We are hardwired for joy, so it is a shame that life and our reactions to it can sometimes take us to places that feel less than joy-filled. Though I have written about them before, The Radiant Circuits deserve another round of techniques, so they can help us live a joy-filled life.
Mapped out in Ancient Chinese Medicine texts thousands of years ago, these “circuits” distribute healthy energy wherever they are needed in the body bringing vitality, resilience, strength, and healing with them. Though they are naturally activated by living your life from a place of joy and gratitude, you can also turn them on with Eden Energy Medicine (EEM) exercises that make space in the body so they can easily get where they need to go.
The Crown Pull is an exercise that can help to relieve mental congestion and is also a great way to make space in your head for the Radiant Circuits to flow. Start with your thumbs on your temples and your fingertips in the middle of your forehead. With pressure, stretch your forehead by moving your fingers to your temples. Repeat at your hairline and move over your head until you reach the base of your neck. Pull across it and place your fingers behind your shoulders. Squeeze your shoulders and pull your fingers over them to the front. Take a deep breath and pull your hands off.
Connecting Heaven and Earth also makes room for healing, radiant energy to travel where it needs to go. Rub your hands together vigorously and shake them off. Place them on your thighs with your fingers spread and take a deep breath. On the next inhale, circle your arms out and bring them to a prayer position in front of your heart. Exhale out. On the next inhale, stretch one hand up and one down, stretching as far apart as you can, and hold your breath. Come back to prayer position on the exhale and repeat on the other side. Do this twice on each side and after the last stretch, bend down as far as you can, letting your arms hang in front of you. Take two deep breaths, and then swing back and forth making sideways figure eights all the way up your body.
Leaning and Stretching can also help these circuits move to where they are needed most. Place your hands on a wall or chair and lean against it with your legs straight. Then alternatively lift one leg back and then the other, stretching your stomach as you lift.
The Belt Flow helps to make space by opening the connections between the top and lower halves of your body. One easy modified way to do this exercise is to place both hands on your back in line with your belly button. Then with a little pressure drag both hands around to the front of your waist, cross them over and trace down your legs and off your toes. Repeat this a few times starting a little higher and a little lower on your back.
Bring on the joy!
(Published in Front Porch Magazine- Feb. 2019)
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