POWER TOOLS | TUNE UP | GROUNDING | RECEIVING LEMURIA | HOME GATHERING POWER Natural Sources Of Spiritual Exchange If we're not really aware of the principles of energy in our daily lives, we don't consider how there is a constant invisible exchange between ourselves and everything around us. It is as if we are all subtly interconnected in a vast web of energy strands extending around the entire planet. Every one of us contributes Energetically In some way to the greater Global Community AND EVERY ONE OF US MATTERS The more personal, power and energy a person has, the greater her impact when she consciously contributes her own energies into the planetary web. That reality is something to wear with grace, awareness and responsibility. When we regularly gather power, we heighten our own vitality and have extra reserves at our disposal. Within this cosmic power dance are other humans who we affect and are affected by. But we often forget the interplay between ourselves and nature. Westerners rarely recognize nature as a spiritual or energetic dance partner. We need to be more responsible toward our natural environment, for physical resources can be depleted. We can..however..take Advantage Of nature's limitless supply of Spiritual Energies And gather Power from Them The earth, moon, sun, flowers and wind can all be sources of spiritual exchange. Goals and focus are the determining factor... energy follows our intention and attention. It is through acting on this principle that we can learn to gather power from nature, store it and direct it with awareness back out into the greater environment in an intent of spiritual action. Let's look at some basic principles for gathering, directing and storing Energy Our tools are our own body, breath, mental concentration and Intention The best all-purpose place to store energy in the body is the belly, specifically from the navel down about four inches, the area some Eastern martial arts call the ham or tan tien. Some spiritual disciplines say that women store power best in the womb. This makes sense as the womb is both physically and energetically designed for expanding to accommodate and nourish one of the most potent forces in the universe, the power of life itself. If you don't have a womb, that's OK too. Many spiritual paths acknowledge the belly as our natural center of power. Power coils in the human belly, waiting to be recognized, fed and exercised through consciously unfolding it into spiritual action. We will now work with the intention to gather and direct power into our belly. Breath is one of our greatest spiritual tools and is intimately linked to sustaining life. The deeper we breathe into the belly, the more vibrant and alive we feel. When we add our mental concentration or attention to breathing and a mental intention to gather even more energy, the mind becomes a second powerful tool. Here is a simple starting point for Power-Gathering Activities With practice, it can be done in several Minutes If you really want to get "Pumped up with Power" This exercise can be extended for an Hour! This exercise is best done outdoors with Bare Feet But it can also be done indoors and with shoes On Stand with your feet about hip width apart, feet either pointed straight ahead or slightly turned out. Bend your knees slightly, and maintain that stance. Center your head in a relaxed way over your neck, shoulders relaxed and spine as straight as possible without being rigid. Relax your abdomen so that each time you inhale, your belly expands slightly. Take several deep, slow breaths into your belly and focus on your power center there. Imagine that your belly is an empty container, perhaps a bowl, created to hold and store power. A small glowing ball of light floats in its center. You will soon feed that ball with more energy so that it can grow and expand to fill the container. Once you have a solid connection to your belly, and your mind is relatively calm, shift your focus to the soles of your feet. They are the transmitting surfaces for an exchange of power with Mother Earth. Allow your weight to drop toward the soles of your feet, feeling your muscles relax from head to toe as your energy flows downward with the pull of gravity. Let your breathing deepen. Notice how your bones allow you to remain upright even as your muscles give in to gravity. Experiment with what part of your feet best supports your weight, finding the place of balance that is the most effortless for your muscles. Focus through the soles of your feet as tension drains from your body to be absorbed by Mother Earth. As your muscle relaxation deepens, you may notice that another force is in motion. Not only does Mother Earth pull on us, but she also emanates energy. See if you can sense some of this energy moving up to meet you as it travels through the soles of your feet, particularly through the bones. Focus especially on sensations or images of energy flowing upward through bones of the legs and up the spine. When the muscles are relaxed, the Earth's energy can cause the body to Vibrate If this happens, welcome the movement and simply allow it to Happen After experiencing this energy rising from the Earth, begin to focus on storing some of it in your belly. Inhale, and imagine that you are pulling up energy through the soles of your feet. You may visualize it as streams of light. Feel it flow through your legs, up your spine and around the back and top of your skull. Exhale, and direct the energy downward through your throat and upper torso, until it reaches the small, glowing ball of light floating in your belly. Let the energy expand the ball slightly. Continue breathing and with each inhalation pull energy up through your feet, your legs and spine, and around your skull. With each exhalation, send it down to your belly, expanding the ball of power there with every breath. When the entire container in your belly is filled with a large ball of glowing power, spend a few moments simply breathing deeply into your belly and feeling the energy there. Know that you have filled yourself with a reserve of energy that can be drawn upon as needed. You can repeat this exercise whenever you wish to charge yourself up. You don't need to wait until you feel tired and depleted to fill up with power. Instead..begin moving into a Consciousness of Abundance Make Energy-Gathering a regular practice so that you always have reserves to draw On Excerpts from "The Return of Spirit" by Josie Ravenwing Although this exercise focused on drawing energy into the body through the Feet Our hands are equally fine receptors for gathering Power Using the same principles of breath, mental focus and the belly-as-storage-area, experiment with gathering different kinds of energy in through the hands. An excellent source of power is any plant at the flowering stage. Flowers exude huge amounts of free-floating sexual energy. Since sex and life are so intimately connected, this potent energy is wonderful for enhancing our own vitality. We can simply place both hands near a flower or flowers, inhale the energy through the fingertips and palms, up through the arms, and send it down to the belly. I gather power in a variety of ways on an almost daily basis. This supplies me with reserves of energy that I can depend on for emotional, physical, creative and spiritual support. If I know in advance I'm going to need extra energy for facilitating a weekend seminar or doing a healing session, I try to gather even more power ahead of time. If you are going to have an important meeting, a critical discussion or a strenuous workout, you have good reason to spend extra time gathering power beforehand. You will go into the situation more centered, energized and confident. And if you do regular Power-Gathering as a daily practice, you will benefit by having a healthier, more vital physical and spiritual life. As you experiment with various Power Sources You will rediscover how the elements of Water, Air, Fire and Earth Affect your overall Vitality and Balance This is a return to your Ancient Consciousness We are made of all four elements. Much of our body is water. The air we take in sustains life. Minerals form our bones and teeth and contribute to our physical health. Even various metals..like iron and copper..play their parts. And we burn the calories from fuel-food-for energy and heat. Systems such as huna, shamanism, Chinese medicine and feng shui all take into account the elements' effects on us, both the elements inside us and the elements outside us in nature. Each element is energetically and spiritually unique. As you become increasingly sensitive, you too will notice subtle differences in their effects on you. And it can be Fun As the whole world becomes your Playground! POWER TOOLS | TUNE UP | GROUNDING | RECEIVING LEMURIA | HOME