Forty years ago I met the renowned energy healer, Olga Worrall, and the experience changed my life. It was nothing she did per se, just that it was amazing to meet someone of this caliber, so authentic, so sincere, so serene. A day after meeting Ogla, I had perhaps THE most spiritual incident.; best described as something between a full Kundalini experience and a brilliant light from a near-death experience all while meditating. Those of you who know me well, know that I have had several mystical experiences throughout my life, beginning as a child. But on that day, things became validated. So many dangling pieces fell into place during this mystical experience, I no longer felt like an outsider. Moreover, it drove my passion and curiosity to learn more about the mind-body-spirit connection, and this has charted my career and life ever since.
In advanced high school science classes, we are taught some of Einstein’s wisdom on relativity. Everything is energy. I heard this concept described again decades later by renowned physician, Bernie Siegel, author of Love, Medicine and Miracles, who said, “All thoughts are energy, they can kill or cure.” From the study of the chakras to quantum physics and mystery school secrets, my journey in energy medicine has taken many twists and turns, all of which culminates now in these precarious times. Simply stated: Everything is energy, entrain yourself to good vibrations.
In the past several years, a popular term, “the ascension process,” has been used in various circles. Some people refer to it as the rise of the kundalini energy up the spine to the crown of the head. Others describe it as a shift in consciousness, from fear to love and compassion. Though I don’t believe Carl Jung ever used those exact words, he often described a similar concept as the bridging of the conscious and unconscious minds for what he called “psychic equilibrium.” One of my favorite Jung quotes goes like this: “Until you make the unconscious conscious, you will see everything in your life as fate.”
Keeping in mind that everything, from thoughts to emotions to heartbeats is energy, mystics remind us to gravitate toward the higher vibrations, as this is where love and compassion reside. They also remind us that high vibrations include positive thoughts, happy thoughts, uplifting feelings, or what mind-body-spirit expert, Dr. Joe Dispenza calls “elevated emotions.” Fear-based thoughts and feelings (e.g., anxiety, aggression, frustration, sarcasm, greed, etc.) are low vibrations. These thoughts and feelings fall in the spectrum of survival emotions, and while not bad, (in fact, at times they are essential), become problematic when they become the predominant mindset/heartset; thus paving the way for a fear-based existence and a precursor to “victim consciousness.”
Resiliency skills and good stress management strategies are essential assets in troubled times like these. The time we find ourselves in now is not only unique, but it is also unprecedented. But if you want to take it up a notch and do some advanced stress management drills, read on…
Those of you who are familiar with the work of Eckhart Tolle (The Power of Now), may also know of his book, The New Earth. In what he describes as his seminal work (and what Oprah Winfrey describes as essential reading), Tolle describes the formation of a “new world” where people awaken from an unconscious slumber to reach their highest potential. In this new world, there is no hierarchy, there is respect for all life. There is compassion expressed to all living things. Tolle is not alone in his belief in the human race crossing the threshold to a new earth. The message I hear from many other sources is that we need to resonate (match) the harmonic vibrations of love and compassion. It’s not a one-time experience.
It is a personal philosophy, a way of life; the cornerstone of how you see and live in this new world; from caterpillar to butterfly.
I am often asked for tips on managing stress from a mind-body-spirit perspective. Here are some of the more common suggestions, and I have a sense these are not uncommon practices for many.
Tips for Raising Your Vibration (from fear to love):
- Meditate Daily Learning to “domesticate the ego” is essential to discern fear-based thoughts and let them go. Dedicate quality distraction-free time each day. Join the coherence of consciousness that uplifts the spirit and humanity as a whole.
- Listen to Uplifting Music Sound is energy made audible (everything is energy). Music entrains the heart and mind, so find some uplifting music and use music Rx to keep your vibrations high. Make a playlist (perhaps several) and listen to it every day. Laughter and music may not seem like obvious partners, but when it comes to raising your vibrations, humor is essential too. Keep on the lookout for things to make you smile. Good music can do it, so can a lot of other things.
- Eat Good Quality Food Fresh whole foods including fruits and veggies. Try to avoid processed foods and junk food. Minimize sugar and caffeine when possible. Nutrition is essential for good health, particularly the health of your microbiome which constitutes about 70% of your immune system. Consider eating one meal each day for your immune system.
- Minimize your Exposure to the News (from all media sources) Most news is fear-based. While it is important to know what is going on in the world, minimize your diet of news to a few minutes. If something important is going on, trust someone you know will tell you. Don’t feel the proverbial adrenaline rush with headline news.
- Practice an Attitude of Gratitude Begin or end each day by listing 3-5 things that you are grateful for. Julie Andrews sang the song, My Favorite Things in The Sound of Music. What tops your list? No matter who you are, you have much to be grateful for.
- Practice the Art of Forgiveness Stressful times brings out a lot of rude behavior. Let it go. If you find yourself exhibiting fear-based behavior, ask forgiveness, make amends and move on. Considering practicing the art of Polynesian Ho’ Opono Pono forgiveness mantra: I am sorry, please forgive me, I love you, thank you. This does wonder for the soul and the community at large.
- Get Out in Nature Re-calibrate your circadian rhythms to the natural world. “Earthing” is a practice of entraining to the Earth’s energies. As we move into spring, get outside more (even your backyard). If nothing more, sit on the grass, sit under a tree, and breathe. Feel the sun on your skin, and the wind in your hair. Breathe. While outside make a habit to reconnect to your body. Appreciate the simple act of walking and breathing. Do a regular body scan to search out and reduce stressful areas of your body (e.g. facial muscles, neck, and shoulders, etc.). Breathe.
- Practice Random Acts of Kindness Be a good neighbor and practice the golden rule: Kindness. If you are thinking or acting to help others, you will spend less time fretting about your own situation. Don’t seek acknowledgment with random acts. Be an “earth angel” and help others without recognition.
- Surround Yourself in Beauty Make a regular habit of noticing all things that you consider beautiful, from artwork and photography to live (Facebook life) musical concerts to the marvels of a sunrise or sunset. As a child, see the world through the eyes of awe and wonder.
- Clean Your Chakras Spend time each day addressing the issues associated with each of the body’s power centers (known as chakras, also called energy centers). Each chakra is associated with a color, spanning the spectrum of the rainbow (base of spine: red, navel area: orange, upper stomach: yellow, heart center: green, throat: Aqua-blue, third eye, indigo, and crown: purple). If nothing more, meditate on each color in its most vibrate shade; this is often called the rainbow meditation. End this meditation with a visual image of surrounding yourself in golden-white light.
Raising your vibration and keeping it raised is a skill, and the more you do it the better you will become at it. It is not a delusional Pollyanna mindset with rainbows and unicorns of only seeing the positive in the world, it’s a constant choice to focus on the positive amidst the entire spectrum of ongoing world events, the majority of which can bring you down to a perpetual survival mode of thinking. Raising your vibration (because YOU are energy, too) is just another way of keeping above the fray. Moreover, by honoring the mind-body-spirit connection, we offer good vibrations to share with the world and in doing so, offer a coherence of consciousness to help shift the new world into existence
Brian Luke Seaward, Ph.D. is the author of the best-selling books, Stand Like Mountain, Flow Like Water, Stressed Is Desserts Spelled Backward, and Managing Stress, Ninth Edition. He is the Executive Director of the Paramount Wellness Institute in Boulder, CO, and can be reached via his website: www.brianlukeseaward.net