I’m sitting here in Maui waiting for the edge of Hurricane Flossie to possibly travel over us.  As I watch the sky outside my window I see nothing but greyness.  Though gusts of occasionally howling wind sweep through the treetops and a steady rain pours down, the land feels somewhat heavy and still.  I notice that so, too, do I.  It’s as if both the land and its inhabitants are holding a collective breath, watching and waiting for the storm to come.  We, too, feel the still, heaviness inside of us and feel uneasy.  Many of us also feel anxious as we wait for news of the big island.  

Just as we are affected by changes in the tides and the planets, we are affected by the weather.  It’s not unusual to feel “out of sorts”, grumpy, gloomy or irritable when the skys are grey.  If the sky feels leaden and the ground soggy, so too can we feel heavy and unenergetic.  Now, this isn’t a new thought.  It’s both a reminder to remember how deeply we’re affected by the weather and a prelude to the suggestion that we can change the way we’re affected.    

Once we realize how deeply we’re being affected, we can concentrate on our body, our thoughts and emotions to transform the effects.  For example, if I want to feel more energetic and less grumpy, or want to feel less anxious, there are some simple “energy medicine” practices that can be done.

The first is to become aware of each effect, one at a time and then ask how you would like to feel instead.  What would it take to calm anxiety or lift your spirits, for example?  What would it take to feel less anxious?  As you imagine this, take several long, deep breaths, preferably through your nose.  As you let your breath out, let go of any tension in your body.  Relax your jaw, your shoulders, your stomach and the small of your back.  Feel the earth beneath your feet.  Imagine earthen colored light flowing like roots deep into the earth.  Relax your hands and arms as you do this.    Breathe deeply and easily through your nose.  If you find your mind wandering, bring it back to the present.  Soon, you’ll start feeling relaxed and centered, more and more so as you continue.  The more centered in the present moment like this, anxiety will flee because in order to exist it must feed upon imaginings of the future.  Then, practically speaking, when you’re not feeling anxious it’s easier to think clearly and act more skillfully, which is helpful if a hurricane is coming your way.  Once you’re centered this way, it’s also easier to focus your mind to change the way you’re feeling.  If you’re feeling grumpy, for example, you have only to focus on your heart, perhaps sending out love, to have the grumpiness transform.  If gloomy skies are making you feel depressed, try wearing yellow or violet or have it around you.  What colors you have around you can affect you, your thoughts or feelings, as much as the weather.  Change your mind to change your feelings.  Slow your breathing to calm your mind.  Stop imagining the future to transform anxiety.

That said, as a subtle energy healer, as the hurricane approaches I’m going to surround myself with amethyst crystals, visualize positive outcomes and use my breathing to relax.    

 

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