Energy

Energy is fundamental to life; every living thing on the planet needs and uses energy in one form or another. It’s amazing that most of the energy on the Earth’s surface comes from the sun. Solar energy is transformed by plants as they grow, which is then transformed again by animals as food, and some other animals eat these for energy. Every life form is a conduit for transforming energy. We are brought to life with energy and die when our body longer supports the flow of energy.

Energy can be defined as the ability to do work. Some days we are full of energy, and on other days feel a bit depleted. When we are tired, we have reduced cognitive capacity, are less productive, and are more prone to feeling stressed, angry, anxious, or low.

There are a variety of ways that we can increase our energy:

From moment to moment, every breath we take harvests energy in the form of oxygen from the air.
During the day we bring energy into our bodies in the form of food and drink, which supports our energy levels over the day, helps replenish the cells in our body, and keeps us hydrated.
We can encourage the flow of energy through our bodies by getting a good night’s sleep, taking regular exercise, eating healthy foods, and avoiding smoking or alcohol.

Things that reduce energy are often the reverse:

Not breathing properly – some people have a habit of taking shallow breaths, which has many negative effects including fatigue.
An unhealthy diet with lots of sugars, saturated and trans-fats, low fibre foods, and high-sugar drinks does not provide the resources that the body needs for energy or cell replenishment.
Smoking reduces our appetitive and the after-effects of alcohol make us lethargic.
Not getting a good 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night.
Not taking regular exercise, which would otherwise boost energy circulation and well as the supply of energy in your body.

On top of these mainly physical behaviours that many of us can do something about, stress, anxiety and low mood also reduce the flow of energy in our bodies. Although anxiety and stress seem to bring energy, they cause our mind and body to work harder, which ends up wasting and exhausting our precious energy. After all, the brain uses around 20% of all the energy in the body, so under stress, it’s going to consume available energy faster.

We can use mindfulness to reduce the negative impacts of stress, anxiety, anger, and low mood by:

Grounding ourselves in the present by bringing our attention and awareness to our body and senses
Acknowledging any feelings of stress, anger, anxiety, or low mood with kindness and self-compassion
Relaxing and releasing areas of tightness and tension that resonate with the feelings
Focusing on the breath to settle any mental agitation
Settling in the peace and calm of being connected with our body and senses

So, if energy is so important, why do we often take it for granted, and why are we not more proactive in creating the conditions that allow energy to flow? The good news is that most of us can take practical steps to improve our energy levels, and we can use mindfulness techniques to reduce the energy-draining aspects of stress, anger, anxiety, or low mood. And with more energy, we can find greater resilience, productivity, and happiness.

Suggested weekly practices

Check-in with yourself during the day with your level of energy. Do you feel energized? If not, see if you can find what the cause of the lower energy level is. Are you getting enough sleep, exercising, eating healthily, and breathing properly, or is stress, anxiety, or some other strong emotion sapping your energy?
Try focusing on the energy in whatever you eat. For instance, imagine the difference in energy from a slice of processed white bread, to eating a fresh orange or another piece of fruit.
Notice how you breathe. Is this sometimes a bit shallow? When you take breaks between activities during the day see if you can get into the habit of taking a series of longer and deeper breathes that use your lungs as well as your belly and see what difference that makes.

Guidance
Find somewhere undisturbed and sit in a comfortable, dignified, and upright posture, where you can remain alert and aware.
There are two guided practices for this session. You can close your eyes, or lower your gaze while the meditations play.

Play the settling practice, then read the session content, which you can print off if that helps
Then play the second audio to explore the energy in your body