A basic dynamic of energy is that we attract who we are—the more positive energy we give off, the more
we magnetize to us. Ditto for negativity. It works like this: Love attracts love. Grumpiness attracts grumpiness. Passion attracts passion. Rage attracts rage.
Energy doesn’t simply have an on-off switch. Just as you can turn up the volume on your radio, you can adjust your energy. Here’s how to boost your positive signals.
This is a lifelong re-energizing tool if you’re tired, out of sorts or need to increase your well-being. You can depend on this energy-builder when life is so frantic you have only a few minutes to spare.
Though a serene setting is ideal, meditation is portable. Once you’ve got the hang of this technique, you can do it in phone booths, airports, a public park—anywhere.
- Separate yourself from any possible interruptions—phones, beepers, people—and get comfortable in a peaceful place. My heaven is being submerged in a hot bath with candles all around. Get very quiet. Relax your body. Slowly inhale. Then exhale. Allow your breath to bring you back to center.
- Gently rest your palm over your heart chakra, located at the center of your chest. Concentrate on a person, place, song or memory you cherish. If you prefer, focus on your higher power—whatever your definition. The purpose is to feel love in a general sense, then specifically as a localized energy in your mid-chest.
- Visualize any thoughts as clouds drifting in the sky. As always during this practice, try to detach from thoughts; just let them float by as they pass in and out of your awareness. Keep returning to the breath to center yourself.
- Observe the sensations in your heart center. Heat. Coolness. Tingling. Vibration. Expansion. Bliss. Pressure releasing. Compassion. Let it happen. Don’t hold back. With time, you’ll feel a vortex of positive energy growing in your heart that spontaneously flows out into your body. •
1. Identify your best parts and speak from them
Pinpoint your finest qualities: irreverence, sensitivity, com-passion, humor—then project them to the world. By speaking up and stepping out of your comfort zone, you are enlarging your energy field. Before you meet new people or attend an important event, take a break for an inner pep talk. Think, “I am going to focus on my strengths; I am going to feel and trust the positive energy inside me. I am going to claim my full power.” Such a selective attention device puts your best parts front and center. Then, with your perspective shifted, it’s easier to move forward with confidence. You cannot overdo this approach. Once you make a choice about where you’re coming from, it focuses your energy.
2. Extend your heart energy outward
Love creates an irresistible charisma, a warm glow that makes us and others happy. You can project love in any situation. How? Focus on your heart center (see 3-Minute Mini-Meditation on page 8) and envision something you love—a flock of seagulls, your son’s smile, a blooming rose. Then, while you’re talking with another person, inwardly ask, “Let love flow through me.” Feel it rise from your chest; notice a sense of heat, serenity, a radiance. These vibes move outward. People soften around them; they feel safe and want more. Loving energy smoothes the rough edges of any circumstance and facilitates rapport. Try it even if you don’t like someone. Our loving heart can melt the feistiest curmudgeon. It conveys a sense of what Buddhists call “the groundless ground,” an ultimate secure place that stabilizes us from the inside out. Others pick up on this primal draw. Without heart, people are energetically wobbly, despite outer confidence. For instance, a spiritual teacher who talks a good game but doesn’t emit heart energy is an imposter. The kinder we are to ourselves and others, the more love we communicate.
3. Meditate regularly
Meditating can increase our happiness. Cutting-edge brain research confirms that we all have a certain mood set point, a range of feelings we usually inhabit. But with regular meditation, it’s been shown that we can alter our habitual moods toward the positive. When feelings surface during meditation, make sure to monitor them. Concentrate on what is uplifting, not the swirl of negative emotions. Focus on using your breath to center yourself. This inner turnabout transmutes pessimism into something higher. Subsequently, your vibes will change, and others will respond.
4. Commit to emotional
housecleaning Healing negativity prevents toxic build up in your energy field. Consistently chipping away at the negative makes room for more light in your being. Self-awareness is our greatest ally against fear and its bullying cohorts. When these brutes appear, it allows you to say, “I know you. Now scram!” Psychotherapy, introspection, meditation, journaling, talking with friends—all further the healing process. As negativity remits, your energy becomes more alluring.
When you use these techniques, you will actively draw positive energy into your life. It is important to take a stand on what kind of life and relationships you want—especially at the beginning of a new year. Attracting positive energy will improve your health, attitude and the quality of your interactions. Staying conscious about bringing good things to you will help transform your life! •
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Judith Orloff, M.D., is a leading voice in the fields of medicine, psychiatry and psychic development. She is an assistant clinical professor at UCLA and serves on the clinical staff of Cedars-Sinai Hospital. She is also a best-selling author and international lecturer on the interrelationship of intuition, energy and medicine. This article is based on her book, “Postive Energy: 10 Extraordinary Prescriptions for Transforming Fatique, Stress & Fear into Vibrance, Strength and Love”.
