4 Ways To Move Through Stagnant Energy

Right now, isolation and loneliness can be tough on all of us. Staying inside with limited social interaction can have a multitude of negative effects on our bodies and psyche. One of those negative effects is a feeling of stagnation.

Our bodies are a unique ecosystem that crave activity, rest, and restoration. Staying indoors limits our naturally flowing energy and creates stagnation. As water stagnation creates build-up in a pond or a river, energy stagnation creates blockages in our body and spirit.

Here are four ways to eliminate stagnant energy, without compromising your health and safety.

1. Do an at home high intensity work out

Awaken your body and your senses with a quick high intensity work out. 20-30 minutes of fast paced exercise will get your heart pumping and blood flowing. While it may feel hard to get started at first, by the end you will feel the mood boosting effects of breaking a sweat. You can thank yourself later! Get started by doing a quick youtube search for HIIT workouts, and chose a video that interests you! Here are a few we enjoy to get you started:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBWQGb4LyAM

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkVHrA5o23o

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml6cT4AZdqI

2. Practice meditation and deep breathing

Peaceful meditation can give you the space to silence busy thoughts and remove energy blockages. Start by creating a safe space in your home and begin practicing deep breathing, allowing the breath to flow through you. Eventually, your thoughts will begin to quiet down as you visualize the stagnant energy you release with each breath. If you are not sure where to get started with deep breathing, try Square Breathing.

Square breathing is a technique to help release stress and keep you connected with your body.

How to do square breathing

• Begin by slowly exhaling all of your air out.

• Then, gently inhale through your nose to a slow count of 4.

• Hold at the top of the breath for a count of 4.

• Then gently exhale through your mouth for a count of 4.

• At the bottom of the breath, pause and hold for the count of 4.

(Source: https://blog.zencare.co/square-breathing)

3. Do a digital detox, or set up app limits

Constant distractions prevent us from focusing on our health and well-being. If you feel like your phone notifications are pulling you in a thousand different directions, try a digital detox on your day off. You may be surprised by how refreshed you feel by the end of it! If the idea of doing a digital detox stresses you out, ease yourself into minimizing screen time by setting app time limits. App time limits give you an alert when you have surpassed your allotted time on Instagram, YouTube, emails, etc. Here's how to set up app limits on an iPhone (ios 12):

• To access it, go to Settings —> Screen Time —> App Limits.

• When you choose to add a limit this way, iOS will ask you to pick an entire category of apps that the time restriction will apply to. If you want to focus on one particular app, you’ve actually got to do it a bit differently. Go back to Screen Time, find the app in the list of “Most Used” and tap it. You’ll see an “add limit” option near the bottom of the following screen.

• Choose the amount of time you want to give that app or category. (The timer restarts at midnight local time.)

• A few minutes before your daily allotment is about to run out, iOS will send a reminder notification. Once the limit is hit, a white screen comes up and presents options to extend the limit by 15 minutes or just ignore it altogether.

(Source: https://www.theverge.com/2018/9/17/17870126/ios-12-screen-time-app-limits-downtime-features-how-to-use)

4. Massage

If you are new to massage therapy, it may surprise you to feel the range of emotions and sensations that can come up during your session. Tight, congested muscles can hold on to pent-up negative energy, creating physical and emotional blockages. Deep tissue work can bring up the release of emotions that have been stored in the body for many years. Crying or even laughter can be a sign of emotional energy flowing. After a massage, many of our clients tell us they feel as if a weight has been lifted off of them. A release of muscular and emotional tension can occur with a great massage.

Book your next massage with us here:

https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/classic/ws?studioid=144786&stype=-9

(Pets love massage too!)