It’s Electric, Boogie Woogie
Have you been feeling it? Last week I felt so much electric energy moving through my body. So much charge and change!!! I've learned to call this "aliveness."
In the past, when I felt this kind of frenetic energy in my body, I would attach a story to it: that something was wrong, that it was anxiety, fear, or chaos. But when I remove the story, it's just a lot of energy circulating through my body.
So, one of the ways I've learned not to attach scary stories to it (or burn out from the wild energy) is by asking myself, over and over: how do I play with this electric energy.
TIPS FOR PLAYING WITH ELECTRIC ENERGY IN THE BODY
Remove the story. This one is hard. Our minds love to tell us something is wrong, and that story can turn against us fast. The intensity gets filtered into self-judgment, shame, or some other attempt to control the situation. What if it's just life force energy? What if it's neutral? What if there's nothing wrong, only a lot of movement happening in your internal world?
Move it and groove with it. Music and dance have been my go-to this week. Lots of 80s and 90s dance music, if that's a helpful direction. Imagine blasting "Pump Up the Jam," "Bust a Move," and "Jump Around" while getting ready for the day. It moves the energy, and it's a blast while doing it. It's magnificent how quickly frenetic energy can turn into the most fun dance party. I love realizing the energy moving through me wants to be used creatively. It gives it purpose. It gives it form.
Ground it. After moving a lot of energy, it still helps to ground it. The other day, when I was having trouble focusing on anything, I laid in bed and my pup graciously laid across my legs. She knew I needed it. I added a weighted blanket and some soothing music through my headphones: a full-body grounding moment. I took a few deep breaths and felt the energy settle into the bed below me. It was magical. Laying directly on the earth works wonders too. I feel so held when my body is on the ground. She really does know how to hold us!!!
Work the elements. This week I kept thinking about the body as made of the elements: earth, fire, water, and air. When there's a lot of electric energy moving through me, it feels like those elements are out of balance, like fire is taking over. If I can connect it back to the other elements, I can give it somewhere to land.
That's why I start with grounding: bringing in earth to offer balance.
Water has been a godsend too. I took a bath, immersed myself in the St. Vrain River, and paddleboarded and floated on McIntosh Lake this week. Water gives the energy a path that's more fluid, more regulating.
Air, which I sometimes connect to mind, can intensify the fire. Think about wind feeding a blaze. But air can also give the fire direction, like writing this newsletter, or using my mind to create with the electricity instead of just fanning it. It's helpful when I'm the one deciding where I want it to go.
And sometimes, fire itself is what's supportive. My friend and I had a fire this week. Sitting at the firepit, watching the flames, the pops, the embers, the fire felt like it was alchemizing something in me. Showing me how naturally our elements already know how to work together. After a night sitting with the fire, I slept like a baby.
It's funny that even in the process of writing this, I could feel the electricity in me. It's creative life force. It's the fuel in my life. I'm so grateful for all this beautiful energy moving through me, and I want to use it for good. I want to have fun with it.
How are you using your electric energy? I hope you can play with it this week.
(And yes: I did need to take a shower and dance to a few songs in the writing of this message.)
