Reclaiming Your Power and Inviting in Radical Transformation

Day in and day out, the external world challenges our reality, and distractions, opinions, and projections constantly bombard and knock us out of our center. Though this may feel uncomfortable, it pushes us to confront how we spend our precious life force and where we put our attention. It's normal to get caught up in our routines, in the dynamics of our closest relationships, and our environments. Familiarity can create a sense of safety, even if these things are not serving us- This is why it's valuable to reassess what's pulling at our energy and whether or not it is benefiting us. After all, what's toxic can feel normal, especially for those who've grown up living in it. Within the reassessment, one begins to gather an understanding of what is taking their power away. Therefore, permitting us to call it back.

Ask yourself, if energy was currency, how are you investing it? Are you investing energy in experiences, people, places, and conversations that generate peace and restoration?

A fascinating reframing of our energy is to equate it to the general understanding of how money is valued. Minding our energy in how we observe our money can be a productive way of building up our energy reserves or growing our "savings account." Ask yourself, if energy was currency, how are you investing it? Are you investing energy in experiences, people, places, and conversations that generate peace and restoration? Do you leave your interactions feeling replenished and abundant, or do you find yourself in energetic debt? When we practice this gentle reassessment and take steps to remove ourselves from those energy drainers, we immediately call our power back home.

This practice of taking stock of your energy is a solid way to begin to connect with your innate power. In addition, there is a surplus of tools to help you activate and recharge your life force. Here are a few quick and powerful tips we want to offer up. We encourage you to do your own deep dive into the suggestions that light you up! Let's begin.

Solfeggio Frequencies

All energy vibrates at a particular frequency, and part of those vibrations result in incredible healing properties. Sound has always been sacred and known to activate codes deep within us and the world we inhabit. Solfeggio Frequencies are a type of sound technology that dates back to ancient history, is said to be foundational in religious chants and music, and is even vibrationally attuned to match frequencies of the universe. The nine primary frequencies range from 174HZ to 963 Hz, each eliciting a positive response in the psyche and our physical bodies. Depending on the frequency, you can use the tones to heal minor injuries and bodily pains, realign your chakras, clear out negative energies in your home, release fear and guilt, concentrate and focus better, and even awaken your intuition. It's as easy as just pressing play!

Listen here to some of our favorite Solfeggio Frequencies.

Breath Work

The body keeps the score, which means that the body stores all our emotional traumas and stressors. Over time, when we don't create an outlet for our dense emotions to be released, we wear our physical vehicles down. So, it is vital to implement habitual practices and routines to release some of those pint up emotions. Breathwork is an underrated healing modality that can help you access deep levels of relaxation and peace or even increase your energy levels. For instance, pranayama, which means controlled breathing, is a complex prehistoric yogic breathing technique that helps increase the flow of prana, the essence of our life force, by clearing out physical and emotional obstacles and toning our spiritual bodies. There is also plenty of science-backed research on breathwork that shows cultivating a regular practice can enhance and strengthen your respiratory organs and counter any overstimulation in the body. It's linked to aiding anxiety and depression, improving digestion, and managing physical pain. A popular technique you can try is box breathing, which you can do anywhere at any time, leaving you with an alert mind and calm body. Like many breathing techniques, box breathing activates your parasympathetic nervous system, which is the system that lets your body know you are safe and at ease- Connecting to your breath in this way creates mindfulness and a sense of grounded control. Here are the steps below for how to box breathe, provided by integrative medicine specialist Melissa Young, MD, and the Cleveland Clinic:

1. Breathe out slowly, releasing all the air from your lungs.

2. Breathe in through your nose as you slowly count to four in your head. Be conscious of how the air fills your lungs and stomach.

3. Hold your breath for a count of four.

4. Exhale for another count of four.

5. Hold your breath again for a count of four.

6. Repeat for three to four rounds.

Also, check out these pranayama videos to kick off your breath work journey:

Smudging

It's no secret we live in an energetic world. Everything is energy! Our energy fields can be emotional, physical, spiritual, and environmental, and within those fields can lie stagnant energy that can be detrimental to our health and well-being. Unfortunately, if we don't practice good spiritual hygiene, throughout our days we may be picking up and carrying energy that doesn't belong to us. When we are cloaked in the energy of a long arduous day it serves us well to do some smudging! The art of smudging is an indigenous ritual of using the healing properties of particular plants, herbs, certain woods, or tree resins to banish and clear murky, low energies and combat negativity. Some common herbs and such include sage, cedar wood, sweetgrass, copal, and palo santo. It is important to note that some of the herbs listed are endangered due to the popularity and commercialization of these indigenous practices, sage in particular. That being said, enter this ritual with deep reverence and mindfulness for the herbs and the indigenous roots of the practice. In addition, native elders teach the sacredness of smoke as a way to carry prayers up to the Great Spirit and connect the physical and spiritual planes.

Most smudging practices have similar steps, but for the sake of this article, we will stick with the basics. You will need your choice of plant, herb, etc. a seashell (this is meant to hold the burning plants, so find what is accessible and works for you), a lighter, and if you'd like a feather to further distribute the smoke.

Set an intention or say a prayer to clear out negative energy, and make sure to thank the herbs and the smoke for helping you release the negativity and restore harmony.

For more information on the sacred art of smudging, check out this article from Lynn Lush, AKA Blue Thunderbird woman - ozhaawashko binesi ikwe, originally from Manitoba.

Solitude

In the depths of our silence lies tremendous power-Here our souls whisper the secrets of remembrance, giving us a chance to hear directly from Spirit. To choose solitude is to choose self-love and the prioritization of quality time with your first beloved, your heart. Believe it or not, sometimes all we need to hear our inner voice is to take some time away from it all. Silence the notifications to hear the pings of a higher calling! Whether it is in the center of your yoga mat or the middle of the lushness of nature, find a place that's sacred and safe to you and allow yourself to get lost in your inner world. It may take practice for some, but each and every attempt is communicating to your subconscious your love and appreciation for your beautiful soul.

Dark Night of the Soul

"It is a term used to describe what one could call a collapse of a perceived meaning in life... an eruption into your life of a deep sense of meaninglessness."

When we are back in our power, almost effortlessly, our reality slowly begins to transform. This internal clarity is an opportune time to invite radical transformation. A metaphor for radical transformation would be the mythical one-of-a-kind phoenix that combusts into flames, burning itself on a pile of debris only to manifest again from its remaining ashes. Radical transformation is a shift in our storylines, propelling us into a new timeline. Similar to the phoenix, the path that leads to an elevated version of self requires a surrendering or a death of past versions of self. Some may call this internal implosion the Dark Night of the Soul. Eckhart Tolle, spiritual teacher and self-help author of The Power of Now and A New Earth, notes: "It is a term used to describe what one could call a collapse of a perceived meaning in life…an eruption into your life of a deep sense of meaninglessness." Tolle continues, "Really, what has collapsed then is the whole conceptual framework for your life, the meaning that your mind had given it. So that results in a dark place. But people have gone into that, and then there is the possibility that you emerge out of that into a transformed state of consciousness." Therefore, coming out on the other side of the darkness lies a portal of possibilities and your radical transformation!

To be sure, not every transformation needs intensely profound and life-shattering experiences for there to be purpose. Sometimes all we need is a powerful and clear intention and the will to show up with consistency and patience for God, the Universe, or whatever name resonates, to reveal to you how sweet and magical life can get. So, what are you waiting for? Go forth, with all your power.