Body energy, life force, prana, qi, and chi. They all mean the same thing – ‘pure energy’. This energy is present in all beings and is responsible for maintaining the physical functions of our body, such as health, heat and ultimately, life. Everything is made up of energy, and the difference between a living and a dead person is that one has life force energy. This unseen force is what gives a person awareness and consciousness – it makes us who we are. It’s also the body’s natural healing energy, and so to remain healthy and happy, we need to practice ways of sustaining and enhancing our life force through exercises such as pranayama, yoga, and meditation.
This life force energy comes from outside the body, and using these practices delivers the energy directly to the brain. Once it reaches the brain, the nerve cells distribute it to the heart, our bodies, and our five senses, leaving you feeling energised. Thoughts and feelings are essentially energy waves, and energy created by these thoughts can get stuck in your energy field and cause blockages, disrupting the flow and leading to mental and physical illness. So, if you’re feeling depleted, your body energy is likely in need of some attention. This article will discuss a few ways to get your chi flowing again, as well as how CBD can play a role in assisting.
1. Yoga
One of the best ways to get your body energy circulating is by practising yoga. Yoga postures and sequences were developed to create, change and move energy throughout your body to provide space for healing and wellbeing. Let us explain.
The movement of energy is connected to the position and movement of your body. For example, standing with your feet firmly on the ground in Tadasana allows energy to move from the earth up through your feet and body to your head. On the other hand, standing hunched over will restrict the flow of energy. So, you can see how yoga postures were designed to move your body and your energy in different ways.
Hatha yoga, in particular, was developed to improve, control and circulate the flow of energy, or prana as yogis like to call it. For example, Warrior pose stimulates life force, leaving you feeling energised, whereas Savasana and Happy Baby are excellent for grounding. The best yoga sequences are those that were designed with the flow of chi in mind so that with every movement, pose, and sequence, you are manipulating your body energy in a particular way.
If you want to enhance your yoga practice and flow of energy even further, incorporate CBD into your regime. Taking a few drops of CBD oil before beginning your yoga session can help clear your mind and put you in the right mindset for practice. You could also use it as a massage oil to help you relax after your sequence and help soothe any sore muscles.
2. Meditation
Meditation is another excellent way to improve the circulation of body energy. When we meditate, we are able to clear any blockages or leakages in our energy system by focusing that energy inwards. Certain forms of meditation require you to try to minimise outside distractions by concentrating on looking inside.
This focuses and moves your body energy around so it can flow to your gut, mind, and heart instead of allowing it to seep into the outside world. For example, if we are stressed and feel like we have thousands of scattered thoughts whirring around our heads, it’s recommended to focus on your breathing. This focuses the energy and directs it into ourselves, which prevents our thoughts (and, therefore, energy) from spreading outwards. The fewer outflows we have, the stronger our chi can be.
Another technique used in meditation to circulate chi is to sit in the lotus position. When you first start sitting in this pose for a prolonged period, your legs will most likely hurt because they’re not used to it, and your blood can’t circulate as well as it usually does. However, with practice, and concentration, your chi will build up and move through to the restricted areas of your legs, and the pain will suddenly be released. Yogis call this the ‘first pain barrier’ and is one of the most effective ways to enter a true meditative state as well as clear out any energetic blockages.
If you struggle with concentration during meditation, place a few drops of CBD under your tongue before you begin your practice. It will help calm your mind and prepare your body for stillness.
3. Qigong
Qigong (pronounced ‘chi-gong’) fits under the umbrella of traditional Chinese medicine. Originating from China thousands of years ago, Qigong is a bit like yoga in that it moves energy around the body, mind and spirit through a series of movements and exercises. However, unlike many forms of yoga that are high-paced and have a ‘go with the flow’ vibe, Qigong is deliberate, slow and gentle.
It’s not just about the movements either. The practice often incorporates breathing exercises and meditations along with physical elements. For example, your breathing during Qigong should be slow and deep, as this facilitates looking inward, regulating the movement of energy inside you. The movements are again slow and gentle, which allows your body to relax into the flow. The meditation part enables you to focus on your intention of increasing the flow of energy as you visualise it flowing in and around you.
This is another excellent practice that can benefit from a few drops of CBD before you begin. It will help you clear any clutter in your head, and prepare your mind and body for calm so that you can ease into your movements without any restless thoughts or body feelings getting in the way.
4. Exercise
If you’re not that into starting a new slow movement practice like yoga, meditation or qigong, some good old-fashioned fitness will do just the trick. Whether you prefer tackling a few rounds of squats and lunges, hitting the gym to build some muscle, or pounding the pavements to reach a new personal best, working out is another great way to circulate body energy.
Whenever you do any form of exercise that elevates your heart rate, you’re increasing the rate of blood circulation throughout your body. It also means you can circulate more air around your lungs. Both of these things help promote energy to circulate around your body.
When it comes to incorporating CBD into your workout, you could either use it before or after exercising. Using it before will help clear your mind and improve your focus to ensure your head stays in the game. However, you could also use it after to help you relax and ‘come down’. CBD oil also makes an excellent massage oil. Use a few drops to gently massage into any areas that feel sore to reduce any pain and inflammation and aid recovery.
5. Mindful Eating
Mindful eating is a form of meditation, and like any other form of mindfulness, it requires you to be present, focused on the task at hand and simply be there with your food. Many of us eat our meals without so much as two thoughts about what we’re consuming. As our modern lives are riddled with distractions, eating just becomes another autonomous task that simply happens to us. But it could be so much more.
Next time you eat, take the time to sit down with your meal without any distractions and taste it (I mean really taste!) your food. Think about the textures, flavours, and smells, and experience your food with all of your senses. Slowing down in this manner has multiple benefits. It improves digestion, discourages overeating (because you notice when you feel full), and enhances your flow of chi.
Food sustains us; it gives us energy. When we consume food, that energy get’s transferred to us. However, our thoughts and focuses are also energy, so when we consume food in that autonomous way, much of that energy is dispersed and not absorbed. So by eating mindfully and being present with our food, we are encouraging that energy to circulate through our bodies.
Add a few drops of CBD to your meals, salad dressings and sauces to improve the overall effects of your mindful eating.
Closing Thoughts
As you can see, there are multiple ways to improve the circulation of body energy, and this article has given you just a few options to get you started. Take a look at our selection of CBD products if you want to really ramp up the experience and improve your daily life.
