The Best Use of Your Energy Right Now (Mercury Retrograde and All)

If you have felt more tired of late, it’s natural to feel more fatigued right now. 

If you have felt a little down, you are not alone.

If you have been annoyed or frustrated because you haven’t been able to get something accomplished, I invite you to take a pause, conserve your energy, and rethink your approach. You are likely to spend three times the effort it would normally take to get things done right now. And external energies are working against you. 

If things just feel harder than you think they should, there is a reason. 

The combined energies of Winter, Mercury Retrograde (January 30^th – February 20^th) and the Pandemic fatigue that is palpable from the collective consciousness are sending us all a signal to:

STOP, slow down, LOOK at how you are feeling, and LISTEN to your heart’s needs versus muscle through.

Winter in Chinese Medicine is a time when it is suggested by acupuncturists to follow nature’s example like many animals–take a break, hibernate, and replenish your energy stores. 

For us this likely means stopping some of our regular activities if they don’t feel good right now.

So, if you have a workout planned and are feeling physically resistant to doing it, listen to your body. Maybe gentle yoga stretching, a walk in nature, energy work, or a nap may be more rejuvenating.

See if you can slow down, stop, and give yourself the time to be more present to what would feel replenishing. Rest, warm foods, inspiring books, and TV are a healthy menu for restoration right now.

If it doesn’t feel like it will fill you up, let it go 😉

Mercury Retrograde (January 30^th – February 20^th) is historically, notoriously known for muddling with plans, communication, and technology.

“Three or four times a year, Mercury passes the earth in its orbit. As it rounds the bend, Mercury slows down and appears to stop (station) and spin backward (retrograde).”

– AstroStyle.com

So while Mercury appears to be moving backwards, it’s a good idea to mimic its behavior and take a pause on moving any agenda forward. Instead, take a closer look at what is happening and review: 

• How you back up and preserve your data
• How your plans and your communication honor your heart’s desires.

If it doesn’t feel right, re-think doing or saying it at all. 

Which brings me to the energy being projected by the collective consciousness. Society is agitated and exhausted from a tough year and the ongoing stress of the Pandemic. The energy being discharged right now can wear on you, especially if you are an empath. 

What you pay attention to grows. 

So, it’s timely, healing, and protective to turn your attention inward and to have this dialogue with your heart.

Consistently ask yourself these questions, especially if things go haywire: 

What do I want?

How do I want to feel?

In Chinese Medicine, Winter is associated with the element of water. One of my favorite quotes comes from my pal and intuitive psychotherapist, Terri Cole,

When you feel like you are swimming upstream, flip over and float.

I know, easier said than done when you are feeling stressed!

Here’s an exercise to help you physically relax, so you can flip over and get into flow with the restorative energy of the season and your heart’s desires:

1. Identify where you feel stress or tension in your body. Name the emotion associated with it, anxiety, worry, overwhelm, panic, grief, fear, etc, 
2. Think about how you would like to feel instead. If you are facing a problem, ask yourself, how would I feel if this got solved in an ideal way? (Relieved, Excited, Happy, Calm, At Peace, Satisfied, Inspired?)
3. Sit in the Crossed Posture. Cross one ankle over the other. Stretch your hands out in front of your chest with backs of hands facing one another. Cross your arms, then clasp your hands together, and rest them on your lap.
4. Take deep breathes into wherever that tense feeling resides in your body as you repeat this phrase:

Fill in the blank with your feeling from #2.

“I can feel more and more  ______ (ease, free, joy, masterful) today.”

Repeating this phrase in this posture can help you calm a stress response and embody this feeling.

Like energy attracts like energy.

When you feel crappy, more things tend to go wrong.

When you feel good, you tend to have a better day.

Much love and ease,

So, even if things crash and break, you get to choose how you want to feel as you pick up the pieces.

And more ease, freedom, joy, or mastery just feel better.️

Give this healing to yourself. Allow this gentle, healing energy to flow 
from you and to you, spreading to your whole body and bringing calm and healing where it is needed.

Ask yourself what you need to hear and feel right now to give kindness to yourself. Say the following: 

“May I be kind to myself.”

“May I forgive myself.”

“May I be strong.”

“May I be compassionate to myself.”

“May I learn from my experiences.”

“May I accept myself as I am in this moment.”

“May I be patient.”

“May I give myself the kindness and compassion that I need.”

—Jennifer Weinberg