During a recent walk, I found myself thinking how energy knowledge has even impacted how I walk my dog. For years I held my leash arm taut as we walked. Once I learned the cross-crawl and realized how this motionless arm was denying me one of the major benefits of walking, I made a conscious effort to move my arm naturally. Quickly it became a habit. Another small change with a big energetic payoff.

How many of these 'small changes' have I made since being introduced to Donna's work? I was amazed when I started listing them. And that led to thoughts of how interesting it would be if all of us, the ECR subscribers, were to share with each other the one or two energy techniques that have become particularly meaningful and the reasons why. Let's see what's taking root. Reading about different implementations and results may well give each of us new incentive to keep building our own personal repertoire of subtle energy skills.

And there's a greater benefit. In this fledgling field, each contribution is a strengthening of the collective wisdom that builds and sustains the body of knowledge. We are pioneers, carving out the path. Doing it together will move us ahead faster than our independent efforts.

So, let the sharing begin! Email us a brief description of one or more energy practices that have changed your life in large or small ways. Techniques you do for yourself. Suggestions you make to family or friends. Practices you've brought into your work environment, in suggestions you make to clients or coworkers.

To begin the process, I'd like to use much of this issue to share with you part of my list. I'm including "Energy Exercises for the Shower", a series of exercises I've put together for daily use and "Connecting Heaven and Earth", which brings an increased centering aspect to "Separating Heaven and Earth". Don't feel you have to write as much for your own descriptions. Keep them as short as you wish. Send 3-5 separate thoughts over time, if you want, to EnergyCommunityReport@wwdn.com. We'll be happy to consolidate your gems into a publishable form.

Energy Exercises for the Shower

"Breast Cancer? Breast Health!" by Susun Weed is choc full of useful information that I use in class in presenting this topic. For example, just under 50% of all breast cancer is in the upper, outside quadrant of the breast, i.e. the area where the bra strap binds. Or the fact that breast cancer increases exponentially in women who wear their bra more than 12 hours a day. I encourage the women to soap their hands and massage all areas where the bra binds and all around the breasts. This includes a number of neurolymphatic reflex points as well as the major lymph drainage area in the left chest. It is so easy to do with soapy hands. We agree that they don't have to worry about remembering their monthly breast exam, as they're now doing it every day!

Water and soap make the breast massage easy and pleasant, so why not clear additional areas before moving on? Donna suggested massaging central and large intestine NL to get the lymph moving throughout the body (p. 269). I always include central NL (the line where the arm meets the torso) in the discussion of massaging the breast, as they're in the same area and, in fact, are often included intuitively in the breast massage.

Before massaging the large intestine NL, I explain how you massage down the leg to counteract constipation and up the leg to counteract diarrhea. I have them massage the small intestine NL on the inside of the leg while massaging large intestine on the outside. If a spot is tender, they can ping back and forth across the leg until they're past the tender area.

I've noticed that the people who integrate energy techniques into their lives are those who are able to feel the benefits, i.e. they've learned to read their bodies' messages. I've made it a goal to help everyone learn to sense energy and we work on it every class. (That's a topic for another newsletter.)

This exercise is another simple reminder to notice what's happening from the body's perspective.

Any variation of the Wayne Cook Posture is calming and balancing, so it's a great way to start the day. The shower version is done standing up and offers the added benefit of the soothing stream of water. Cross your legs at the ankle. Cross your wrists across your chest. Turn your hands back towards each other and clasp them. Breathe, relax, and enjoy.

This exercise is such a big hit. People who haven't felt energy movement before seem to experience it when they move slowly up the inside of the body and arm, across the fingertips, then down the outside of the arm and body. It's a beautifully simple way to assure the meridians are running forwards and to introduce students to meridians.

Here's an addition to "Drying Off", compliments of Dorothy Lamb.

TRAVEL: tap, pound, massage, scratch, massage or inch along...

Recently a client pointed out that Donna says "flatten your hand back, as if pushing something above you" in her description of Separating Heaven and Earth. As she read this text, I was struck by a particularly poignant thought. I pictured the hand making a physical connection and felt the energy surging through me. At that moment "Connecting Heaven and Earth" was born.

1. Begin "Separating Heaven and Earth" as usual. When you've stretched one arm up and the other down, bring your focus to the upstretched arm. Stretch it higher, as if reaching up to the heavens (or universe or whichever concept resonates for you. We'll use universe in this example.)

2. Sense the universe respond, rushing toward you, eager to connect with you. Feel that connection and let it resonate through you. Sense the supportive universe, its eagerness to include you and how you are part of this very big picture. Know that you're not alone. Breathe deeply. Sink into the connection and let it flow through you.

3. Bring your focus to your downstretched arm.

4. Stretch it even further toward the ground. Sense the earth energy rush up to connect with you. Feel your groundedness on Mother Earth, the sheer exhilaration of being in this body, on this planet, at this time. As you sense that exhilaration, know that it's your humanness that allows you to experience this pleasure. Breathe deeply. Sink into the connection and let it flow through you.

5. Bring your focus to your centerline. Feel how you're a jumper cable, connecting the earth energies and the energies of the universe. Know that you are an integral part of this glorious whole.

6. Bring your hands back to prayer position, then switch arms and extend one up and the other down. Focus on the upstretched arm, stretch it out a little further and make the mental observations to connect you with the universe.

7. Focus on the downstretched arm, stretch it down a bit further and make the mental observations to connect you with the earth.

8. Move your focus to your body and feel your power and connection as the jumper cable between heaven and earth.

9. Repeat steps 7 through 9 until you feel the body sensations automatically, without any mental observations.

10. As you come out of this posture, fold over at the waist and hang. Continue as with "Separating Heaven and Earth."

11. As you rise slowly to a standing position, continue to feel the sacred connection. Take it with you into your day. This is truly a centered place from which all things are possible.

I've changed my mind about the lesson plan structure for classes. My students are telling me they want demonstrations in which they all gather around my massage able and opportunities to work on each other scattered throughout the class time rather than save that until the end. I said 'but once we break up and start working it's virtually impossible to get you back together again' They answered 'Be strict! Tell us when to change partners and warn us when there is only a few minutes left.'

They also like for me to get one of them on the table, demonstrate it, then let then get hands-on experience taking turns with all of us around the table together. That way they don't miss out on what others are learning, etc.

One of the secretaries in our EAP office has fibromyalgia, and had very painful flare-up recently. She'd been in severe pain over the Thanksgiving weekend, and couldn't seem to find anything to relieve it. So I had her sit in a chair in my office, hook herself up, and then I energy-tested her to find out which system to work with to provide the most rapid relief. The energy test indicated that sedating and strengthening meridian points would be most helpful, so I tested further (using the finger pull energy test, not the deltoid) to identify which meridians to work with first.

Once I had determined several that needed attention, I plotted them on the star/control cycle to figure out where to start, and then began holding points. From time to time I'd energy test to re-evaluate which meridian to treat next. Well, she just about yawned her little head off at each hook-up, and became very, very relaxed. I had her get up and walk around the office every now and then in order to find out what was happening with the pain. Happily, the pain evaporated from both sides of her lower hips where it had been rather severe, but remained in the top part of the hips near the waist line. When she stood up at the end of our session, she described a "hook" type of discomfort in her left hip that had appeared, so I figured I'd just pull it out of her auric field. Why not? I just gently grabbed the air over the "hook" and pulled it away from her body several times. Her eyes got very large as she looked at me and said,"It's gone!" I'm tellin' ya, this stuff is the nuts, isn't it?

After sedating and strengthening about 5 meridians, we quit. Mostly because of time, but also I wasn't sure how much work to do on her. Within a short time after her treatment she began to feel very tired, so she went home and slept about 5 hours. And after that was still able to sleep through the night. The pain in her lower hips stayed away the next day, but the upper hips still hurt, so there's more work to do. I know that energy work can wipe someone out for a while after treatment, but I wouldn't have thought that working with 5 meridians would do that. Maybe it was just her system, and releasing a lot of built-up energy that equaled pain for her pulled the plug on her energy.

I'm beginning to teach a physician (who's also a Vice President at the hospital system where I work) about energy psychology. He wants to learn Thought Field Therapy which I will teach him as a beginning point, but I've already mentioned Energy Medicine as a larger subject and plan on teaching him lots and lots !! I told him that it eventually needs to be in every department of our 6 hospitals, including the emergency department!!! I figure he's a key person to educate on this important subject.

Now that you've learned the power of acupressure through strengthening and sedating the meridians, expand this powerful technique to treat over 40 ailments from Colds and Flu to Immune System Boosting to Irritability.

The book is very well done. For each ailment, there are photographs of suggested accupressure points plus a description of both location and benefits. Each ailment has step-by-step exercises, complete with pictures.