
Coping with sensitivity, tiredness and exhaustion on the spiritual path
Update March 2021 – if you find this article resonates with you, you may find the free ‘Meditation for Overwhelm’ on the Resources Page helpful.
Often in my practice and in my own life, there can be a common theme of feeling exhausted or emotionally challenged or overwhelmed by the amount of suffering and chaos that we witness around us and in the world.
For those of us who are spiritually and energetically sensitive, and who perhaps need more quiet time than most, it is easy to forget that we are part of a collective energy field. This enhanced sensitivity can be both a blessing and a challenge, and so this blog post is about how we can stand strong and firm in our light bodies.
A person who is spiritually awake can be likened to a lighthouse. As a ‘light-house’ they are helping to hold and maintain an energetic frequency that in turn will help others to wake up to their spiritual natures too. This work is not to be underestimated, and at the current time is to be cherished and valued more than ever before.
A recent article from The Sunday Telegraph ran the headline ‘Anxiety, a very modern malaise… the nation is at the end of its tether’. It went on to say that modern technology, with its ability to bombard us with messages 24/7, has rendered many people unable to switch off, and that last year in the UK over seventy million prescriptions were handed out for anti-depressants.
There are a great number of people in our communities who are searching for another way of being, and the stronger and more centred we are as we hold our own frequencies, the more we can help others do the same.
Supporting our Light Bodies
Acknowledging the important role that we are playing is the first step in ensuring that we stand strong and steady while others are losing their grip on the material world. And we need to ensure our spiritual foundations are stronger and deeper than ever, so that we are able to see the bigger picture and bring that wider understanding into our lives and the lives of those around us.
We are then like the lighthouse, fixed on the edge of a rocky shore, simply radiating out a beam of light to guide anyone in the vicinity to the safety of the harbour. It doesn’t move out into the sea or change position trying to attract attention, it just stays centred, patiently waiting, knowing all it needs to do is tend to the light.
To be a ‘light-house’ like this, we need to take good care of ourselves and listen to our inner wisdom. I wonder how your life is communicating with you? What is your body guiding you towards doing more of? If you are exhausted perhaps your Soul is inviting you to take more time to rest consciously and listen to the wisdom you find there. Maybe strong emotional challenges are an invitation to face some cellular memories, feel the old emotions stored there and release them. Perhaps more time spent in nature is needed, or doing things that make you laugh, or eating differently.
Eckhart Tolle mentions in his book ‘Practicing the Power of Now’
“Many illnesses are created through fighting against low cycles of energy, which are vital for spiritual regeneration…The intelligence of the organism may take over as a self-protective measure and create an illness in order to force you to stop for the necessary regeneration to take place.”
I am very respectful of times of low energy and encourage myself and my clients to do everything they can to honour these cycles of needing to do less and see them as the valuable and powerful times that they are. Your inner wisdom will let you know what you need.
The right type of exercise
In my case, these times are sometimes asking for gentle and meditative exercise, that involves moving the chi or pranic energy through the body. Exercise such as yoga or Thai Chi, or walking may be more supportive than intensive aerobic exercise at this time, although as always check in with the body and see how you feel. It is important to keep the body moving in some way during this time, to help release old stagnant energy and circulate the new.
When we undertake deep spiritual work, we release old cellular memories and stagnant energy, and these need to be released from our energy fields through stretching, deep breathing and movement. It is only when I get back to focusing on a regular exercise programme after a period of not being so vigilant with it, that I remember how much better I feel for doing it. (The book ‘Molecules of Emotion’ by Dr Candace Pert explains this in more detail).
Interestingly, many spiritually sensitive types also have a history of low energy and chronic fatigue, in fact this has often been an important part of someone’s Soul journey. The physical body has demanded rest and a withdrawal from the busy influences of the material world, and these seemingly fallow times have actually been creating space for considerable spiritual growth and understanding.
However, this tendency for low energy also creates physical stagnancy and the body stops moving all together. Gentle and consistent stretching, deep breathing, meridian-tapping or vibrating the body is essential for everyone, especially those of us who are refining our light bodies through spiritual development.
The ‘Light-House’ visualisation
Imagine yourself as a lighthouse, fixed firmly on the ground. You feel strong and centred. Your foundations deeply embedded in the earth and your awareness spacious and vast above your head. The Source of your light is beaming down through the top of your head and flowing through your body. There is nothing you have to do, nowhere to go, your light naturally radiates out from you, creating space for others to see and feel.
Picture yourself walking through your day, going into shops, speaking on the phone, just knowing that all who feel your energy will catch its essence and feel better for it.
See yourself tending your light. Clean the windows of your inner seeing. Promise yourself you will listen to your inner guidance and take action on the wisdom you find there. Take time to be still and let your Soul guide you now.
This article was originally published in June 2015 – Photo by Everaldo Coelho on Unsplash