Gem Fire Air
Series on Light & Dark | Subtle Energy marty kleva
December 13, 2006
To work with 'subtle energy' and the body, it is helpful to recognize that this system is very different from those usually addressed by the western medical model. The mere use of the word subtle, gives us the direction to look elsewhere, to a place not usually accessed. A point to hold in question here is the understanding that the word subtle is not in the same genre as the usage of the word definitive.
In exploring subtle energy, we might begin to view this system that represents organized potential, as a means to bring an unorganized, distorted, and distressed system into a well run system-in-action, where the energy is more easily orchestrated and directed.
In the case of a body in dis-ease, what is needed are pure energy signatures to uplift everything in the energetic signature scale of the body and bring it into “compliance” with its origin, or purest state of health. Subtle energy is the interface between dis-ease and a state of good health.
The use of subtle energy can assist the cells of an overstressed body to remember a vibration that they too once held as a blueprint.
Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary lists the word 'subtle' as: 1. Subtile or rare; tenuous; and the derivative subtlety as: 1. Quality or state of being subtle; esp., the power or practice of drawing delicate distinctions.
The word definitive, however, is listed as: 1. Serving to decide something; conclusive, and, 2. Serving to define precisely; distinguishing. One can even feel the differences between these two words, and the two worlds they may represent. The subtle energy they emit is symbolic of the meaning of the word.
Already, the above definitions begin to give us clues that indicate this field of subtle energy is something which is difficult to grasp. In fact it may be that the more we try to identify it, to make it conclusive, in order to fit our logically designed left-brain system of thinking, the more elusive it becomes. Sort of like trying to grab onto those soap bubbles which we gently blow into the air to entertain our children, both big and small. We already know that when we grab at the bubble it will disappear.
Subtle energy does not disappear like the bubble. However, it does elude us when we use such a heavy-handed approach. For a health professional or layperson who plans to work with subtle energy, it is helpful to approach with a light hand, a subtle hand, if you will. It is advisable not to try to make it fit into the same system or mindset as the western medical model. It is like another language from a different culture, and even a different dimension of reality.
There are many diagrams and illustrations of the subtle bodies. Many of these can be seen with a simple Google search. The origins of these illustrations are Eastern, in the Hindu traditions, and can seem like Greek, although they are actually in Sanskrit. Basically, they are a totally different view of the body, because they view the “non-tangible” body, or the subtle body. These illustrations usually include eight chakras, or subtle energy centers; Chakra being the Sanskrit word for “circle.” A chakra is a circle of spinning subtle energy which directs prana, or life force, to and from the subtle bodies, and which interacts with the physical body at the meridian points.
These illustrations range from the simplest to the most complex, and some are also artwork by such well-known inspirational artists as Alex Grey. Other systems, like the Language of Light that has been developed by the work of Karen Danrich are even more intricate. Their works include what is referred to as “subtle bodies.” These bodies appear to exist outside of the physical body in most illustrations. Some models indicate there are four subtle bodies: emotional, intuitive, mental, and creative. Other models become more complex and add an etheric body, a lower and higher mental body. Some refer to the emotional body as the astral body, and the intuitional body as the Budic. The spiritual body also becomes the Atmic in other illustrations. Danrich also includes the Dreambody and ways to Dream Weave.
So it seems evident that there is leeway in viewing subtle nature. One thing that is typical of these different systems of viewing the subtle bodies is that each body is viewed as if it contains a range of vibrational levels from the dense to a finer-tuned, and therefore a higher vibrational emanation.The typical Eastern person, who has grown up with this system, will look at and understand these ancient illustrations differently than a Western person looking with a Western eye. Presently, there are many Westerners who have studied the Eastern systems in depth. They have emerged with their own understanding to create their own illustrations and some very excellent books on vibrational medicine. Richard Gerber, M.D. has extensive research on subtle energy and has written the book, “Vibrational Medicine”, a must read for anyone who is interested in this field.
A Google search also demonstrates how differently everyone senses and perceives the subtle body. It gives one the sense that the subtle bodies may actually be individualized to some extent. As the definition above implies, there is much that is non-conclusive about our subtle nature. How do we deal with that, when we usually come from a very concrete, logically minded culture?
There are several examples in the physiology of the body that are somewhat comparable to the organization and interaction of the subtle bodies. For instance, in the physical body there is the area in the lungs where the smallest and minutest of arterioles mutually interact in the alveoli. Here is where the respiratory/circulatory systems perform the chemical exchange of wastes for nutrients. This exchange is across a fine, subtle barrier. The process cannot be seen, yet it can be measured chemically, and the effects are demonstrated by the healthy glow of the skin and the well-functioning of the organs in the physical body.
Science is beginning to measure the subtle energy of the body in ways that allow health professionals to diagnose the health of the body using subtle energy detection systems which measure the level of balance/imbalance within the organs and systems of the entire body. Unfortunately, the system of thought currently in vogue does not have the flexability to see beyond the linear dimensions and therefore such systems as the “The Body Scan 2010” developed by Phazx Systems, Inc. are not just called into question, but simply put, shut down.
Quite a few years ago, when I first saw a diagram of the Subtle Bodies in a Sanskrit illustration, to me it was simply a picture made of numerous, thin black lines on a flat plane. I had no understanding of such a picture. Slowly as I began to explore the idea of subtle bodies, first within myself, and then with clients, the diagram began to fill out and became multi-dimensional. Now, with more of my senses involved, I see the subtle bodies as spherical in nature, always and simultaneously interactive with each other and with the physical body.
One of the best examples I can think of is the spherical fertilized human egg in the early blastocyst stage, where each sphere has the potentiality of the many systems which will develop into a human being. Although these spheres may be seen as separate, they are however, interactive. Just so are the subtle bodies interactive. They are overlaid, upon and within each other, and within as well as without the physical body. Perhaps, even, it is the subtle body that is spoken about in medical schools as the ‘unknown dimension’ of the body. It is the holographic model of the universe replicated in the human body. Each cell contains the whole.
My personal view is that the subtle bodies are like units of fine mist, that permeate through all boundaries without dividing or separating everything that lies before it. The fine mist does not know a physical boundary, as it moves through it. It simply permeates the form. This mist, or subtle body, is not usually seen with the ordinary eyesight. We may not be able to touch it as a tangible object, but we can interact with it. We can sense the presence of subtle bodies like the mist, by the density that registers against our form. We can perceive a change in the temperature that registers on the outside of our body. And we can feel the moisture content like that of the mist as it beads on our skin. The interaction is with the senses, emotions, and perceptions.
If our lifestyle is one where we are entrenched in a world that only exists in the linear physicality, and where we measure everything by its proof of existence with tools that are not designed within the model of our makeup, but instead, only from the projective model of our making, then there is difficulty in acknowledging that anything else, such as subtle energy, can exist.
The subtle body, or subtle energy, can be seen or detected by some, with the naked eye. It is called an aura, the energy field that surrounds all living things. It is fun and exhilarating to see a forest of trees and their energy fields or auras, especially along the horizon at dusk, but not with the eyes wide open, rather with the eyes slightly closed, unfocused, and softened. Another clue for working with subtle energy.
The one interface that I have found which helps me to access the presence of the subtle bodies is breath awareness. This introduces a consciousness of prana, the vital life force. Using attention to my regular rate of breathing is all I need to collect my senses and center them inside of my consciousness. So I use awareness of the breath (prana) as an anchor to my body, and present time. I learned this practice where I interned, at the Stress Reduction Clinic at The University of Massachusetts Medical Center. It is called Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and was developed by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, a molecular biologist and the original director of the clinic. It is the mainspring of my professional practice and most especially that of my own personal life.
This practice does not demand any sort of breath manipulation, as do many Eastern practices. Dr. Kabat-Zinn developed it, strictly for the practice alone, without the accoutrements of any eastern philosophy. The actual practice is taken from Vipassana, a meditation practice from the southeast Burmese, Buddhist tradition. This is one common link that all my clients have to each other and to me, the breath. It represents a strength that invisibly connects us when we practice together. Usually, I take a minute or two with a client and use this practice to help ground us as a unit at the start of a session. It acts as a clearing ground for all the personal matters from the outside world that the client has brought into the session, and it allows all the chaff to fall away so we can have a clearer picture to work with.
I also use this awareness practice when I take any health product or when I am on the receiving end of an energy treatment. I hold the product with the awareness that: “I am about to add these energies to my makeup” and always monitor the appropriateness of any addition. This then becomes a part of my hologram, even before I ingest it. For some persons, the energy can be sensed and felt, especially with attention practice. The energy may also be followed and tracked as it interacts with the various bodies. To develop this skill requires some work, and it may not be for everyone.
Taking such products as Bach Flower Remedies, Homeopathic Remedies, Herbals, and for that matter anything that I ingest this way does not have to be a long drawn out process. However, especially for the doses taken just upon waking, and before sleep, this is an opportune time to take a minute to first use breath awareness to anchor the body in present time. This creates a connection between mind/body/spirit that consolidates all the energy in the organization we call the ‘body.’ In a sense this may aid us in developing a new set of abilities, regenerative organs, and the possibility of human spiritual evolution.
For the professional, working with subtle energy presents its own unique set of challenges. Many of these will occur in our personal world and be reflected in our professional life. Exploring the mystery innate to subtle energy can involve lifetimes of study. The mystery is the darkness, dark matter and subtle energy. It either calls to us, or it doesn’t. We either answer that call, or we don’t.
We live in parallel worlds of light and dark matter, all of which is not for us to conquer or own, but to learn how to navigate the terrain and harness the power available. Prior to this, it is imperative to understand that the worlds of light and dark may be something very different that which we now imagine them to be.
Light and Dark may be a world of extremism to us, one of “Us vs. Them”, “Good vs. Evil”. Based on my experience as a subtle energy practitioner and drawn from incidents in my personal life it is my opinion that such a collective view is up for review and ready for transformation.
Since the late 80’s it has been my life’s work to explore subtle energy in an experiential way. Realizing that science only proves what is already so, to prove the existence of subtle energy in a scientific method has not been my way or even in my interest. There are others to do that work. I was fascinated in the unseen forces of the body that I began to tap into as a body therapist as I had soon detected that not all things began in the mind of our thinking.
I developed a working postulant that through the use of breath awareness, the body’s cellular structure could actually be giving out signals of energy, which could lead to self-healing. Moving through and being trained in numerous well-known healing models, what developed for me is an innate sense of energy that could be tapped into and which could replicate balanced body systems. This expanded to include Kundalini energy and the spiritual realm, where I learned to include all in a self-designed multi-dimensional healing method that is always evolving.
Those of you who are familiar with my journey through a closed head injury and PTSD, know that all my former systems of belief have been more than compromised; in fact shattered. The realization that an ‘angel’ delivered me such a life-threatening blow was stupefying. It was an eye opener to discover that ingesting a regular dose of Golden Light for the length of a year did not provide me benefit, but in fact may have frayed the circuits of my nervous system. I further learned that subtle energy needed to be used with the same respect I had for the power of the ocean.
Viewing Light and Dark as energy is a perspective that opens up many possibilities. Scientists acknowledge that the majority of all universes is made up of Darkness, and have decided to call it Dark Matter. Evidence of this is easily demonstrated by a look at the night sky where we can easily determine the great amount of area allotted to the space between the stars; the amount of darkness is overwhelmingly more abundant that the physicality of the stars. Further we realize that the stars are actually Light that emanates from a gaseous makeup.
Another view of this is to bring to mind the photo we all have seen of the Astronauts taking a spacewalk, and of their view of the earth from space. The Astronauts are surrounded by dark space that is immense. The light we do see is that of the sun reflected off the dense matter of the astronauts themselves and the space shuttle. Where there is no density, there is darkness. Where there is density, like the astronauts and the other planets, etc, there is reflected light.
If all is as the ancient adage states, “As Above So Below”, then we can transfer that to the make-up of our bodies as well. We all know that close to 90% of the body is composed of water. When we view the earth from space, we see a lot of dark blue space that is formed by the oceans of the earth — a possible form that contains dark matter. Not to be simplistic, but then we may be able to confer that the body is also made up of dark matter, the fluids in each cell, the blood running through the circulatory system and the lymphatic system and beyond that which we cannot see or detect with ordinary measurement systems.
We could go further within the body makeup and point to the psyche and its components Jung labeled the Conscious and the Unconscious, the known and the unknown complexities of how the body works, the major portion of our brains which science has yet to figure out the purpose for, and not the least, the subtle energy that is available within the structure of the auric field.
What of the difference between Light and Dark Matter? If we go to the model of the universe, we see that Dark matter is what Jungians might call The Great Mother, The Divine Womb from which all potential is possible. We could also understand that according to Biblical notation, the Darkness preceded the Light. It was the voice of “God” that created the Light. It was the resonance of energy cutting through The Divine Feminine Dark Energy that created Light, similar to what we experience when we hear thunder and see lightning.
For some reason, we humans have wrapped our thinking mind around the polar points that Dark is Evil, Light is Good or “Godly”; Dark is what we don’t know, can’t see, is uncomfortable, and Light is what we do know, can see, and is very comforting. This is not an attempt to try to convince anyone who has firm beliefs in either one, but simply an attempt to open the conversation about a system of belief which has existed for whatever reason in a time when that is what was needed and which served humanity.
The impetus of my inquiry admittedly comes from my personal interest to seek answers to incidents that have occurred in my life. One thing I have learned is that if I wish to keep experiencing what I already have, I should continue to work with only what I already know and accept to be true, and which will continue to get me the ‘same old, same old’.
So what if Light and Dark are not what we have always supposed them to be? What if we give them each equal status side by side as Co-Creators? What might we expect to find and experience then?
It will be no news to those of you who have read “Soul Dancing” that my recovery from an auto accident was a very ‘dark’ experience. I was catapulted into this darkness by the accident and knew through my experience and training that I could choose to resist it and not survive, or I could learn how to live with it. That has meant traversing the very dark inner terrain of my psyche and coming to terms with all the embedded thought forms and belief systems already there. I have yet to post the darkest of my days during that time, something that is a personal challenge for me to reveal. However, I sense that the time is coming soon and up to now, in holding back, I have simply honored my sense of self.
What I have found inside the Darkness is the potential for all possibility; what Jung would call “prima materia”, the stuff of which all matter is made. It has been the crucible within which I have found my darkest self and emerged enriched by that. Here were all my falsehoods, all that I could not logically explain, all that I did not know, could not accept of myself, all that I rejected and feared as the shear terror of utter Chaos and the darkest of the dark — Death of the Self.
I have found that there is Light within the realm of the Darkness. Utter Chaos has become Organized Chaos, falsehoods have become possible adventures on the way to Truth, and my rejected self has lead the way to my Soul’s purpose and to a relationship with the Divine Feminine I have always longed for yet never could have imagined. This journey into Darkness has given me the “Voice” I have been actively searching for nigh on fifteen years.
So how can I possibly see the Dark in the same way as before when it now represents All Possibility and Total Potential.
In today’s world, one reality is working its way out in all manner of violence and war, greed and corruption, a world that is upside down, where all means of communication is distorted so that actions taken do not equate with the words spoken.
The jury is still out in regards to my own sense of the existence of God vs. Satan and my exploration of such will continue using both objective and subjective means. There is much to prove the existence of Light and Dark Matter. What we do with it, how we perceive and interpret it may be the key that turns the lock in the door that opens onto another dimension of reality that simultaneously exists.
Shall we be so bold as to think that we have such potential at our fingertips and reach out to embrace the whole of Creation, especially that Dark Feminine Matter from which Creation was formed?
Dare we imagine that in late December, as Pluto conjuncts the Galactic Core for the first time in several hundred years, that we may be lined up for a Second Birthing through the Birth canal of the Great Mother?
During this season of Persephone’s descent into the UnderWorld darkness of Pluto’s domain, will we succumb to our fears of the unknown, or shall we rise to the challenge and see potential Light in the Darkness?
Good Hunting to all of you during this Season of Light and Dark.
Sending the LOVE of 'hayam’ to light the way.
Con Amore,
~ mek
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