by Connie Habash | Nov 26, 2023 | Divine, Energy, Flow, Nonattachment, Source
Many of us complain about feeling drained, as if all our energy empties out from our day to day responsibilities and encounters. To feel more vibrant and sustainable energy, it’s helpful to distinguish between the water-based concepts of Drain and Flow.
Drain is a one-way system. Water pours into the bathtub; it fills, and then we pull the plug and it empties out. No more water. This is how many of us operate, and it’s based on using our personal energy.
Personal energy is like a traditional battery. It has a finite amount of charge, and when that’s used up, it’s dead. That’s how we feel when we’re operating from the idea of using our own personal energy and pouring it out, as if down a drain. It feels like it’s gone, and we end up depleted, looking for a new battery.
Let’s shift from the Drain metaphor to Flow. Rather than energy being retained and stored up, then spent, we become an open, cyclical system. Water flows continuously through rivers and streams; it is replenished in the spring after snowmelt.
When the river spills into the ocean, it doesn’t stop there. Evaporation carries it up into clouds, which transport it elsewhere to fall as precipitation on the Earth. This is the water cycle, and it keeps creeks and waterfalls flowing.
We can experience our energy more like that Flow of the water cycle by tapping into the infinite source of energy that continues to replenish all life – the Universal, or Divine energy. When we allow that Divine energy to flow through us rather than using our personal energy, we enter the Flow. This is much like what athletes and other performers experience when they describe Flow.
How do we do that – how do we tap into Flow and experience the Divine source of energy moving through us? There are several keys that support us in experiencing Flow rather than Drain.
- Your Breath – The exhalation and inhalation are a microcosm of the water cycle. As we inhale, we receive Divine energy, and as we exhale, we allow it to flow through us to whatever needs to be done. We inhale again and are replenished. This is what the yogis call Prana.
- Done Through You – Then, let your ego and mind step aside. Allow things to be done through you,rather than by you, using your personal reserves. Let Spirit write, speak, move, and act through you. It takes a lot less energy than believing that “you” are doing it!
- Release Attachment to Outcome – Non-attachment supports the continual Flow of energy, like the water cycle. Expectations lead to disappointment and feeling depleted. But when we offer our gifts without attachment to the outcome, we feel lighter and undisturbed no matter how things turn out. The river does not have a caveat on its flow – it continually offers the water downstream, trusting in the Divine Flow to bring more.
- Honor the Infinite Source – Spend a little time each day honoring the Infinite Source from which all life comes and which Flows through you. Sit still and quiet; imagine it pouring through you, reviving every cell. Envision that, with every act created through you, more light pours in again.
Step out of the Drain and into the Flow. You are continually sourced with all you need. Develop the trust of a river, knowing that the water cycle will replenish your flow. That infinite source is always available if you believe and open yourself to receive it.
For more details on how to practice Flow, see my other blog post on Living in the Flow!
by Connie Habash | Sep 23, 2021 | Being, Energy, fulfillment, Receiving
In order to do more in your life, you need to fill yourself abundantly by being more. Here’s how.
Most of my adult life, I have had a compulsion to do. It’s this nagging feeling that I’m not doing enough and need to keep doing more. Then I tend to overcommit myself, get overwhelmed, and have to clear the plate again to find my balance. The idea of being – what it was and why it mattered – didn’t even occur to me.
I’ve worked on the roots of this issue for some time. I have embraced doing less and I enjoy that! My sense of self is less defined by doing, and more by who I truly am.
But what about when I actually want to do more – not just the compulsive fear of not being enough driving me, but a deep inspiration and desire to share more with the world? How do I make sure I don’t overcommit and spin myself into that excessively-busy, overscheduled and burned out experience?
More Doing Requires Filling Up More
I realized that if I truly desire to do more in my life, I also need to up the ante with be-ing. Being is simply to receive and be present. Through being, I am filled up. I must (and I rarely use that word!) fill myself more before I can give more. I need to fill up with an abundance of energy, so that I have plenty to give. And, preferably, I need to fill myself first, not after I’m already depleted.
When we give to others through doing – whether it’s taking on another work project, volunteering, scheduling more clients, adding on a class, etc. – we can’t just pull that from our own personal energy reserves. If we do, it’s like overdrawing our bank account before we’ve even paid the bills. We’ll end up with a deficit of energy, leading to fatigue, burnout, overwhelm, and possibly even illness.
We’re Fountains, Not Basins
We need to be more like fountains. Fountains have excess water – that’s why they pour over the basins in such a beautiful way. Think of a 3-tiered fountain, with three basins and a larger pool at the bottom, the water spilling over in lovely rivulets that make a soothing sound.
If there wasn’t an excess of water, you’d simply be looking at 3 basins full of water. Nice, but not especially inspiring. And if we tipped the basins to pour out the water without excess flowing in, we’ll end up with empty basins. Bye-bye, fountain.
We’re fountains. In order to have the energy, joy, inspiration, skills, and gifts to give others, we need abundance flowing in. Plenty of extra energy to charge ourselves up with. So, in order to do more, we need to figure out how to fill up and receive an overflow of energy; otherwise, we’ll give away what we have for our own personal well-being.
What Does and Doesn’t Fill Me
It’s taken me years to discern what truly fills me. Akin to my bad habit of overdoing, there were times when I believed that more doing was going to fill me! So I’d overdo exercise, injuring myself or getting exhausted. I would plan a bunch of get-togethers with friends; I enjoyed connecting, but my introverted self felt boxed in and overscheduled. Or I would think I needed to sign up for a bunch of classes to improve myself – once again spreading myself too thin with my time and energy.
No, that didn’t work. What I discovered is that most of the things that fill me take very little energy and focus on being.
Yoga and some exercise, yes. But a lot of just sitting. Sitting outside in my sit-spot, whether in the front yard or just off a hiking trail, and being present with the squirrels, the squawks of the jays, and the smell of decomposing leaves. And meditation, certainly.
Going for a leisurely walk, without a limited time frame or agenda, simply noticing and feeling. Naps. Gentle yoga – not solely the “I’ve got to work on my chaturanga or backbends” kind of practice, but free-flowing, spontaneous, following what my body asks for (rather than telling it what it should do today!).
Sitting down to draw something unstructured, abstract – a sort of deeply-felt scribble. An easy-going hike with one friend every other week that also appreciated silence, listening, and meditation as part of the experience. Laying down on the grass with my teen daughter, looking at the clouds in silence, feeling the breeze on our cheeks.
Simply being – that fills me the most. Quiet mind, open heart, receptive to the Divine flow pouring into me, especially from nature. I noticed that when I gave myself ample being time – largely unstructured, mostly outdoors, often in solitude – I began to feel recharged, peaceful, and inspired. I had something extra to give after I was overflowing with soul-satisfying beingness.
I literally have being time scheduled into every day. Otherwise, I’ll just fill all my time up with more doing. I make it a priority, because I am so inspired to give that I know I must increase being in order to do.
If you’re an introvert, you know what I’m talking about and if you haven’t made it a priority, this is your wake up call. Even if you’re an extravert, we all require some of this simple downtime. Our minds need to unplug, just like a computer can’t update itself without shutting down.
Filling Up to Overflow, and Giving Only From That
It’s not sufficient to get “just enough.” IF you want to give more, you need to be generous with yourself. You need – yes, I’m saying the word need! – to allow yourself to receive renewal and replenishment abundantly through being. That is, IF you want to give. If you don’t, and you’re doing fine, then nothing to be concerned about.
But I wrote this for all of you out there – yes, my friend, you, reading this – who are caught up in the compulsion of doing like I have been and who truly desire to give something more to others. You not only deserve to be filled to overflowing – you need it.
What fills you up in a way that brings you ease, peace, and deep satisfaction? Yes, you may enjoy activities that “pump you up” – they may be part of the list. But those activities could be ones that also deplete you in some way. Look for what leaves you refreshed, relaxed, and the mind more serene. Seek what gives you extra energy that spills over. Write down the things that sustain, nourish, and replenish you in this deep, soulful and heartfelt way. Hmmm, how about pausing right now to brainstorm ideas? Take out some pen and paper and write them down.
Remember that you need to be filled plentifully – fountaining over. Only after you have filled yourself completely and have more coming in than you need do you have the abundance to give.
The Divine is Always Flowing
Great spiritual teachers, like the Buddha or Jesus, or more modern-day examples such as Amma (the hugging saint) or Mahatma Gandhi, can give almost without ceasing because they are constantly plugged into the Divine. They have a permanent energy circuit flowing from Spirit, so they always have an overflow. Amma gives people hugs for 24 hours or more at a time – she can’t do that from personal energy reserves, but from a continual fountaining of the Divine through her.
Most of us aren’t quite that plugged into Spirit yet – but the wonderful news is that the Divine is always giving to us. There is an infinite source of sacred energy available to you and me at any time; it’s for us to open to receive it. Just like the sun always shines (well, at least for a few billion years), Spirit gives. Infinite, without beginning or end, the Divine is the very nature of the word “giving”.
Be Like a Receptacle
For a receptacle to be filled and then to fountain over with excess, does it need to do anything? No! It simply is. Spirit then pours into it.
You don’t need to do anything in order to receive this renewal of energy – stop doing and just be. Be a chalice, a bowl, a crystal glass, an urn, a fountain. Allow yourself to be filled through being time for yourself.
In order to give more to the world, in service, inspiration, and determination, you’ll need to give more to yourself through being. Now is the time to make that a priority. Notice how it fills you in a different and more sustainable way than more doing. As you feel the overflow fountaining through you, you’ll feel the motivation and energy to give more.
by Connie Habash | May 9, 2021 | Awareness, Boundaries, Emotions, Energy, Relationships
Many of us know of the importance of good boundaries in our relationships, but few are aware of healthy energetic boundaries. Ever had this experience – you’re having a great day, feeling just fine, and suddenly you feel disturbed? What happened? Where did those upsetting emotions come from? Well, it’s possible they may not have come from you.
Emotions are contagious
All of us have had the experience of being affected by someone else’s emotions. We know what it’s like to be around someone who is in a fit of rage, and it isn’t pleasant. We’ve probably also experienced being in the presence of another who is in the depths of despair. It can be uncomfortable and awkward; but more than that, emotions can be contagious. Even the ecstatic joy of someone getting married can uplift us as much as a friend’s depression can dampen the mood.
Occasionally, we experience more than just picking up on someone else’s emotions: we may feel that we’ve absorbed them like a sponge. This isn’t limited to feelings, either; if someone else’s beliefs, opinions, or ideas are strong and persistent, we may unconsciously take on the stress, attitudes, and perspectives of another.
Boundaries distinguish what’s you and what’s not you
If you have challenges setting boundaries, are co-dependent, or are a highly sensitive person, you may find it particularly difficult to deal with other people who have intense emotions, opinions, or just a strong presence. It may be challenging to discern what is really you and what is someone else’s influence on you. You might find yourself feeling overwhelmed, invaded, angry, or confused at the incoming energy of their mental or emotional “stuff”.
Ringing any bells? If so, it’s time to explore a whole new awareness of boundaries. Setting boundaries isn’t just about speaking your truth or establishing limits. It necessitates a more subtle, different kind of awareness.
That awareness is described by a practice known as “Me/Not-Me” that I learned years ago while studying with my energy work teacher, Lynda Caesara. Me/Not-Me is a method of separating out your own energy, emotions, and thoughts from anyone else’s. It is declaring a boundary around your sense of self and maintaining it.
Boundaries protect our “energetic space”
Think of yourself as a house. Your home is your personal space: you wouldn’t allow anyone to just waltz in, would you? How would you feel if someone simply walked right into your front door, over to your refrigerator and starting eating your food? Bathing in your shower? No way, you say! But when we aren’t maintaining our own personal energetic space, we allow other’s thoughts, beliefs, emotions, and influence to take over ours, and we feel similarly invaded and confused.
“Me/Not-Me” helps you declare your own personal, energetic space, and keeps out what isn’t yours. When you practice “Me/Not-Me”, you’ll tend to feel more safe, stable, and strong in almost any situation. It prevents the tendency to take-on the emotional content from others, clarifies your own thoughts and feelings, and allows you to respond to relationships more effectively. It will also support you in creating overt boundaries, such as setting limits, because you’ll feel clear on who you are and what you stand for.
Applying the “Me/Not-Me” concept of boundaries
A great description of “Me/Not-Me” can be found in The 5 Personality Patterns by Steven Kessler, but here is a simple practice to get you started:
- Sit or stand quietly in a safe place where you can be alone. Close your eyes.
- Say your name to yourself. Feel the sense of “Me” (i.e., you) when you say it. Attune to the feeling of being truly your Self, and only yourself.
- Imagine a circle of light around you, in any color, about 2-3 feet in all directions. This serves as your energetic boundary. Declare to yourself and the Universe that the space inside this is your space, just for you alone. Anything that is “Not-Me” is not permitted entry into this space, and needs to stay outside of the circle.
- Say your name again a few times, and clear out anything “Not-Me” from your personal space. You can imagine it leaving in any way you wish; I like to visualize grey smoke blowing away, or a little explosion of light inside me that cleanses any other energy out, leaving my space clear.
- Then, when you are out around other people, regularly declare your “Me/Not-Me” by visualizing your energetic boundary, and that other people’s energies bounce off it. You can meet their thoughts, feelings, and emotions with understanding and compassion out at the edge of “your space” in your imagination, but their energy isn’t allowed entry!
It takes practice, but if you work with Me/Not-Me for a while you will find that you’re less affected by other people’s psychological issues and energy. You’ll have healthy energetic boundaries and know who you truly are.
by Connie Habash | Jan 7, 2021 | awakening, Challenges, Change, Clarity, Darkness, Energy, Fear, Inspiration, Light, Motivation, Transformation, Truth
[based on my talk from New Year’s Eve 2021: A New Beginning]
No one needs to be told that 2020 was a difficult year. We all know the reasons why. But we may not realize that there is a gift in all that challenge: fire by friction.
Have you ever started a fire? Probably. Certainly you’ve lit a candle, with either a match or a lighter. Some of you may have even worked with flint and metal, creating that initial spark to ignite tinder. And a rare handful of you reading this may have actually made fire (or attempted to, in my case!) with a bow drill or hand drill: the ancient method of true fire by friction.
This primitive way of igniting fire with a drill is very difficult. It takes strength, determination, and lots and lots of friction between one piece of wood and another. That abrasion builds heat enough to finally create a spark. Whether you use that method, the flint, or a match or lighter, the spark that lights the flame requires some sort of friction to initiate it. You strike the match against a rough surface, and viola’, a flame appears. With that, you can light your candle or fire.
A Year of Friction
The challenges that we endured from the pandemic, systemic racism, isolation, financial stress, fires, and floods – to name a few – may have served us in a strange way. They have revealed fears, beliefs, and perceptions that cause us pain. It’s not the events themselves that are so problematic as it is the way we think about and respond to them.
Those painful and stressful thoughts, beliefs, perceptions, and emotional reactions create an internal friction. We are rubbed up against what is most uncomfortable within us. We can’t deny it anymore, as it is too painful and too apparent.
What’s good about this is what is revealed can be healed. If we don’t recognize what limits us and keeps us small, unhappy, or suffering, then we can’t do anything about it. These problematic thoughts, emotions, and perceptions triggered in 2020 (and beyond!) create the spark of internal and external friction, and provide the fuel for the fire of transformation to burn.
The Awakening
That spark initiated by the friction of our inner and outer challenges is a new awakening. It’s a shift in consciousness. We gain new insight about ourselves and our world, if nothing other than the declaration, NO MORE!
We need that initiatory spark to wake us up and spur us on. No fire will begin without a spark. In order to create positive change in our world and ourselves, we need this awakening.
Heat
After friction creates the spark, the flame is lit from our kindling of outdated mental and emotional blockages, and fire brings heat. We know that heat warms us, cooks our food, and creates transformation.
That warmth or heat from the fire gives us the energy, passion, and determination to create change. We know that our world needs a lot of change right now. We have been separated, lonely, and suffering, living in fear and under oppression. We must create solutions to our problems with unprecedented understanding, from dealing with the pandemic to solving systemic racism, from healing the planet to bridging the divide between differing perspectives.
We need that spark to initiate the changes, give us energy, and light the flame of inspiration and determination as we step forward together to heal our world.
Fire Transforms
In the health science of Ayurveda, the fire element in our bodies governs all forms of transformation, from digesting our food to deeper metabolic processes in our cells. Fire transforms.
2020 and today’s current events reveal many things that are ready to be burned away in our consciousness as well as our society. Illusions and obstacles are kindling and wood that are ready to be put on the fire and allow to be transformed within us.
When the wood burns, it leaves us with ash. In a fire ceremony in the Hindu tradition, many things are offered to the fire, which represent both our devotion as well as these rough places within us that no longer serve us. The transformed ash that remains is considered sacred – a blessing. Notice what ash may be left behind in new perceptions and inner peace, as you allow these unnecessary places within you to transform in the sacred fire.
And remember always that the Phoenix rises from the ashes – in fact, it can’t be reborn without that transformative fire.
The Divine Light
That friction within us created the spark of awakening, built the heat of necessary energy to create change, transformed us, and ignites our Divine Light within. When we strike a match – the friction – and light a candle, we can see in a dark room.
Light brings clarity. What was previously obscured is revealed clearly in the light of a fire or lantern. The more light, the more we can see, recognize, and know.
This light within us is actually lit by the very dark places within us that created enough friction to spark it. And in fact, this Divine Light shows us the way in the darkness. Many feel that we are living through a dark time. Allow that inner Light to show you the path to healing and empowerment through these challenges.
The clarity and vision that this spark of Light brings will reveal to us our inner Truth. This is the spiritual Truth that is beyond the appearances in the world, or even what we believe about ourselves. Allow it to be illumined within you. Listen to your intuition and see beyond fear and projections. There is a higher truth at hand when we tap into that inner Light.
As we allow the friction of this last year to continue to light a fire within us, recognize that you can be that beacon for others. Let this “fire by friction” give you energy and cleanse the perceived darkness. Although the legacy of 2020 has been difficult, it’s not been in vain. It has initiated a powerful process. Through this burning away of our limitations and fears, our inner Light will shine forth, illuminate the way for others, and spark inspiration and a higher vision for our world. 🙏
by Connie Habash | Apr 22, 2019 | Attention, Connection, Consciousness, Energy, Intention, Support
It’s my morning ritual to sit in the front yard and take in whatever nature has to offer me. I receive messages from Spirit in profound ways from simple things. Simple things like thin, invisible threads.
The other day, something in the air caught my eye. It hovered between the tall pine in the very front of the garden and my neighbor’s apple tree over the fence to the right. I walked over to take a look, and there in the air were a small handful of what looked like dead grass cuttings. Of course – they were caught in a spider’s web!
But how in the world did the spider do this? It stretched about 9 feet between the two trees. And still, those blades of grass were suspended by a few delicate strands. Invisible threads, yet so strong and supportive.
This spider’s web reminded me that we are all held and surrounded by invisible threads. There are three kinds of these imperceptible supports in our life.
The Threads of Spirit
We may feel alone and unsupported. But just because we can’t see the support doesn’t mean it’s not there.
Our planet is supported in space, by unseen yet palpable forces. We are held on this planet by gravity – we don’t perceive it other than by feeling our feet on the ground, which we take for granted. There is a similar invisible support in our lives – the support from the Divine.
Whether you think of it as God, the Universe, Great Spirit, Buddha, Jesus, Lakshmi, or a myriad of other names, the Source out of which everything arises has supported and is supporting everything in the Universe. This doesn’t mean that life always goes perfectly. But it does mean that we can call on the support we need to meet each day from those invisible threads. We are given what we need to rise up to any challenge before us. The threads of Spirit hold us up on our life path every day, in every moment, even when we don’t think they’re there. Just like gravity holds us on the planet.
The Threads of Connection
When I went into the front yard this morning, I saw the creator of those threads. A very large garden spider hung in the middle of the web. She seemed proud of her work, and by the size of her I could see she’s been successful at catching those bugs!
This is another aspect of these invisible threads. We, too, are creating invisible threads all the time. There are two kinds of threads of Connection that we create or co-create with others. The threads of Connection are energetic strands between us and others in our lives. They are generally formed out of love, but sometimes are created out of unhealthy attachments.
Some of these threads support us and are deeply fulfilling. Family, loved ones, friends, respected associates – we have threads of connection with all these important people (and beings – you can have a thread of Connection with a pet, too!) in our lives. They, like the threads of Spirit, provide us with nurturance, support, encouragement, and a feeling of belonging. We all want to feel connected, both to one another and to something Greater than us. We can have threads that connect us to the land, the elements, to sacred places and sacred people that we are inspired by.
Other threads, however, can pull us down. It is up to each of us to assess what threads of connection are founded in love and mutual support, and what threads have we created or allowed to be hooked into ourselves that aren’t healthy. Being overly dependent on others, holding on to anger or resentment, or allowing others to drain our time and energy are dysfunctional cords that might need to be cut, healed, or modified to be more mutually beneficial.
If an invisible thread between you and other doesn’t feel right, take some time to sort out what the problem is. Do you want to keep this connection to this person? If so, how do you want to rectify the relationship? How might you change your interactions and responses? If not, is there anything you need to do or say to really let them go? Make sure that these invisible threads of Connection are relationships that you truly value in your life.
The Threads of Intent
This last invisible thread is one that you may not know about, yet it is an essential component of spiritual living. Without it, the spider wouldn’t have made her web nor would she have caught enough morsels to grow into her formidable size!
We create threads of Intent all the time, whether we are conscious of them or not. Intention fuels our goals and keeps us on course for reaching them. When we set an intention, we are casting out a thread towards our intended destination.
This has a couple of effects. First of all, it pulls us towards our goal, and draws the goal towards us as well. We cast the thread, it hooks to our vision of what we want, and then like a tractor beam, we are drawn towards it. The stronger our Intent, the more intense and powerful the beam. When we are gung-ho about running a marathon or finishing a knitting project, our intent focuses our attention and energy in that direction. We are out running miles each day, or knitting like there’s no tomorrow. We will see opportunities to fit in a run on a short trip, and make time for more knitting in the evenings after work.
The second effect of creating a thread of Intent is that it “catches” what resonates with our vision. Just like the spider who spun her web to catch flies, when we have an Intention, it’s like a web out in the Universe, waiting for something to fly by that fits the bill. If you are seeking a new mate and focus your Intent on the kind of relationship you want, the threads of Intent will let you know when someone is near that plucks your heart strings. Like the spider, when that person comes near, you’ll feel a tug on that thread of Intent and know that this is a person worth connecting to. The spider got big from catching all those bugs – and you, too, can be deeply fulfilled when you are conscious about sending out your Threads of Intent.
Weave Your Web Well
Everyday, we are creating threads and feeling the effects of our connections to Spirit, others, and our life visions. Begin to pay attention to your threads, which are energetic connections. Cultivate your threads of Spirit and allow yourself to receive that Divine support. Nurture your threads to those you love and who encourage and love you. Choose your threads of intention with mindfulness and service to a higher good.
Weave your webs of light well. The fabric of those threads is the light of Consciousness itself.
When you’re attentive and conscious about your energetic threads, you will spin a glorious tapestry of truth, harmony, beauty, and empowerment which will ripple out to uplift others, too.
What threads are you noticing in your life, and what web are you weaving?
by Connie Habash | Mar 8, 2016 | Attachment, Chaos, Energy, Flow, Let Go, Order, Paradox
The morning I wrote this post, I took a Tai Chi class. I find this practice challenging in a different way than I’m used to with yoga. Every time I have taken a class – only a handful of times – I try my best to “get” the movement of the energy and enjoy it.
I’m not that great at it. My mind is too focused on getting it right and not allowing the flow to happen. I get glimpses, where I feel the energy and simply allow the movements, but most of the time I’m looking at the instructor in the mirror and wondering, should I have my elbow up higher? In Waving Hands Like Clouds, does my hand pass by my face or my throat? How far out should my foot be turned? Should I be inhaling or exhaling?
Intellectually, I know that the idea is really to feel the energy and move it around. And I can do that. But not usually at the same time that I am trying to learn a precise action. I get stuck between being in the flow, and being correct. This is a common problem with our minds.
There is value in learning precise action, too. I have deeply appreciated accuracy and one-pointed focus in the practice of yoga and martial arts. In the beginning, there’s a big learning curve when you are trying to get all the fundamental actions down, so that you can be in the flow. It’s just like learning a piece of music – you have to drill each measure over and over until it is natural and automatic. Then, you can gradually increase your speed and play with fluidity.
However, sometimes life is calling for us to be in the flow. We don’t have time to master the minutiae, when in this moment we are being asking to stop and be present. This is what I was faced with in Tai Chi class today. Given that I’m not going to get all the details down, and that trying to do so really distracts me from feeling everything, can I simply let go and feel the flow?
Not really. No, I just wasn’t going to give up on the hopeless task of trying to mimic the teacher precisely. My attachment to exacting detail stood firmly between me and just feeling the flow.
But the teacher gave us some time to let all that go. We stood with our hands together, and then played with the energy between our hands, pulling them out slowly, and moving them back in. That was something I could let go into. For a few minutes, I simply let myself be in the flow of that energy moving in and out, swirling around, my hands drawn towards each other like magnets and then pulling them away.
On the spiritual path, that’s the paradox – it is necessary both to discipline our mind, cultivating one-pointed attention, and simultaneously to let go and allow the process to happen. Paradoxes are particularly difficult to embrace. We want concrete answers, exact directions, and a clear path to our goal. But life, and awakening, doesn’t happen that way. We are asked to embrace Order and Chaos simultaneously – and ultimately to transcend them both in pure Consciousness.
Well, I don’t anticipate that I’ll be able to do that in Tai Chi for a while. But that’s OK. It is a good reminder for me in my meditations, on my yoga mat, and in my life that I need to stay grounded in the detail, while being in the flow of the mystery. And so can you.
by Connie Habash | May 3, 2013 | Action, anger, Authenticity, Choices, Empowerment, Energy, Fear, Judgment, Right Action
It’s quite common in spiritual circles to put down anger. Anger is bad, they say. Or anger is unenlightened. We must transcend our anger. We must think loving, good thoughts, and put all that anger out of our mind.
Hogwash.
Saying that anger is bad, whether it’s tacitly implied or directly stated, is just another way that we beat ourselves up and deny our truth and empowerment. It’s an easy way to judge and criticize ourselves or others for anything less than perfect behavior.
Anger is just as human as any other emotion. If we deny any of our human emotions, we become sanitized, without life, without authenticity. And we feel we don’t have a voice, can’t speak out when something happens that disturbs us. [For more about this, read my article “Authentic and Heartfelt NO!”]
There is a difference, however, between healthy and unhealthy anger. There is good reason why many spiritual traditions have attempted to banish it, because unhealthy anger expressed outward can be violent and hurtful, and repressed inward can result in resentment, disempowerment, and illness.
A healthy approach to anger is to understand it as an energy, like electricity. It is neither good nor bad, but it has an important function: to get us to pay attention and to take action. It lets us know something isn’t OK with us. It tells us when a boundary needs to be set – “no, I will not tolerate that!” It is often a cover for a deeper emotion, usually fear. Anger tries to keep us safe by holding up a caution sign. It also gives us the energy to be able to take appropriate action.
Anger can be positive when understood for the warning signal that it is and utilized to prevent harm to ourselves or another. It is a powerful energy that, when used with mindfulness by expressing our feelings or taking care of ourselves, can create a greater sense of safety, authenticity, and security in our relationships and lives.
As evolving human beings, we can learn to listen to the messages in our emotions – including anger – and consciously respond to them, rather than react. Then, anger can become healing and transformative, rather than an unwanted, “negative” emotion.
For more on healthy expression of anger and its spiritual implications, listen to my radio show “Spiritual Anger!”
Many of us complain about feeling drained, as if all our energy empties out from our day to day responsibilities and encounters. To feel more vibrant and sustainable energy, it’s helpful to distinguish between the water-based concepts of Drain and Flow.
In order to do more in your life, you need to fill yourself abundantly by 
Many of us know of the importance of good boundaries in our relationships, but few are aware of healthy energetic boundaries. Ever had this experience – you’re having a great day, feeling just fine, and suddenly you feel disturbed? What happened? Where did those upsetting emotions come from? Well, it’s possible they may not have come from you.
It’s my morning ritual to sit in the front yard and take in whatever nature has to offer me. I receive messages from Spirit in profound ways from simple things. Simple things like thin, invisible threads.
The morning I wrote this post, I took a Tai Chi class. I find this practice challenging in a different way than I’m used to with yoga. Every time I have taken a class – only a handful of times – I try my best to “get” the movement of the energy and enjoy it.
It’s quite common in spiritual circles to put down anger. Anger is bad, they say. Or anger is unenlightened. We must transcend our anger. We must think loving, good thoughts, and put all that anger out of our mind.
