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In
my Huna trainings, I'm often asked to define energy (i.e. metaphysical
energy) and to explain what it is and how we can work with it.
Historically, Western thinking denied the existence of energy
and Western scientists specifically focused on proving that energy
was not real. Today, modern science acknowledges the existence
and importance of energy and increasingly recognizes the connections
between energy and matter. But most of us grew up with little
knowledge of energy and how to use it -- though we have all experienced
its effects.
Electricity is an example of a manifestation of energy. Yet even
this physical manifestation of energy cannot be seen. If you pull
back the insulation on a wire from a lamp, you won't see electricity
flowing through the wire to the light bulb. You only know it is
present because the bulb is lit – or by the shock you receive
when touching the live wire!
The personal effects of energy are similar to that of electricity.
Many people will not see energy or know what it is when they first
start working with it. But most will still notice its effects.
We've all had days when we wake up and feel that we'd rather stay
in bed. Other days we wake up and we feel that we could tackle
the planet. What is the difference? From a Huna perspective, the
difference is in the amount of energy you have.
In many places in Hawaii, before Huna was called Huna,
it was called Ho'o'mana, which literally means ho'o'
(to make) and mana (energy). A major focus of Huna
or Ho'o'mana is learning to control the energy in
your body and in your environment, just like the control you have
over the lights and electrical appliances in your home. This approach
is very similar to other disciplines that I have studied such
as Reiki. But before learning to control it, you must
start with a basic understanding of it and learn to recognize
it as it occurs in your life.
To understand the specific effects of metaphysical energy, Huna
divides energy into different qualities and labels them according
to associated external physical elements: air, fire, water and
earth. Almost every system on the planet uses these same four
basic labels to describe the energy. But while there is a link
and a similarity to the qualities of energy and its external counterparts
(e.g. energetic fire and physical fire), they have some differences.
For example, while physical wai (which means water in
Hawaiian) and metaphysical wai both have the same name, there
are differences in how metaphysical water reacts with the body.
Metaphysical water acts as an attractor, and many esoteric systems,
including Huna, refer to water as being magnetic. This is different
then physical water, and the term magnetic helps describe how
emotions that you hold in your body will attract similar emotions
and energies to you. Have you noticed that angry people tend to
attract or create angry situations in their lives? Huna
would explain that this has (in part) to do with the emotion and
the wai.
When a students begins to become conscious of energy, fire energy
is often a good place to start because it is one of the easier
elements to feel and experience. While some people can initially
sense water, air or earth more, fire tends to be more distinct
and noticeable for most of us. This is important because we learn
to recognize new things based on measuring differences. For instance,
my two children learned to distinguish day and night based on
the difference in lighting. This sounds really simple. It is because
energy is simple.
Simply put, we recognize that we are experiencing energy by different
feelings or sensations in the body. But these specific feelings
or sensations are a unique, personal experience. A student once
asked me to describe the feeling of the fire element and wondered
if he would feel heat as we began to work with it. With energy,
the answer is “Anything is possible, and everything is right.”
For the beginner, this can be frustrating and this frustration
can block the experience itself. But discovering the unique, personal
way each student feels the various qualities of energy is part
of the learning process that all students need to experience for
themselves.
We all know the sun is coming up tomorrow with 99.99% certainty,
but the way we experience that sunrise differs. I am a morning
person: I love to see the sun and tend to get a lot done in the
morning. When I was younger, I was a night person and avoided
the early mornings. Everyone has a unique reaction to morning,
and similarly, everyone will have a unique reaction to energy.
If a person is naturally fiery and full of the fire energy, another
person’s fire may feel like a pressure or a tingle. In a
couple of extreme examples, my students have felt another’s
fire energy as cool. So at the early stage of working with energy,
it's misleading to say that “fire energy feels hot.”
Rather, I ask students look for certain sensations: a change in
temperature (hot to cold or cold to hot), a change in pressure
or sensation (usually as a tingling in the body). At the beginning
of an energy session, a student should simply focus on noticing
how they experience the energy.
When the sensation of one energy becomes distinct, it is good
work with the other energies and notice your experience of each
one. With practice, you be able to distinguish these energies
when they occur naturally. When I first began working with energy
as a child, the fire energy was really hot to me. One day, I noticed
the same sensation happening while I did school work. By noticing
it and understanding it, I was able to be in control of the direction
and focus of the energy. Once you have a basic understanding of
energy and have learned to recognize it, you will be ready to
learn to control it so that your mana enhances your life
experience as it is intended to do!
Matthew B. James, MA, DCH, international trainer, lecturer,
and educator, is president of American Pacific University and
the Empowerment Partnership. His work is dedicated to creating
personal transformation by teaching the ancient science of consciousness
and energy healing, Huna, with cutting-edge therapeutic techniques.
To reach Dr. James, please e-mail him at info@Huna.com. |
