February 15, 2002
All the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow.” Leo Tolstoy. In the field of energy medicine we work with the subtle body, the vast inner universe that is within each of us. Our energy system is the life force within us that animates our whole system and all of life that is around us. The energy system is made up of chi or prana, meredians, chakras, your aura and your radiant circuits. The radiant circuits are considered to be the foundation of the energy system. It is the deepest part of ourselves that is feeling and radiating joy throughout our whole being. Radiant circuits carry joy and are activated when we are in beauty such as a sunrise, sunset, being by the ocean, in the mountains, looking at the evening sky full of stars, digging in a garden etc. It is also activated when you are with someone you love, or are thinking of someone you love. It is activated whenever you are grateful and when we listen to beautiful music.
When we have a feeling of joy running our system there is the possibility for immense healing to happen. I think we all know what it is like to have our heart slammed shut by some unkind words from someone or being angry at yourself. We all know the feeling of feeling joyful and open hearted, and of being closed down. I work at staying open hearted and having some joy running through me every day. Some days it takes more effort than others. This morning Jim and I walked our dog under the early morning sky and the bright and shining sun. It was -29. As we walked over the top of the ridge we both stopped and just took in the shadows from the trees. It took our breath away. So quiet and still and calming. So familiar. I could feel my whole body relax. Rumi says “let the beauty that you love be who you are.” We were standing in beauty. We laughed and Jim said that he loves the long shadows of February because he knows the warm days of spring are slowly coming. We talked about the beauty of all the seasons that we have and how each season gives us something so magical to pay attention to. Right now we have the early morning and late afternoon light that inspires us. In the fall there are the changing leaves. Then there is spider web season. In the spring the returning of the maple syrup, flowers and the leaves. In the summer our garden and the long summer evenings give us beauty to pay attention to. It is all different and each equally inspiring. When our radiant circuits are humming we feel connected to life, to beauty, to our essential goodness and our eternal loveliness. I just love the possibility of this. No matter what life is giving us, we keep remembering that we can choose joy in our every day big and small actions. And that makes all the difference.