Control of the mind is said to be the highest Yoga. It is like control of an unruly horse which must be made to obey its rider. -Bhagavata Purana, XI.20
Energy. It is all around us. It makes up everything. It flows all around us, through our world, our homes, our bodies. Energy is part of the fabric of matter and energy is never lost. It is only transformed or transferred. You can feel it in the wind, in the warmth of the sun. You can feel it at work in your body and notice when your reserves are brimming, or when they are low.
Every culture has named it. To some it is Chi (from Chinese), Ki (Japanese) or Prana (Indian). To others it is the life force or breath of the Gods. When energy is in a proper state of balance, it moves smoothly through the space it occupies be it our homes, our workspace, our bodies. Balancing this energy is a crucial part of living a healthy, happy, and calm life. A healthy lifestyle which includes moderation in all things: eating right, daily exercise and a normal sleeping pattern is key to balanced energy.
If you find you are currently out of whack, try making small changes to get yourself back on track. Get up and move your body. Make wise choices when you eat. Skip the sugar. Instead choose raw fruit or vegetables. Eating healthy snacks will make you feel awake and alive. Free yourself from a bad diet in simple steps: add fruit to your cereal, have an extra glass of water instead of soda, limit your alcohol and caffeine consumption. It is possible to ease into a healthier lifestyle just by making conscious choices. Just remember, 'you are what you eat!'
Are you already eating clean but you still feel uninspired? Maybe you need to clear out the gunk. When was the last time you detoxed? I am a big fan of the Master cleanse, a 10 day detox diet in which one only drinks a mixture of spring water, fresh lemon juice, pure maple syrup and cayenne pepper. This works for me and gets me back on track as it resets my metabolism. But everyone's body is different and there are many ways to detox. The famous American psychic, Edgar Cayce, once recommended to a client, eating only apples for a three day period. to a client. His success is now known as "the Edgar Cayce Apple Diet." “But don't go without the apples - eat them - all you can - at least five or six apples each day. Chew them up, scrape them well. Drink plenty of water, and follow the three-day diet with the big dose of Olive Oil.” He also recommended rest while on this fast (specifically, he said “don’t work like a horse…” or it would be more detrimental than helpful.) - The "big dose" of olive oil is around two teaspoons.
And move your body! You aren't going to find your perfect state by sitting on that couch. Remember, daily exercise is important not only to your physical health, but your mental health too. Hate working out? Well, you don't have to. Just move. Take a walk. Run around the park. Go hiking. Dance! Your workout can be anything that gets your heart pumping.
Incorporate some Zenness into your routine. The practice of yoga, and daily meditation are wonderful vehicles to a healthier life. Our bodies are so much more than meets the eye. Of course we are flesh, blood and bone but we are also Spirit and within our body lies and an amazing network of energy centers or chakras. This energy system ensures that our organs, cells, and tissues stay strong and healthy. When there is a block in an energy pathway, the organ system that the pathway corresponds with will also become blocked. Through meditation we can move energy through the body and heal it. Not only can we eliminate stress but we can heal and balance our own bodies by drawing energy to the energy center or chakra point that is not functioning to its fullest potential.
There are seven main chakras, or energy centers, located in our body, five of which are located along the spine, the upper two on our head. Each chakra is associated with a different energy level beginning with the lowest, the root chakra which stands for the pure matter, to the highest, the crown chakra which represents the pure consciousness.
Energy flows through these centers and the flow of energy affects our health. Through meditation we can balance and aligned each energy centers setting the chakra to glow and spin.
The practice of meditation is a large part of psychic development and spiritual work. Meditation is the practice of focusing and quieting your mind to achieve a heightened awareness of your inner spirit and release your inner wisdom whereby you are attempting to merge the desires of the subconscious mind with the desires of the conscious mind in order to work toward a common goal.
When you shift your attention to each breath slowly and deeply drawn and released, you shift your mind into a quiet mode, releasing your mind clutter and silencing the “monkey mind" that constantly tries to invade our thoughts and emotions. The result of this shift is peace, serenity, calmness and inspiration.
Through Meditation Practices one can improved mental functioning, achieve greater intuition as well as greater access to unconscious resources and abilities. When you are feeling frazzled, or your life feels as though it has gotten out of control, try grounding the unwanted energy with this lovely meditation. This is a form of the Tree Meditation. It will neutralize negative energy and replace it with soothing, nurturing, earth energy. I find it does wonders for grounding and centering me when I feel my
Stand or sit comfortably on the floor or ground. Visualize roots slowly extending from your feet. Slowly they travel down, down, until they meet the soil. This is easy if you are outside. I like to do this exercise in my garden. But if you are inside, imagine them traveling down throughout the layers of the building, down through the foundation and eventually into the soil.
Imagine the feel of the cool, secure soil all around your roots, keeping you safe, taking away all negativity. Breathe deep the smell of fresh, wholesome earth. Imagine that you are a giant tree. You are sturdy and confident. You are part of the earth. Your roots go down deep into the earth and all excess nervous energy, tension, and stress flow down your roots and seep harmlessly into the soil, where the loving earth accepts and neutralizes it. In return, the earth sends back calming nutrients, stability, and ancient serenity.
Breathe deep as you draw this cool energy up your roots up past your feet. With each breath draw the cool earth energy up your trunk until you have nourished each finger tip, each strand of hair, each branch extending out into space…
You are an ancient tree; your roots go deep into the ground. You think about last spring's rain and feel your life force recharge.
You breathe deep and feel how you heart is calm, your spirit revitalized, your energy centers full, and you ready for anything...Stay quiet for a few moments. To end the meditation slowly wiggle your finger and toes and then open you eyes.
The practice of magick also relies on harnessing and shaping the creative energy of the universe. In spellwork we gather and direct energy while visualizing our intention. Magick is the practice of influencing energy to achieve a given goal.
The first step in preparing your space for magical energy is to create an environment that allows energy flow, so throw out the clutter and clean!
Energy flows through the universe, through all things, through us. To work a successful spell you must first gain control of your environment. For some helpful tips visit our Space clearing page and find out how to prepare your space for magical energy work.
If your energy is blocked you will be hard pressed to create magick. Your space is a reflection of you and to create magick you must first create an environment that allows energy flow. Try this link when you are out of whack and need to create a Zen space