Reflections: Yoga Teacher Training Day 12

Energy

I sit here at my desk, typing this on my large, blue inflated fit ball. Learning more about yoga has made me more aware of my body; my limitations and extensions. Sometimes I am at my desk for hours – hunched over a keyboard, marking student work – and I feel my neck and back muscles tightening and aching. Of course, Yoga asanas help to relieve this tension. However, I am now thinking beyond that at what I can do to prevent muscle aching and enjoy my yoga practice for what it is, and not for what it can fix.

Reflecting on the Yoga Teaching Training so far, I have learnt so much! I have become more open in my thoughts, my instruction is more knowledgeable and my outlook is more positive. I have always been a positive person, but Yoga Training has allowed me to tap into my positive side even more, and become aware of it.

An interesting workshop that we shared was ‘Energy Healing’. When I was younger I suffered from painful headaches. My mother and I tried numerous remedies; yoga, massage, balm… It was during one of my numerous massage sessions that I think I encountered energy healing of some kind. I was about 16 and my mum had driven me to a massage practitioner of some kind in farming town, Jamberoo. At the end of the remedial massage, lying on my back, the aging male masseuse cradled my skull in his hands. I was a little freaked out. What was this guy doing? What happened to the rest of my massage? It is only now that I look back and understand. I was receiving a Cranial Sacral Therapy. The masseuse was giving me energy and was lightly massaging the nerves and joints in my neck to relieve my headaches. I was a little nervous at the time, and this alternative treatment was not explained to me.

Now I am aware of energy healing and its power. I used to not be so open, perhaps even a disbeliever. Although I do not understand the physics behind the thermodynamics, I understand to transfer of heat as energy. All 13 students as well as our two teachers participated in Energy Healing. We each took turns to lay in Savasana and receive the energy that was being given by the others, by way of placing hands on the recipient and giving positive energy for around 5 minutes.

The effects were amazing. Different people felt different emotions when giving and receiving. Tears were shed, for no reason and for many reasons. Happiness, anger and sadness was shed and shared. Upon completion everyone felt grateful, energized and calm. It was an amazing, experience that really can’t be described.

The energy workshop also taught me how the universe is good at balancing energy. We learnt to think that there is no bad energy. There is positive energy and no energy. Just like people may have positive energy or no energy at all. I already believe that certain people need more positive energy, and are able to ‘zap’ that energy out of people with lots of positive energy. I am one of those people with good energy. On many occasions, I feel that my energy has been depleted when I am around no energy people. After listening to a colleague or friend unload their problems, I often feel both mentally and emotionally fatigued, and then person sharing their problems or feeling negative feels better and energized. I understand now that I have been giving my positive energy, and not receiving any in return. I have to make my own energy in order to feel revived.

When I read what I have written it sounds a little weird. But it is the truth and it is how it works. Perhaps it has happened to you. After being around optimistic, life loving, energetic, high-spirited people do you yourself feel motivated, active and positive, even though you may have done nothing but listened and talked? And when you are around negative, gloomy, miserable people do you feel weak and exhausted, even though you only spoke or listened? 

It is the transfer of energy that you feel. It exists. It’s there. Do you feel it? 

Very cheesy, I know. But also very true.