THE HIGHER SELF

How Mindfulness Meditation Promotes Positive Energy

OUR ENERGY FIELD

Each of us is composed of divine energy in the form of mind, body, and spirit. Energy does not emanate or reflect from us, but rather this energy is us and represents, by extension, our connection to the cosmos, to all living things, to creation itself.

Aura is a traditional term for this energy field. Art historically depicts halos around the heads of individuals to denote the strength of their spiritual energy, and literature refers to a circle or countenance of light in describing angels, prophets, and other divine beings. Organic language such as “having the blues,” or ‘flushed with anger,” or “green with envy,” or “radiant beauty” is typically used to describe the various states in which people convey their energy fields. And this perception of individuals and their auras is how we initially form our impressions and feelings about ourselves and others.

Quantum physics describes the universe as energy. Psychology, Eastern religions, and alternative medicine refer to life as energy. Yoga views the aura as an energy field surrounding the body, interacting through spiritual and psychological structures called chakras. Therefore, we may conclude that the aura is an energy field that encircles each of us, and the appearance, attraction qualities, and overall force of the aura, whether positive or negative, depends upon one’s physical health, mental attitudes, and spiritual development. All the contributing factors in our daily life are represented in our aura as colors, lines, dots, and vibrations. Everyone is different, and the truest essence of our being is expressed through our aura.

BREATHING IT IN

According to Celtic wisdom and the lore of many indigenous civilizations, the holiest of the elemental spirits of creation emanating from the heavens was the wind, “the sacred breath,” the medium of all of life. Indeed the wind scattered the precious seeds, carried the scents and storms, brought the change of seasons, shaped vast landscapes, ignited fires, and later powered great furnaces, windmills, and sailing ships. The ancients viewed the mystical “spirit wind” as a purposeful intelligence that connects and orders the world of matter, a force with the implicit intelligence to interrelate and synchronize with all of creation’s elements.

“Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts.”     ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

So then it is no coincidence that focused breathing is the root of meditation, yoga, tai chi, and other venerated disciplines aimed at concentration, relaxation, self-healing, and the concept of mind over matter. Deep controlled breathing synergizes our aura—catalyzing the matrix of our mind, body and spirit—and calibrates it with the universal field of energy. Air itself, the sacred breath, is in fact the medium of divinity by which our microcosmic energy fields interface and align with the macrocosmic energy fields of the universe. 

THE 7 LEVELS OF MIND, BODY & SPIRIT 

There are seven interrelated levels of the human aura. The etheric and physical levels extend approximately six inches to a foot from the physical body. The emotional and imaginal levels extend approximately two feet from the body and incorporate the etheric and physical levels. The archetypal, spiritual and mental levels extend approximately three feet from the body and incorporate the other levels.

1. The archetypal level represents our subconscious and contains the template of our destiny. It comprises what we must discover in life to realize our higher purpose and may require the wisdom gained through trial and error and many experiences to satisfy. Archetypes in the external world such as universal symbols of strength and power, deities, and places of worship appeal to this level. As we find and internalize our own individual archetypes, they become the angels or totems of our fate, pointing the way to the spiritual path that dwells inside us.
2. The spiritual level represents the transcendence of our psychological, social, and physical realities, and responds to the balance and alignment of the aura as a whole. Each of the other levels act as a conduit for spiritual energy, and as the entire aura connects and calibrates with existence beyond the material world, the spiritual level becomes more evident.
3. The mental level constructs our inner-relationship to destiny, reflecting our beliefs, concepts, and attitudes, and thus shaping our reality. We mentally decide how to build our internal structure and how we project ourselves in life. This level shows both our associative ability, by which we develop and internalize integrative learning and personality, and our dissociative constraints, which divide us within ourselves and from each other.
4. The emotional level manifests our emotions, both active and reactive, and registers our level of personal fulfillment. Feelings fuel our convictions and provide the impetus to pursue our life vision and purpose, supplying our physical drive and creating causation in our lives. The emotional level seeks balance in powerful, universally oriented, unconditional love, and is the source of compassion for healing and forgiveness.
5. The imaginal level is the medium by which we create and transform our circumstances. Intention, perception and creativity, positive self-image, visualization and self-healing, and manifestation of success are generated and represented here. This is a powerful force for connecting, integrating, and aligning all levels of the aura. However, when stimulated in a dissociative manner, for instance by psychoactive drugs or imbalances in brain chemistry, delusions and obsessions can also be generated here.
6. The etheric level represents physical form and appears as a matrix of meridians and chakras. The meridians interact with the internal organs and the chakras interact with the endocrine and central nervous systems. Physical problems in the body will be indicated by imbalances or blocks in the etheric level matrix.
7. The physical level represents physical trauma, cell memory, overall physical health, and manifests physiological emotions, beliefs, and associations to pain and healing. In balance, it accommodates enhanced forces deeper in the psyche.

IN ESSENCE

While exploration of these themes may be fascinating, inspiring, and even mystical for some, we do not need to be versed in quantum physics, psychology, religion, holistic healing, or any other science to embrace and connect our divine energy. It is only necessary to know that the human body is a self-correcting, self-healing organism, and disciplines such as mindfulness meditation, which focuses on deep controlled breathing to engage the energy field and relaxation techniques to detach from external stimuli and concentrate on the present moment, will bring the levels of the aura—the mind, body and spirit—into balance and promote positive energy flow.

©2013 Shawn Quinlivan, C.Ht. and Cathexis Therapeutic Imagery. All rights reserved.

---

Cathexis Therapeutic Imagery specializes in innovative approaches to workplace wellness, mindfulness training, and personal development. Via private coaching, presentations, workshops, training events, and our partnership in the unique online wellness community Your Wellness Room—used by Kaiser Permanente, EFactor and other notable companies—our nationally recognized programs and practices help people and organizations make positive changes. Please call for a free consultation at (818) 512-4371 or contact us via email.