Living Energy Blog

A great take-away message from Carolyn Myss re: not only how to heal but also for how we all can bring more good into our lives:

http://www.thebalancingact.com/story/?id=2075

There are many ways to reduce and manage stress. I find it gets exhausting if I am always focused on trying to fight it, or conquor it.  A very powerful approach that has really helped me to have a healthier attitude and approach to stress is to side step the idea of combating it and rather learn ways to open to a fundamental flow of creative energy and develop it. This provides a deep well spring from which to engage and build on practices that are more life enhancing and revitalizing.

The I Ching, the oldest book of China, of the Book of Change gives us some guidance regarding this approach.  The I Ching is an observation of human behavior and the constantly changing structure of the universe.  It is about the way things are at the moment and the way that they tend to change and transform themselves.  A basic premise is that there are no isolated actions.  Every action has a reaction and every thing affects every other thingin a synchronistic manner.  The observation of patterns in nature can help us adopt an attitude of flow in order to move more gracefully, consciously and purposefully through change and challenging times.

 Sixty-four different life situations (also called hexagrams) are highlighted in the I Ching.  The first of these is called The Creative.  It is about how worthwhile goals will meet with success.  When you use your inspiration, energy, will and personal strength — your Creative Power —  you can catapult yourself into new situations and use your opportunities to your best advantage.  The Creative is a time when personal growth is accelerated.  You focus and become aware of the situations around you. You learn when to act and when not to act.  It is a time when people may look to you for leadership.  You act for your highest good and you meet with success.

 You can make room for the energy referred to as The Creativeto develop within you and learn to live more from this place rather than being in a combative relationship with life and its stress.

 How? More on this tomorrow!

As some of you are aware, over the past decade Tony, Peg and I have all been immersed in the experience of being caregivers for aging parents and relatives. These experiences have challenged us,  stretched us to grow in unexpected ways and moved us deeply in terms of what it means to be a spiritual being  living a very human life. We found that the Living Energy approach that we were teaching and writing about helped us navigate the difficult passages with more ease, grace and sanity than otherwise may have been the case. Hence we have turned our focus to bringing the tools and techniques embodied in the Living Energy work to the world of caregiving.

My own personal experience through this life stage (caring for elderly parents) has been long and strange. As a nurse and psychotherapist I had dealt with people facing illness and end of life issues many times. Without consciously thinking about it I had “learned” that there was a pattern–or a few patterns–that the experience tended to follow. But when it came my turn to deal with such an experience personally nothing followed the norm that I had unconsciously come to expect. I wish I had known a lot of things that I did not. I wish there had been guidance and support that would have helped me not get caught in unimportant places. I wish there had been help to point me to the growing edges of consciousness that would have smoothed out the bumps.

All those things were available in some ways but I had to search. Fortunately it is one of my coping mechanism to search! So it has actually turned into a  deeply expansive time for my entire being. I suspect this process could have been more graceful with fewer bumps if there had been a different kind of preparation and expectation, if there had been a different kind of guidance available when it got weird, surprising and unpredictable! But ultimately that is okay because it led me to a commitment to helping others learn as much as they could about this time of life –practically, emotionally and spiritually—to help them learn to dive deep to find the inner resources to strengthen and support them so that it could become a life enhancing (although often painful) experience rather than a soul deadening one.

So with all that in  mind…here is an excellent article on conversations that it is important to have when aging, serious illness and death edge more fully into your life. There are so many more details and nuances to these conversations than the ultimate one of whether someone wants to be kept alive by mechanical means. These things are difficult to address upfront but in the long run they smooth out the bumps so you can manage this journey a bit more easily.

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/08/02/100802fa_fact_gawande

Current world events make us aware of how compelling it can be to feel overwhelmed, angry, or in conflict.  It becomes easy to blame others.  Allowing these mental or emotional states to take hold really does nothing for us. At best they can propel us toward some action that may be helpful but for most people it perpetuates an energy state that creates inner turmoil, stress and mental, emotional and physical weakness.

 At first glance it can seem uncaring to focus on shifting to a higher state of consciousness when so many are suffering so much. But we may ask, ‘how does it serve another to feel as downtrodden, sad, or grief stricken as they do’? We can only help others if we work at keeping ourselves strong and healthy. It is then we can help to raise them in whatever way is appropriate or possible.

 So we need to do what we can in terms of donations of time, money or service to those in need, but we also need to be aware of our mental and emotional states. It is easy to become caught in emotional loops and fool yourself into thinking it is the same as or part of participating, caring or helping.

 We can practice living more in the present moment through becoming aware of our troublesome thoughts and emotions, clearing them, achieving more neutrality and thus being freer to cultivate higher level states of BE-ing. Centering within yourself helps to build strong energy that fosters clear thinking and honest emotion. In is only from your “nowness” you can truly be of help to others.

These are stressful times. You may feel that everywhere we look there seems to be one more reason to feel tense, upset, frenzied or anxious. These are truly momentous times with many transitions and changes as the future careens toward us. That being the case it is more important than ever to have the means to deal with stress inherent in change so it does not produce toxic effects in our lives.

Stress has been defined as wear and tear on the body and mind as we attempt to adapt to change. We are all aware that change causes stress. We are also aware at some level of the signs that we are stressed. What we are often not aware of are the changes that go on inside us that create the wear and tear and eventually take their toll on our health and well being.

There are many ways to lessen the effects of stress on mind and body: meditation, quiet time for ourselves, learning to breathe properly, energy work and techniques such as imagery, and visualization. All are all helpful methods that can be used alone, or woven into a complete personal stress management program. These tools are also helpful when used to clarify, set and achieve goals. Each in its own way can be a really valuable aid to assist with engaging your inner resources to help motivate you to not only get started, but also to ride the waves of change more smoothly.

Another useful concept for navigating the process of change, whether it is initiated by us or from the outside, is that of support? All growth and development requires adequate support in order to be successful. What are your particular needs? Support does not mean the same thing to all people. Take some time to identify what support means to you. What works for one person may not work for another. In addition, you may need different types of support at different times in as you navigate the stages of change. It is always wise to have a variety of tools available to help you navigate change as well as your path in life. 

So begin by asking what support means to you. What types are important to you? Where can you look for that help? This includes people, places and things! How often will you need these resources? Obviously there will be things you can do for yourself, but you may also need others. Who are they? Can you ask them ahead of time to be available to ensure that what you need will be forthcoming? Do you need professional support, a group or some skill building?

Have a list of all the ways that you may be able to offer yourself support can be useful. When we are stressed our thinking mind tends to shut down and we may not be able to sort out what we need. If it is available to you in written form it can really strengthen your chances of success.

Perhaps also writing out the positives that will result from the change you are going through can help give you some confidence when the going gets rough. You may also want to write out some encouraging statements on index cards and carry them with you. A friend who has committed to be an aid can be of invaluable help….especially if they have gone through similar circumstances.

These approaches may seem self evident in a lot of ways, but they tend to be things we overlook…. maybe because of their simplicity. Nonetheless they can help make a difference in whether you just survive or thrive through transition.

Both our recorded home study programs are filled with techniques and guidance on using these types of methods as well as more specific teaching on how to use energy skills to improve your health, manage your emotions and  bring your dreams alive.

You can access these programs and a complete descripion here: http://www.livingenergyworks.com/store/

There is still time to join us!

Strengthen Your Art of Allowing
Balance, Health and Wellness Retreat 
June 4-6, 2010
Sandy Island Camp 
Lake Winnipesaukee, NH  

“Elements of Enlightenment is a grassroots organization of conscious souls, raising awareness of the many dimensions of healing.”

Live on purpose
Create conscious communities
Leave this world a better place
-Elements of Enlightenment 

 Imagine spending three scrumptiously self-ful days on a beautiful island nourishing your soul, replenishing your spirit, reclaiming inner balance and discovering your authentic self. Meet new like-minded friends in workshops, over delicious meals or simply relaxing to the sounds of the lapping waters of Lake Winnipesaukee, all while enhancing your spiritual tools to move forward on your purposeful path.

Event Description: 3 day, 2 night retreat on the private, secluded Sandy Island YMCA Camp on Lake Winnipesaukee with workshops, speakers, and recreation activities designed to help you return and embrace your authentic self.  You will have three workshop opportunities to learn from.

Karen and Peg will be presenting

 Subtle Energy: 8 Keys to Unlocking Your Art of Allowing.

 There will be many other workshops to choose from as well that will provide you with new tools to live on purpose from the ease and flow that is the center of YOU!   

For complete description and details go to:  http://www.elementsofenlightenment.com/

Being out in nature is a wonderful way to clear and cleanse, as well as to build our energy. In the winter months we are indoors more and lose a valuable means of cultivating healthy energy.  Sunlight, fresh air and contact with all the natural elements all help to increase and maintain energy especially if we are purposeful and attentive with the process. Make it a point to get outside when you can. In addition to helping our overall energy, walking outside in the early morning light has been found to be helpful in staving off seasonal affective disorder.

To have your time outside be most effective as it relates to your energy: be mindful of your body, your feet on the earth, how it feels to be in the present moment; from your inner center be aware of the air, the sun, the breeze blowing past you; feel drinking in the sun,, the air, the warmth.

In Tai Chi there is a wonderful movement to gather up chi of the morning and bring it into yourself.

As you move through your day periodically tune into yourself, intentionally feel spaciousness in your heart and you bathe yourself with love, peace, joy or gratitude. Not only will you benefit but those around you will “catch” your good feelings. This simple method helps to keep your energy strong, can protect you from stress, make for more meaningful interactions and help prevent fatigue.

We would enjoy hearing your comments on how this exercise affected your day!

We are fortunate to live at a time in history when there is so much knowledge and so many well researched tools that can help us to realize more of our potential and improve our quality of life. The last few decades have brought many new discoveries and concepts regarding how to heal, expand consciousness, transform difficulties, rise to challenges and transcend our ‘lower nature’ and live more from our authentic selves. Quantum physics has corroborated the truth of the perennial philosophies and mystical traditions to give us both an art and a science of the Self.

 As information increases and our awareness expands, we not only know more, but can do and BE more! This is not support for being busier or for taking on more and more activity or responsibility. In many ways it is just the opposite.  With deeper understanding and development of our energetic nature we actually can expand our capacity to live more fully but with less struggle, fewer burdens and more ease.

 If we understand energetic principles, access our inborn natural capacities and use energetic skills, we can bring about change with less conflict and greater comfort. Often our attempts to change are approached from a stance of willpower, hard work and a forced focus on what to be or not to be. The world of energy provides ways to facilitate change more easily, to integrate new patterns and abilities more effortlessly so we can become that person we see in our mind and feel in our heart.

 The Art and Science of the Self-Part 2 continues in the next post

Join us on March 22, 2010 @ 10 A.M. for our radio show where the topic for discussion will be Changing Paradigms in Health care. The present time is one of tremendous transition and the emergence of new models and roles for humanity. Taking personal responsibility for your health and overall well-being is a huge part of this shift. Join Peg Donahue, Karen Kallie and Tony Pace as we explore the shifting paradigm for health and our roles in it.

To call in to the show: (347) 843-4148

 On the web or to download the recording: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/living-energy-works