UNDERSTANDING YOUR ENERGY

Think of your energy field like the air around you on a warm day. Sometimes you can almost see the heat waves shimmering—that’s similar to the energy that surrounds your body. This energy reflects who you are right now, in this very moment. It also carries patterns from everything you’ve experienced in your life.

Just like your fingerprint is unique to you, your energy has its own special quality. But here’s the good news: unlike a fingerprint, your energy can change and grow brighter as you learn and heal.

You might wonder: “What about all the difficult things I’ve been through? Don’t they damage my true self?” The answer is no. Your deepest essence—the core of who you really are—remains whole and undamaged, no matter what you’ve experienced. In fact, each experience has helped you grow, adding more light to who you are.

PRACTICE 1: FEELING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SOLID AND SUBTLE

Let’s start with something simple that will help you feel the difference between the physical world and the energy world.

1. Look at an object near you—maybe your phone, a cup, or a book.
2. Notice what you see: its color, shape, and size.
3. Now, imagine you could see inside it, down to the tiniest particles. Pretend you’re looking at the invisible spaces between those particles.
4. Take a slow breath and relax your eyes as you imagine this.
5. Look back at the surface of the object, then imagine the particles again.
6. Go back and forth a few times—surface, then particles, then surface again.
7. When you’re done, take a breath and notice how your body feels steady and safe.

What just happened? You practiced seeing beyond what’s obvious. This simple exercise helps you recognize that everything—including you—is more than just solid matter.

FINDING YOUR ESSENCE BENEATH THE SURFACE

Think of it this way: Imagine a snow globe. When you shake it, all the glitter swirls around, and it’s hard to see the scene inside clearly. But when you let it sit still, the glitter settles, and you can see what’s really there.

Your thoughts and emotions are like that glitter—they’re real, they’re part of your experience, but they’re not the deepest part of you. They can cloud your view of your true self if you only pay attention to them.

The good news is that you have a powerful tool: your attention. You can choose where to focus. You can look past the swirling glitter to find the still, clear space within.

Here’s another way to think about it: When you wear sunglasses, everything looks darker. But the sun hasn’t changed—only your view of it has. Your thoughts and emotions are like sunglasses. They color how you see yourself, but they’re not your true self.

PRACTICE 2: DISCOVERING THE SPACE WITHIN

This exercise will help you feel the quiet presence that exists inside you, beneath all your thoughts and emotions.

1. Sit comfortably and notice your body.
2. Pay attention to your breathing—don’t change it, just notice it.
3. Now imagine the space inside your body. You don’t need to understand it or analyze it—just be aware that there’s space inside you.
4. Gently sweep your attention through that inner space, like a soft breeze moving through a room.
5. Keep breathing naturally as you do this.
6. If you notice any tight or tense spots, just gently move your attention through them without trying to fix anything.
7. Become aware of an overall feeling of presence within you—a subtle, consistent quality that seems to fill your whole body.
8. Gently sweep your attention through this subtle presence.
9. Keep noticing your breath as you do this.
10. When you’re ready to finish, look around the room. Notice your physical body and feel how stable and grounded you are.

What you just experienced is important. You’ve discovered that you can shift your attention to include a deeper part of yourself—a part that exists beyond just your physical body and busy thoughts.

WHY THIS MATTERS: YOU’RE LIKE THE UNIVERSE ITSELF

Here’s something amazing: You’re made of the same substance as the stars, the mountains, and the ocean. Not just physically, but energetically.

Think about it this way:

• The universe is vast and contains everything. Your inner essence is also vast in its own way.
• The universe has wisdom woven into every part of it. You have that same wisdom available within you.
• The universe contains endless creative possibilities. You have creative potential within you too.
• The universe has a spark of life in every particle. You have that same spark in every cell of your body.

Some people might think this sounds arrogant—comparing yourself to the universe. But it’s actually humble. After all, a tree is made of the same universal energy that you are. So is a rock. So is every person you meet. Recognizing your own divine spark doesn’t make you special—it makes you the same as everything else in existence. That’s humility, not pride.

PRACTICE 3: THE BREATHING UNIVERSE

Here’s a simple way to connect with the bigger picture several times each day:

1. Notice your physical body.
2. Take a breath and gently sweep your awareness through your body.
3. Relax and notice the room around you.
4. Breathe and gently sweep your attention through the space of the room.
5. Now, use your imagination to sense beyond the walls. Imagine there’s no limit to the space extending outward.
6. Let your awareness gently sweep through that infinite space.
7. Notice that you’re breathing comfortably in your body, but your awareness can reach out to recognize the vastness around you.
8. Realize that you’re sitting in your room, and your room is a single point within the endless universe.
9. Take a breath and return your attention fully to your body. Feel stable and focused, then continue with your day.

This practice helps you remember that while you’re living in a physical body on Earth, you’re also part of something infinitely larger.

RESPONDING TO DOUBTS

Sometimes people worry about this kind of exploration. Let’s address two common concerns:

Concern 1: “Isn’t this egotistical?”

No. Recognizing that you contain the same spark as a tree or a rock isn’t egotistical—it’s just seeing reality clearly. You’re not claiming to be better than anyone or anything else. You’re simply recognizing what you’re made of.

Think of it like this: If someone told you that your body contains the same elements as stars (which it does—carbon, nitrogen, oxygen), would that be arrogant? No. It’s just a fact. The same is true spiritually.

Concern 2: “Are you saying you’re God?”

Here’s a simple way to understand this:

1. A creative force made the universe (whatever name you give it).
2. That creative force made you out of its own substance—the same substance everything is made from.
3. Therefore, you’re made of divine substance, but you’re not the creator of the universe.

It’s like this: Your parents helped create your body. You have some of their characteristics. But you’re not your parents—you’re your own person. The same is true of your relationship to the creative force of the universe.

BUILDING YOUR DAILY PRACTICE

You don’t need to set aside hours for this. Several times a day, take just 30 seconds to:

1. Notice your breathing
2. Sweep your attention through the space inside your body
3. Sense your subtle energy presence

That’s it. These brief moments gradually help you remember that you’re not just a physical being. You’re also made of energy, consciousness, and the same substance as everything else in existence.

WHY YOUR AWARENESS CHANGES YOUR ENERGY

Here’s something interesting: Your energy always reflects your awareness. If you only see yourself as a physical body, your energy contracts and dims. But when you remember your deeper nature, your energy expands and brightens.

Does this mean you should ignore your physical body or pretend Earth isn’t important? Not at all. Your body is real. Earth is real. But they’re not the only reality.

Think of it like this: When you watch a movie on your phone, the movie is real—you’re seeing it, experiencing it. But your phone is also sitting in a room, in a building, in a city, on a planet, in a solar system, in a galaxy, in the universe. All of these levels are true at the same time.

You’re a physical being on Earth, AND Earth is a single point within an infinite universe. Both are true.

PRACTICE 4: THE QUICK RESET

Use this brief practice anytime you feel stuck in worry or stress:

1. Notice your physical body.
2. Take three breaths and feel your body as stable and safe.
3. Remember: You’re sitting here, on Earth, which is floating in infinite space.
4. Smile slightly as you remember this bigger perspective.
5. Continue with your day, carrying this expanded awareness with you.

This helps you zoom out from your immediate concerns and remember the larger context you’re living within.

GOING BEYOND BOOKS AND THEORY

Reading about these ideas is helpful, but the real teaching comes from your own experience. Books can inspire you, but they can’t give you the actual experience of your own presence. Only you can discover that through practice.

Think of spiritual books like cookbooks. A cookbook can give you a recipe, but it can’t make you a great cook. Only practice in the kitchen does that. The same is true here—you need to practice using your awareness.

Also, be careful not to believe everything you read just because it sounds impressive or complex. Test it out for yourself. Does it match your actual experience when you try it?

Here’s a freeing truth: No book is completely right. Why? Because your spiritual truth is personal—it lives in your direct experience, not in anyone else’s words. Authors try their best, but words can never fully capture the experience of presence and awareness. Your own discoveries are more valuable than anything you read.

So yes, read books. Listen to teachers. But always keep exploring your own consciousness directly. Don’t wait until you’ve read one more book or taken one more class. Start today. Your own experience is the best teacher.

WHAT’S REALLY HAPPENING HERE

When you practice these awareness exercises, you’re not learning something new. You’re remembering something you’ve always known but forgot. You’re discovering what you’ve always been.

Think of it like this: Imagine you grew up in a house with a beautiful garden outside, but you spent all your time indoors, looking at screens. One day, someone reminds you to look out the window. The garden was always there—you just forgot to look.

Your deeper nature is like that garden. It’s always been there. These practices just help you remember to look.

PRACTICE 5: THE DAILY CHECK-IN

Create a simple daily habit:

Morning: Before you get out of bed, take one minute to:

– Notice your breathing

– Sweep your attention through the space in your body

– Remember that you’re more than just physical matter

During the day: Whenever you’re waiting (in line, at a stoplight, for your computer to load), use that moment to:

– Take one breath

– Notice the space within you

– Reconnect with your subtle presence

Evening: Before sleep, take one minute to:

– Review your day with gentle awareness

– Sweep your attention through your body

– Rest in the quiet presence within

These small moments add up. Over time, you’ll find it becomes natural to live with this expanded awareness.

THE INVITATION

The universe itself is inviting you to explore it—and in doing so, you’re exploring your own nature. Why? Because you’re made of the same stuff as the universe. Understanding one helps you understand the other.

This exploration reveals:

– The deeper nature of reality

– The creative source of everything

– The meaning woven into existence

– And whatever else calls to your heart

CLOSING PRACTICE: SEEING THE SPARK

As you go about your day, practice this:

1. Look at a person, an animal, a plant, or an object.
2. Take a breath and remember: This is made of the same universal energy that you are.
3. See if you can sense the subtle shimmer of life within it.
4. Notice how this changes how you feel about what you’re looking at.

May each breath remind you that you’re a unique, living expression of the divine universe. May you see that same spark shimmering in everyone and everything around you.

QUICK REFERENCE: FIVE PRACTICES

Practice 1: Solid and Subtle (2 minutes)

Look at an object, notice its surface, then imagine its particles, go back and forth.

Practice 2: Space Within (3-5 minutes)

Notice your breathing, sweep attention through inner space, sense subtle presence.

Practice 3: Breathing Universe (3 minutes)

Expand awareness from body to room to infinite space, then return.

Practice 4: Quick Reset (30 seconds)

Three breaths, remember Earth floating in infinite space, smile, continue.

Practice 5: Daily Check-In (1 minute, 3 times daily)

Morning, midday moments, evening—sweep attention through inner space.

Remember: Your deepest essence is always whole, always present, always available to you right now.

Joel Bruce Wallach