Sensing Your Energy on Your Yoga Mat

Here is a way to easily feel your energy on your yoga mat (and quite dramatically.) We will do it with standing poses so if you use a block, place the block on the outside of your right leg. Begin in Tadasana (Mountain Pose). Take a moment to really feel your pose. I want you to be able to remember how you feel right now to compare it with how you will feel in a moment.

Now, do this series of standing poses: turn your feet to the right and do Trikonasana (Triangle Pose). Then turn your feet to the left and do Virabhadrasana II (Warrior II Pose). Then to the right do Parsva Konasana (Extended Side Angle Pose). To the left do Parsvottanasana (Pyramid Pose). To the right, do Parivrtta Trikonasana (Revolved Triangle Pose). Finally, to the left, do Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I Pose). Return to Tadasana (Mountain Pose). Take a moment and ground your pose (as best you can!) Feel the imbalance? Quite significant. There is a feeling like you are tipping or twisting to one side.

We purposely created an imbalance in the body. The imbalance, though, is mostly energetic. We used all the major muscles on each side of the body so physically we are relatively balanced.

There is no magic to the order of the poses. I organized this series so you don’t need to move your block. All the poses that might need a block are on the right side. Be sure to do the series to the other side to balance yourself out!

Sensing Your Energy Right Now

Are you aware of you energy yet? Can you feel the prana or chi (or whatever you call it)? Here are two really easy ways to begin to sense it. One you can do while you are sitting here reading this blog entry (although, admittedly, if your workmates can see you they may wonder…)

Put your arms straight out in front of you, chest-height. Turn one palm up and one palm down. Quickly open and close your fists twenty times. Then turn your palms in the opposite direction and repeat opening and closing your palms twenty times. When you finish, you may already feel the *activity* in the palms of your hands. It feels a bit like feathers are touching your hands. That is your energy. To enhance the feel of the energy, bring your elbows to your side with your hands out in front still. Relax your hands so your fingers curl gently (like you are holding a ball). Turn them to face each other and gently move them together (without touching) and further apart. This exercise from Chi Kung is called “Holding an Energy Ball” and it is precisely what you are doing. You will feel the energy between your hands. Pay attention to your hands now. Do you feel even more activity on the surface of your palms? You may even feel many swirls. You have awakened Chakras in your palms. Chakras are intersections of energy channels.