Effort Creates Energy

I have often marveled at people who seem to have boundless energy – those who are productive, focused, active and socially engaged. Although I am satisfied with my experience of being calm, grounded and I am content to keep myself close to home, sometimes those same traits that serve me well in my career as a yoga therapist and birth doula can also lull me into a seductive sloth state. In my meditation practice, a dull, drowsy state can seep in like a fog, progressively covering over my ability to be present. I can pass the time without doing the work or receiving the benefits. The great gift I have discovered through my practice of yoga is that effort actually creates energy.

Meditation Requires Energy

In sitting meditation you can keep an alert state by:

* Searching for and pinpointing the location of low energy in the body

* Inhaling generously into the low energy area several times

* Opening the eyes

* Moving the feet and hands

* Standing and walking a bit

Putting on the Brakes

Others have different challenges from my own. Restless energy, worry and obsessive activity are common enough that they seem normal in our culture. The drive to make money or become a competent employee or parent or caregiver may exacerbate this anxious state of being. Our country’s love for coffee may point to the dilemma inherent in managing our energy levels.

* The United States is the country with the highest amount of caffeine consumption.

* 54% of caffeine consumers state that the caffeine puts them in a better mood.

* People who cut back on their caffeine consumption often experience headaches and difficulty focusing.

Take a Hike Buddy!

The adrenaline rush of caffeine may offer a cheap way to self-medicate our intolerance for being with the discomfort of vulnerability, grief or other strong emotions. The good news is that walking meditation is a good remedy for lifting a low energy state as well as dialing back a high, restless energy state.

When walking, even if only from one room to another, become mindful of your sensations as you lift your foot, press it into the floor and lift off again. Feel your body move through space, witness your ribs expanding on the inhale and hugging toward the midline on the exhale. Be aware of the feeling in your legs, belly, chest and face. Simply stand still for a few seconds to bring your full focus to the present, without judgment.