Everyone is talking about going green and being energy efficient with all things electrical in their homes, but what about you. Are you being energy efficient with your own energy? Do you conserve your energy wisely or do you carelessly (or unknowingly) give it away to draining people, places, foods, situations, habits or negative thinking?
It is through the many courses, workshops and books I studied over the past 20 years that I have deepened my appreciation, of my own precious life force energy. I now make it a priority and part of everyday living to value my precious energy. I do my best to refuel it with care and spend it wisely.
Below are 10 situations which I am continuously doing my best to reduce, if not eliminate, from my life. Yes, I still make mistakes but the simple habit of caring for my energy enables me to have more energy for the things that really matter to me in life.
I truly believe that once you start tuning into how you feel after any given situation or thought, you’ll quickly discover where you are wasting your energy unnecessarily.
Avoid these top 10 energy stealers:
1: Tense breathing:
“The True Man breathes with his heels; the mass of men breathe with their throats” By Taoist philosopher Chuang Tzu
Tight, shallow, restricted breathing speeds up the use of energy. It overstimulates your nervous system, holds in tension and restricts a healthy flow of oxygen to your organs and brain. Soften your belly, smile and relax and lengthen your breath.
As Byron Katie says: ‘There are 3 types of businesses, your business, other peoples business and gods business”
Don’t waste your precious energy (and time) on other people’s business. Listening too and/or reading gossip is equally toxic as spreading it. It adds absolutely no value to your life, at all. It consumes your precious time, attention and can be extremely emotionally painful - again a huge energy drain. Gossip is simply a waste of time and energy.
I remember Louise Hay sharing in one of her books, that whenever someone tries to invade her boundaries with gossip she simply replies, “Thank you but I choose not to hear this right now” and removes herself.
3: Worry:
“The reason why worry kills more people than work is that more people worry than work” R. Frost
Being proactive in catching yourself out when worrying, is a good place to start. Whilst I still worry (particularly as a mother), I know I am making progress.
My worry busting habit is to simply switch my focus onto my breath, un-hunch my shoulders, smile and repeat an affirmation. “My life is simple and easy”
A tight, tense body holds in stress - it has hunched shoulders, is frowning, clenched jaw, pursed lips, tight stomach and clenched buttocks, just to name a few.
Send commands to your body parts now. Cheeks soften. Tongue soften. Forehead soften. Neck soften. Jaw soften. Eyes soften. Keep repeating until your body part responds by softening.
There may be certain people that you are simply not energetically compatible with. You know who they are. They leave you drained and exhausted every time. You feel the friendship is one - sided, and mostly all about them. As difficult as it may be, you may need to strengthen your boundaries and get very clear when, and how you let them into your lives - if at all.
The same applies to certain places. For me it’s shopping centres. I’m find them incredibly draining.
6: Not accepting what is:
“Don’t overtax yourself, it leads to loss of spirit” Lao Tzu
Resisting the present moment wastes time and energy, whether its a traffic jam, the phone ringing or an unexpected bill - it’s happened, and you can’t change it.
Put some breathing space between you and the problem by taking a few deep, calming breathes. This also helps you see the bigger picture of things.
7: Your stuff - Life was not meant to be spent buying & looking after stuff.
Your stuff demands your time, attention and energy. The less stuff you have to store, clean, insure, repair, look after and worry about, the more energy you have to do what you love doing. Excess stuff in the form of clutter is the most energy draining of all your things.
Distractions steel your precious energy and time. TV, newspapers and the media, at times, can act like a poison in your life. Any one of them can stress you out, exhaust you (you forget to go to bed), frustrate you, annoy you, upset you or change your mood in an instant. Use technology when needed but don’t caught up in its distractions.
9: Toxins:
Reducing the amount of chemicals and toxins used in your home, on your body and in your food will greatly help your body work more efficiently, and prevent energy being wasted on the elimination and detoxification process. Toxic chemicals can be either inhaled, ingested or absorbed through your skin.
“How many times have we made a mistake that effected the rest of our life, simply because we made it, when we were moving too fast, at the effect of our stress, anger or fear” Marianne Williamson
Rushing simply wastes bucket loads of energy unnecessarily. When you rush you tend to make mistakes, forget things, skip meals, overstimulate your nervous system, become prone to distractions and ultimately become unproductive. Rushing scatters your energy.
Clutter represents a build up of too much yin (stagnant/stale/dead) energy in your home, which in turn can lead to confusion, a depletion of energy or procrastination. The interesting part is you don’t even need to see the clutter to be effected by it.
I know from my own personal experience, there is no easier way to change any problem or situation in life than by having a serious clutter clearing session. It simply shifts energy - and then your life moves forward.
Last week I had the urge to empty my head. My thinking had become a little foggy, fragmented and scattered. So for the past 3 days I have been on a major clutter busting frenzy, and I mean a whole 3 full days. No corner was left untouched.
Whilst my home is not big, and there is certainly not much excess stuff - I was surprised at the amount of clutter I did find.
I clear clutter regularly, yet, surprise, surprise more clutter had appeared since the beginning of this year. That’s life with three boys.
I emptied every cupboard, even if it had no clutter. I’m a firm believer that uplifting and refreshing an empty space (by wiping out and infusing it with essential oils or incense) removes any stagnant energy that may have accumulated plus it makes your home feel lighter.
I am now officially back in love with all my draws, cupboards, rooms and hidden spaces - and the foggy thinking has lifted.
Clearing Clutter Moves Your Life Forward:
To inspire you find your clutter clearing groove I’ve shared a few games below which I have used over the years. It’s all a matter of finding an approach that works for you. My personal favourite is to pretend I’m about to move overseas.
Enjoy.
1: Pretend You Are Moving - Overseas:
Act as if something great is about to happen in your life. You’re moving overseas, interstate, moving home or about to live on a boat.
For those of you who have been reading my blog for a while now will know that at the beginning of last year I assumed the position that I was about to move overseas. Yeah! After 2 months my home and life had never been so up to-date and organized. It’s also worth mentioning that many great things started happening not long after.
This is a great little game I learnt from space clearing expert Karen Kingston. I’ve recommend her book Clear Your Clutter many times on this blog.
Simply choose a number between 1 - 10, write the number on a piece of paper, leave it somewhere obvious, and that’s the number of things you must clear from your home each day.
Trust me, this is actually quite a fun clutter game.
3: Start a daily 30 second clutter clearing habit:
Lack of time can no longer be your excuse for not clearing your clutter. Anyone can spare 30 seconds to throw out at least one (and hopefully more) unwanted, unloved things from your home.
30 seconds requires virtually no energy, effort or thinking power. This game is also perfect if you are feeling in total overwhelm at the very thought of clearing out your clutter.
To grow your 30 second clutter clearing muscle simply start with something easy like your clothes or a kitchen draw. You then have 30 seconds to find one or two things that you no longer need.
To further boost your enthusiasm, here’s a fabulous super short video called Weed out useless utensils by Peter Walsh
4: Buy one thing then, throw two things out:
This game is easy and the rules very obvious.
If you buy one thing for your kitchen then make sure you throw out two things (from your kitchen) that you no longer need, that are broken, have missing lids, have expired etc.
If you buy a new pillow go through your linen closet and throw out two unwanted towels, sheets, pillow slips etc.
This is a great way to stop the build up of clutter with minimum of fuss.
When you are disconnected from your body, you care more about emails, messages, the tv, media, gossip magazines and other people’s business than you do about your own physical, emotional and spiritual needs.
Now - is always the perfect time to give your body the extra loving attention it deserves (and needs) on a regular basis.
Nurture it, detox it, care for it, rest it, hydrate it, pamper it, feed it wisely, colour it up, treat it to organics and exercise it. Give your body everything its deserves, plus more, and notice the change in your energy and stress levels - not to mention your overall well-being. Your skin will glow, your eyes will twinkle and your face will smile like never before.
Simply remembering you have a body, more often, and tuning in to its messages (thirsty, hungry, pain, tired, fresh air etc.) is a great start. Following are some simple suggestions which I’m trusting will inspire you (and myself) to look after our bodies just that little bit more.
Give Your Body The Quality Attention It Deserves:
1. Balance your female, male sides:
One of the keys to wholeness is balancing your female and male sides. You achieve a harmonious flow between “energy in” and ” energy out”.
When your female and male sides are balanced you know when to ask for support, walk away, say no, take action or rest. When your two sides are balanced you can successfully achieve, without burnout or exhaustion. You have strong boundaries and know when you need to stop and receive. You feel grounded, centred and don’t waste your energies unnecessarily.
If you are not sure which of your sides is dominating, simply close your eyes, scan the left side (feminine) of your body, then your right side (masculine). Observe which side has more tension, tightness or pain.
I, personally have found that when I take the time to stop and listen (to my body), it becomes fairly obvious which side is dominating. I know by simply having this awareness, I can begin to balance my thoughts and life, and then grab myself a massage or acupuncture treatment.
Going barefoot is healthy. It’s grounding (that’s the point) and gives your feet some much deserved freedom. Walking barefoot is a fabulous therapeutic exercise for your toes and feet. The simple act of taking off your shoes, after a busy day, triggers a relaxation response.
If my yoga teacher were here she would be saying - spread your toes, feel the ball of your little and big toes firmly touch the ground. Feel the weight of your body evenly spread across your feet. You’d be surprised how often you have more weight on one foot, than the other.
Did you know there are over 60 barefoot parks that can be found in Germany and Austria. You may even feel inclined to visit the society for barefoot living:
3. Get your blood tested:
I recently had my bloods tested for vitamin and mineral levels. I found, to my surprise ( I eat very well), that my calcium and iron levels were particularly low. Whilst I still felt great, long term deficiencies would eventually leave to more serious complications. Don’t wait until something goes wrong, you might not be absorbing the nutrients from your foods that you think you are, like me.
4. Give your body a louder voice:
Place your left thumb over left ear (as if you are wanting to block off the sound), place your right thumb over your right ear and cover your eyes with your fingers. Turn your awareness inwards, and slow your breathing down.
Allow your body’s voice rise to the surface of your thoughts.
What can you notice, see or hear, when you pay attention to your inner body?
5. Give your body silence and stillness:
“When you lose touch with inner stillness, you lose touch with yourself. When you lose touch with yourself, you lose yourself in the world” Eckhart Tolle
Restlessness is a modern disease. Stillness and silence are a lost art. Why not try sitting still for 5 minutes without reading, eating, watching, or getting carried away with your thoughts. Just be, and notice the restlessness inside.
Following are a couple of articles on relaxation yoga, giving you a few options to experience 5 minutes of stillness each day.
My Ayurvedic practitioner shared with me that sipping warm water has a hormone balancing effect, strips your body of ama (toxins) and improves your digestion. How magical is that. For many years now I’ve drunk warm water instead of cool water.
I’m a firm believer in how I start my morning sets the tone for my day ahead. If I start rushed, my day is rushed.
Moving from a deep sleep (yin state ) to being fully alert ( yang state ), all in the space of a few seconds is not what nature intended. After all the sun doesn’t “rush” itself up each morning.
Create the space so you can gently transition, from your sleep to your awake state.
Two or three minutes spent belly breathing (whilst still lying in bed) is a very satisfying way to welcome your body into a new day.
Get up half an hour early ( if you need too) and enjoy a gentle early morning routine. I guarantee you will definitely notice a difference to the quality and flow of your day ahead.
8: Lift the weight off your shoulders:
If a thought, situation or person is weighing heavy on your mind, then it will be weighing heavy also on your body. Emotional baggage can be an incredible drain and burden on your body.
I, personally have found removing clutter (lots and lots of it) incredibly healing for shifting life’s problems. It always, always, without fail, brings a lightness, which in turn brings clarity to a situation. Clearing clutter, without a doubt, bring a feeling a relief and lightness to your body.
Start with the room or cupboard you are avoiding the most.
And, if you really can’t clear the clutter, then re-arrange your furniture and shift the energy around you. A static environment around you, keeps you stuck in life.
Your skin is the largest eliminating organ of your body. Make sure the toxins are being efficiently removed by dry body brushing your skin each day before you hop into the shower.
It stimulates blood flow, removes dead skin cells and lets your skin breathe happily. It’s important to use a good quality natural fibre hand mitt or brush.
Avoid skipping meals or buying junk food on the go. Carry a little bag of almonds, cashews, dried figs or dates. And, if you have the time treat yourself to some home made bliss balls, they are packed full of nutrients, and require no cooking.
Breathing mindfully reminds your mind, that you actually have a body. Breathe to calm, soften, unwind and relax your stressed body parts. Breathe to improve your mind body connection. Breathe to improve your focus and concentration.
Inhale deeply to oxygenated, and exhale deeply to detoxify.
Did you know that 70% of waste is eliminated from your body via your lungs. Breathing into your belly is one of the healthiest habits you can practice.
The energy behind a smile is healing and carries a high vibration. I experienced many years the benefits of smiling into your organs from a Qi Gong practitioner in Melbourne. It was one of the most memorable 3 month courses I have ever done.
Smiling into your kidneys helps dissolve fear. Smiling into your liver helps dissolve anger. Smiling into your lungs helps dissolve sadness.
Spend a few minutes smiling on your face. Breathe into your smile and then send that smiling energy into your kidneys. Keep breathing and smiling deep into your kidneys until you feel they are filled with smiling energy.
Now send smiling energy to your liver, heart, lungs etc. Sometimes you will feel a little resistence with some organs, be patient and keep breathing and smiling.
The smiling mediation spreads a nourishing and uplifting energy to your inner core. It keeps your body healthy. Great to do, anytime of the day, if you are feeling rushed, stressed and frantic.
13: Eat sitting down:
The purpose of eating is to eat. Support your digestion system and ensure you are getting maximum nourishment from your food by eating sitting down, in a peaceful and quiet environment.
Spend a few minutes making sure you have fully arrived at your meal so you can enjoy and appreciate fully, its taste, flavours, texture, smell and appearance.
Digestion begins in the mouth. The more you chew the more oxygen is sent to the brain. Chewing relaxes your lower stomach muscles and triggers the rest of the digestive process. The macrobiotic lifestyle recommend chewing your food until it becomes liquid before swallowing. Now, that’s going to take more than 10 chews per mouthful.
15. Make a regular date with your body:
Make sure you put yourself first on your daily “to do” list. Here’s a great time formula to get you started. 1/2 an hour a day, 1/2 a day a week and 1 day a month.
Schedule a meditation, walk, jog, yoga session, organic cacao (chocolate) facial, rejuvenation retreat, massage, body treatment, pedicure, hand yoga, manicure, chakra balancing or spa visit.
Your body is predominately water and research shows that a mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy thinking. Water is very clever as it hydrates your organs, improves concentration and detoxes your body - all at the same time.
If you are like me, and find drinking two litres of water a day somewhat boring then try sipping hot water or squeeze some lime or lemon juice into it or eat your water by having more fruit.
Squat, twist, unhunch your shoulders, go to yoga, learn the tango, do wall push up’s next to your computer, try some face yoga, hand yoga, foot therapy or better still take a 20 minute power walk to release some of the tension from your body.
Deep fried, highly processed foods burdened your liver. In Chinese Medicine the liver relates to the emotion of anger. Keep your body and emotions happy by eliminating deep fried food and fatty food from your diet. A burdened liver makes for one grumpy person.
19. Start tongue scraping:
Each morning after oil pulling, I scrape my tongue around 7 or 8 times with a metal tongue scraper. The benefits of tongue scraping are awesome. It removes toxins, stops you swallowing the bacteria that has gathered on your tongue over night, enhances your sense of taste, improves your digestion and gently stimulates your organs.
Trust me, you will be shocked when you see the amount of “sludge” that comes off your tongue first thing in the morning.
20. Embrace a chemical free life:
Going chemical free is a work in progress. I’ve been on this journey for around 20 years now and still finding toxic things in my home.
Toxins can be inhaled, ingested or absorbed through your skin, all of which burden your organs. Why not begin with your kitchen and stop ingesting chemicals by how you cook, clean and store your food. For starters, switch your plastic containers for glass or bamboo, switch aluminum pots for stainless steel ones, buy natural dishwashing liquid, throw out plastic chopping boards and replace with bamboo or wooden.
Do you talk kindly or cruelly to your body. Now is the time to be mindful of the way you chat to your body. Every time you catch yourself saying something negative simply switch to a kind mantra.
My favourite at the moment is “Every cell in my body is loved and healthly” or you may prefer one from Louise Hay “I am my own best friend”
Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) sedates your nervous system. It relaxes your muscles, releases toxins and is probably best known for reducing swelling. Magnesium is a mineral your nervous system and adrenals need in order to relax.
1 cup of Epsom salts (dissolve into hot bath water)
Inflammation in the skin is more likely if you have acidic blood. Improve your blood alkalinity and detoxification by simply taking liquid chlorophyll each day. Click here and watch a great short video by Ananda who is a Naturopath and passionate about 100% natural skin care. She’ll explain why she uses chlorophyll to look after her skin.
24: Go outside:
Nature never lets you down. Nature has a very natural ability to ground and centre you. It is extremely healing, as it nourishes you with life force energy whilst calming you down, all at the same time. Breathe in its energy up through your feet and notice the feeling that follows.
Try walking in nature, standing in nature or simply looking at nature (sky, tree, clouds). Living in a busy concrete city jungle, encourages you to live in your head and split your energies off into many directions. Your body needs a regular dose of nature.
Let your feet touch the ground, grass or sand each day. Let your nose and lungs fill with fresh air each day. Let your skin feel the sun and breeze.
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