The standard ‘energy prescription’ is simple: sleep more, eat better, exercise daily. But if you have ticked all those boxes and still feel permanently zapped, it’s time to try a new approach. We‘ve found some of the best alternative ways to lift your energy levels, from essential oils and crystals to meditation and affirmations. Introduce one a week and you‘ll rediscover your zest in no time.
Try ‘chiwalking’
Super-charge your stroll with this technique from Danny Dreyer, co-author of ChiWalking – a style of walking that optimises the flow of energy through the body.
1. Before taking off on your walk, do a few minutes of belly breathing. Exhale fully, pulling your belly toward your spine. Then relax your belly and let it expand, filling your lungs from the bottom. Repeat several times before beginning your walk, and then over and over again during your walk.
2. Start walking at a relaxed pace of 60 to 70 strides per minute.
3. Walk for five minutes practising belly breathing and then begin this energetic visualisation: Imagine a stream of energy rising up the back of your spine each time you inhale. It flows from your tailbone to the top of your head. Then when you exhale, imagine the same stream of energy flowing back down the front side of your spine all the way to your pubic bone. Keep this breathing- visualisation cycle going for the duration of your walk.
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Rev up with red
The colour of passion and physicality, red is a powerful stimulant. It combats lethargy, boosts circulation and awakens the senses. To reap its benefits, Gale Pickles of Colour Alignment suggests surrounding yourself with it in subtle ways: wear red underwear or a scarf and eat more red fruit and vegetables. ‘You can also sit with your feet on a piece of red cardboard in the morning while you‘re eating breakfast, which will imbue red energy through the soles of your feet,’ she says.
Draw on nature
Harnessing the energetic properties of flowers and plants, flower essences work on a subtle level to restore emotional balance:
OLIVE: Olive helps with exhaustion in the body and mind, the kind of fatigue that comes from a hectic lifestyle or a long period of strain. It’s suited to those who feel weary to the point of tears.
OAK: This essence is for people who ignore their tiredness. They battle on, even when rest is needed.
Pep up with peppermint
If you feel your energy waning during the day, dab peppermint oil on your pulse points. ‘Peppermint is a standout for lifting energy; it promotes mental stimulation and clear thinking as well as refreshing the spirit,’ says Zannoni, who is also a clinical aromatherapist.
Other invigorating oils include orange, grapefruit, rosemary, eucalyptus, thyme, lemon, spearmint, lemongrass, pine oil and cinnamon. Use 100% pure oils for greater potency.
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Reprogramme your cells
Recharge your energy at a cellular level with this meditation from Sue Bishop, principal of the Chiara College of Metaphysics and author of Sixth Sense. Sitting in a comfortable position, clear your mind and spend a minute breathing deeply. Visualise a stream of white light washing down from the universe over you. Bring it through the top of your head and feel it flowing through your body, going into every cell and from every cell into your DNA Then visualise a beautiful blue light doing the same.
If you are holding on to any restrictive thoughts or feelings, allow them to surface. For instance, are you feeling tired because you are helping so many people but no one is helping you? Validate that feeling and let it go. Honouring the truth of how you really feel gives your body permission to release any blocks at a deep level.
Then, reprogramme your cells with how you want to feel like – ’I feel replenished and revitalised‘ – and bring that energy into your cells. Finish by surrounding yourself in a bubble of rose gold light.
Amp up your affirmations
Positive affirmations such as ‘I have boundless energy’ are powerful tools for transformation, but only if you fully believe them. ‘If you don’t, you need to recognise what emotions or beliefs are holding you back,’ says Sue. To do this, she suggests devoting 10 minutes in the morning and night to writing down your affirmation over and over, allowing any objections to arise.
For example, if it’s ‘I have boundless energy’, the objection could be ’No I don’t, I’m exhausted’. Or, if you have
a specific energy sapper, for example, a heavy workload, use an affirmation like ’My work is easy and effortless’. ‘Each time you do it you’ll remove more of the resistance, and when it’s gone, that affirmation will be your new reality,’ says Sue.
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Get crystal clear
‘Crystals have a beautiful life force energy and having them around us boosts our life force energy, too,’ says Evie Michaels, crystal healing lecturer at Nature Care College. ‘The best way to use crystals is to wear them as jewellery, keep them in your pocket or by your bedside, tape them inside your clothes or hold them when you meditate.’
She suggests the following energising crystals:
CLEAR QUARTZ: Repels negativity and attracts positive energy, providing an energetic lift.
CITRINE: Has warm, uplifting, joyful energies, making it useful if you’re tired or drained.
HEMATITE: Contains iron, which has an energising effect. It also reduces energy-zapping stress.
ROSE QUARTZ: Lifts energy in a calm, nurturing way and encourages self-love and care.
Clear the clutter
‘In feng shui, clutter is thought to create blockages and stagnant energy and reflect a cluttered mind,’ says Jane Langof, founder of Feng Shui Concepts. ‘Devoting time to organising your belongings helps to lift your energy, and enables greater productivity and clearer thinking.’
AT HOME: Prioritise which rooms to tackle first. ‘I recommend starting with the bedroom because it’s where you spend most of your time and you absorb its energy overnight,’ says Jane. Start slowly, focusing on one drawer or corner at a time, decluttering in 30-minute daily sessions. As you go, ask yourself ‘Do I need it? Do I use it? Do I love it?’
AT WORK: As well as the obvious clearing your workspace and getting rid of old paperwork, combat ‘e-clutter’
by organising your files, streamlining your desktop and processing emails.
Tap your energy points
For an instant pick-me-up, Kinesiologist Jennifer Brakensiek of Innate Synergy suggests tapping or rubbing the following acupressure points 10 times each. ‘This sequence will stimulate your entire body and “uncork” any blockages that you may have in your energy system,’ she explains.
K-27 POINTS: Located on both sides of your sternum, just below your collarbones.
THYMUS POINT: Go to the middle point between the K-27s in the centre of your chest, and drop down a few centimetres.
SPLEEN POINTS: Find these just under the breasts on the sides of your body.
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