Sunday, December 22, 2013

Energy Healing


So...
With the new slant to my blog for the (few) people who read it, I've had some questions:

"What do you mean by 'Energy Healing'?"
"What is 'Energy Work', anyway?"
"How does this 'Energy thing' work?"
"What are you peddlin', woman?!"
"Are you talking about electricity when you say 'Energy'?"
and "What are you into now..."

Okay.
So allow me to try to explain a bit...

I began taking Yoga classes in 2008.  I immediately fell in love with it because it's "precise-ness" reminded me of Ballet, which I began taking at the age of 11, and steadily took classes until I was 18 or 19.

I *loved* Ballet.  The gracefulness.  The beauty.  The precision.  
Every body part was supposed to be in a certain position, with each part being paid physical & mental attention to, all at the same time.  Plus, all of that was put to music; co-ordinated, graceful, precise.
A "Discipline", if you will.

I LOVED it.

I could be in the worst mood on my way to Ballet class, but by the time class was over, I felt Wonderful again!  
True Love.

Well, after 25 years of *not* having Ballet in my life (but always having it at the back of my mind, as much a part of me as knowing how to ride a bike, or how to swim), I went into a Yoga class at the Y, not expecting much.  
Not really knowing what to expect AT ALL... when...

B-A-M!!!

Precision.  Beauty.  Discipline.

Much like Ballet, Yoga requires each body part to be "active", all parts at the same time.

I loved it right away!
I started doing Yoga every weekday.  I quickly learned the English names of the poses.  It took me a while to learn about the breath...
With Yoga, it helps to inhale into poses and exhale out of poses.  It took me a *while* (and a very good teacher) to realize that when she said, "Exhale into Down Dog", she really meant to EXHALE as you go into Down Dog!  Once I started moving WITH the breath, it really became a "Dance of Magic" for me.   =-)
Once again, I could be in a horrible mood (or going into my Depression), but by the time I left Yoga class, I would be feeling Good again.   =-)  So...

I Fell In Love!

I stopped going to the Y and started taking Yoga at a studio, and got "deeper" into Yoga.  The inhaling and exhaling.  The movement and stillness.  The "Reaching up and rooting down".  The "Opposites coming together to create Balance".  I loved it all.  

At the Studio, I found that each posture had *another* name, and it was in another language called Sanskrit.  I learned that the breath should be more "at the back of the throat, and rolling" (called "Ujayyi", or "Conqueror's" or "Victor's" breath).  I learned that there are many, many breathing exercises that have different effects on the body and the mind.  I learned a little bit about Meditation.
I learned that there is so much to learn in Yoga that I took the Yoga Teacher Training in 2011/2012.

In Teacher Training, they talked about a LOT of "new" (to me) things:
Yoga history.
Yoga philosophy.
Thai Yoga (intro).
Chair Yoga (intro).
Prenatal Yoga (intro).
More about Meditation.
Ayurveda (the "sister science" to Yoga).
Energy.
Pranayama (the "Breath of Life").

Some things, I "took to" right away.
Other things took me time to "assimilate" in my brain.

...like "that Energy stuff"...   


(As a "side note"... One of my Teacher Training "sisters" told me last month that as soon as we started touching each other in the Teacher Training classes, she knew "right away" that I would get into "this Energy stuff".  She said that my Touch was "just different".  She's intuitive like that.  I wondered why she never told me about that...)

...

So... What *do* I mean by "Energy Work"?

Well, not to tease you or anything, but now that I've written so much about Yoga, I think it best to wait until my next post to really tell you about Energy Work and how I got here.
Sorry.

I'll be back soon (-ish!).

Have a Beautiful Day!

<>< <>< <><   ><> ><> ><>   

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Monday, December 2, 2013

Epiphany!


So...
I had a cup of coffee this morning, and it got my brain jumping!

I realize that I have a lot of stuff to catch you up on, but...
I'm not really interested in doing that right now.  Sorry.
Honestly.  
I apologize for that.  I'm not being flippant.

Anyway.
My epiphany this morning was rather eye-opening for me, and  I just have to get it down in words.   =-)
Hopefully I can explain it sufficiently.
Usually, when I have one of these epiphanies, it's more like just a concept in my head, and I can't sufficiently put it in physical Words...
I'll try anyway.   =-)

So.
We are all made up of Energy, just as we're made up of skin and bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments, and individual cells, right?

Well, that Energy flows.  Just like Water.

And sometimes, Energy gets stagnant, just like Water.
Or sometimes that Energy gets "overwhelming" (over-active), just like Water.

Think about it.

You've seen water before that's just sitting.
It can become stale and stagnant.
(And when I'm talking about Water here, I mean water either in Nature, or in your Kitchen Sink.  Water is Water.  Right?)
So you've most likely seen water that's "trapped" somewhere.
It becomes stale.  And eventually, if it's "trapped" long enough, it becomes stagnant and "yucky".  Perhaps molded.  Or with algae growing in and/or on it.  It smells bad.  It looks bad.  It feels bad.  (I assume it tastes bad; I've never tried it.)

But then, there's "healthy" water, too.
Water that's flowing, whether slowly or strongly.
Water that's fresh and clear and moving.
That's "healthy" water.  You want to play in it, or bathe in it, or drink it in.  You "just know" that it's "Good" Water.

And then there's water that's "over-active".  "Too much for it's own good."  Water that's in the form of a tsunami, or a flood, or rain just *pouring* down.  That's an "excess" of water.

(I later realized that I can use the metaphors of any of the other Elements, as well.  Earth, Air, Fire.  It's just that Water happened to "settle in my understanding" first.)

Well.  
Energy is just the same way.
You can have Energy that's stagnant and/or blocked in some way.
You can also have Energy that's tooo much.  Overflowing, or overbearing.
And then, you can have Energy that's moving, flowing, Healthy.  "Just right".

And I correlate this stagnant Energy with Depression,
and the "over-active" Energy with Anger.
And a mixture of the two I correlate with Anxiety and/or Panic Attacks.

So.
How does this Energy become stagnant?  Or "over-flowing"?

That happens from our emotions, trauma, drama, illness, injury, surgery, worry, and/or stress.  
So.

What can we do about it?
What if you feel "out of sorts"?

There are many exercises in Energy books and on websites.
I tend to like many of the exercises recommended by Donna Eden in her book, Energy Medicine.
My Dad likes the ones that Ann Marie Chiasson does in her book, Energy Healing.
I'll try to put up a few links to some in the coming days.  Otherwise, you can just look on Google and you'll find *tons* of them for yourself.
Do what "resonates" with you.
Do the ones that "sound right" and "feel right" in YOUR body.

I also am becoming a staunch "believer" in ("supporter" of) Meditation.
Or Prayer, if you prefer.  But when I say Prayer, I mean more of a "sitting with God" and just listening.  Ask him/her a question and then sit in stillness and wait for the Answer, while you simply breathe in and out.
That's really what Meditation is, and I correlate it with Prayer.

I am also realizing I'm an Energy Worker.  I would say "Energy Healer", but I seriously hesitate to use that statement.
For me, it's more like I am a vessel, or a conduit for "the Angels", and They use me and "do healings" through me.
I've been working with others for a number of months now, and they always feel better after a session with me.
...

There is a TON I could write about here, but I mustn't.
This post is supposed to be only about my Epiphany from this morning.
This is supposed to be about the metaphor of Water and Energy.
I'll leave the "explanations" of how I got to Energy Work for another post.

...

So.  Anyway.

Energy is all around us, in us, on us, "through" us and we are governed by it.

Two years ago, I thought this "stuff" was TOTAL Bullshit!

But with Yoga, my Yoga teacher training classes, meditating, reading, and experiencing things in my own body and mind, I've come to realize that it's True.
Call it Energy.  Call it Angels.  Call it a "crazy woman who just turned 50!" Call it whatever you wish, but I'm here to tell you that, for me at least, this realization has made a huge difference in my life.

I haven't suffered from my Depression in a looong time.
And I attribute that to this "Energy Healing Stuff".

I feel better than I have in a looong time.
The arthritis in my knees hasn't bothered me in a long time, either.  Now most of that I attribute to Yoga.  But I honestly believe that Yoga moves Energy in the body in ways that it needs to move.  Especially if you have a Good Yoga teacher.   =-)
Find one who "resonates" with you.  You'll know what I mean once you find one (or 2 or 3).   =-)  ('Cause I think it's good to have more than one Yoga teacher.  It's good to "shake things up"!)   =-)

So.
Meditation or Prayer.
Yoga (or *some* type of regular movement that makes your Heart "shine" or "sing").
And the eventual "Opening Up" to other Human Beings that is the reason we are here on this Earth.
Those are the things I "recommend" for each of us.

...

I'll be back.
I'll try to find the time to "catch you up" on how I got here to this point of "believing" in Energy.
I'll try to give you some links to some Energy exercises for your "betterment".
I'll try to continue to give Encouragement where I can.
I'll try to explain what it is I'm doing, and how *you* too can do this, if you want.   =-)



I discovered this summer that I am here simply to Love Others.
THAT was quite a revelation!
I shall *try* to explain that one to you, too.   =-)

In the meantime,  
Love Life!
And remember...
Self-criticism *never* leads to Self-improvement.

(Try telling yourself that each day, at least once a day, but preferrably THREE times a day!)   =-)

Back soon (-ish)!!!
=-)


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