Our Energy Management

Armenian philosopher George Gurdjieff says that to awaken is to connect with higher energies that are present always. This can be done through energy management. Understanding this energy, its nature, movement and relationships enables us to manage the energy required to connect with the Higher. At an individual level, the main effort is to accumulate energy and prevent its leakage to create the critical mass needed to build the bridge that would connect us with the Higher. A large component of sadhana, or spiritual practice, is aimed at preventing leakage. For example, the Yamas of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra are all observances and attitudes that aim to prevent energies from seeping out. Gurdjieff says, one of the biggest sources of energy leaks is negative emotion. Overcoming negative emotion is a large part of spiritual practice. Speaking mechanically is another large area of energy leak. Most people don’t realise how much they talk and how much of it they are not in control of. Most talk can be avoided. Daydreaming is another significant area of leakage. Even the act of imagination can become a mechanical activity that takes you away from connecting with yourself. While saving energy ensures energy accumulation that allows us to be more conscious and aware, it is also the key to use that awareness to access more energies. Impressions that we receive around us, taken in consciously, allow us to use them for our practice. Be aware of your breathing; it allows you to access finer impressions.