Balancing the Light and Dark[credits]
by Robert Morgen
Integrating my dark side was a fairly torturous process for me,
partly because I made it harder than it had to be. Apparently I do
that a lot. :)
One of the problems at the time was my ability to get out of my
own way and I continually tried to micro-manage the process rather
than giving in to it and going where it wanted to take me. Part of
that was from my own misconceptions about the light and dark and my
reactions to them.
Many of us spend a long time trying to suppress the various
elements of our light and dark sides partially because we're taught
to believe that light is 'good' and dark is 'evil' as if the 2
extremes didn't exist in all of us.
For example, a lot of healers tend to shy away from the dark
side and when it does manifest it's usually in some context that
the healer may be shocked by or ashamed of. Thereafter the healer
may have a negative connotation with the dark side of their being.
Sometimes these connotations can come from events that happen when
we're small children or even possibly be hold-overs from past
lives.
It's important to find examples of the dark and light that can
be manifested positively and enjoyably as everything has to balance
and it's unnatural for us to always be one or the other. Music,
dance, theatre, movies, martial arts and sexuality are some of the
ways that you can find positive examples of both the dark and the
light. In reality you can find positive examples anywhere, these
are some that I personally enjoy.
This is where the self awareness part of kundalini awakening
comes in. You have to know yourself well enough to become
comfortable with all the aspects of your personality, and to find
creative ways to balance your proclivities. If you spend all day
giving reiki treatments and listening to soothing new age music
then take some time in the evening and pop in a suitably dark movie
or some nice dark music on the stereo. If you choose the music then
turn off the lights, close your eyes and do some moving meditation
and ecstatic dancing. You might be surprised at what you're able to
clean out of your system this way.
What's important here is to learn to be comfortable with your
dualities, and then get beyond them. This can be a journey of self
discovery that can take you places that you didn't know you could
go.
Dealing with Negativity
Once you begin to become comfortable with your dualities you can
begin to associate with the positive (good for you) light and dark
traits and abilities.
Keeping a positive mindset is extremely important here as you're
pushing your comfort levels to new extremes. We usually lump
negativity into the 'Dark' category, but having a negative attitude
isn't a positive dark trait. J
Remember that this is all about developing your own sense of
personal mastery. When you give in to negative feelings and
emotions then you are giving away your personal power.
Yin/Yang Exercise
Here's an exercise that I've been playing with for a couple of
weeks now.
Pick the meditation position that you prefer and take a moment
to ground yourself. Do this by letting your energetic roots grow
down into the earth and feel the earth energy flow up into you on
the inhale, all the way up over your head.
As you exhale release all your stress and tension and let it
flow back down into the earth to be recycled. Feel your muscles
relax as this stress bleeds out of your body and feel your
connection to the earth increase and you draw in each breath. Do
this as long as necessary to become relaxed and feel a good
connection to the energy.
Now as you inhale, feel the dark earth energy flow up the back
side of your body, while simultaneously opening up and feeling the
light universal energy flow down through the crown of your head and
down the front of your body.
As you exhale see the 2 bands of energy swirl through you and
into a yin/yang symbol that encompasses you. Continue at this level
til you can do that with one breath comfortably.
The next step is to let loose of your perceptions and BECOME the
yin/yang symbol. Feel yourself expand beyond your usual physical
boundaries with the light and dark energies swirling through you in
perfect balance. If the energy wants to continue spiraling then let
it.
Now begin to expand yourself, feeling the connectivity to the
light/dark energy in everything around you. It's all the same
energy and the parts of it that are in you are also the parts of
you that are in it. Feel your energy expand til it fills (feels)
the room, now let it expand to fill your house, your city, your
state. Continue expanding out through the solar system, then the
universe.
This is the energy that's all around us all the time. We're as
much a part of it as it's a part of us, and in reality there's NO
DIFFERENCE between it/us. We/it encompass everything and we're/it's
the basic building blocks for everything that ever was or is.
It's the proper balance of the light/dark/, masculine/feminine,
good/bad and positive and negative that holds everything together.
"For every action there's an equal and opposite reaction" is not
just a good idea, it's the law.
Take awhile here and feel the connections to the universe within
and without. FEEL the swirl of the galaxies within you and
visualize them as tiny yin/yangs all swirling together inside a
larger yin/yang which is also just another swirl and realize (make
REAL) that the dualities don't really exist, that they are just
perceptions of the same reality.
Now choose one of the swirling yin/yangs at random and let
yourself fall into it. This should be easy since (sense) your
connection to everything also gives you unlimited abilities. As you
fall into this swirling galaxy you can see that it's made up of
billions of swirling little solar systems all made up of little
yin/yangs. Choose one at random and flow into it. See the little
yin/yangs rotating around a larger one in the center. Choose one of
these at random and flow down to it. When you look more closely at
it you can see that it is also made up of billions of swirling,
individual yin/yangs. Choose one of these and flow into it.
Now without letting go of your connection to the universe, can
you open your eyes and feel the light/dark energies swirling all
around you? Did you come back down to the same room and body and
mindset that you left? Does it matter?
Play with this as there are infinite possibilities and energies
to explore.
Robert Morgen is a Reiki Master who holds a Black Belt in Hoshinjutsu and a Brown Belt in Combat Hapkido. He’s founder of the Mystic Village Online Community
He writes a regular column on subtle (or internal) energy for Fight Times Magazine and a column on Kundalini Awakening at Kundalini Awakening Online Magazine. He’s the author of 3 books and 4 CDs on meditation and energy work.
He’s a member of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids as well as the International Bujinkan Dojo Association, Canemasters International and the International Combat Hapkido Federation.
Robert Morgen’s book "Kundalini Awakening for Personal Mastery" (ISBN: 0-9773801-0-6) is available at a bookstore near you. His new book "Easy Meditation for Martial Artists" (ISBN: 0-9773801-3-0) will be available in 2007.
You can learn more about his books, free events and newsletters at his website.
Check out Robert's Books & Audio CDs
| 
