Use the Force!!

Reading from Wednesday, August 19, 2015 yoga class

From the Teach.yoga newsletter by Elena Brower; the article is entitled On Energy, Star Wars and Lifting Ourselves Up by Andrea Kirkham

"I wish I had their energy.  How do kids have that seemingly endless supply of energy?  How are those legs, that are so small, able to stay active so much longer than legs twice their size?  In the yoga world we use the word "energy" in a different way.  We feel the energy that we bring in with our breath (prana).  We lock the energy in with action (bandhas).  We then use that energy circulating throughout our being to move us into a spiritual space.

In Reiki and other healing modalities, energy is talked about as a living force for good (think Star Wars and this becomes more understandable).  As Luke learns to use the Force, he becomes a calmer and more mindful person.  He goes from being driven by an anger that consumes and controls him, to a clearheaded, calm, capable Jedi.  We can do this, too, even without lightsabers.

Why do we lose the energy we had as kids?  Even with a consistent yoga practice and energy work regime, why can't we find this level of ease?  Are we so consumed with our thoughts of grocery shopping, work deadlines and kids' soccer schedules that we've lost the ability to be energized and carefree?

The stress and responsibility of adulthood is indeed an energy drain of a sort (think of the Emperor using energy for evil, in keeping with the Star Wars analogy), but we have more energy than we realize.

Try this... for just a few hours, be a kid...get outside, go to the park, ride a bike, jump rope, do a hula hoop, be creative!!!

Yes... we all age.  But do we need to be grownups all the time?  Every time we spend our energy on play, on freedom, on becoming more strong, we build up our reserves and feel younger again.  Even without lightsabers."



I think I will go get my hula hoop and hula.  :)