Between Earth and Sky

by Erika Ginnis

forth in a series of articles (Originally published in  Widdershins (vol4iss1))

For the greatest success, I recommend that you review the information given in the previous articles on grounding, centering, and creating and destroying (C&D) roses. These techniques provide a good foundation for the next set of exercises. I will also provide a simple review of some of the techniques, in case you haven't had a chance to read the other articles.

We all move energy in one way or another. Some people do it consciously; some do not. We raise it when we do rituals, or dance or sing, when we make love or laugh. As long as we live, the energy will flow. It is known by many names, some of which are chi, life force, vital force, earth energy and cosmic or sky energy.

We each have the ability to enhance this flow through us to enrich our work and our lives. There are many different systems of working with this energy and many different pathways that it can be directed through. I personally believe the most important factor is to begin to work with the energy consciously and a less important factor is the form you use (though I obviously have my favorites). Without conscious attention, we have little impact on whether our energy will be more or less vibrant, whether we feel charged up or depleted. We will have little say about healing blockages, which means the energy may flow more slowly and perhaps miss some areas altogether. When we have a conscious practice to intentionally move the universal energies through our bodies, we have a way to renew ourselves and come from a place of fullness rather than depletion. This is very powerful.

I personally believe that we have all that we need somewhere inside of us. I believe that the space within us is actually infinite, that in some indefinable way the universe, the God and Goddess, all we seek, all answers, can all be found within, even as they are simultaneously all around us. As we receive the energies that are always available to us, this allows us to connect with that which is all already inside us. I also have had the experience that unless we find a way to uncover what which is within us, grow into who we are, it will seem all we seek, all we need, is anywhere but where we are. It's one of those "divine" (grrrr) paradoxes.

When we feel like we don't have a way to tap into that unending supply, it can be quite distressing. We can find ourselves looking for ways to hoard energy (which of course stops the flow). We may only feel good when we are around someone else who has a lot of energy. If we are big healers and givers, we can find ourselves "giving ourselves dry" and then resenting it. It's like having a finite amount of water in a pitcher and having to dole it out sparingly.

When we feel like the energy we need to live, grow, and thrive is available to us, we live differently. We can use it, allow it to flow freely and give from our abundance, like pouring water from a pitcher that is being constantly filled. The water comes of its own accord because it has to be given; it's overflowing. This isn't to say that we don't have to take the time to recharge ourselves. It is just that we know we can, and that there isn't such a scarcity.

When we work with grounding, centering and C&D roses, we begin to come more into the body and clear unwanted or non beneficial energy from our psychic/spiritual space. Consciously "running your energy" is one of the ways I use and teach to replenish nourish, inform and vitalize that psychic/spiritual space. Conscious movement of energy can do much more than simply replenish the system, however. It can increase awareness, help to heal blockages, stimulate the chakra system (I will deal with chakras more in depth in another article) and balance our energy. Conscious energy movement can create that place between earth and sky where we as spirit can harmoniously dance in and through our physical selves.

This practice can and usually does create change and stimulate growth in us as well. It can sometimes stir up old experiences, energies or blocks that need clearing, and you might find yourself at some point feeling very uncomfortable. It is important to remember that this is part of the process, and not to stop the work. One of my former teachers used to use the old adage "When you are up to your ass in alligators, it's hard to remember you set out to drain the swamp." It took me a long time to understand what she meant by that, but I eventually got it!

I like to think of it as being like going out into your backyard in the spring and deciding to clean out the old cement pond that has been sitting there for perhaps many years. When you look at the pond, it has water in it that is pretty clear down to the bottom, where everything has settled and the sediment has formed. The pond looks basically fine, but you know that since it has been sitting for a while, there is some cleaning to be done.

When you start to run water from the hose through the pool, the water immediately turns murky, and up come dead leaves, old toys, water bugs and dirt, along with strange unidentifiable shapes that may at one time have been an apple core or tennis shoe. Yuck! The pond looks really nasty! It may even smell bad. If you stop at this point, it will take a while for everything to settle back into the depths. It will be icky to look at, and you will not have accomplished your task. If you keep running the water through it and keep clearing out the assorted items that you find stirred up, however, you will eventually have a pond that is clean and has clear water all the way down to the bottom. Now if autumn leaves fall into the pond, you will have a much easier time clearing them out. You notice them right away, and it's a pretty specific, doable job.

Running your energy is like clearing out this old pond. The most important thing I can tell you is to keep it up, and not to stop just because something gets uncovered that you don't like much. If you keep up the practice, you will move past whatever it is and get to places within yourself that you never knew were there.

The way I teach to consciously move your energy is to work with the energies of the earth and sky, the cosmic energy. One of the reasons I chose to write this article now is that it is the time that the God and the Goddess come together (no pun intended...really...). It is Beltaine. Yahoo! When we run our own cosmic and earth energies and allow them to blend and flow, it is like being the vessel for that divine union. It is from that dance that all life and change emerges and springs forth.

We can direct energies through our bodies in numerous ways, such as with breath or imagery. There are many fabulous ways to accomplish this; the following is one way to do so. Experiment with it and have fun.

With your eyes closed go through the following exercise. Don't worry if things aren't as clear as you think they should be, simply let yourself have the concept that you are doing the practice and have patience. The awareness will increase with time.

Sit comfortably in a straight back chair or on the couch (as long as you don't tend to nod off to sleep) have your hands and feet apart and feet flat on the floor. Start by grounding (the following section is from my article on grounding)

• Close your eyes (this helps you to focus inward).

• Take three nice deep breaths, breathe down into your belly and soften your belly as you breathe. It can be helpful (although not essential) to breathe through the nose, while keeping your tongue resting lightly on the roof of your mouth. This is from certain Yoga traditions and is said to help encourage the flow of energy through your system.

  Relax as you breathe, noticing how you feel, how your body feels.
   

• Be aware of your first chakra. This is simply an energy center (vortex) that is located in the general area near the base of the spine. For women the center is usually near the area between the ovaries (note: the chakra positioning doesn't change if you have had your ovaries removed for any reason). For men the location is slightly lower in the body because the chakra placement is associated with the testicles.
   
• Be aware of this area, and allow a cord of energy to flow downward from your body: Through the chair you are sitting in. Through the floor and down through the building you are in. Through the foundation and into the deep earth beneath. Allow your grounding to flow down into the earth past all the rocks and layers of the planet, past the water, deep deep into the earth, into the heart of the Mother. Until it reaches the center of the earth.

  Allow your grounding cord to connect securely into the center of the planet. Be aware of your grounding cord being securely connected also to your first chakra.

  Breathe and relax and experience your grounding, your spiritual connection to this beautiful planet.

  Notice how your body responds to you grounding and becoming more present in it. Release tension and discomfort down your grounding, allow it to simply drain away.

• Take a nice deep breath and bring your awareness into the center of your head. That safe neutral place behind your eyes and back a bit.
   
• Notice how your body responds. It might have a reaction to you being centered. Let that reaction simply be, notice it. If you experience any discomfort, release it down your grounding.
   
  Be aware of what the center of your head is like right now. Is it light? Is it dark? Is it crowded, or empty? Cold or warm, big or small? Are you aware of sensations, sounds, images, scents? Relax and breath yourself into the center of your head. Get comfortable and begin to own this safe neutral place.
   
  Continue to use your grounding to release energy from this space so that you can make more room for you to focus there in the present moment.
   
  Say hello silently to yourself as spirit in the center of your head.   You are spirit! Recognize and validate the essential you. You may be aware of yourself as a bright light, or you may notice your presence in some other way. Enjoy the experience. Be aware of your uniqueness and also your connection to all that is.  
• Say hello to your body, from the center of your head. Notice your body's response. Take a moment and simply allow yourself to be. Allow time to explore being grounded and centered, releasing energy and gaining awareness. New Technique: Running Energy  
• Earth Energy
  While keeping your attention focused in the center of your head, be aware of your feet. Silently say hello to them. Allow the energy of the planet (earth energy) to begin to gently flow into the arches of your feet. Feel it as it flows up through your feet, and then moves slowly into your calves and thighs. Relax and feel this flow of energy; it may be warm or cool, or it may be simply an awareness.
   
• Let the energy flow into your hips and then move through that area called the first chakra (located near the base of your spine if you are male, or between the ovaries, if you are female) and then flow back down your grounding. This flow of energy will strengthen your grounding and cleanse it as it flows. These pathways from the arches of your feet through your legs into your first chakra, where it connects into your grounding, are called your leg channels or earth energy channels.

  Notice how the energy moves like a circuit, up through the feet, moving though your leg channels, flowing into the first chakra and then down your grounding. This is earth energy, the energy of the planet. It is the energy that our bodies are made from. It is a very powerful and validating energy for our bodies to experience. It can be very healing when we consciously move it through the leg channels in a gentle and cleansing manner.

  Take a moment and simply allow your experience to unfold. Breathe. Once you have this energy moving, simply let it be, and it will move on its own.
   

• Cosmic Energy (Sky Energy)
   
• Check your grounding, and refocus in the center of your head. Allow your earth energy to continue its flow. Be aware of the top of your head. Create a bright ball of cosmic (sky) energy above your head; allow it to be like bright, warm, golden sunlight. This is the energy that emanates from the cosmos; it is unlimited and always available. It has many vibrations; gold is one that I particularly enjoy and recommend working with.

  Allow this bright energy to gently flow into the top of your head and flow down either side of your spine to your first chakra. These pathways from the top of your head and down the sides of your spine to the first chakra are called your cosmic energy channels or back channels.

  Experience your cosmic energy; allow it to melt away tension or blocks. When you allow your cosmic energy to run, it will automatically begin to increase the vibration of the physical body. This is a process of "waking up" the body, and it in turn makes it easier to more fully experience your spiritual/psychic awareness. Breathe and relax.
   

• Blending of Energies
   
• Making sure you are still grounded and centered, notice how your earth and cosmic energies, as they flow, meet in your first chakra. Allow this meeting of energies to be a dance, a blending or your own unique mixture of earth and sky -- your own divine union. Allow this blend of energies to begin to move gently up the front of your body and out the top of your head like a fountain. These pathways from the first chakra up both sides of the front of the body and out the top of your head are called your front channels.

  Experience this blend of energies; allow this flow to gently wash away any blocks or tension. Feel it as it fountains out the top of your head and flows all around your body, eventually flowing down your grounding.
   

• Healing and Creative Energy
   
• Finally, as you breathe and relax, allow some of the energy that is flowing up your front channels to branch at the cleft of your throat and flow down your arms and out your hands. These pathways from the cleft of the throat, down the arms and out the chakras in the palms of the hands are called your healing and creative channels. Feel this energy as it flows out your hands. This is the energy you use to make changes and heal yourself and others, as well as the energy you use manifest your spiritual creativity in physical reality. Tune into your healing and creative energy. Breathe, release energy down your grounding, relax and be in the center of your head.

  Let all your energies flow at once. You don't have to "try" to make any of them move; simply relax and notice them, and they will move on their own. Validate yourself. You are releasing, energizing and healing, simultaneously and effortlessly. If you want to enhance your work further, you can add C&D roses as you run your energy.
   

• This is the foundation and the heart of all the meditation work that I personally do and teach. Give yourself permission to work with this and practice, even if it feels odd at first. It will unfold greatly over time. If you have questions of yourself or the universe, ask them now, and then listen for the answers.

  When you are done, open your eyes, bend forward and touch your hands to the floor, as you relax your neck and release any built-up energy around the head and shoulders into the earth. Slowly sit back up. If you keep a journal, this would be a great time to record your experience. If not, then you're ready to go on to the rest of your day or evening. Blessed be.

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