by Deepak Chopra and Annie B. Bond
The Energy to Change
The difference between healthy and unhealthy energy can be summarized as follows:
Healthy energy is flowing, flexible, dynamic, balanced, soft, associated with positive feelings.
Unhealthy energy is stuck, frozen, rigid, brittle, hard, out of balance, associated with negative emotions.
You can bring healing to any aspect of your life by shifting an unhealthy energy state into a healthy one. If all the qualities of unhealthy energy, from blockages and rigidity to negative emotions, could be healed at once, your body could quickly rebound to its natural state of health.
Adapted from Reinventing the Body, Resurrecting the Soul, by Deepak Chopra (Harmony Books, 2009).
Clear the Air
The ritual of smudging to clear out old energy and cleanse and purify your space is one that has been used by indigenous peoples for millennia.
The herbs used to make smudge sticks are usually white sage, sweetgrass, or cedar, although any dried herb is fine, even lavender. Choose an herb that doesn’t have a woody stem, or if there is such a stem, make the bundle of leaves that you pull off. If you make your own smudge sticks, honor the tradition of honoring the plants with your appreciation for using their leaves.
You want to burn the smudge in a container that will contain the flames, so that you don’t start a fire. Light the dried leaves, and once there is a good flame, blow it out so that the leaves smoke, and waft the smoke around with a feather.
Adapted from Home Enlightenment, by Annie B. Bond (Rodale Press, 2005/2007).