A new season is upon us and it’s time to embrace the endless bounty that is summer. Even if we live in a country with an unpredictable weather forecast, the longer days, extra daylight (and hopefully weeks of holidays!) give us lots of opportunities to prioritise moments of self-care with a view to making them regular parts of our lives.
Summer is an excellent time to commit to creating good habits and to learning new ways to honour our self-development. Top of our list should be cleaning up our energy system – especially if we didn’t have a chance to give it a good spring clean in previous months! But what does this mean and how can we do it?
We are living in an ocean of energy and it flows all around us, affecting everything we do, everything we think and everything we say. As individuals we even have our own multi-level energy systems. By learning how to work with this life force (which is known in many different ways around the world – from Chi in Chinese and Ki in Japanese cultures, to Prana in Sanskrit), we can improve upon many aspects of our life. No area is immune to the positive (and negative) effects of this energy. Our physical and psychological health depend on a fresh supply of it, as do our relationships, finances and spiritual practices. Prana – as we will refer to it in this blog – is even malleable in our homes and workplaces, simply by learning how to attune our spaces to its flow!
The main environmental sources of prana come from the sun, the air, the ground (especially via fresh, organic produce), and the sea:
We never want to over-expose ourselves to the sun’s powerful rays and we should always venture out in it for sensible periods of time when it’s at its weakest, wearing plenty of protection, but it is an excellent source of Vitamin D, strengthening our bones and warding off depression.
The oxygen-rich air prana of forests and mountains promotes deep breathing, stimulates our lungs, improves circulation, and contributes to optimal oxygenation of all the body’s cells, whilst sea air contains microscopic salt particles and ions that can benefit our respiratory health.
Barefoot walking on grass has been proven to aid sleep, reduce inflammation and boost antioxidants.
And swimming in the sea for twenty minutes has super cleansing effects on our energy system, helping us to shed negative thoughts and emotions, and removing toxins and impurities. Likewise, if we can’t get to the beach, treating ourselves to a salt and lavender bath is another brilliant and relaxing way to clean ourselves up mentally and physically…
To enjoy a salt and lavender bath, add 1 kilo of salt (it’s best not to use Epsom salts, though and we would suggest sea salt, regular table salt or Pink Himalayan salt) to a bath full of lukewarm water (enough so that the body is covered up to the neck when you lie back in it!) and to this add 12 drops of lavender oil. Soak for twenty minutes and then promptly shower off.
Prana also radiates from trees. No wonder hugging them feels so good! But did you know that it’s just as highly beneficial to spend time sitting next to a healthy tree? What better spot to relax with a book?
If you would like to learn more about the positive effects of prana on the wellbeing, and techniques to help keep the body in tip-top condition, why not sign up to a Level 1 Pranic Healing course in a town or city near you? These are held regularly all over the UK and Ireland. Just click the link to find out more:
