Waking Energy 7 Timeless Practices Designed to Reboot Your Body and Unleash Your Potential
with our arms and legs held at certain angles, we create spatial relationships that facilitate the flow of energy in and out of our bodies. Knowing this makes all the difference in the business of waking our energy. It is why we bring the body we can see and the subtle body together to create the magic they do when they are truly connected and working toward a mutual goal. In all the practices you will learn, you won’t just be moving, but connecting to source energy each and every time you lift an arm or a leg, and it’s the awareness of this that wakes your energy and promotes your longevity. It’s very simple: whenever you sit, stand, or lie on your back, stomach, or side, you will be partnering with source energy, swimming inside it. You will be using ancient Chinese and Indian energy templates to connect to the source, to harness universal energy to combine with your own via the energy portals and energy centers in your body. To channel energy in the practices, sometimes you will fully extend your limbs like a young shoot reaching up toward the sun, actively collecting rays with your fingertips outstretched to their maximum capacity in a yang expression of rising energy. At other times you will be like the willow, with soft, relaxed limbs that are receptive, floating, inviting earth energy to flow in. As we engage in conscious movement, the lines of energy running throughout our bodies become like tunnels filled with shooting rays of light that fill the space they flow through, nurturing everything in their path. Yes, we go through life moving our bodies, but we are often completely unaware of this rich dimension of energy assistance, this world of secrets that has the potential to change entirely how we move and how we think about how we move. When we add energy consciousness to our movement and precision to our form and alignment, the quality and content of the very actions our bodies perform take on new purpose and power. They become supercharged with this uniquely powerful combination of our awareness; our visualizations, which create perfect focus for the energy transportation; and our targeted breath, which escorts the energy wherever we need it to go. As a result, the simplest movements become light sabers of healing and transformation. Just as water flows most efficiently through a straight hose, so it is with the energy that flows through our bodies. When our spine and limbs are well aligned, energy flows through them more efficiently and more energy becomes available, amplifying our efforts. When we consciously create our own lines of energy, we tone and relax our nervous system, increase our strength and endurance both in the poses and positions themselves and throughout the body as a whole, and create more space around our internal organs and in the outer body, decreasing the likelihood of injury due to muscular overextension. Whenever you consciously partner with your body to establish the greatest integrity in your alignment, whether your body is meant to be flexed or soft, if you apply your attention to detail and effort and breathe into these lines of energy, your movements count more; they contribute more to your overall strength and health and become immediately more effective and transformative, affecting both your subtle and your physical body. Whenever you move your body as a conscious, integrated whole, you instantly tap into more power than you ever imagined was available to you. It’s not enough to simply assume a pose or a position in order to create change in the subtle and physical body. Any movement is good certainly, but it is conscious movement and directing the breath and energy with your mind that take it leagues beyond in the dimension of healing and transformation. Whenever you feel discomfort, a limitation or an impediment to your moving through an expanded range of motion, it means that energy is not flowing freely through this area. You need to use your mind to visualize your breath and energy
literally moving into and through the area, massaging it, cajoling it to release and open. Wherever you focus your attention and your breath, as we established earlier, is where energy will go, connecting you more immediately and intimately with your life force and yourself. From Balance Springs Bliss! Contentment—a space devoid of worry and stress, where peace and equanimity reign. This is the beauty of yin and yang in balance. Yes, the euphoric highs in life are extraordinary and take us to places where we are so elated we can no longer feel our bodies, where we transcend time and space. But we also have lows, the deepest, darkest agonies that make us want to leave our bodies, the grief and longing that can leave us feeling numb, removed, asleep for a seeming eternity. What brings us into the moment, the very essence of our true nature? How do we travel to the epicenter of our essential aliveness, where we want to embrace ourselves, live inside our bodies, honor and cherish them, and kiss the earth that we have one; where we can see clearly and breathe the sweet, fresh air of yes; where we are attuned to what is with the energy of love, compassion, and presence? Balance. Balance is bliss. It’s a place where anything is possible, because you have the energy to make it so! When you start to discover the gifts you already have at your disposal—the abilities you naturally possess to establish it, inside and around you, you begin to create your own heaven on earth. When you align yourself with nature, you balance yin and yang, you enjoy vibrant health, and you wake boundless energy—energy to love yourself, to create, to play, to dream, to soar! And then, because you feel so good, you’re happy to stick around longer. Your body craves balance, and when you invest your efforts in your own good health, it rewards you by functioning beautifully. Balance can lead to longevity. It’s an ever-evolving cycle of generosity and abundance. The more you give and invest, the more you love yourself, the more you are given, and the more is revealed to you. You have more energy to dive deeper, fly higher, and expand. As your ability to nurture and conserve your internal energy body increases, your outer body becomes more efficient, powerful, flexible, youthful. You have greater reserves of stamina and strength, and your mind becomes clear and calm. You celebrate nature more, living in tune with her, showing your respect and gratitude for sustaining you. When you learn to heal yourself and experience the incredible life-changing benefits, you are moved to heal the world around you. With the new energy you cultivate and feelings of wellbeing you experience, you have more energy to devote to others. You have more patience and more love. You feel steady, strong, and bright. And your own energy reverberates around you, sending ripples radiating out into the world, lighting the spark of awareness and consciousness in everyone whose life you touch.
- Page 3 and 4: Dedication For my mother, Jane, who
- Page 5 and 6: About the Publisher
- Page 7 and 8: away any last trace of the pain. In
- Page 9 and 10: true essence, to beauty, love, stre
- Page 11 and 12: you. If you’re tired and depleted
- Page 13 and 14: part one
- Page 15 and 16: caffeine), I was wired—like a roc
- Page 17 and 18: helped, something inside me said th
- Page 19 and 20: inside your own sacred vessel. And
- Page 21 and 22: alancing our emotions and cultivati
- Page 23 and 24: energy” is anything but subtle, o
- Page 25 and 26: interpretations of our inner energy
- Page 27 and 28: and tumbling down the side of a hil
- Page 29: Through this sacred union of opposi
- Page 33 and 34: inside your associated neural pathw
- Page 35 and 36: conservation results in the best re
- Page 37 and 38: including respiratory illnesses and
- Page 39 and 40: can do this, know that you’ve arr
- Page 41 and 42: When you draw back the bow, you pre
- Page 43 and 44: worthy accomplice, manifesting a qu
- Page 45 and 46: term adverse effects), and we have
- Page 47 and 48: PRACTICE ONE: Awaken and Play: Qigo
- Page 49 and 50: The Way of the World Unseen: By bec
- Page 51 and 52: it about their history and benefits
- Page 53 and 54: We meet ourselves over and over aga
- Page 55 and 56: 4 awaken and play: qigong In 1999,
- Page 57 and 58: preservation of our energy to be ab
- Page 59 and 60: Waking the Roots Eyebrow Press Jaw
- Page 61 and 62: of Life. The Root: The Root is loca
- Page 63 and 64: feels like an expanding, somewhat d
- Page 65 and 66: Waking Energy Stance The significan
- Page 67 and 68: Standing Meditation The Standing Me
- Page 69 and 70: 1. Bring your hands up to heart hei
- Page 71 and 72: and your body. Once your arms reach
- Page 73 and 74: Although you may not be able to twi
- Page 75 and 76: you do, send your breath into your
- Page 77 and 78: and thus help reinvigorate them, an
- Page 79 and 80: Note: When you are clapping up and
literally moving in<strong>to</strong> <strong>and</strong> through the area, massaging it, cajoling it <strong>to</strong> release <strong>and</strong> open. Wherever you<br />
focus your attention <strong>and</strong> your breath, as we established earlier, is where energy will go, connecting<br />
you more immediately <strong>and</strong> intimately with your life force <strong>and</strong> yourself.<br />
From Balance Springs Bliss!<br />
Contentment—a space devoid of worry <strong>and</strong> stress, where peace <strong>and</strong> equanimity reign. This is the<br />
beauty of yin <strong>and</strong> yang in balance. Yes, the euphoric highs in life are extraordinary <strong>and</strong> take us <strong>to</strong><br />
places where we are so elated we can no longer feel our bodies, where we transcend time <strong>and</strong> space.<br />
But we also have lows, the deepest, darkest agonies that make us want <strong>to</strong> leave our bodies, the grief<br />
<strong>and</strong> longing that can leave us feeling numb, removed, asleep for a seeming eternity. What brings us<br />
in<strong>to</strong> the moment, the very essence of our true nature? How do we travel <strong>to</strong> the epicenter of our<br />
essential aliveness, where we want <strong>to</strong> embrace ourselves, live inside our bodies, honor <strong>and</strong> cherish<br />
them, <strong>and</strong> kiss the earth that we have one; where we can see clearly <strong>and</strong> breathe the sweet, fresh air of<br />
yes; where we are attuned <strong>to</strong> what is with the energy of love, compassion, <strong>and</strong> presence? Balance.<br />
Balance is bliss. It’s a place where anything is possible, because you have the energy <strong>to</strong> make it<br />
so! When you start <strong>to</strong> discover the gifts you already have at your disposal—the abilities you naturally<br />
possess <strong>to</strong> establish it, inside <strong>and</strong> around you, you begin <strong>to</strong> create your own heaven on earth. When<br />
you align yourself with nature, you balance yin <strong>and</strong> yang, you enjoy vibrant health, <strong>and</strong> you wake<br />
boundless energy—energy <strong>to</strong> love yourself, <strong>to</strong> create, <strong>to</strong> play, <strong>to</strong> dream, <strong>to</strong> soar! And then, because<br />
you feel so good, you’re happy <strong>to</strong> stick around longer.<br />
<strong>Your</strong> body craves balance, <strong>and</strong> when you invest your efforts in your own good health, it rewards<br />
you by functioning beautifully. Balance can lead <strong>to</strong> longevity. It’s an ever-evolving cycle of generosity<br />
<strong>and</strong> abundance. The more you give <strong>and</strong> invest, the more you love yourself, the more you are given,<br />
<strong>and</strong> the more is revealed <strong>to</strong> you. You have more energy <strong>to</strong> dive deeper, fly higher, <strong>and</strong> exp<strong>and</strong>. As<br />
your ability <strong>to</strong> nurture <strong>and</strong> conserve your internal energy body increases, your outer body becomes<br />
more efficient, powerful, flexible, youthful. You have greater reserves of stamina <strong>and</strong> strength, <strong>and</strong><br />
your mind becomes clear <strong>and</strong> calm.<br />
You celebrate nature more, living in tune with her, showing your respect <strong>and</strong> gratitude for<br />
sustaining you. When you learn <strong>to</strong> heal yourself <strong>and</strong> experience the incredible life-changing benefits,<br />
you are moved <strong>to</strong> heal the world around you. With the new energy you cultivate <strong>and</strong> feelings of wellbeing<br />
you experience, you have more energy <strong>to</strong> devote <strong>to</strong> others. You have more patience <strong>and</strong> more<br />
love. You feel steady, strong, <strong>and</strong> bright. And your own energy reverberates around you, sending<br />
ripples radiating out in<strong>to</strong> the world, lighting the spark of awareness <strong>and</strong> consciousness in everyone<br />
whose life you <strong>to</strong>uch.
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