In our chaotic culture we often find ourselves feeling ‘exhausted’.
It is useful to delve into this exhaustion to unravel what might be going on, the messages and initiations it holds, and the pathways to greater authenticity / energy / freedom.
There are a number of possibilities to explore:
We have a medical basis for the exhaustion that requires immediate treatment for the symptoms in order to prevent our physical and energetic systems from becoming even more compromised and leading to more serious medical issues. Once the medical ‘risk’ is under ‘control’ then the deeper, underlying causes of the exhaustion can be examined (see below).
We are giving our energy to someone beyond what is healthy for us. This is often the case when we are engaged in ‘pleasing’ as a trauma response. It is useful to examine both the way we are giving our energy, the motivation(s), and the payoff(s) we receive. Working with our younger ‘pleaser’ parts can be a pathway to resolving both trauma and exhaustion.
We are connected to someone, usually through an emotional bond (positive or negative), and through this bond or energy ‘cord’ they are pulling energy from us. It is not uncommon for people to ‘suck’ energy from others. Often we can scan our energy field to determine where the cord is connected to us and remove it. However it is also important to examine and resolve the emotional bond that allows the cord to exist, otherwise it will return. This work often involves deep inquiry into the origin and nature of our relationships.
We are living in, or are exposed to, a toxic environment or are continuously witness to toxic relationships. Our homes, workplaces and even natural settings are becoming more and more polluted by toxins (especially plastics) and dysfunctional emotional relationships. If our bodies and psyches are continually responding to being ‘poisoned’ this requires a great deal of energy and can lead to exhaustion. Being aware of the toxins around us, and the ones we are most sensitive to, can assist us in navigating through this maze.
As we go through life, we (+spirit) are continuously creating situations and experiences that expose our ‘triggers’ and contain messages. These can be the basis for ongoing initiation and transformation. They are meant to ‘stimulate’ us to learn, grow / change and then be released. If we effectively ‘digest’ the experiences and messages then we can clear them away and be ready for the next ones. However if we are unable to digest the material, or our release system is blocked, and we hold on without making medicine of them, then they build up inside up. This build up requires energy to keep it under wraps and we become exhausted. By reviewing where we are holding on and stuck, we can work to release what we are holding on to and free up our energy for the situations, experiences, messages and teachings of the present.
We are engaged in deep personal work and we are on the edge of a breakthrough that will significantly change us and our world. At this point our inner protectors may believe that what we are about to encounter is too dangerous or painful and so will use exhaustion (physical, mental, emotional) as a tool to slow us down, and deflect our attention to working on the symptoms of exhaustion. Recognizing the way our protectors are using exhaustion and working with them to ‘stand down’ and let us engage in the deeper and potentially more discombobulating inner work can allow us to bring our full energy to the deeper work.
As we move deeper into the chaos of our times, and the unravelling of modernity, exhaustion is likely to increasingly become a debilitating effect in our societies and potentially in us.
Awareness of the causes and responses to exhaustion can allow us to use our tools of deep inquiry to move from being exhausted to feeling the increased flow of energy that occurs when we effectively engage in our trauma transformations.