When we are stressed or threatened, our flow of energy is increased to prepare us for fight or flight. If neither of these is possible or chosen, we override the impulse even though the body has been energized. Repetition of situations that we cannot overcome
results in living with an energetic contradiction of activation and inhibition. This influx of energy at times of stress is a defense that allows us to survive and function in the short term. It is not meant to be a permanent condition.

If trauma or stress is repeated over time with no safe place to release and discharge the energy it becomes frozen. This condition of frozen intensity is known as tonic immobility or the freeze response. A portion of the energy gets locked in the trauma and free
expression is inhibited. This certainly happens with overwhelming trauma, but can also occur as a result of chronic repetitive levels of stress. Damage to our energy can also occur through physical injury, emotional hurt, or lack of attention to a particular part of our selves: E.G. overdeveloping the intellect to the detriment of the emotional body—common in our culture.

Damage to our system is manifested through limited belief systems, conditioned responses, restrictive & exhausting habits.  As we work to change limiting beliefs and balance the energy system, our reactive, conditioned responses and old habits can more easily be released. The result is that energy is returned to the system and it becomes easier to develop new more powerful ways of approaching the challenges of life.

 Energy Excess/Deficiency

Our energy is our power. Binding it or dissipating contributes to powerlesness.

 To cope with stress we are inclined to increase, decrease or freeze our energy. An increase or excess of energy to cope is manifested as a pattern of overcompensation for fear or weakness. We see this in people who dominate situations and people. On the surface this may look like a powerful approach. However, internally the excessive energy required to accomplish this behavioral style tends to become stagnate and create a health problem for the individual in whatever area of the body the excess was accumulated.

A decrease in energy or a freezing response is manifested in withdrawal in order to avoid conflict or challenge. This deficient energy state results in a feeling of being unable to cope, or have what it takes to work through situations, hence they retreat. Unfortunately this often has the consequence of reinforcing the original state and the person experiences even more of a sense of emptiness, restriction, and uselessness.

Our bodies and habits give us clues as to how we are managing our energies in response to stress. In addition to behavior, an outward manifestation of how we are managing energy is reflected in the shape our body takes, as well as in how we carry ourselves.

On the positive side, our energy system is highly responsive to change and there are a wide variety of approaches that can be used for transformation. Watch for our soon to be released recording, Sacred Truths that provides not only information about your energy field and chakras but also tools for bringing healing and realignment  to your system. In addition to working with your internal states, we also correlate your energy body and its individual centers with the space of your home to demonstrate how you can use the ancient art of feng shui to bring more peace, harmony and balance to both your inner and outer world.

Related articles

• The Dance of Chakras,Energy and Memory (livingenergyworks.com)
• Energy, Personal Power and Your Authentic Self (livingenergyworks.com)

It is time to lighten up. The unprecedented changes that are affecting every level of society are also being felt by each one of us at the individual level. One way this is manifesting is through a deep need to let go of what we may have once loved in order to make room for new opportunities, possibilities and circumstances.

In recent months, many people, myself included, have experienced accelerated shifts. Some have done this proactively and consciously, others taken action in response to feeling too much pressure, and some were forced to change due to unanticipated or unexpected have events.

One of the keys to shifting for the better or attracting new opportunities to you is to lighten up. There are many ways to do this. Recently a friend of mine mentioned how much lighter she feels since closing her business.  In addition to her spirit being lighter and brighter, she is feeling healthier, more motivated and excited about her future. Her family relationships are much stronger and happier. Although her business was a life dream, within a year it became a huge drain on her finances as well as her physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health. She knew something had to shift. She took a huge leap and shut it down entirely. Rather than just walking away she took tremendous care to honor her creditors and maintain trust in all of her relationships. As a result, amazing things are happening for her. Now that her burden is lifted, new opportunities are coming her way. What a life lesson!

Change is inevitable. What can you lighten up or release in your life to help align your energy with the times we are in?

Energy. It’s everywhere. Inside. Outside. All around and ever-expanding. Karen Kallie, Tony Pace and I call our work together Living Energy because it is alive, connected and always changing.

One of the aspects of energy that fascinates me is how our individual and collective energy patterns are mirrored in our space and visa versa. Have you ever noticed a pattern between your computer or technical devices and personal energy?  I have. When my energy is not running smoothly, my computer displays similar patterns and visa versa.

When it takes me longer than usual to do something, I know it is time to shift my energy, attention and focus: take a break, go for a walk, do some yoga, meditate, garden, write a note, cook a meal, call a friend, etc.  When I return, the process usually goes much more smoothly and takes far less time. Since this is a type of energy I want to expand every day, it’s worthwhile for me to tune in and notice what is happening. If I continued on the same path, I would be expanding the energy of blockage, frustration, jams and more.

The next time you realize that you are pushing against something, take a break. As Esther and Jerry Hicks might say, drop your oars, allow your boat to turn around and float downstream. Shifting your focus changes your energy and enables a new pattern to take root. Going with the flow that comes naturally to each of us, through our hearts and intuition, is far easier than moving against the current. It also feels much better.

This article and accompanying pictures provide great motivation to get into and stay with a routine meditation practice!

Even Beginners Can Curb Pain With Meditation

by Adam Cole 02:05 pm April 6, 2011

Robert Coghill/Wake Forest University School of MedicineSigns of pain disappeared from MRI images of the brain when freshly trained novices meditated.

Meditation has long been touted as a holistic approach to pain relief. And studies show that long-time meditators can tolerate quite a bit of pain.

Now researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center have found you don’t have to be a lifelong Buddhist monk to pull it off. Novices were able to tame pain after just a few training sessions.

Sounds a bit mystical, we know, but researchers using a special type of brain imaging were also able to see changes in the brain activity of newbies. Their conclusion? “A little over an hour of meditation training can dramatically reduce both the experience of pain and pain-related brain activation,” Fadel Zeidan, a neuroscientist and the study’s lead author, tells Shots. That finding’s a first, Zeidan says.

In the study, a small group of healthy medical students attended four 20-minute training sessions on “mindfulness meditation” — a technique adapted from a Tibetan Buddhist form of meditation called samatha. It’s all about acknowledging and letting go of distraction.”You are trying to sustain attention in the present moment — everything is momentary so you don’t need to react,” Zeidan explains. “What that does healthwise is it reduces the stress response. The feeling of pain is a very blatant distraction.”

So how did the researchers gauge the effect? They administered a very distracting bit of pain: A small, thermal stimulator heated to 120 degrees was applied to the back of each volunteer’s right calf.  The subjects reported both the intensity and unpleasantness of the pain. If pain were music, intensity would be volume.  Unpleasantness would have more of an emotional component, kind of like how much you love or hate a song.

After meditation training, the subjects reported a 40 percent decrease in pain intensity and a 57 percent reduction in pain unpleasantness.  And it wasn’t just their perception of pain that changed. Brain activity changed too.

Primary Somatosensory Cortex

Notes

This depiction of the body, the cortical homunculus, was first developed by Wilder Penfield.  Each body part maps to a specific spot on a cross section of the brain’s sensory processing region, the primary somatosensory cortex. The larger the feature, the more brain space devoted to it.

Source: NPR; Credit: Adam Cole, Nelson Hsu

Every part of the body is mapped to a specific part of the brain called the primary somatosensory cortex. “If I touch you on your left hand right above your left knuckle, there is an area in the brain that corresponds to that specific area in your hand that will be activated,” Zeidan explains. “When you are in pain it is much more activated — more intense and more widespread.”

This activation shows up on MRI brain scans.  When subjects experienced the heat stimulus under normal conditions, the “right calf” part of the primary somatosensory cortex lit up.  But after the subjects were trained in meditation, the activity in this region was not even detectable.

Brain images also show that meditation increased activation in areas of the brain related to cognitive control and emotion — areas where the experience of pain is built. What’s more, better meditators (those who scored higher on a standard scale of mindfulness) tended to have more activation in these areas and a lower experience of pain.

But can you achieve similar results by just approximating meditation, or believing you are in control of your pain tolerance? Zeidan says probably not. In this study, subjects who paid attention to their breathing to mimic meditation saw no significant change in pain.  And, in a previous study, subjects given fake training failed to see meditation’s effects, even though they believed they were actually performing mindfulness meditation.

Zeidan says he will run some more studies to get at how meditation relieves pain.  He hopes meditation can soon be applied clinically, perhaps to help patients cope with pain after surgery or chemotherapy.

“You might not need extensive training to realize pain-relief benefits,” Zeidan says. “Most people don’t have time to spend months in a monastery.”

Related articles

• More about Pain and Meditation (contemplativemind.wordpress.com)
• Regular Meditation Can Help Tune Out Distractions, Study Says (fitsugar.com)

Today, Labor Day, 2011, I find myself reflecting on the meaning of work. Most times when I hear about work it is in a negative context such as: “Ugh! I have to go to work.” Or “No, I can’t do that, I have to work today.” Or one’s spirit is a bit deflated and resigned to: “I wish I could join you but I have to work.” Sometimes I hear people looking forward to the future: “I can’t wait to retire. Then I won’t have to work.” Some of my Facebook friends commented on those who were working on this holiday vs. those were enjoying the fruits of that labor. The ones doing the commenting were the ones “working” today and not enjoying it.

So what is “work” and why does so much of our life revolve around it? What is your purpose in exerting physical labor or mental activity? In a larger context, consider whether or not your work reflects your passion … something that interests you deeply, something you care about and something you love doing. A job, on the other hand, is a way to earn a living and pay your bills. If you are among the lucky ones, you love your job and that is your work.  Imagine how different the world would be if everyone unhappy with their jobs, switched until they found something they truly loved and then they engaged passionately in daily work. Or perhaps people could begin to view their jobs differently and appreciate the ways in which their job adds value to their life as well as the lives of others.

It used to baffle me why people spend so much of their lives doing something that they regularly complain about or that genuinely makes them sick or that they don’t enjoy. The more deeply I engage in my work, the more I realize that it’s because many people live their lives unconsciously, on automatic pilot, and feel powerless to change. Without thinking, people spout off about going to work, being at work or having to work. Are you among them? When this happens, universal forces arrange themselves to bring you exactly what you are feeling and what you express. Reflect on this for a moment. How do you feel about your job or your work and what do you say to others or articulate about your circumstances?  Do you see any patterns between what you convey and what actually happens or unfolds?

The good news is that you and your circumstances can change, even with our high rates of unemployment. In a few days, Karen Kallie, Tony Pace and I will launch the first program in our Living Energy: Personal Energy Empowerment Series. Watch for it. It might help you shift your life and engage in work that you truly love. Perhaps by Labor Day 2012 you will be positioned to love your work and your job!

Related articles

• Labor Day (xandrepressview.com)
• Labor Day Blessings! (guchiid.wordpress.com)

Seven Key Strategies to Relieve Stress

1. Be clear about your goal–often we do not take time to really define what it is we would like to create

2. Write down what values are important to you, prioritize the list and keep it handy to check your daily activities against

3. Make realistic timetables for goals and tasks; delegate; eliminate/simplify; pad  estimated time by 15%

4. Set up a plan to make sure you accomplish what you truly  desire

5. Talk with family and friends, enlist their support, and  poll them to see how they are willing to help

6. Keep your plan handy; look at it frequently to see if you  are spending time doing things that help you toward your goals or if you are getting  sidetracked. Being sidetracked is not always bad…it can be good information for you–perhaps your goal is not what you think it is–maybe something deeper is trying to emerge—maybe your ladder is up against the wrong building!

7. Look deeper at why you may be trying to do too much,  please others, or remain forever busy and over committed.

In addition to having practical steps to relieving stress and moving toward goals we also need to attend to our deeper selves, our inner lives. When we do we find a source of inspiration, nourishment and support that can turbo charge our external efforts.

Strategies to connect inwardly to build  and maintain energy

1. Give yourself some quiet time to relax/meditate, connect  more deeply with feelings of peace, love, beauty. This practice builds energy and allows you to remain focused in the moment. It becomes easier to not be carried off by the stress, multiple demands, old patterns, & expectations.

Daily meditation provides the space to develop the qualities of acceptance, inner peace and surrender. Development of these traits enables you to just let things be what they are instead of exerting futile effort trying to force events or people to be what you would prefer. Try this 9 mintue meditation as a start: http://http://www.livingenergyworks.com/audio.html

We all have idealistic pictures of things as they “should be“.  The external world hardly ever matches inner expectations. We really do know this inwardly but resist, always hoping it can be different. If we learn to accept rather than resist, things have a funny way
of working out and often better than we imagine!

2. Get a massage. Relaxing the body can help the mind find ease.

3. Listen to music that relaxes you, makes you happy, picks up your energy while you are driving or doing mundane tasks. Also spend some time in silence, give yourself a break from constant input. Be aware of ‘aural hygiene‘. There is a lot of stimulation coming at us constantly. We can monitor this making sure we have more of what feeds our energy rather than depletes it
or jangles our nerves.

4. Decide how you can bring more peace and beauty into your life in small ways. Make a list and implement those ideas. Take charge of your every day environment so that it feeds your senses. Focus on bringing color, texture, aroma into your life. Move things around, change them frequently. As we acclimate, we no longer notice what’s around us.

5. Change small things: the way you drive to work; the side of the bed you get up on; where you have lunch; HOW you have lunch. These changes are small but they help to keep you from going on auto pilot. They will help to keep you more in the present and aware of the aliveness in each moment instead of slipping into numbness.

6. Make it a priority to involve yourself in and enjoy all of your moments. Being present is a gift you can give to your SELF!

As life gets busier and more complex, do you find you are feeling more tension, more of a sense of being out of control, out of time and out of energy? Have you felt obligations and responsibilities growing and taking over what used to be your life? It is natural when that happens to begin to lose the capacity for resting in the moment and having a sense of satisfaction with what is. Pleasure seems to disappear, your sense of humor dulls and pretty soon you are not feeling happy very often and maybe your ability to feel anything good seems to have exited, stage left!

It seems to be a human inclination that as outside demands grow larger and more demanding we neglect to take care of ourselves and this is a perfect setting for not only stress but “burn out”….a very real phenomenon that affects every aspect of your being.

How can you turn this around?

Begin by identifying what you need, and how much you can realistically give of your time, money, or energy. As you move through each day remain aware of your needs and ‘assets‘, emotional and otherwise. Notice when circumstances are becoming overwhelming and learn to say NO. Giving from an “empty cup” is a recipe for stress, resentment and blame toward others for taking too much. It is neither kind nor gracious and other people recognize this.

Take personal responsibility to maintain your energy level, schedule and balance.

To do this effectively it may be necessary to look at the deeper roots of why self care is so difficult. Turn up the volume on the conversations that go on in your mind. We all have them…old messages & beliefs formed earlier in life. We usually are not aware that we carry perspectives that may be outdated, or that may be influencing our behavior in a negative way.

Some of these ’beliefs’ are probably good solid values. There are others that served you well at the time, but need revision to fit
effectively into your current life. Discovering and honestly acknowledging what thoughts, attitudes and beliefs are behind over-commitment, hectic schedules and lack of time for yourself is one way to begin to design a stress-less holiday and a stress-less life!

It is important to recognize what needs your patterns may satisfy. Your needs are not wrong, but the way you are trying to meet them may be ineffective. Successful change requires releasing old habits and filling your needs in positive ways.

Creating more fulfilling choices for yourself comes from a clear recognition of how each choice affects your whole being. How different would your life be if you evaluated how your decisions affected your heart and mind before you made them? We often run our lives from our heads, from the world of ideas, concepts, shoulds, oughts and musts. Sit quietly with each decision you
make and notice how your heart and mind respond to it. This process can be enlightening. When there is a conflict between the mind and heart, it is almost certain that you will experience stress and eventually a variety of difficulties will manifest in your health, relationships and performance.

We can create lives that we love. Creating change from the inside, by listening more closely to your heart, is the beginning. Try tuning into your inner voice more often and see if you don’t experience more ease and less stress!

 Next time: 7 Key Strategies to Relieve Stress

How Stressed Are You—-really?

This cool new tool really does show you something about the degree to which you are stressed. Would be fun to try it before and after Relaxation 101…that may be a research project!

Times of change and uncertainty provide ripe ground for our fears and personal myths to emerge. Instead of allowing them to remain out of awareness where they are free to create chaos or employing ineffective means to manage and control them, we can choose methods that provide us a way out… a way to personal emotional freedom and inner balance. Willingness to try a different approach, patience for the learning curve and a commitment to be gentle and kind to your self will benefit you personally and professionally.

 You are an individual with unique needs.  Therefore, self care is different for each of us.  When you spend time getting to know yourself, you can try many different things and learn what works best for you.  Take nutrition for example, we all need to eat a healthy and balanced diet every day.  The personal choices we make to get there can vary greatly.  Some people may feel better with high levels of protein while others feel better with more carbohydrates.  Some people enjoy eating meat while others prefer a vegetarian diet.  We also need to take different cultural backgrounds and tastes into consideration.  It doesn’t matter how you get there, as long as your choices work for you.  Learn about what is available and then do what truly feels right for you.

Questions that can help you define your specific needs to help manage and reduce your stress:

Where am I too attached to outcomes?

Where and why do I care too much?

Where are my personal boundaries and responsibilities?

Are my expectations of self and other realistic?

If I change my way of approaching this situation, what is my worst fear? Is it realistic? What are healthy alternatives?

The key to living well through times of change and uncertainty is to take personal responsibility for your “self” care.

Prolonged stress leads to anger, depression and illness.  The more responsibility you take for yourself, the more easily you are able to navigate the roads of change.

 What is optimal “self” care and how can you practice it?

Self care requires truly understanding yourself from the inside out and balancing the needs of your body, mind and spirit.   It involves taking time to nourish yourself every day and knowing your trigger points.  Once you are aware of different stressors that impact you, you can learn tools, techniques and resources to draw on whenever needed.

Unfortunately adaptation to stress has become so commonplace that it is often a major obstacle to the self awareness necessary for skilled self care. It is easy to become so used to “the way things are’ that you believe you are not being affected by stress. This mind set is one that will allow stress to silently but steadily erode health over time.

An important first step to changing this is to pay attention to the feeling of overwhelm….a sense that there is too much to do in too short a time…..feelings of overload. These are feelings that are so widespread that they are often dismissed or accepted as par for the course. However, it is at this stage that there is a prime opportunity to change the way your body and mind are affected by stress.

More often than not you are aware of the conscious thoughts that flow through your mind. Beneath them is another stream of thought that has a lot more to do with your real feelings, beliefs and views about yourself, others and life itself! Because of the nature of the ‘conversation’ at this level, no amount of intellectual planning or strategizing will be effective in supplying the long term solutions needed to maintain balanced health.

What is the answer? To give ourselves time on a regular basis to let the conscious mind quiet down so we may hear the deeper river of thought and feeling that moves through us. It is here that the all important self knowledge resides. Once we understand what is happening there, we can release old worn out beliefs that no longer serve us, erase negative thoughts and feelings and create a fertile ground for approaches that will genuinely guide us toward the life we want to live.

It is in that ‘space’ that you will come to really know yourself and be able to not only understand your triggers, but also have a clearer knowledge regarding what the solutions are. As brilliant as your everyday mind is, it is your quieter ‘inner self’ that holds the wisdom that will bring you to a rich, satisfying healthy way of being. In this quieter space questions can be asked that guide you toward your own strategic plan for inner world peace!

Next time–Questions to help you create inner peace…