Energetic Basics
A new kind of post! This is a deep dive on my own experience with energetic basics -- one of the most useful tools I've found in this work
Why do I care about energetic basics?
Energetic basics are a set of skills that have drastically improved my quality of life by helping bring me into closer contact with myself and stay well-regulated even in the midst of stressful situations. I have been practicing them for ~6 months now and have been able to navigate stressful situations using these skills that beforehand would have caused me to dissociate or lash out. Many people practice basics for decades; this is not an expert description but rather my own personal take on what they feel like and why they’re so important. I’ve linked more in-depth resources below.
What are energetic basics?
Energetic basics are a set of four skills, each outlined below. One way to learn and practice them is through meditation. I have posted my own daily energetic basics meditation here; there are many variations I’ve heard but nothing I’ve found online. Everything I learned was passed down in person and I’ve translated it here as best I can.
Core
What does my own essence feel like?
Practicing core gives me a clearer sense of what’s me. What do I want? What do I care about? What does my essence want to do in the world? I used to feel like the phrase “in alignment” or “out of alignment” used in hippie/spiritual communities (ie “I was acting out of alignment with myself”; “this new job feels really in alignment for me”) was just a turn of phrase; now, it feels viscerally useful because I can feel the thing that’s being aligned with (it’s core!). With a stronger sense of core, I am more able to tell when things are in/out of alignment, and have a stronger sense of what to do to get them more aligned. This means I have a quicker and stronger sense of what I want; what makes me happy; what’s not working for me. It’s a clear inner compass.
Ground
Connection with the earth; energetic equilibrium
I like to think of ground as a connection with the earth through which I can reach an energetic equilibrium. Too anxious or energized? I’ll send the extra energy through my connection into the earth and feel more calm and relaxed. Tired and wanting more resource? I’ll ask the earth for support and feel more energized, like I’ve taken a great power nap. I’ve never seen ground described this way but I feel it’s a useful metaphor for my own experience of it.
In practice, ground looks like practicing sending my own connection – maybe roots growing out of the bottoms of my feet – down into the center of the earth, and noticing a feeling of being anchored or supported. It looks like practicing allowing my body to be nourished by the earth, allowing earth energy to move up through the connection and into my body. To me, this feels like a warm cozy bath; to others, it may feel different. Everyone’s experience of energetic basics is unique.
Edge
Energetic boundary
Edge is an embodied sense of my personal bubble. It’s what allows me to stay totally regulated and calm when the woman next to me in the checkout line is loudly complaining on the phone. It’s the ability to pause when I hear someone else’s strong opinions and gently check whether I want to take on those opinions, too. It’s a calm defense against taking on other peoples’ emotions, beliefs, or inner states.
It can also provide a sense of feeling held or contained. It’s an invitation to keep my attention just on what’s inside my personal bubble, and notice the fact that I can take up space in the world. For me, this is a sense of relaxing into strength; I am protected and held.
Me/Not Me
What inside my personal bubble is mine, and what’s not mine?
Me/not me is an ability to discern when something that’s not mine has gotten inside my personal bubble. Maybe the woman complaining in the checkout line did get to me, and I started feeling her irritation as my own. Maybe I’m not in a rush at all, but the irritation of the drivers around me in the traffic jam just gets under my skin. Maybe I’ve subconsciously adopted the gossipy, unfounded comment from one friend about another, and now am silently judging a friend I previously had no problem with.
Me/not me is the skill of pausing and asking whether the thing I’m experiencing is coming from my own essence or if I’m taking on someone else’s – and if it’s not mine, the ability to let it go, clearing out more space for me to be with myself and what’s real for me. This can happen in the moment, but is also useful to do retroactively. I often find this relaxing and cleansing; the feeling of letting go of something I didn’t realize I was carrying.
Meta Level Skill of Curiosity
Everyone’s experiences of energetic basics is a bit different. I have had my own resistances and difficulties in my own practice of each of them, while others run into different resistances. Each of those resistances are a part of my own unique experiences, and are something to be met with curiosity and gentleness.
There is no “correct” way to feel when doing basics; this framework is a useful jumping off point for internal exploration. Many of the biggest changes and movements I’ve felt in myself have come from releasing my own expectations of how the practice should feel, and bringing an excited curiosity to the tools I’m being offered.
Resources
My morning meditation practicing energetic basics
5 Personality Patterns — takes basics, along with a few other things, and builds a comprehensive framework on trauma and healing