Energy as we all know makes up the universe and all that is in it. We cannot see it but we can see the results of it (for example the attraction or repulsion in magnets). At the smallest building block we are simply energy and hence to understand our essence we need to begin by gaining some understanding of what this thing called energy really is and how it relates to us.
Now you might be thinking that it would take a whole lot more than a web article to comprehensively explain the exact nature of energy and the intricacies of its workings and you would be right. What I want to do here is to discuss the flow of energy rather than the properties of energy itself. It is good enough for you to know it exists kind of like the same way you know your brain exists even though you cannot see it.
The flow of energy is important to everything, because just as energy cannot be destroyed (one of those laws of physics so can’t argue there) it flows between everything creating different structures and forms as it goes. It has been doing this since the beginning of time (think I mean the big bang but maybe even before that) and as long as things go the way they are now it will continue.
So what is so important about this flow? The importance to us of the flow of energy has been known for a long time through the guru’s, monks and the wise of the ancient civilisations. The flow of energy allows for balance and when things can balance they can become stable. However when there is an imbalance due to a blockage then energy cannot flow and you end up with stiffness and rigidity in your body.
Release the block and the energy flows rebalancing the body making it more supple and resilient. The principle flow creating flexibility and resilience is fundamental to the universe and equally so within our bodies and minds. In our bodies the energy flows along things called meridians. These channels form a network kind of like the London Tube Map across your body.
Now just like the tube when all is clear the energy is free to flow all over our body and this keeps everything in our bodies supple and resilient. However if there is a blockage (like when a train breaks down) we get an interruption in one place and like the people on platforms waiting for the tube it creates tension. Then like the tube once the blockage is cleared the energy can flow and brings back balance to our bodies.
The next question is what causes blockages to our energy flow? The main cause of blockages is tension. Tension is introduced into your body in any number of ways, for example; your boss giving you a hard time because your re late, or that person who cut in front of you in the queue, wondering how long your job is safe for, having a row with your partner etc etc!
Every time you experience tension it obstructs the flow of energy almost like instantly putting down a sluice gate in your meridian channel. Now our body is a funny piece of engineering because it always puts the gates in the same old favourite places, the stiff shoulder or neck, right in the bad back, even in the knee or ankle you broke 15 years ago, – you get my drift. Normally it looks for your weakest points and dumps it there (you would think your body is on your side but hey that’s just how it happens).
So what can we do about it? Well in this day and age avoiding it nigh on impossible unless you want to go and live like a hermit in the Canadian Rockies, but then hey even the nice little squirrels will probably drive you insane!
Ok so we can’t avoid it, so what can we do about it? Well there are two ways we can reduce the impact and the amount of tension we take on. The first is by through the right kind of physical activity to open up our energy channels (those meridian things I mentioned earlier) and the other is to work on reducing how our mental state takes on tension.
Tai Chi or Qigong (pronounced” Chi Kung”) are highly effective ways of opening up your energy flow and relieving tension in the body. But let’s face it basically anything that on a physical level opens up your energy channels is just the thing, but research them carefully to make sure they are properly focused on that goal.
The second part is reducing how your thoughts introduce tension. Your thoughts are energy (just can’t seem to get away from this energy thing can we!) and some thoughts introduce tension into your body. So the key here is changing thought patterns that introduce tension. Life Coaching for example can help you identify the thought patterns, values and beliefs that introduce tension in you life. It will also help you devise ways to deal with them so they no longer impact on you. Doing this will improve the way you handle those day to day unavoidable situations and reduce the tension you take on that blocks your energy flow.
The result is a better balance in your mind and body and a feeling of inner stability.
