Living Energy Blog

I (Peg) am fascinated with the energetic aspects of money and what is does to us, what it does to society. For some time I have been thinking about the value of work and goods and services. Why do people work at jobs they don’t like? What factors go into deciding that an hour of time from one person is worth more or less than an hour of time from another? How did we get to the point where so many people are not earning a living wage while others have more than they will ever need or use? There are many reasons for all of this, on multiple levels.

What is interesting about our current times is that these topics have reached the mainstream and we are beginning to have intelligent conversations about them in many spheres of influence. Last week I started reading Debt: The First 5,000 Years, by David Graeber. Within a few days, a friend told me about Sacred Economics: Money, Gift and Society in the Age of Transition by Charles Eisenstein. Interestingly enough, they were published on the same day: July 12, 2011, just ahead of the Occupy Wall St. movement. As I was scanning my email today, a third link came in. The Daily Good posted a story called: “When Generosity Meets Venture Capital.” When I delve deep into a topic, things often come to me in groups of three.

A public conversation about money, debt and humanity is emerging. It’s a growing movement and it’s exciting. During Biblical times, Jubilee years were held periodically where all consumer debt was cancelled. Just imagine how things would shift if we did this today! The time is right to envision a world where we all live in peace, health and happiness … and we can all contribute in one way or another.

Related articles

• Debt: The First 5,000 Years, by David Graeber (theglobeandmail.com)

Image by brewbooks via Flickr

Over the past few decades the cosmos has gifted us with a steady layering in of new energies that have challenged us to adapt, change and adjust to a transforming world. Global shifts are affecting everyone even those who have not had to face a major catastrophe or natural disaster. We each are being shaken, confronted with an opportunity to wake up to a reality without  illusion –not just to accommodate, but to live from a more authentic inner core and participate in the creation of a new world. We do not need to be revolutionaries on a global level (unless we feel called to operate on that level), but we do need to and can  take care of our own corner of the world—ourselves—and manage our energy so that we can respond from strength rather than react from fear to change.

Change typically begins with the erosion, dissolution or destruction of the old. This is naturally accompanied by feelings of anxiety, confusion and fear as foundations crumble and roots are shaken or torn out altogether. Understanding the energy and structure of your root chakra helps begin the process of moving through change with more ease and grace. Focusing on healing and building new energy at this level contributes to building a new, strong foundation for your life as you move forward.

 Our energy and nervous systems —the state of our inner nation—-has a lot to do with how we will experience, process, and respond to the new energy taking up resonance in our universe.   The strength, resonance and alignment of our personal energy also affect what and how we will create in our new world.

 Chakras in Real Life
How do our chakras operate in real life? Many in the west tend to think of the energy centers as mere metaphors; however they are very real electromagnetic spaces that exist within our bodies and affect our minds and feelings. The chakras are like mini brains that sit at strategic places along our spine. They occupy the same space as major nerve plexus and endocrine glands. In fact they are in intimate conversation with these structures and together they orchestrate our mind body communication and expression in the world.

 Root Chakra: Qualities and Influence
The root chakra is located at the base of your spine and is the first to develop after birth. This energy center is the foundation of your energy system, your physical vitality, and a cornerstone of psychological and spiritual well being.

Physically the root correlates with the adrenal glands and all bony structures….It provides support and a framework for both the physical and psychological body. We learn to crawl, walk and stand as the root chakra expands and comes online. Physically the root chakra governs the immune, skeletal and lower digestive systems. When root energies are out of balance the  physical issues that present are: poor balance, sciatica, chronic fatigue,  bowel disorders knee, and leg or foot problems.

 Psychologically first chakra energy assists us with putting down roots in the world and standing
on our own two feet.

 Trauma, family stress and a lack of appropriate nurturing during the first few years of life create an imbalance in root chakra energies. The consequence of these early experiences and the resulting imbalance amplify fearful or negative coping and reactions to change. Fear does not always show up as an outright anxiety disorder or phobia. It can also appear as shyness, dread or fear of criticism. Many people feel fear as an absence of security or as difficulty experiencing inner stability, safety and comfort.

The state of your root chakra energy affects how you respond to upsets such as loss of a job, living situation or person in your life. Directly addressing the energy of this layer of your field can heal and shift your energy to manage life and events from a place of centeredness, groundedness and inner strength.

Spirtually strong, balanced root chakras contribute to feelings of really being a child of the universe with all the security, sense of belonging and capacity to connect therin. 

 Earth Mother Energy
The positive archetype for the root chakra is the Earth Mother. A person with strong, positive root energy honors and cares for the body as a sacred vessel that carries them in the material world. Physical needs are well cared for which results in healthy vitality, as well as abundant energy to flow upward to open and expand the chakras above. The health of the lower three chakras determine how you experience and behave in the material world and the higher chakras help to expand your inner world. They open up the capacity for greater creative manifestation and expanded spiritual experience.

Emotionally a lack of first chakra energy manifests as being too rigid and not being open to options for change…change can also be difficult if you are overly grounded —-this is evidenced through being stubborn, overly controlling, lacking in imagination or initiative.

If root energy is steady and balanced you can transcend fear—thoughts of loss do not disturb your inner peace, sap your strength or drain your vitality. With strong balanced energy serving as the foundation of your system you are more able to allow yourself to see life clearly, to let life unfold as it will, and accept what is while, knowing where your power, responsibility and boundaries lie.  A strong root chakra helps to maintain a calm steady inner experience in spite of what is happening outside or around you.

If you are interested in working with your root chakra energies, our program Relaxation 101 is a great 21 minute relaxation/meditation designed to help you begin your journey. Other programs include information and techniques for the root chakra while addressing the entire energy system. You can find complete descriptions of what to expect in each program here:    https://www.livingenergyworks.com/store/?ccUser=

Related articles

• Commotions Cycle (eng.atelier-hayat.com)

I have heard many times that emotional imbalances are the root of all illness. It follows that when we dissolve or heal the emotional trigger, we heal ourselves. It sounds easy. In my opinion, however, it is a life-long process. Learning to heal our emotional wounds is what our lives are all about. Every event, interaction and relationship provides ample opportunity for practice.

One of the dilemmas is that the root causes of the triggers are often held in our subconscious, out of our awareness. So how can we deal with something that we aren’t even aware of? This is the Catch 22, the ago-old dilemma. After all, if we were aware of what needed to change, we could choose to change it. Correct? We could also save ourselves a lot of anguish, money, time and energy along the way.

Perhaps one of the problems is that we are using the wrong approach and incorrect tools. Rather than try to continually “do” something or “fix” yourself, maybe the solution is really to simply “be” who you really are. Being who you really are begins with accepting wherever you’re at right now. Accept and acknowledge how you are truly feeling. Once you accept things as they are, resistance falls away and a shift toward wholeness begins.

Accepting things as they are requires accepting personal responsibility for your role in it. This includes your perception of what is happening as well as your reaction to the world around you, particularly judgment of others. Play with the concept that others around you mirror what is happening and provide clues about what you need to accept, acknowledge, shift or change. Play with the concept that no one does anything to you. Those around you are merely a catalyst for things you are doing to yourself or aspects of yourself that you have hidden away. Acceptance and forgiveness provide the way out.

Play with the concept of softening your heart; practice being aware of your experiences and your feelings. Your feelings provide the clues. Any negative, low, tense or dense feelings indicate opportunities for change. Lighter, higher, and happier feelings move you up the scale towards unconditional love.

Healing our hearts in not about always being happy though. We are human. We will have ups and downs throughout our lives. If you can genuinely experience three times as many ups as downs, though, you will be well on your way to healing your heart.

Related articles

• The Difference Between Healing and Curing (pdresources.wordpress.com)

“Fear constitutes a much larger and more comprehensive presence than has yet been realized. Beginning in the nineteenth century, therapeutic psychology sought to identify the symptoms related to this phenomenon. The types of fear recognized included hysteria, behind which some trauma, real or imaged, was always to be found; shell shock or combat neurosis, now commonly called post-traumatic stress syndrome, which was first investigated after World War I; abuse and domestic violence; fear of natural catastrophes such as earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, or fire; individual phobias such as panic attacks, anxieties, and obsessive-compulsive disorders. 

The reality of fear is far more wide-ranging, however. Working with victims of trauma does little to impede the larger presence of fear in the world. The goal is to become more conscious of what we are dealing with and to recognize that different fears require different capacity of soul to overcome them. The need is not to remove fear from the world, but instead to develop in ourselves the psychic capacity to confront its destructive power. In this realm, consciousness, coupled with love, is everything. Enlarging consciousness to include an awareness of soul allows a healthy struggle with fear, and love makes possible its transformation, not just within ourselves but also within the world.” Robert Sardello, Freeing the Soul From Fear

Training ourselves to release fear and choosing to feel love more often—instead–helps to attune our energy to more of what we DO want to experience. 

It takes energy to move beyond fear.  We must go to a level other than the cognitive to alleviate fear and anxiety.  A preventative approach is very helpful. By reconditioning our nervous systems through daily meditation or deep relaxation training we develop stronger systems that do not knee jerk into a fear response as easily. This also makes us more keenly aware of when a feeling is beginning and we can release it earlier rather than later when it has had time to build into something too difficult to manage.

 Introspection that helps identify old unprocessed material that may be causing your system to be overly sensitive is also useful. In addition, if there are long standing issues in regard to chronic anxiety and fear then a nutritional status check is warranted. Our systems need certain nutrients to function properly. The ability to maintain proper inner balance is made more difficult if the proper nutrients are not available.

 Learning skills that work to ‘erase’ the effects of old input and unconscious automatic reactions are also useful. These methods can work ‘on the spot’ to reduce fear and anxiety as well as erasing lifelong patterns. The Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is one such approach.  Emotional Freedom and Healing is another.

Meditation techniques that help you learn how to remain present and open to difficult feelings with no resistance, simply observing them without your normal responses can be very powerful ways of releasing embedded patterns of fear.

 Breathwork is another technique that functions well as an on the spot remedy as well as a preventative one. Most people who experience a great deal of fear or anxiety have breathing patterns that are a contributing factor.  Sit quiet for a moment and listen to your pattern.  After you get a sense for it, breathe consciously.  Breathe slowly and deeply.  Pull your breath as deep into your abdomen as you can.  Hold it for a few seconds and then slowly let it go.  Repeating this process for five or ten minutes at a time is an excellent way to bring yourself into the present moment.

 Ultimately, developing higher consciousness, an ability to live from a higher level of awareness or the authentic self, is perhaps the best solution to alleviating fear and anxiety. However, it is important to remember that this is a process and not an event. It requires a deep fundamental shift within, a commitment and participation in order to be cultivated and become a way of BEING. 

 Shift to being present at all times.  You will then live in the space where fear does not exist.

Both our recorded programs, 12 Keys for Life and Self Mastery and Feng Shui and Chakras: Inner and Outer Balance, include helpful information about releasing fear, as well as guided exercises to help you learn methods to permanently release fear’s grasp.

Shift now, avoid the rush!

Awakening is a process, a journey with a road that  reaches behind and before us.

Awakening allows for: eyes that open wider, ears that hear more clearly, a mind that broadens and expands to include more and exclude less, and a heart that both widens and opens.

 Awakening is an imperfect course, one with jagged edges that can pierce the smoothness of our contentment and explode the inner space of our reality.

 Awakening requires courage, perseverance, commitment and practice:

Courage to face the day, to see how far we’ve come AND how far we have yet to go

Perseverance to show up, shift and move forward while honoring the missteps

Patience to ride the currents—the updrafts and the troughs

Commitment to practice even in the stuck times

 Awakening is allowing our humanness to be touched our spirit and be shaped by it. It is then that resistance can fall away and we can open into the ease of soul, and let it lead the way.

Some of us think holding on makes us strong; but sometimes it is letting go.

Herman Hesse

The topic for our Monday, January 18^th radio show is “How do You Really Leave the Past Behind?”  Eckhart Tolle in the Power of Now tells us that we need to be in the present to free ourselves of the past. Actually, we always ONLY live in the present.  We are never in the past nor are we ever in the future.  The past, however, does in many ways condition our lives. 

 Our experiences and beliefs over a lifetime are all factors that influence how we see the world, how we live our lives and how we react to situations.

 Our dilemma is that our past experiences and particularly the way we feel about them …are encoded in our nervous systems, in our very cell tissue and form default reactor patterns that are easily—and unconsciously triggered by people and events. The result is that we often react automatically from the past as it were and are not truly, freely in the present.  

 So what do we do? How do you let the past go?

 Come listen to our show and find out!

On Monday you can click this link http://www.divatoolbox.com/diva-toolbox-radio-/hosts/2007-peg-donahue-and-karen-kallie-living-energy.html or join us from the button on our homepage. 

If you cannot listen live, you can download the recording 12-24 hours after the show and listen at your leisure.

It is amazing to see the outpouring of help that arises in the world when disaster strikes such as it has in Haiti this week. Compassion, empathy and a sincere desire to aid our fellow humans —the best in us—is openly displayed and freely given in times of great need. This is truly heartening—a kind of counterbalance to the terror and violence we also witness at times in our world and in our fellow humans.

 When disaster strikes it can rock the very foundation of our individual and collective psyches. It is  as though our deepest fears are shaken loose from the comfortable bed where they have been lying and rise up to remind us that they are still there. We become aware once again that safety is not a guarantee in this world. The truly terrifying emotion that gets triggered in such circumstances is one of powerlessness.

 Someone once said that the emotion we most feared was one of powerlessness. My experience and observation in this lifetime is that this is probably true. We REALLY do NOT like to feel that we are powerless in any area of our lives.

 Daily life, at least in most of the western world, can lull us into a sense of complacency where we can “forget” about this issue of powerlessness. Of course unconscious behaviors show us that in fact some part of us is trying mightily to hang on to a feeling of power, control and safety. However, when catastrophe strikes the mighty energy of fear awakens.

 Each person has their own unique way to defend or cope with the arousal of such fear. Some go on the offensive and cast hateful (and often totally illogical) blame on others. Some creatively weave stories that assign power to an external source with rules and regulations that they themselves just happen to be in alignment with, but the folks who are suffering the calamity are not and hence their troubles.  In fact it may be that we all carry some version of this story in our deepest of hidden places—be good, do this, follow that and no harm will come to you! But disaster has a way of shaking our belief systems and opening us up to our fears about safety, security, as well as to what is really important. This can be a time when we can discover things about ourselves and choose (or be forced!) to grow and develop aspects of ourselves that we may not otherwise.

 If we ask questions about our deepest fears…if we confront them and look to what it would take to dissolve them, heal them, let them go…and yes, maybe even accept that we may have to live with some part of them and learn to manage them more grace-fully.

 Our true power lies within the better part of ourselves, in our spiritual nature. We can choose to grow and develop this aspect—to learn how to attune to the energy of love, peace and ease and allow it to flow through us even in an imperfect world. Aligning with the energy of these higher qualities strengthens us and those around us through a kind of ripple effect.

 Learning to root and ground ourselves in these stronger energies opens us up so we become more aware of healthier choices and responses to our world –ones that nourish and enhance ourselves, others and the world. Centering in these energies brings clarity, a higher way of knowing and Being to us. Our choices and responses can become more kind, loving and wise.

 A question that often is asked is, “Is there a higher purpose in the disasters that strike us? “  Perhaps the answer is that is our choice. Perhaps the real question needs to be, “How do we want to respond to the challenges and conditions of our lives?” We can choose to develop our awareness and consciousness. We can choose to work toward an integration of mind and heart. It is there that we can find the deep choice of wisdom and love.

Great video on interaction of mind, experience and brain and the benefits of developing  mindfulness. Cultivating this state helps to improve  health, relationships, and the ability to learn and enjoy life. This video is focused on children but it has great wisdom for all of us!