Contain your energy in a field or disperse out into the universe?

People come from different starting points when they start to work with their energy field in qigong. For some people it comes relatively easily, while for others it is a stretch for them to embrace the concept of having an energy field and to start to develop an awareness of it.

When natural limits to the size of our energy field are mentioned, there are often quite different responses to this. For those people who are just starting to become aware of the energy just beyond the surface of their own skin, the idea of that field being able to extend out several metres in all directions seems quite extraordinary, and maybe even fantastical or unachievable, because it is outside of their current awareness and experience. Others wonder why the restriction, especially if they have previous experience with a practice of some sort that has encouraged them to ‘expand out into the universe’. This short article will seek to give some clarification around the nature of these natural limits, and how they fit with the idea of expanding into the universe.

Defining and measuring energy fields

One of the challenges we have in defining the human energy field, or indeed the energy field of many other living things, is in defining exactly what kind of energy we are referring to, let alone measuring that energy. Some attempts have been made in this area, notably around measuring the magnetic field of the heart – leading some to equate this with the human energy field. This type of work is useful, and little by little leads to a richer understanding of our energy, but as with many aspects of living energy, the full picture is rather more complex than that because there are many different parts that make up the whole of our living energy or qi. If we restrict our concept of ‘qi’ to just one of these parts, then we miss much of the bigger picture, and severely limit our understanding.

For this reason, at this stage our main way of measuring the human energy field is still through subjective perception, as the living instrument is the only thing we know of right now that is fully capable of perceiving all of the many parts – some defined, and others as yet undefined,  that make up our living energy. Of course this presents a number of challenges, particularly when for most people perception of this energy is either outside of their awareness, or on the very edges of it at most. Development of this perception is of course possible, but for most people involves a process of practice over an extended period of time.

So when first learning about our energy and energy fields – while some perception will be available to some people immediately, for many of the finer details we find ourselves needing to rely upon the conveyed experience of others who have gone before and developed a level of awareness that we may not have yet ourselves. Of course in doing so we may not always be able to distinguish how accurate the conveyed knowledge is without our own direct experience of it, so I think it is very healthy to approach any such information with a level of open skepticism.

Ground our understanding in experience

If we embrace a concept that we have no way to experience ourselves – even if there is truth to the concept, our interpretation of it may be faulty – leading us to direct our resources and attention in a way that may not be beneficial to us, and may even cause us to miss the reality of the situation due to looking for the wrong thing or in the wrong direction. Equally, if we close our mind completely to the possibility of some of the concepts available to us, this can also cause us to miss what we might find if we would simply allow our perception to open to it. As such I think it is best to always treat this type of conveyed knowledge as possibilities, directions you can look in or open towards, and then rely on your own perception to see what you actually find when you explore those possibilities. In this way you will have a more accurate and true understanding of your energy and the world around you, undistorted by limitations of language or misinterpretation of description.

Of course, this process of learning and discovery tends to be gradual and incremental. So you will often find yourself able to put some pieces of the picture together, but still needing to rely on passed down wisdom for other pieces as you continue to develop your awareness and understanding. This wisdom may sometimes include cautions for your own safety, and given the challenges of perception in the early stages of working in these areas, it is wise to heed such cautions at least until such time as your perception has developed well enough to perceive and assess the safety of various aspects of practice for yourself.

So with regard to information about the energy fields, as always, it is wise to not just accept them on face value, but to take these concepts beyond theory and test them out for yourself to gradually develop your own awareness and experience with them, while also paying attention to any cautions given. For some this will be a very gradual process which develops over time, while for others there may be immediate implications for their practice. Both of these situations are fine and healthy, each of us has a different path, and it is most important that at all times we are honest with ourselves and work with our actual experience rather than grasping for things which may be currently outside of our reach.

Harmony between apparent opposites

Returning to the specific topic of this article, the apparent conflict between either maintaining your energy within a field or expanding out into the universe. We will discover that on deeper analysis, there can actually be harmony between these two apparently oppositional objectives – if we are able to dig a little deeper and refine our understanding of what we are referring to, and what we are seeking when we pursue these objectives.

Our energy field is generated by the presence and movement of energy within our bodies. As such there is a clear relationship between the size and strength of the energy field that can be maintained and the size, strength, and general state of our physical body. An analogy that I think is useful is that of a candle flame. Our body is like the wick of the candle. We constantly draw on the energy from the environment around us to supply us with our needs, like drawing from the wax of the candle and the oxygen from the air. As part of processing and making use of the energy, the flame forms around the wick, which is like our energy field. There are a few things that affect the size of that flame. How effectively the wick is able to draw up the molten wax is one factor that will affect the size of the flame, and similarly how effectively we open our connection to and draw from the energy around us will also affect how strong and bright our energy field is. There are also some practical limits to how big that flame can become on a given wick though, even when the flow of wax is completely free – and this relates to the size and strength of the wick. If an attempt is made to make that flame larger than its naturally limit – perhaps by blowing on it or by supplying it with modified fuel that will burn more quickly – one of  two things will happen. Either the flame will be blown out, or the flame may grow bigger briefly and the wick will be burnt out. The same is also true of our bodies and energy fields if we attempt to make them larger than can be naturally sustained (there are some exceptions to this – but these are extraordinary exceptions, and it is usually best to assume that we fall within the usual parameters than outside them). Another danger is that if we do manage to expand our field further than our normal healthy limits for a time, that the energy within it becomes too diffuse to function in its normal roles maintaining health and balance and providing a buffer between us and the world around us.

So… there is a natural limit to how large our energy field can be healthily and sustainably expanded. But this is quite different from how far the light from our candle flame can reach from the wick. That light can theoretically travel to the ends of the universe without limitation. And this is where the practices that work with ‘expanding into the universe’ or ‘dispersing into the universe’ come in. When practiced in a healthy way, these involve sending the consciousness or awareness out into the universe – and there is value that can be gained from this type of practice, in gaining a deeper understanding and recognition of our connection to and place within the universe. Where problems can arise, is when instead of expanding and sending out the consciousness – attempts are made to expand the energy field in this way. This can occur simply due to misunderstanding the nature of the process, or sometimes due to a desire to have excessive power or influence over the world/universe around us. We have a direct and significant influence on all that lies within our field, so seeking to expand this field excessively can be a way to seek to exert influence beyond what is natural and healthy for us – which is quite different from simply connecting to and communicating with the world around us.

To most effectively send light out from a candle, the flame needs to be kept strong and healthy. If in an attempt to too zealously send the light out, the flame is made larger than can be sustained – this ultimately leads to collapse of the flame and a reduction of the ability to send the light or consciousness outwards. In terms of the body – this can also lead to numerous other difficulties from the weakening and collapse of the field.

The importance of maintaining our unique individuality

The understanding of this principle is sometimes confused by the terminology that is sometimes used around different concepts about energy fields, without a full understanding of the implications of some of those concepts and what they are referring to. One such concept is the idea that we are all part of one larger energy field which fills the universe. And this is true. But from this it is sometimes erroneously assumed that it is therefore somehow desirable to lose your own individual identity in order to become more fully ‘one’ with this greater field. This is not true. Part of our very nature, part of the essence of what makes us part of this greater whole is our individual identity. Your unique individuality is part of what makes up the whole of the universe, and the universe does not become brighter by your flame being blown out or collapsed, but rather it becomes brighter by you maintaining your own flame (field) within its own natural limits, which naturally contributes to the totality of the universe.

When we can come to truly understand this dichotomy, we understand ourselves better and also our connection to and place within the universe, and only by allowing the full expression of our unique individuality do we truly become one with it.

Going inwards instead of outwards

Interestingly – we can also come to this same point of understanding and experiencing the nonduality of this seemly dual nature of our experience by going inwards instead of outwards. When we explore our energy nature – as we go deeper within we eventually find the space between things.  As we associate less with the patterns of what we usually consider to be our physical selves we find a place where we are fully connected to everything around us, but within this there is still clearly a self – observing and experiencing.

I find that it is less common to encounter issues with this process of going inwards than with expanding outwards into the universe.

Conclusion

So, returning once more to the main topic of this article. In simple terms, we are able to both maintain and contain our energy within a field and also expand our energy out into the universe within our practice. To do this safely we need to have some clarity on the distinction between our energy field and our consciousness. A good analogy is that the field is like a flame, whereas the consciousness is like the light from that flame, which if anything becomes more stable and sustainable when the flame is balanced and contained within its natural parameters. When we find the right balance between these two, we maintain both our own distinct identity, while also deepening our experience of our place within the universe and our connection to it. Problems arise when we do not make this distinction and try to expand our field further than is sustainable rather than sending our consciousness out.

Of course there is more that could be said on this topic, and the analogy can be carried further to address some specific situations. But hopefully this is a good start for understanding more clearly the role of these different aspects of practice, and the meaning of some of the safety precautions around them.

Subscribe to our mailing list