Patch up energy leaks for an abundance of energy to use and share.
We may not always realize it, but many of us have energy leaks. We give energy away without refilling it, and our condition and habits may not retain the energy we do try to refill. No matter how much we care about our lives or other people, if we can’t fill up our energy, we’ll feel dissatisfied and frustrated.
When I speak about energy, I’m not only referring to the energy stored in molecules used by our cells. I’m talking about the subtle qi energy studied in Asian medicine that is composed of all of the kinds of energy produced by the body and the kinds of energy that enter and exit the body.
Asian medicine has described the ways in which energy tends to flow and circulate in the body, both when in health and when not. It, as well as martial arts and various other practices, have developed ways to keep one’s energy flowing and to gather more energy into the body as well. When we have enough energy, not only is our body healthier and stronger, but our mood is happier and more balanced, and our mind is more creative and clearer.
How do we leak energy, and how can we fix it?
- By only focusing outside ourselves.
In principle, energy concentrates wherever our mind does. When our mind focuses on our activities or the people around us, our energy, as well as energy from the environment, goes toward them. This phenomenon can be used to help us achieve our goals more effectively or to take care of others.
Taking time each day, even one minute every hour, to bring our attention inside us helps some of that energy go toward ourselves. We can simply do that with our mind, or if that’s too hard, do exercises such as push-ups, pull-ups, squats, running, or fast walking instead. Strenuous exercise forces us to pay attention to how our body feels.
These are some of the exercises I do to stay fit and bring my attention back to myself:
- By having poor posture.
Energy flows through our body better when our spine is upright in its natural S-curve without strain or tension and when the left and right sides of our body are even, forming horizontal lines that are parallel to the ground. Conversely, if we have enough energy flow, our posture naturally becomes relaxed and aligned. Also, when our hips and tailbone are pulled inward and upward, they make a bucket that holds energy in an important energy center located there.
Try doing qigong and/or breathing exercises to relax your body while improving your posture, which also let you accumulate energy you may have lost.
This effective breathing exercise uses different precise postures:
- Through “dark holes” in our magnetic field.
The energy flow in our body generates an electromagnetic field. Excessive worry, anxiety, and negativity from within and without weakens this field, causing more stress and emotional turmoil.
Practice Magnetic Meditation with handheld magnets to help repair the electromagnetic field while developing better focus and the ability to feel energy.
Here’s how to do it:
The techniques above not only close energy leaks; they also help bring energy into the body. How we use that energy gets determined by how we use our mind. Keeping our focus on what we really care about and want to accomplish will help us have enough energy for the people, places, and endeavors we wish to give it to. The practices for patching up energy leaks above can also help us develop our focus and discern what’s most important to us.
We always have enough energy to give—it’s abundant all around us. We just need to take measures to fill ourselves up first and make sure it’s going where we want it to go.
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Editor’s Note: To learn more about how to manage your energy, take classes at a Body & Brain Yoga Tai Chi center. Find one near you at BodynBrain.com.
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