Photo by Kevin Dooley

This post was originally published over at Journey into Being on Monday.  I wanted to share this with all of you here  too.  Elizabeth and I are cooking up some wonderful programs and events for 2015.  We are  currently blogging and podcasting weekly. Feel free to sign up for our mailing list to get the news first and get exclusive deals for the folks on our list over at www.journeyintobeingretreat.com
On last week’s podcast we talked about how Journey into Being is about coming home to ourselves. We talked about how fast paced life can be, especially during the holidays.  One of the tips Elizabeth shared was to make sure to prioritize time for yourself. This is particularly important for an introvert.  An introvert recharges by spending time alone, away from other folks.  As you carve out a few minutes here and there, think about what you want to experience this holiday season. Ask yourself:  How do I want to feel? Do you want to be frenzied, stressed and rushed?  Or would you prefer to be energized, loving, calm, peaceful, and connected to your inner wisdom?  When we are aligned with ourselves, we are more easily able to connect with our truth and our core desired feelings.

I want to invite you to think about your goals and desires for yourself this holiday season. Go ahead and give this some thought. Once you are clear on a few goals and desires, you can actively invite them into your life. It doesn’t need to be complicated, it can be as simple as carving out 5-15 minutes for yourself on a daily basis.  By making yourself a priority in your life, you might just find that you have more time and energy to be a supportive, kind and loving force in other people’s lives. How cool would it be for us all to be extenders of love this year?  Isn’t that what the holiday season is really about?  I personally would like to invite more love and kindness and a dose of magic and miracles into my life this season.  What would you like to invite into your life?

Most of us have a routine of daily physical hygienic practices of things like showering and brushing our teeth.  These tasks are so ingrained in our routines that we don’t think much about them before we do them.  We simply know that we are going to brush our teeth and shower regularly.  Just as we practice physical hygiene,  there are energetic hygienic practices that can much support us in our journey.

 Here are 5 basic tools for you to begin to explore. These tools are most effective when you practice them gently without too much effort.  Keep your intention light and be curious. I like to say this intention before practicing any energetic tool:  “I am guided, guarded and protected at all times”.  Saying this intention is like a prayer for me.

Photo by Shawn Rossi

1. Don’t forget to Breathe.

One of the easiest things we can do to help us to stay balanced is to take a few deep breaths. One of the first things that happens when humans experiences stress is a change in breathing patterns. For many, breathing becomes shallow and isn’t as supportive as when we are relaxed and at ease. When stressed we may breathe faster and some people simply forget to breath for a little awhile. So go ahead and take a nice deep breath. Allow your belly to soften a bit and breathe deep into your abdomen.  Notice how you feel after three of these deep breaths.

There are many variations you can do to help you to feel more connected to your breath, which in turn helps you to feel more connected and at home in your body.  Try breathing in a fresh perspective while you inhale and on the exhale allow yourself to release anything that you have been holding onto that is no longer serving you. Inhale peace and exhale stress.  When you exhale, simply have the intention to release. You do not have to know what you are “holding onto” to release it.  If you get any insights, take note of them, because your inner wisdom is trying to connect with you.  Try taking three deep breaths before you go into an important meeting or start a phone call.  Your breath can support you tremendously if you allow it to.  The more you practice working with your breath, the quicker you can shift your state of being.

photo by marneejill 

2. Ground yourself.

Most of us have busy schedules during the holidays.  One of the ways we can stay connected to the earth and to ourselves is to regularly practice some grounding exercises. Grounding connects us to the earth and helps us to feel more sure footed and solid. Grounding yourself can be as simple as taking a few deep breaths combined with an awareness of your feet.  Noticing your feet and the connection between your feet and the earth is a quick way to ground yourself. Try visualizing roots growing from your feet, down into the earth. Notice how this makes you feel.  When I do this I feel more sure footed and aware. Grounding can help to get us out of our heads and back into our bodies.  The earth can help us to feel more supported in life.

One of the first energetic tools I learned was a “Grounding Cord”.  The grounding cord begins and the base of our spine and goes all the way to the center of the earth. Some folks visualize a hollow tube that starts at the base of your spine and goes directly into the center of the earth.  I like to visualize a hollow tree trunk that is as wide or wider than my hips. Imagine your grounding cord having roots that extend deep into the center of the earth.

The grounding cord serves two primary purposes.  It can be used to release stuff that is no longer serving us.  This “stuff’ can be old thoughts, emotions and even memories. The grounding cord can also help us to release stuff that does not belong to us. We pick up energy from other people all the time and actively working with a grounding cord can help us to keep other peoples energy out of our bodies and energy field.

The grounding cord can also connect us with energy from the earth whenever we feel like we some extra support. When is the best time to ground?  Anytime.  I like to ground first thing in the morning and right before I go to bed.  I also like to ground every time I get in my car.  Feeling connected to the earth feels very good when I am driving. It helps me to be in my body and more present too.  Who doesn’t want that?

Photo/Pictogram by BK

3. Get Present

It’s pretty easy to get caught up in the holiday season. The holidays are full of celebrations, parties, gifts and extra demands on our time.  It’s easy for our thoughts to be scattered with all of the extras on our to do lists, expectations and memories from our past.  A quick trick to help you be in the present moment is to focus all of your attention on the center of your head.  Become aware of the area in between your eyes, right in the center of your forehead.  From here, focus inward, and bring your attention to the middle of your head.

Once your attention is in the center of your head,  imagine that this area has a magnet that is calling back any of your attention from the past. Thoughts or feelings from the past may be more present during the holidays.  By simply intending to magnetize any thoughts from the past and calling them to the center of your head you can be more present.  Once you feel that you have called your thoughts and emotions to the present moment, go ahead and call back any of your thoughts, emotions, or energy that is sitting out in the future.  Allow all of that to come to the center of your head where you can be here now.  The goal is for as much as you as possible to Be. Here. Now.

This may seem a little challenging at first, but once you do this a few times you will probably find that you can get yourself present very quickly and effectively.  I do this in less than thirty seconds now.  And here’s the deal, when we are present, we are much more able to navigate through our day to day challenges and to respond to the people in our lives with more kindness and compassion.

 

4. Connect with God, Angelic and Universal Support

For some folks saying the word God is going to open them up and for other’s in may do the opposite effect.  I personally connect with the word God, but if that doesn’t feel expansive to you, you can substitute a word that feels expansive to you. Some people like to use the words Universe or Universal Support.  Don’t let semantics get in the way of this effective energy tool.

Imagine an connection from above that connects the crown of your head.  I have heard this called a “Healing Cord” or your ‘Connection to Gold”.  Imagine a steady stream of gold coming from approximately 18-30 feet above your head. Intend to open your crown to receive the gold in through your head and allow it to fill your entire body. Invite that yummy warm gold into every cell of your body.  Allow that gold stream to fill up your personal bubble too. This gold energy is cleansing and balancing and it can carry any quality you desire.  It can be calming, energizing, motivating and healing.  You can do this first thing in the morning, right after you wake up. You can also do this before you go to sleep and it can be very very nurturing and relaxing. It can also be used anytime you feel like you want to clear out your energy. This is a very helpful tool to use when you are feeling a little off balanced or tired. Try it and see how you feel after.

 

Image by Alice Popkorn 

5. Mind your personal bubble

Your personal bubble is your energetic field. Some folks call it an aura.  It extends for most people out one to three feet from their bodies.  Our energetic field is where we pick up stuff from other people. Becoming aware of your energetic field is the first step in having command of it.  This is your energetic field.  Having other people’s energy in your personal bubble is going to impact you.  So, here is what you can do to keep this space clean.

Imagine tucking the bottom of your bubble into your grounding cord.  Allow anything in your bubble that doesn’t belong to you to be released down to the center of the earth.  Imagine it going all the way down to the hot molten lava at the earths core and allow it to be burned up and recycled for better use.  Use your grounding cord not only to clear your physical body, but also your energetic field.

Imagine painting a coating of gold all around the outside of your bubble.  See the gold as a strengthening layer.  Pay special attention to the back of your bubble where we can find tears and holes.  Imagine the gold filling up and tears or holes and repairing anything that needs to be reinforced.  I like to “spin” my bubble so I can see the back of it in front of me.  You can also try coating the outside of your bubble with things like teflon or mirrors so that stuff can be directed to slide off of your aura or reflect back to the sender.  Once I began “tucking” my personal bubble into my grounding cord, I felt a shift in the amount of stuff I carried in my personal bubble.

These 5 tools are all you need to learn to master your energy. Try them and practice them. Play with the tools you like the the most.  The best way to master them are to practice, practice, practice!  Once you feel comfortable with these you may find yourself creating new tools and that is where the mastery (and fun!) comes in.  You can create tools that support your unique circumstances.

You don’t have to let  the holiday season knock you off your center.  Instead try some of these exercises to help you have the holiday season you desire.  If you need some extra support, reach out to a friend, a therapist or a coach.  Elizabeth and I created a meditation to help you with the process of coming home inside of yourself.  You can access the meditation here by signing up for our mailing list on the right.  Simply add your email address and you will get an email from us that asks you to confirm your subscription.  Check your spam mailbox if you don’t see an email from us right away. Once you confirm, the link for the meditation will be sent to you via email.  We are both available if you need some one on one support with these energy tools.  Or you may simply need some extra support to help you through the season.  You don’t have to go it alone.  There is support available for you.