Photo by Robert Luleman
How’s your personal energy these days? There’s lot of ancient wisdoms and new modern science emerging about energy, personal energy and personal energy management… I call it Energy IQ.
By personal energy, I mean how is your inner fuel or the "juice" that flows through you and keeps you operating as a human being that’s doing, thinking and sensing. Your energy is the fuel for your life, work, relationships and decision-making.
As ancients wisdom keepers have known for eons, and modern science now validating, your energy fuels your body, mind, heart and spirit. My biggest energy ‘canaries in the coal mine’ (these tell me I’m depleted or over drawn) show up in my body. If I’m paying attention and notice. I get a pain, problem, stiffness or sickness. My herniated disc last year was a big teacher. My year long healing journey became a learning gift, supported by a team of great holistic healers.
My big takeaway is pay attention to your inner energy. It’s your life force. It fuels you.
Energy is not static. It flows. And can get stuck. Like when your chest feel tight, constricted, when you’re experiencing or remembering stressful things, moments. Know that feeling? I do.
Photo by Yoann Boyer
My suggestion, find a few practices that help you build your inner energy and well-being awareness. Create a morning ritual of some practices you enjoy. Even a 5 minute one. I have a few practices I do daily.
One of my newer practices is qigong, an ancient Chinese practice that includes body posture/movement, breath practice, and meditation. It’s designed to enhance life force, qi. The purpose of qigong is to attain deeply focused and relaxed states. For me, qigong also opens my stuck energy. I feel it, and I hear my body pop with releases.
Going into qigong class this week I felt unusually tired and scattered. No surprise, as I’d pulled a few late nights working. I went to class, as I really wanted to be in the class that morning as it was both the Chinese New Year’s Day and a new moon. That was Tuesday, February 1. By class end I felt different. I was relaxed, refreshed and grounded. My qi, my energy, felt settled. Rebalanced.
Your energy is a precious resource, maybe the most precious resource you have. It’s renewable, to an extent, and easily depleted. Do you ever…
Not get enough sleep (7-8 hours per night) for a few days and feel sluggish?
Binge on food, tv, drinks, sugar, screen time or something and feel off?
Often feel angry, depressed, fearful, irritated or reactive?
What happens to you?
For me… I feel and function at lower speeds and levels in mental, physical and emotional capacities. That shows up for me in many ways. Slower and more reactive thinking, less creativity and words align such as fuzzy, foggy, scattered, reactive, slower, stressed, impatient. Any of those resonate for you?
Unconsciously and consciously humans spend, grow and save their energy as they live, operate. They drain, build and conserve it. Scientists note that humans normally operate at about a 95% unconscious level (on autopilot), only operating 5% consciously. Like when you drive your car someplace and you don't remember the drive... that’s the autopilot state.
That ever happen to you? Happens to me, more than I want to admit. Now that I’m aware of it :)
Do you want to be more awake and conscious of your self, life, work and relationships? I ask this because we find that now all want this. That’s ok, it’s an individual choice.
Bottom line: Growing your Energy IQ, a personal energy management mindset will change you, your life. And, it’s an ongoing journey, deep work. Benefits are huge too. If that’s desired, great. Explore and grow.
Be well, Susan
Want to connect to discuss coaching, growth, enneagram needs, or questions? Reach out and click here to get a free 30 minute Discovery call with me.
Susan Walters Minker, Coach & Facilitator: Presence-Based® Coaching, Enneagram Practitioner, Systems Dynamics for Organizations & Individuals. And, co-owner/ steward of Asheville area nature sanctuary retreat center Bend of Ivy Lodge.
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