Let's Talk About Energy!

Energy... hmm. What do you know about it?
Some people would have you think that it is a strange, or even arcane, concept. But, in fact, it is the most natural material in existence, the building block of everything that *is*.

Other names for basic energy include Chi, Ki, Qi, Prana, Wakan, Tane,
Mulungu, Huna and Ether.
There is a word in every language that refers to energy.

Energy has no belief structure, so it is not "good" or "bad"; it simply is.
It is a person's intention or focus that colors the behavior of energy.
Energy is necessary to create, develop, and reproduce... what is needed to recycle, evolve, and nurture. All of the elements are made of energy, compiled in different vibrational structures. The air, the stars, the ocean, our bodies. Everything is made of a recycling bank of potential material called energy.

Have you felt static electricity?
Have you felt the hair rise on your neck when you knew someone was behind you,
but did not hear them?
Have you ever had a pet who became uncomfortable during atmospheric changes,
or "known" who was on the phone when it rang?
These are simple examples of how the constant flow of energy affects our lives,
and can be utilized to help us if we develop our awareness.

So, let's start talking about energy by doing a couple of simple hand and eye exercises to assist you in perceiving the human energy field,
or the "aura" as it is also called.

VISUAL EXERCISE NUMBER ONE

This is an exercise that is fun to try, as well as fun to teach to children.
Find a white wall or a blank area of the ceiling to try this.
Hold your hands in front of you, palms facing you, at arms' length.
>Touch your forefingers together, and gaze at the place where
the fingers touch each other. Soft focus your eyes, and look slightly
beyond your fingers. Now slowly move your fingers apart
from each other. What do you see? Most people can see a white
or blue white band between their fingers, a "ghost" image.
That is the energy between your fingers. If you pull them farther
apart, it will stretch and eventually "break", like taffy.
You can try this with all four fingers, and with your palms.

How did you do?
Try another exercise.

VISUAL EXERCISE NUMBER TWO

This exercise is more focused towards viewing the etheric layer of
a living being's energy field, which is the most visible and extends
about 3-5 inches out around the body.
For this exercise, it is useful to have a room with natural light
or to be outside. It also works best at dusk and dawn,
because of the quality of the light and how our eyes accomodate to it.
Place your "subject" (a plant, person or animal) against a solid background
or between you and a window. As you did for exercise one, "soft focus"
your eyes, or if you wear glasses, take them off.
Now scan around the edges of your subject.
Look for a fuzzy outline; like in the first exercise,
you will begin to see something slightly luminous, maybe white,
maybe light blue, maybe a combination.
You might even see other colors.
For contrast, look at an inanimate object,
which will probably not appear luminous
(choose something that is not electrical
or organic, like a stuffed chair).
Look away and look back occasionally, or turn your head
and view your subject with your peripheral vision
to see how that may be different.
Once you have experienced this with living beings,
try it with something else, like metal, crystals, wood or
objects like feathers, bone and fur.
The energy is more subtle, but it is there.

What did you see?
Ready to try some hand exercises?

HAND EXERCISE NUMBER ONE

Take a couple of deep, slow breaths, and be present,
so that you can focus on the exercise.
Begin by rubbing your palms together briskly. This will activate the sensory
ability in your hands, and enhance your experience.
Now, slowly move your palms apart, and feel for the subtle heat and tingling. Move your hands about shoulder width apart, and slowly move them back towards each other. Feel a slight resistance? That is the edges of your field, lightly bumping together at your palms. You might feel as though you are holding a balloon between your hands. If you lose the sensation, rub your palms together and try again. If you push past the resistance, you may feel a draw, instead... did you ever play with magnets, as a child? Turn them one way, they repel... the other, they attract. The human energy field has layers that do that same thing, and you can find them with your hands.

Very Good!! :-)
Want to try another one?

HAND EXERCISE NUMBER TWO

This one requires a willing, living object!
So get your cat, your brother, or your S/O to hold still for you
so that you can try this exercise.
Center yourself with a couple of deep breaths again;
focus is very important with something this subtle.
Now, you can rub your hands together, or not, or try it both ways...
start by moving about a yard away from the being you are going to "assess" with your hands, and move slowly into their space, palms flat and extended towards them. You may feel heat, cold, tingling, pressure... this is very individual.
Just go with whatever you feel. Now, move gently around the being,
without touching them (stay around 3-5 inches away)
and see if you can feel any differences from one place to another.
It is most effective if you can validate your feeling
by asking the person for feedback.
And, it is one of those things that gets easier the more you get to practice...
so try several different people, pets, plants, etc.
Notice the differences, the similarities.
You may want to try out the organic objects mentioned
in the visual exercises, to see if it is easier
for you to feel the energy or to see it.