Energy is Contagious

I heard the phrase Energy is Contagious the others day. I’ve heard this phrase before, but it still struck me as powerful.

Christopher Wallis in his book The Recognition Sutras tells us that the Tantric Master, Ksemaraja, saw divine awareness as flowing liquid, congealing and melting away again in an endless series; the enactment of rhythmic pulse. Spanda is our inner divine tremoring when our passions are aflame. It is that point when we recognise we are the interplay of energy and consciousness (Shakti / Shiva).

The idea then that it is contagious adds power, and when projected outwards intentionally brings that power back to us; for energy circulates. Or to put it another way, giving is receiving. This reflects what science now tells us about mirror neurons, reflecting the question, How do I wish to show up in the world?

Our words and gestures, especially our negative inner chatter and those micro-gestures, we are too often unconscious of, convey the level of presence we have. We can be slow, intentional, engaged and aware, or we can exist through auto-pilot. The choice is ours. And it all starts with bringing consciousness to the breath.

But before we go into that, what do I mean by negative inner chatter?

This is usually referred to as the dark side of the inner voice. When we are stuck in an inwards negative cycle, looping around the same issue over and over, either future orientated (as in worry) or past orientated (as in rumination).

We know our energy goes where our focus is, so if all our focus is on our worry or ruminations there is little left for more productive thinking or intention. Often in these situations we want someone to talk to, unfortunately we tend to then go on and on about the same issue over and over, with little listening to the other person, so we push away the others we think we so need. Stress builds on stress, and negative inner chatter compounds, becoming chronic, which can lead to physical illnesses.

And micro-gestures? These are quick, often unnoticed, movements which reveal out true emotions and intentions. When we consider that our intention is a priority in tantra yoga, healing and growth, we begin to understand why it is that in tantra yoga there is so much emphasis on ‘noticing’. Until we are able to notice we live mostly in a state of repetitive auto-pilot. And as Patanjali says in The Yoga Sutras, one of the key roles of yoga is to dissolve those repetitive patterns.

So, what can we do about it?

Well, to start, focus on bringing consciousness to the breath through the practices of pranayama.

Pranayama is a group of methods to absorb and circulate prana (our life force) into the physical and subtle body. It is the right way to breathe to extend your life. We bring a clear intention to uncover and resolve repetitive pattern and blockages, to clear away bad space (Dukkha) and obstacles (Kleshas), thereby creating more good space (Sukha) which then allows our life force (Prana) to flow freely.

The more we flow freely, the more good space we have to circulate; the more we give the more we receive.

Bringing it all together

Everything is energy. But for energy to be directed there must be clear intention, for that there must be consciousness brought to bear. This is nothing more than the union of energy and consciousness (Shakti / Shiva). Here we shift ourselves from auto-pilot to noticing, utilising the breath as a stepping stone towards awakening; from individual consciousness to universal consciousness.

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