WHAT IS ENERGY MANIPULATION

Energy manipulation is the practice of controlling and directing energy within and around the body. It is a technique that has been in existence for thousands of years and can be found in many cultures throughout the world.

In theory, energy manipulation could involve various techniques, such as visualization, meditation, and breathing exercises, to sense, gather, and direct different forms of energy.

The practical applications of energy manipulation can vary depending on the practitioner's goals and beliefs. Some may use it for healing purposes, to balance and align their own energy centers, or to help others release blocked or stagnant energy. Others may use energy manipulation for manifestation purposes, to amplify their intentions and bring about desired outcomes.

It's important to note that energy manipulation is often considered a subjective and personal experience, and its effectiveness may vary from person to person. It's also important to approach energy manipulation with caution, as working with energy can be complex and potentially risky if not done with proper guidance and understanding.

Despite its power, energy in of itself is a neutral force. It is consciousness that directs its movement. If we think of this in terms of the energy and consciousness of the human experience we may see that the more conscious we are, the more we direct our energy towards creation, connection, and evolution. The less conscious we are, the more our energy is used towards separation, stagnation, or even destruction.

As you begin to become more conscious of your energy, pieces of the puzzle will come together. You may begin to see the ways you use your energy to defend against certain experiences and emotions. You may begin to see how your energy has been used as part of an adaptive strategy, how it has served you and how it no longer does. You will hopefully begin to appreciate how using your energy in this way holds you back from the potential that comes with embracing your full life force.

HOW TO VISUALIZE ENERGY

First, we learn that the obvious tingling was actually from expectations, and the actual sensations of energy are much more subtle.

Most people have one dominant sense, usually tactile, visual, or auditory.

Tactile people tend to do best by imagining how energy feels to them.

Visual people tend to do best by imagining a visual representation of that feeling.

Auditory people tend to do best by imagining a sound that represents that feeling.

If you've felt energy, or sensations that might be energy, think about how that felt in your body. This is the language of your unconscious.

If you haven't felt energy, imagine how it might feel. Common experiences include tingling, pleasant pressure, and heat. Pick a sensation that speaks to you.

Think of a visual representation of that sensation. A few examples:

- Tingling as static electricity hopping over your skin

- Pressure as a mist pressing against your body

- Heat as a red glow inside your body

Those are just examples — there's no one right visualization, so create one that feels most natural to you. You can always change it later.

Then think of a sound that might go with your visual. Does the static electricity crackle? Does the red glow hum? Or is your energy silent? Again, do whatever feels most natural to you.

As you do this, try to set aside TV and movies.

Instead, tune into yourself and your experience of energy, and see what emerges naturally for you.

HOW TO BUILD ENERGY

To build energy, visualize the energy in your body. Most people do this by first visualizing one sense (tactile, visual, or auditory), then adding the second, then the third. If you know your dominant sense, start with that one. If not, just pick any sense.

Some people visualize the energy coming up from the earth, or down from the sky. Some visualize breathing it in from the air around them. Some visualize it emerging from within their body. Some experience it building in waves, while others experience it smoothly building. There's no one right way to do it.

Some people associate different meanings with those different sources and sensations — you can do that if you want, but you don't have to. Your energy visualization communicates your intent to your unconscious mind. Visualize the energy coming from wherever feels most natural to you. You can always revise it later.

If you can't express the visualization in words, that's fine, just imagine the sensations, images, and sounds.

HOW TO MOVE ENERGY

To move energy in your body, visualize the energy moving to the new location. Imagine the images, sensations, and sounds moving to the new location. Focus on where the energy is going, not where it used to be.

Try it. Visualize some of the energy moving from your chest up to your head. Take a few breaths to move it, then another few to notice how it feels.

If it feels like a rush or headache, you have too much energy in your head. If that happens, use your visualization to move some of the energy out of your head and back into your chest.

Once you've felt the energy in your head, move it back down into your chest, then into your shoulders, slowly down your arms, and into your hands. Pause and notice how that feels.

Place your hands on your legs, and visualize the energy moving from your hands into your legs and back up to your torso, making a loop. (If you're new to energy, it may take some practice to create and maintain this loop.)

Take a few breaths to feel the energy flowing.

HOW TO RELEASE ENERGY

When you're done with energy, you can release it.

Despite warnings from many teachers, releasing energy is optional. Based on testing, it's usually fine to keep the energy you build in your body. Occasionally, depending on the particulars of the energy you built, holding excess energy can lead to a headache, difficulty focusing, or just feeling off.

When you want to release the energy, use the same visualization you used to build the energy, just in reverse: Visualize the energy going down into the earth (often called "grounding"), up into the sky, fading inside your body, or otherwise leaving. Whatever feels most natural to you.

You'll know you're done when the feeling of energy in your body subsides. If you're not sure, just trust your intuition. This is an optional step, so if you don't completely release the energy, that's OK.

Very rarely, releasing the energy won't be enough, and you still won't feel quite right. For those situations, here's a more powerful way to reset your energy:

1. Build some new energy using the visualization you created earlier.

2. Move the new energy through your body, including your head, to flush the old energy out.

3. Release the energy from every part of your body.

TIPS IN GETTING TO KNOW YOUR ENERGY SYSTEM

1. Be aware of your thoughts.

Thoughts are forms of energy. Become aware of your thinking. Start with your first thought of the day and go from there. Make a list. Notice your word choice and where your thinking feels fixed (this is how it is) or flexible (this is how it could be).

2. Be aware of your presence.

Throughout the course of your day, just stop. Close your eyes. Go inward and feel into where you are. Do you feel present? What is the nature of your breath? Are you holding it? How do you feel in your body? Restricted? Relaxed? Tired and collapsed? Awake and alive?

3. Be aware of your body.

Move your body. Different parts at a time. What happens when you move? Notice if any thoughts or feelings come up. Are there certain parts of your body that when energized by movement, stir something up in you? Do you feel you need to contain your energy or do you let yourself move?

4. Be aware of your sounds.

Make sound. By yourself, or with others, let your voice out. Energize your "yes" and "no." Notice if one is easier than the other. Are you even willing to make noise? Just notice without judgment.

5. Be aware of your forcing.

Where are there forcing currents in your life? Where do you feel a relentless demand of yourself or another? Where are you forcing your will onto people or situations?

6. Be aware of your energy and breath.

What happens to your energy in the presence of others? Take note of your breath and your body. Do you expand or contract?

7. Play with the awareness boundaries.

Find a friend willing to explore energetic boundaries. Stand a certain distance from each other. As one of you steps towards the other, notice when you begin to feel their energy. See what happens to you as another's energy enters your own energy field. Do you lose yourself at all? Do you feel less grounded? Do you feel you can use your voice and speak up and ask her or him to come closer or back away?

8. Make a list of different feelings.

Free associate with each feeling. What is your relationship to that feeling? What are your beliefs or images about those feelings? Where do you tend to feel those feelings, if at all, in your body?

9. Be aware of your personality and yourself.

Where are you most comfortable meeting the world? Do you lead with reason (thinker), emotion (feeler), or will (doer)? If you lead with one, how do you feel about the others? What parts of your body do you meet the world with? Your head, heart, hands?

10. Be aware of yours and theirs presence.

Seek another's experience of your energy and observe the energy of others. How do you feel in their presence? Are you invited in or kept at bay? Do you feel they hold back, hold in, hold up, collapse, or scatter their energy? Tune in and feel into it. Don't figure it out, feel it out.