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Drains Energy -
Fix the Six Most Common Leaks
Stress Drains
Energy
Fix the Six Most Common Leaks
By Kevin Roberts, RMT
Identifying Stress
The causes of stress are often cited as pressure
in the workplace, trouble in relationships
and even rush hour traffic; all quite vague
and widely ranging and, perhaps most importantly,
never questioned sources of this drain
on our health. Since stress is such a central
theme in all illness, it is in our best
interest to be exact and thorough in our
investigation. While many therapies are
aimed at reducing or relieving stress already
accumulated, the purpose of this
article is to stop stress at the source,
before we are affected by it.
During my recent month long visit in India,
I was witness to lifestyles that are beyond
western imagination. External events that
are blamed for stress were rampant: constant
loud noises, overcrowding, unbelievable traffic,
vehicle exhaust, human waste in the streets,
poverty, trash, pollution - the list is endless,
yet the people there were not noticeably
stressed out, in fact, the ones I met seemed
quite relaxed.
On returning to the states it was like a
blissful paradise, no honking horns, clean
toilets and lots of room, and I wondered
how anyone could be stressed in this environment.
Still, in a couple of weeks I found myself
getting stressed in traffic and was prompted
to investigate this phenomenon.
Since the external environment had not changed
since I had returned, it seemed logical to
look inside for what had changed in me.
The inner spaciousness and appreciation
for the beauty of my surroundings had been
replaced by worry, self-importance, impatience,
fidgeting and non-stop chatter. I had discovered
the source of my stress, the unconscious
workings of my human machinery, a self-imposed
nightmare that would be my undoing. I could
no longer be ignorant and point my finger
saying, "I could relax if they would
change" because it was clearly an inside
job. However there is no need to
believe me, a few short days of observation
and you will have your own proof.
Fixing the Leaks
Fortunately for us, there are practical steps
we can take to remedy this situation and
they have already been thought out and
organized for us. Esoteric schools throughout
the ages have catalogued these
"leaks" and developed effective
measures to take against them. What follows
is a list of six common leaks, how to recognize
them and how to stop them. Once we quit losing
all this force our biggest problem will be
what to do with all our extra energy.
1. Uncontrolled Imagination: the
process of endless more or less morbid associations
flowing unchecked through our head. Examples
are worry or daydreaming. In some people
this creates great anxiety, a form of stress,
in others the stress is an indirect result.
Either way it is a drain on resources. To
counteract, notice the flow of associations
or direction of thought. Find a substitute,
think of some definite thing, a poem, song,
sunset, etc. that is different than the flow
you have observed. Then notice how things
are different, that is, did worrying really
help the situation or just drain your energy?
2. Internal Considering: the
process of taking external events personally,
like when someone cuts you off in traffic,
or of thinking the world owes you, like you
somehow deserve to be treated better.
This is the result of self-love or self-importance
and pride. One possible solution is to see
yourself in the scale of all creation, to
see your relative size and importance compared
to the cosmos. Another is external considering,
or putting yourself in another person's place,
which gives insight into their behavior and
shows that nothing personal was meant. Internal
considering often coincides with uncontrolled
imagination.
3. Unconscious Muscle Movement: the
tensing of muscles without purpose. This
can range from the nervous tapping of a foot
to full-blown muscular armoring of the whole
body. Observe movements and tensions in daily
activities. One method I find efficient is
to exaggerate the tension/movement and then
relax.
This helps me to see how much force is being
drained and at the same time how ridiculous
I must appear to my peers. Ongoing observation
will uncover specific tensions for specific
situations.
4. Automatic Talking: the
mindless filling up of space with idle talk.
If you don't immediately think of someone
who does this, you may be an automatic talker
yourself. This leak distracts us from our
task, whether it is your job or just being
present to your feelings, and makes it impossible
to center ourselves to gather our energy.
When you find yourself doing this (and we
all do it), stop in mid-sentence if you have
to and see what it is like to be silent.
Often we stop listening to people because
we are planning our reply/reaction. Try counting
internally to three before answering a person;
take time for a breath. You may be surprised
how much can be said in a few well-chosen
words.
5. Lying: if you are one
of the people who claim they never lie you
have never seriously observed yourself. Ask
a close friend for help if needed. Any basic
automatic reply, like "I'm fine," will
be a lie and, worst of all, we believe it
ourselves. Myriad energies are leaked in
covering and inventing lies, not to mention
the energy lost when we act based on our
belief in our own lies. It's not that
we should always tell the truth but that
we should know every time we do lie. There's
an old joke - How can you tell when someone's
lying? Their lips are moving.
6. Expression of Negative Emotions: I
saved the biggest leak for last. I could
easily write a whole series of articles on
the destructive force of this leak. Its worst
characteristic is that it seems to feel good
when it is being done and many people who
unconsciously want to stay sick unknowingly
thwart their own healing process. Try it
for yourself: don't say anything negative
about that special person, place or thing
that most annoys you. See how long you can
go. You will quickly see how much energy
you lose because you will not be able to
stop for long without a lot of practice.
And when you've mastered not saying things
out loud you can try not thinking them.
There are many practical exercises for plugging
up leaks. For those with chronic diseases
this may be the only answer, because no external
cure has a chance against these leaks. Even
if you have a lesser problem like allergies
or headaches, practical exercises are very
effective. We already knew that stress causes
disease, and now we know how to eradicate
stress.
If this list of leaks is too long to remember,
there is a short form. We leak energy away
whenever we lose our sense of self and/or
lose our identity - that is, whenever we
identify with something. All forms of leaks
fit under the general heading of identification.
In order to stop the stress from external
events we need simply to separate from them
by not identifying. This will keep all our
healing energies within us, where they belong
and will even give us an added sense of presence
in the bodymind, which makes everyday events
flow smoothly.
Kevin Roberts practices massage therapy
and bodywork with his wife in Austin Texas.
His unique approach to bodymind integration, SomaZen,
has been gradually developed over the past
five years along with his personal spiritual
awakenings. His television show "The
Bodyworker"
airs twice a week in Austin.
He can be reached at
(512) 451-4121 or kevin@somaZen.com. |
