How I protect my peace so I can promote yours.
Insights from an energy practitioner and bodyworker.
Like with any profession, there are things that are helpful to do in preparation for a day of work. Some things, like packing a lunch and making sure my linens are clean and folded, are obviously essential for the type of services I provide. And then there are the less obvious practices. Ones you might not consider important for a “normal” job but that make perfect sense in the energy work sphere. I’m going to share a few of them in this blog post in the hopes that you find some inspiration for your own life, even if you aren’t an energy work practitioner.
Grounding
When I went to my first reiki initiation one of the topics that came up almost immediately was grounding, which is the practice of putting your feet on the ground to exchange energies with the earth through your soles. My reiki master really wanted to make sure I knew the importance of remaining connected to the earth as I embarked on my spiritual journey. She said that it was crucial, especially when working with other people, and I don’t think she meant that only for energy healers! Every day we come in contact with the energetic fields of so many other people, and in many cases we’re taking on that energy and carrying it around with us, whether we realize it or not. We spend a ton of time interacting with the content of strangers online, and this constant receiving of impressions and input from others leads to even more energetic buildup. Not to mention the electrical and magnetic properties of the cell phone you’re holding close to your body to access this information! It’s a lot!
So what does grounding do to help?
For me, grounding is a trade. I put my feet on the earth and I imagine that they’re growing roots down deep, deep, deep. And all of the excess energy that I’ve been holding onto travels from my head down to my feet and through those roots where it’s absorbed into the soil and can be repurposed into whatever the universe needs. And at the same time, my roots are soaking up fresh clean earth energy that I can use as fuel! The result is that I feel less overwhelmed by the emotional and energetic residue I accumulate when I’m out living my life, and I feel a sense of stability and strength that make navigating the world much less daunting.
Instructions:
Take your shoes off and put your feet on the ground. I feel the most power from the exercise when I’m barefoot in the woods or by the river, but you don’t have to stick your bare toes in the dirt for this to be effective. Sock feet on linoleum is great too! Just make sure to remove anything with a rubber sole, like shoes or slippers, that might interfere with the electrical exchange that’s about to take place. You can put any part of your body on the ground and have the same benefits, but I like the idea of draining the excess energy from my head, where it tends to get backed up, all the way down to my toes.
Next, you’re going to close your eyes and imagine connecting your feet to the earth. I visualize roots, but I encourage you to find a visualization that works for you. Whatever you choose, make it a strong connection. If you’re unable to put your body on the floor, you can simply imagine this connection traveling from your body, down the chair/bed/whatever, and into the ground. Let yourself imagine all that excess energetic junk draining away and being replaced with beautiful, bright light. This vibrant and clarified energy is now filling your field and the only effort here is your intention. Your desire to connect and exchange with the earth is all you need to make it so!
Repeat daily.
“Grounding Meditation” by Jessica Lynn Clark, available here.
Crying (aka letting myself feel my emotions)
Okay, so this one is crucial if you’re a person who ever has to be around other people. We are now coming to understand, in a scientific way, that emotions are energy moving in the body, and that if they don’t get expressed and dealt with they have a tendency to linger in our tissues where they can eventually cause physical problems. The issue is, most of us were raised and socialized to disregard our emotions, to stifle them and push them down out of the way so they don’t inconvenience our relationships and productivity. Yikes!
Because my line of work involves being a conduit for vital energy, I strive to make sure my channels are open and flowing without my own blockages getting in the way. This is why I consider feeling my emotions (to completion) so important. And it’s so so hard! I was extremely cut off from my emotions for a very long time. But now I let myself cry when I need to (which sometimes means holding it in until I have the space and time to really let it out) and I scream into pillows and I move my body around. I’m learning healthy ways of expressing anger that keep me and everyone else safe, though anger is by far my trickiest feeling to work with because it was the most demonized for the longest. And I’m doing this all imperfectly, of course, because I think it’s going to take me a lifetime to really master.
Instructions:
Rather than trying to name and figure out why you’re experiencing whatever emotion, try making a mental note of the sensations you’re feeling in your body. Emotions are essentially reactions in our tissues, and when you frame it like that it makes it a little easier to separate the mental aspect from the embodied emotion. Instead of intellectualizing you’re going to work on feeling.
Of course, hiring a therapist to help you is a great idea.
Prayer and meditation
In my world there are different kinds of prayers: those that express deep gratitude and those that ask for help. I don’t follow any specific religion, so when I pray it’s not to any particular god or entity (though I do have some that I vibe with more than others). I guess these prayers act like messages to whatever divine system is in charge. “Thank you for this, I love this, more of this!” and “here’s what I’m struggling with, can you find me a solution?”.
Meditation is for quieting my system so I can hear the answers to my prayers. It helps me slow down so I can really pay attention to what the universe is offering. Synchronicities and miracles are everywhere, we just need to be present enough to recognize them, and meditation is a great tool for increasing your presence in your daily life.
Both of these things are important parts of my spiritual practice, which form the base of my energy + body work offerings (and the rest of my life honestly). Other things I include in my spiritual practice are quality time with nature, decolonial language learning, and keeping a small altar.
Instructions:
If you’re not sure how to pray, just start listing things you’re thankful for. Out loud, or in your head. You can also mention things you’d like help bringing in, and things you’d like help maintaining. There really isn’t a wrong way to do it.
When it comes to meditation, I usually have the most success with guided ones. There are plenty of apps you can find, and free resources online as well. YouTube has great guided meditations. You could also consider less traditional forms of meditation, like crafting/creating/staring at waves.
Movement
I have never been a big exercise gal. I didn’t play sports, I don’t really like running, and I’ve never been able to stay consistent with the gym.
The types of movement I do enjoy: Hiking and snowshoeing depending on the season. This is basically just going for walks, which are also great. I like to dance and swim. I do enjoy doing yoga and I find myself going through phases with it. And I have two young boys, so I count playing with them and getting them ready for literally anything as solid exercise!
What I’m trying to say is that you don’t need a typical routine to enjoy movement in your life! I’d like to add some small weights into my repertoire at home, because I know how important that’s going to be as I age. But I don’t think enough people really count the things in their life that aren’t going to the gym or getting their 10k steps. Those things are wonderful for the people they work for! But for the rest of us, maybe just focus more on playing? That’s a great invitation for movement. And stretching! Please keep stretching.
The words “I’m not just exercising for my body to look good now, I’m exercising for my body to work good later.” are displayed over a background image of a lakeside at sunset.
Instructions:
Go for a walk where you live. Find free videos on YouTube to move along to if you’d rather stay inside (there’s way more online than just yoga!). If you get bored of one thing after a while, it’s okay to try something else. Chopping wood, going sledding, having sex, doing housework… the list of “unconventional” exercise goes on and on. My advice is to keep having fun with it, and to remember your intention when it comes to movement.
“I intend to stay limber so I can enjoy my life for a long time to come. That’s why I do yoga”.
“I intend to get out in nature and see cool birds. That’s why I go hiking”.
“I intend to release my anger in a healthy way. That’s why I box”.
Sometimes remembering what we want to get out of it can make convincing ourselves to get up and go a little easier. And 30 mins a day is all you need!
Crystals and Fire Cleansing
When things have been really hectic for a while and I just can’t seem to find my balance, I turn cleansing. I do this either a selenite crystal wand or a smoking herb bundle!
When it comes to cleansing your energy field with crystals, selenite is really where it’s at. This long, white crystal grows in perfect wands that are perfect for cleansing things, including yourself! The energy of this mineral vibrates at a very high frequency. Some refer to it as liquid light. Selenite is also associated with Selene, the Greek goddess of the moon. This is a really popular crystal that can be found at most gem shops, so you shouldn’t have trouble tracking her down.
You’ve probably heard of smudging, which is a practice that has been so widely appropriated that it’s original people can’t get access to healthy white sage. It’s been overharvested and commercialized. So if you’d like to cleanse with smoke, make your own bundles with herbs and plants you’ve sourced ethically yourself. Things like cedar, rosemary, and lavender are lovely and can be grown at home or found nearby.
Read this blog post by Heidi at Mountain Rose Herbs for a lovely overview of smoke cleansing around the world and throughout time.
When it comes to cleansing your energy field with crystals, selenite is really where it’s at. This crystal forms in long branches and is sold as a wand which makes it really easy to cleanse things with, including yourself! Selenite is also associated with Selene, the Greek goddess of the moon.
Instructions:
Selenite wand - Holding it above your head and slowly bring it down around your body. You can circle your body with it to dispel any foreign energies in your field or hold it steadily over each chakra point (crown, forehead, throat, heart, diaphragm, lower stomach, between the legs/under the bum). Put your crystals out on your windowsill during the full moon to cleanse them and recharge them.
Smoke Cleansing - Grab your herb bundle, a lighter, and a small bowl to catch the ash. Light the end of the bundle and blow out any flames so that it’s only smoldering. Hold the bowl underneath it. Different cultures have their own specific instructions and rituals about what to say and what motions to make next. Directing the smoke to the 4 corners of the room, to the north/east/south/west, and around doorframes and windows are all options to clear a space, and to clear yourself all you need to do is blanket yourself in the smoke from your head down to your feet. Say a prayer of thanks for the plants you’re burning and intend for the smoke to take unwanted energy with it as it floats away.
Final Thoughts
These are the simple things that I’ve found effective and inexpensive when it comes to maintaining my energetic hygiene. I want my presence to be calming and my conduction of energy to be clear. If you’re feeling sluggish, heavy, cranky or just kinda meh, give some of these things a try! You might be surprised at how much it helps.
