The Energetic Picture
The Pictures in Our Lives
"Now my soul hath elbow-room," Shakespeare wrote in King John. We naturally speak and understand our experience through imagery. Energetic practices like Reiki and Qigong use such imagery not only to describe experience, but to help shift the mind and body within that experience toward greater wellbeing. For example, in a roots and branches practice: I grow steadier and more present like a tree with strong roots deep within the Earth; I reach for inspiration and guidance like its branches reach up to the Sky.
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Seeing with Compassion and Clarity
When we work with the Energetic Picture, we synthesize this natural capacity and healing practices with one more layer: a philosophy of compassion, clarity, and nonduality. In Plato's Apology, Socrates famously says that he is only wiser than another man because he knows that he is not wise: "...he thinks he knows something when he does not, whereas when I do not know, neither do I think I know." We see that not-knowing is an essential part of knowing. In a similar way, light is not separate from shadow. Mind is interwoven with body. I stands in relation to we.
Pictures as Guides
An Energetic Picture captures an aspect of wellbeing—what it is like to be grounded, to set healthy boundaries, to see clearly, to face difficult feelings, to offer healing to wounded parts of the self, to cultivate healthy relationships, etc.—in a way that honors this nonduality. There is something that we know, and something that we do not know. There is a piece that we control, and another that we learn to surrender. The picture shows us where we are in relation to wellbeing. This suggests a direction and can help us find our next step. It can act as a reminder and a lighthouse along the way. But it does not judge us. By inviting us to move into our bodies and our senses, it helps us to cultivate curiosity and compassion as we work with life's unknowns. We are not failing at wellbeing; we are living and growing.
Studying the Energetic Picture
If you're interested in learning to work with Energetic Pictures, I suggest starting with my podcast and accompanying blog. Each episode explores a concept of wellbeing or healing through an Energetic Picture. You can then engage with the picture more deeply through my companion material. Guided meditations help you enter a flow state and move into the pictures, where you can shift with them toward greater wellbeing. Worksheets explain the fundamental principles of the pictures and suggest ways to work with them through self-paced practices, journaling prompts, and short reminders to carry with you into daily life.
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In the end, the picture itself becomes a sort of mantra or embodied reminder that helps you see where you are in a given moment, reorient yourself toward wellbeing, and take your next step with greater ease.
Learning Together
As a teacher—whether in a class or in individual mentoring—I am always looking at the underlying Energetic Picture. I offer guidance from that picture while also helping you see it and work with it yourself. Sometimes the picture represents a general principle of wellbeing; other times, it is very specific to the person or context. As a philosopher, I like to work through dialogue, exploring together what arises in the moment. As a mindfulness practitioner, I like for us to find a state of flow together. Group classes bring their own special alchemy, as we learn from and support one another. One-on-one sessions, in turn, create space for a more personalized journey.