Raising Your Energy Field
Last week, I had a humbling experience during a facilitator training I'm in. As I entered the meeting, I saw the guest teacher was a leader in the personal growth space and someone I've followed since 2015.
When he got on, I felt a heavy tension across my chest. My heart rate increased, and feelings of insecurity came over. I saw this guy as "above me," and like a high-schooler wanting to fit in, I felt I needed to ask the right questions in hopes he would like me.
With a small group of 8, there was nowhere for me to hide. I had some practical questions for him, but instead of asking them, I raised my hand and told him what I was feeling.
It was a vulnerable share that yielded a helpful reminder. He responded that he experiences the same thing, only on a different level. He expressed speaking at a prestigious event, feeling like he didn't deserve to be there. His body and his mind were telling him it wasn't safe.
He settled down enough to push through the fear and give an impactful talk. By being with the experience, he retrained his body to find comfort amidst discomfort
It was a reminder of two things.
We are not better or worse than anyone.
The Sufi teacher Kabir Helminski writes, "The ego tells us that we are better or worse than other people, two false beliefs that are related."
We think people we look up to are different. They're not. They're just like you and me. The only difference is how they've trained their heart, mind, and spirit to be comfortable in new situations. They have increased their energy field so they can be with more intense experiences.
This brings me to my next point.
We need to do the self-work to create a body that can hold more energy.
What does it mean to "hold energy?" Lottery winners are a classic example. They win a large sum of money but haven't developed the consciousness to hold it. Like putting a 50-watt bulb into a 100-watt outlet, they can't handle the energy. The money ends up leaking out until they return to baseline, often worse off than before.
We are like that lightbulb. We are bodies of energy and our work is increasing that energy to allow more light in.
Many of us have big dreams. What's imperative to attaining those dreams is building the energetic body that can hold them. You can't magically think your way to it. Your state of Being needs to change.
Like adding weight to our workouts, we need to add resistance to life so our energy field can hold more. We do this by seeking discomfort and putting ourselves in situations that allow us to grow. By doing so, we teach our nervous system, "I can feel safe amidst something I once feared." That is transformation.
Visualization practice offers a way to help retrain our mind and even our body. We can imagine feeling and sensing ourselves in an uncomfortable situation. We can see ourselves overcoming the fear and turn up the dial on positive feelings. However, this can only take us so far. We need real-life action to raise our "Vibrational Presence", as Cynthia Bourgeault calls it.
Can you hold the energy of what you say you desire?
I'm aware I have ego desires reflecting to me from this experience. Part of me wants what he has, audience, impact, success, etc. This experience showed me that even though I say I want that, my body is not ready for it. Being uncomfortable and sharing with him allowed me to work through my insecurities and find some comfort.
Getting beyond my superficial yearning, this leads to spiritual growth.
Maurice Nicoll said, "As your being increases, your receptivity to higher meaning increases. As your being decreases, the old meanings return."
By showing up and working on our triggers, we en-lighten our bodies and open to greater meaning and insight. That is what this journey is all about.