Energy Awareness

Energy Awareness

October 31, 2021

I am tired. Over the past month, indeed over the past year and a half, a significant number of people have said to me, "Alison, I am sooo tired."

Are you tired, too? 

This month our focus is on Energy Awareness  and how we can build Awareness of our Energy  -- physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Are you aware of who and what is draining your Energy? Are you clear on what your options are to raise your Energy -- your vibration and vibrancy? 

In Energy Awareness, I hope to encourage and excite you to take action -- to do 1-3 things -- that make sense to you, which will improve your energy. We will be discussing 3 tools that are easily available to all of us. There is a long list of options -- most of which do not require you to go to the fitness center, most of which are free. So, let's get started! 

This opening quote from Deepak Chopra brings home the point that Awareness is actually the place to start.

"When you expand your awareness, your energy flows freely.
You're more flexible, balanced, and creative.
You view yourself and the world with more compassion and understanding.
You have more energy and are open to new possibilities."

Self- awareness is also one of the foundational cornerstones of Emotional Intelligence, first introduced by Daniel Goleman. A great memory from 10 years ago, Louise Hay on stage, "We are all saying the same thing." The "We" she was referring to were the keynote speakers at her Hay House Conference, including Wayne Dyer, Caroline Myss, Gregg Braden and many others. Louise Hay's point was that while we are all saying the same thing -- we are each saying them differently. How one person says things may resonate differently with different people.  This was a humble statement -- and a very aware perception. She gave me courage to write my story. 

Whether Deepak Chopra or Daniel Goleman or whoever speaks to you -- my goal is to bring  options and tools that call us to take action -- to learn experientially how we can build Energy Awareness in our lives in practical ways. 

This month, we will work through 3 different approaches/voices/tools which can guide us to be more Aware of our Energy.  

The first tool is outlined by Board-certified internal medicine physician, Saundra Dalton-Smith. In a TEDx-Atlanta delivered in March 2019, Dr Dalton-Smith explodes the myth that sleep and rest are the same.  Dr. Dalton-Smith talks about the 7 types of Rest available to us. 

1. Mental Rest
2. Spiritual Rest
3. Emotional Rest
4. Social Rest
5. Sensory Rest
6. Creative Rest
7. Physical Rest

I love Dr. Dalton-Smith's framework because it is holistic and goes far beyond the typical focus on breathing and a good night's sleep. Her talk is real -- using wonderful real-life examples of  behavior which demonstrate the various types of Rest Deficits.  

Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith: Why We Are Tired

I highly recommend everyone take 10 minutes to listen to her inspiring talk and her Call To Action (CTA) for a Rest Revolution.  

The first step is Awareness -- imagine that! I invite you to identify the 2-3 areas where you believe you have a Rest Deficit. I will share some of Dr. Dalton-Smith's ideas and include other practices, drawing from many sources.

This is a menu for you --- decide which new habits make sense for you to start to restore our Energy level. The keys are to Start and to be Consistent. 

1. Mental Rest:
   • Meditations for Centering 
   • Journaling
   • Take 2 minute breaks every 60-75 minutes
   • Focus on Being Present
   • Stop Multi-tasking
2. Spiritual Rest:
   • Prayer
   • Reading the Bible, the Torah, the Koran, the Bhagavad Gita,  or your spiritual leader of choice.
   • Keep a gratitude journal
   • Take a walk in nature
   • Meditations for connecting with your higher Self, with your Angels, with God, with the Universe 
3. Emotional Rest
   • Create your sanctuary, your safe space
   • Practice Self-care
   • Walk outside every day
   • Walking Meditations, meditations with music, the ocean, and waterfalls
   • Practice saying "no" to other's demands
4. Social Rest
   • Balance time alone and with others
   • Identify people who bring positive energy into your space
   • Limit time with people who drain your energy
   • Eliminate energy vampires
5. Sensory Rest
   • Leave your cell phone outside your bedroom at night
   • Unplug from social media periodically
   • Limit the time on your media distractions -- TV, Facebook, Instagram, cell phone. 
   • Check your office and home for light and noise polution   
6. Creative Rest
   • Write, paint, dance
   • Walk in nature
   • Read an inspirational book
   • Watch an inspiring movie or documentary
   • Journal your stories and dreams
7. Physical Rest
   • Stretch every hour on the hour
   • Nap
   • Breathe deeply
   • Yoga
   • Practice Qigong
   • Massage therapy
   • Cardio workouts
   • Drink 3-5 liters of water
   • Avoid sugary drinks and alcohol and caffeine
   • Eat a whole food diet

First, celebrate yourself for your practices which you do consistently.

Next, I invite you to create your personal action plan: Pick the 1 or 2 areas where you believe you have a Rest Deficit.  Then choose 1-3 new habits you will commit to do every day for the next 66 days. 
 

The 2nd Tool is outlined in this 7 minute talk from David Gandelman' s Meditation School Podcast, Episode # 13: 

                   From Tired to Peak Energy with David Gandelman

David Gandelman outlines a 3-Step Process for how to raise your Energy, starting with Awareness: 

1. Step # 1: Where is Your Energy Level: Out of 100%, when your Tank is full, where are you really at right now? 20%, 50% or 80%? 
2. Step # 2: Where is Your Energy being drained? What is, who is, where is your energy being drained? Be more aware of where is your energy going -- how, who, what and where is your energy going? 
3. Step # 3: Retrieve Your Energy. Recognize the patterns, the programming, the whys, the doors, the pain points and the triggers that cause you to give your energy away. Then start the process of retrieving your energy -- managing your energy, having boundaries and knowing when to share and when not to share.  As he says, "This is a lifetime of work."  

David's voice is different -- and he is very funny, at least I think so. The first 2 steps are similar to the outline above. However, David's approach may feel simpler. 

The 3rd step is more philosophical and dives deeper into the mental work behind what it takes and what it means to effectively manage your energy. 

If you would like to delve deeper into how to reclaim your energy, I recommend this meditation by Keziah Gibbons:  Reclaim Your Energy. If you believe your tendency is to worry about the future, this 10-minute meditation inspired by her Rieke Practice will lead you to call your energy back to you from wherever it wanders.

The 3rd Tool for improving Energy Awareness is an understanding of the 7 energy centers in our body, the Chakras. As many of you know, the seven major chakras, or energy centers in our body, run from the base of our spine to the top of our head.  

If you are just learning about the Chakras, the following 20-minute meditation is an excellent introduction. If you are very knowledgeable about the Chakra system, you may enjoy this knowledgeable teacher, her voice and the mantras/ vibrations/sounds of the 7 Chakras. I hope you will feel the energy and frequency of each of the 7 Chakras.  

In brief, the 7 Chakras are: 

• Chakra 1, the Root Chakra: the element is Earth, the color is Red, the sense is Smell, the sound is Lam, the identity is Physical Identity, the orientation is Self-Preservation, the cosmic principle is Gravity.  
• Chakra 2, the Sacral Chakra: the element is Water, the color is Orange, the sense is Taste, the sound is Vam, the identity is Emotional Identity, the orientation is Self-Gratification, and the cosmic principle is Polarity.
• Chakra 3, the Solar Plexus Chakra: the element is Fire, the color is Yellow, the sense is Sight, the sound is Ram, the identity is Ego Identity, the orientation is Self-Definition, the cosmic principle is Combustion.
• Chakra 4, the Heart Chakra: the element is Air, the color is Green, the sense is Touch, the sound is Yam, the identity is Social Identity, the orientation is Self-Acceptance, the cosmic principle is Equilibrium. 
• Chakra 5, the Throat Chakra: the element is Sound, the color is Bright Blue, the sense is Hearing, the sound is Ham, the identity is Creative Identity, the orientation is Self-Expression, the cosmic principle is Resonance. 
• Chakra 6, the Third Eye Chakra: the element is Light, the color is Indigo, the sense is Sight, the sound is Om, the identity is Archetypal Identity, the orientation is Self-Reflection, the cosmic principle is Radiance. 
• Chakra 7, the Crown Chakra: the element is Consciousness, the color is Violet, the sense is Withdrawal of Senses, sound is none, simply listen, the identity is Universal Identity, the orientation is Self-Knowledge, the cosmic principle is Unity. 

I invite you to listen to Gisele Bündchen's  Balancing Your Energy Centers - Chakras. Gisele has a beautiful voice, she is both knowledgeable and understandable. As she says, "Our thoughts and emotions produce a frequency that can either raise or lower our vibrations. 

I truly love the experience of listening to the energy and frequency of the seed sounds, the mantras of each of the 7 chakras. You may experience where you have energy blocks and where you may want to focus your awareness to open the energy flows. 

Thank you friends who introduced me to the Chakra energy centers over 10 years ago. Chakra meditations are now foundational to my experiential awareness of Energy. My meditation practices incorporate opening Chakras, awareness of of energy blockages in certain Chakras, and calling on a combination of energies to bring by Heart and Third Eye Chakras into alignment for important decisions. 
 

In closing, consider this pearl of wisdom from Nikola Tesla: 

                        "If you want to find the secrets of the universe,
                         think in terms of energy, frequency, and vibration." 

Three different frameworks and processes, three different voices -- and we are all saying the same thing! The secrets of the universe are inside of you -- inside of each and every one of us. This I believe. 

What resonates with you? Where will you start? 

It is your choice! The key is to start. Focus on your Energy Awareness.  Just start and be consistent!!  

With deepest respect and honor. All my best! 

 Talk soon and stay well,

Alison Lanza Falls

 419-262-3717