend the light three feet away from your body and imagine a bright border at its limit demarcating your space.

12. Put your awareness inside this line and say, “This is me.”

13. Put your awareness on the outside of this line and say, “This is you.”

14. Do this several time until the boundary around you is bright, clear and strong.