“The higher your energy level, the more efficient your body. The more efficient your body, the better you feel and the more you will use your talent to produce outstanding results.” –  Tony Robbins

You’ve probably heard me talk about the four basic energies – fire, water, earth and air — and how to balance them in your system. But let’s back up and talk about energy in general.

 

Quantum physicists have proven that energy is the basis of everything in the universe. As scientific equipment has become more sophisticated, scientists have been able to look beyond molecules, beyond atomic and sub-atomic particles to see that everything — from your toothbrush to that orange juice you had with breakfast — is made of raw energy and light. And this includes your own body.

 

Quantum physics has also shown that energy has no borders. In other words, at the quantum level, the energy that makes up that fly buzzing around your lamp shade is connected to the energy of the music pulsing from your CD player. At that quantum level, everything merges into one big field of energy and light. No separation.

 

But you don’t really need sophisticated equipment to know about energy. Even if you don’t consider yourself to be “sensitive” to energy, you can feel it. For example, think about how different a hug can feel. A hug can feel stiff and cold or warm and loving. It can feel desperate or nurturing or lustful. The physical motion or posture of these hugs can be similar, but most of us are very aware of the different energy or intent that is behind a hug.

 

We’re also aware of energy in our own bodies. When we have “too much” we feel hyper or have trouble settling down to sleep. Some days we wake up and feel like we don’t have “enough energy” to face the day. Don’t certain activities require more energy from us than others? Certain situations, like dealing with an angry customer, seem to sap our energy. Other situations, like listening to upbeat music, seem to increase it.

 

Many of us think of energy as something finite, limited and contained. It’s as if we get a certain ration of energy each day and when we’re out, we’re out. At the end of a tough day, we say that we’re “spent” like we’ve spent all of our energy allotment. Some people seem to have more energy than we do, others seem to have less. Young children can be like the Energizer Bunny that never gives out! People who have given up on life or have no goals or dreams walk around as if they have very little. And conventional wisdom warns that all of us will have “less energy” as we age.

 

But how much of what we “know” about energy is really true?

 

If you’ve been following these blogs and doing the exercises (you did, didn’t you?), you may now realize that you can control the type of energy you express and feel. You also have the capacity to access more energy in any situation no matter what age you are. For example, I drummed at the Merrie Monarch festival recently, which is an international hula festival. It was two days of non-stop activity on very little sleep. However, I managed to participate through the whole event feeling energetic and focused based on a few practices I’ve learned from Huna.

 

Now these practices won’t keep flowing energy into your body beyond what is healthy for it. But in situations where you need to increase or sustain your energy levels, you have that capacity. Think it might be useful to learn how? Here are a few of the things I did:

 

Breathe: Consistent ha breathing (as I’ve described in previous blogs) not only gives the brain and body the oxygen they need to stay alive and alert. Ancient Hawaiians also believed that it drew in the four energies. When you need a boost, stop and spend a few minutes focusing on your ha breath.

 

Tap the Universe: We know about unlimited universal energy. We know that everything is connected and therefore we’re connected to this universal energy. But simply knowing the theory isn’t very helpful when you’re running out of steam. Take a moment to experience this connection. Imagine the energy of the universe flowing into the top of your head and throughout your entire body. Allow its bright light to flow into each cell, lighting them up as it does.

 

Connect to Intention: Often when we’re feeling weary and unable to focus, it’s because we’ve disconnected from what we’re really doing, and especially from the reason we’re doing it. Rather than dragging yourself forward, stop for a moment and ask yourself, “Why am I really doing this?” By asking that question, you automatically connect your 4 bodies: spiritual, mental, emotional and physical. The mental asks the question and the spiritual body responds, igniting the emotional, which in turn fires up the physical. For me, all I had to do was remind myself of the respect I felt for my teacher, the dancers and the school. I just had to remember what an honor it was to perform at the festival – a lifelong dream for many people — and I was completely re-energized.

 

So next time you need a boost, skip the energy drink. Try one or all of these practices and you’ll be amazed at how quickly the energy comes to you!

 

Mahalo,
Dr. Matt

 

Photo Credit: Fake Plastic Alice