Energy Transference & Some Recent Insights Whilst Travelling

A topic I feel is not understood greatly by many in the yogic scenes is energy transference. I know for certain that it is in Bristol because well, let’s face it we do have the best yoga teachers in the world… From my experience anyway.

But this is rooted deeply in spirituality, in the metaphysical concepts of Hindu thought and philosophy. Something an individual I met the other day didn’t quite understand as he helped himself to my fruit and physically bombarded me with unconscensual hugs. Speaking about smoking and drinking ‘not being yogic’ whilst ignoring my physical boundaries.

I've observed women discuss how eating Ayurvedic includes eating a high carbohydrate hot, heavy meal in the middle of the day because this is when the sun is at its highest. Fasting all morning because it’s apart of their spiritual practice. However, this is contrary to current scientific findings in female health science and research and trauma research which suggests that fasting for women can be a detriment to the hormonal system, increases cortisol levels and disrupts the circadian rhythm. Resulting in high stress levels, insomnia and dysregulation. Furthermore, as a trauma survivor I have been advised on several occasions by a Monk and a psychotherapist that eating a higher carbohydrate meal in the evening relaxes the muscles and induces sleep by lowering cortisol levels.

Further to my arguments on peoples naivety and contradictory spiritual behaviour. We were quite literally attempting to engage in Hindu practices whilst being bullied, yelled at and degraded by a narcissistic Ashram leader. Known to the community for her abuse, a community who had been repeatedly submitting reports to the authorities who had repeatedly ignored their claims and reports. Core, sounds just like western society doesn’t it.

My Karma Yoga manager said to me, ‘Gii, you will not find a Guru in India, only corruption, our entire school is corrupt, this one is one of the better ones.’ He directed me to the Himalayas. I’m feeling lonely, fragile, depressed. Money will run out in two months so I need to get a job. I also want to embrace Nepal and feel embraced like I did in Thailand where Buddhist Philosophical thought and values were truly embodied by the individuals in Thai culture. India, unfortunately not the place for me. A sad and disembodied demonstration played out before my eyes. As someone who’d just done their YTT unconsensually hugged me… Essh. Energy transference and boundaries. I mean he could be an axe murderer for all I know. He actually seemed like a pretty nice guy, but with no boundaries or understanding of energy transerfernce. He was also unconsensually hugging someone who was currently overwhelmed with extreme stress so good luck absorbing that energy dude… Sorry about that one (laughing).

In our trauma sensitive training and in our Yoga training and I assume all Bristol Yoga studios we’re taught about the benefits and intricacies of hands on healing touch, consensual physical adjustments and suggestible and invitational language. This is how we teach and use Yoga to heal others, to share our healing abilities when needed and when we have the capacity to do so. There has been times when I’ve received hands on healing touch and been shaking to the core crying as my yoga teacher directed her energetic softness into my essence. When I was going through some really rough times, emotions that were trapped and screaming to be released flooded through me. In a safe and consensual space.

I avoided any physical touch when I first began teaching, it was a phobia and a huge part of my development as a teacher. I realised that I actually needed to engage in this if I wanted to provide the service to the best of my ability and worth. So I gradually practiced this on my regular students AS I GOT TO KNOW THEM and with consent! Once I overcame this fear I practiced as much as possible and now hands on healing touch and assisted Shavasana are my favourite part of a class. But when i’m feeling chronically stressed and overwhelmed there is absolutely no way that I include this in my class. This is transmitting my stress onto another individual who has come to my class for a spiritual practice. This is physical energy transference and if I sense any intuitive unease with a student I won’t touch them, plus I ALWAYS use consent cards which my students can change their minds about at any point during the class.

So you can see why physical consent and the understanding of energy transference is so important within yogic thought and practice. We do not touch people without consent, or share our physical energy with strangers. Touch is one of the most intimate forms of human and spiritual connection, we send and receive energy from one another with our palms, through our skin. Cortisol literally radiates out of the skin, physical touch literally increases oxytocin if consensual and if the recipient feels safe.