As we previously discussed in Part 1 – “Where do you put your Energy?” of The Free to Be Blog (energy series), our existence is potentially made up of energy constituting four distinct and inseparable aspects of our lives: Body, Mind, Spirit, Passion and posited how do we know where to put our attention and focus to fully manifest buddha nature as it arises? In Part 5 – Emotion (water) Energy, we will discuss this most vexing manifestation of energy in our lives. As we previously discussed,
The Water element represents Emotional (Passion) energy – exhibits fluidity. The sentimental, romantic, social and sacred. Emotional (Passion) energy symbolizes all the mysteries of the Genesis, life, death and resurrection. It represents the universal matrix containing the essence of all life, the source of abundance and plenitude. It has the unique ability to lead all the other energies in our lives for good or ill.
Being that Emotion is the gateway to acceptance and appreciation, the energy associated with our emotional lives has a profound impact on our physical, mental and spiritual well-being. That being the case, I believe we can train our emotional energy to flow freely with the lives we are experiencing by engaging in two simple activities:
Emotional Following Visualization – As an adjunct to the Meditation exercise in Part 3 – Mental (mind) Energy, visualize a situation in your life where your emotional response to an event manifested viscerally and you took action that was not optimal. Take 5 minutes to reflect on the situation from the perspective of following your Emotional Energy. Did you assess the situation based on fear or desire? What was driving your emotional response and how was your Body, Mind and Spirit Energy affected. How did you feel physically, mentally and spiritually after the event? How would you have changed your actions based on reflection?
Emotional Leading Visualization – As an adjunct to the Meditation exercise in Part 3 – Mental (mind) Energy, visualize the same situation in the previous example. Take 5 minutes to reflect on the situation from the perspective of Emotional Energy. How does the situation make your Body Feel, felt sense? How are you thinking about the situation? Do you see the situation as a fixed entity in your mind or as a fluid, changing matrix of relationships? What are those relationships? Now, calm your passions, clear your mind and focus on your breath. Select an emotional state that would have best fit the situation based on reflection. When you contemplate the emotion, where does it come from? Search your body and mind. How does this new emotional perspective change your understanding of the situation? Do you feel more balanced and less defensive? If so, why? If not so, why not?
These questions will lead to many others and potentially begin to free us from habitual ways of thinking about things and our automatic responses to situations. If we take the time to slow down and authentically reflect on the different aspects of our Emotional Energy, we can begin the process of balancing this energy in relation to our physical, mental and emotional well-being as well as beginning to integrate and unify all the energies of our lives.
Thoughts? Comments?
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