Aikido masters deflect the energy of their opponents by working with the flow of the energy, moving it away with it’s own force.
Allowing energy to move through you and then, use it’s force to transform an attack into an opportunity is the way of Aikido. This core idea can also be applied to meditation to create another realm of energy mastery.
Through meditation, we can use energy to strengthen, inspire, revive, expand and activate forward movement. And, sometimes when we encounter energy that might be construed as negative, we can work with the energy during meditation to redirect it and sweep away that conflict. No longer in victim mode, we can powerfully change the dynamics of that energy and just relax as we divert it and naturally return to our own path of peace.
Imagine a large wave approaching you that can knock you over. Relaxing your body, you move with it. If you stand rigid to take the force of the wave, it will level you. Energy can be cleared and redirected in your meditation practice and most powerfully whenever you choose to calm your mind. This is useful in toxic environments, when you are under pressure to “decide” or when you are immersed in negative energies. Remain on the path of peace. Observe the chaotic energies and the potentially addictive distractions that call for your attention. Let them move through you with little effect.
Consolidate your energy.
Unless you are grounded and centred in your energy, you can be easily tossed by energy that doesn’t belong to you. We can feel scattered, easily distracted by events, other people, text messages and internet bulletins and pulled into an inner battle with our own mental chatter that wastes time and paralyzes focus. We loose discipline and bounce from one thought, idea and “intended” action to another. We easily change our minds, feel suddenly emotional and have trouble deciding, which is still a decision. Without a clear boundary and ownership of our own energy, we lose personal power and a strong neutral position to go with the flow.
Meditation can be used as a place to consolidate your energy and power through calming the mind and the body. When we relax deeply, it is possible to recognize energy that isn’t ours and clear it. We regain our own energy and can focus it with clear intent.
The most empowering way to learn about consolidating your energy is to work with it directly in meditation, feeling it move through your body and experiencing it “shift” your energy. While the idea of imagining energy might be amusing to some, it will, in time, prove itself to be real to you. You can and will be able to sense the energy flow like lava, or move quickly and give you a sense of being more charged, energized, lighter and brighter.
The more relaxed the muscles are, the more energy can flow through the body. Using muscular tension to “try” to do the punch or attempting to use brute force to knock someone over will only work in opposite effect.
Bruce Lee
Preparedness.
It might seem odd to choose this descriptor, but mental clarity begins with preparedness. Prepared for what? Energy to move through you.
Find and occupy a space inside your mind. Stand in the middle of your head energetically and let everything you think and feel swirl through your mind and observe it. Just let the ideas move and don’t try to block or resist them. Good, humorous, sad, challenging, fearful, doubts and exhilaration. No matter what is offered in a memory, let this give you feedback about where you are and what is trying to occupy your thoughts and your energy.
Being more comfortable with how you run your thoughts and your energy will give you an advantage. If you know you are easily distracted and derailed from what you need to do, you will be able to redirect that energy to change your focus and bring you back into being more present.
Chance favours the prepared mind.
Robert Greene
Movement of Energy, basic techniques.
The Waterfall.
Imagine a waterfall of light over your head. Let light flow through every cell, creating vitality, radiant health. Feel blocked or stuck energy move and change as the light flushes these energy pockets out of your body.
You may not detect anything blocked but you might feel a shift and a subtle surge in energy. This is perhaps, the best proof that this meditation practice is real and is transforming your state.
The Energy Bubble.
Surround your mind, body and spirit in a large bubble of light. Establish a boundary of light between you and others. Imagine a golden ball of light over it, bursting open and showering the bubble with light energy, sweeping away negative thoughts and negative patterns.
Grounding your Energy.
Feel your feet on the ground. Imagine them growing roots into the centre of the earth. Let the earth’s energy move back up into the soles of your feet and pulse into your body. Let the grounding energy clear out your body and return negative energy into the earth, like pouring it down a drain. Feel your body restore itself and become more calm and balanced.
Calming the mind.
Stand inside the eye of the storm. Find and create a mental sanctuary. Picture a place that brings you inner peace. A lounge chair on a quiet tropical beach, a lakeside cabin, a cozy chair by a roaring fireplace… whatever it is that is easily imagined and felt. Create this as a mental sanctuary. Whenever you feel stressed and out of balance, let your inner mind offer comfort and a temporary escape. Let the stressed-out and pent up energies dissolve and melt away while you are there. Just one minute can make a profound difference. To read more about creating stability in changing conditions, click the image below.
Breathe to regain focus.
Just as breath can be used to relax the body and the mind, it can be used to sharpen focus and to clear out mind chatter. In a meditative state, use your breath to clear out negative thoughts and energy. Use the principles of Aikido and let the flow of energy in, enable the flow of the energy out. Effortlessly breathe yourself into balance and find that centre and place of inner peace.
Moving energy takes effort. But allowing the energy to move itself through you allows you to powerfully reclaim your own power, focus and balance. Aikido is a peaceful martial arts discipline and not what you might expect to embrace as a meditator. Yet, it is pivotal to heal, restore and move with opposing energies. It enables another level of energy mastery and a new realm of understanding of what we are capable of, regardless of conditions.
Blessings arrive in interesting packages. Open your mind to new realms of energy mastery when you meditate. It is a wondrous place. A place of peace, incredible presence and focus, a place of high performance, a sanctuary and a place of playful imagination.
Have an energized week filled with blessings.
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