Energy Exercises
By John Ortiz, edited by Jonathan Atleson
Most spiritual and religious paths offer various ways to enhance one’s energy, providing fuel for living well, serving others, and deepening one’s spiritual connection. Whether it’s Tai Chi, Qigong, yoga in its various forms, or other techniques, many traditions have developed methods for cultivating energy.
For me, about 40 years ago, I adopted Paramahansa Yogananda’s Energization Exercises. Early on, I recognized that increasing my energy was key to improving my physical health, my mental/emotional state, and advancing my spiritual journey. Several stories come to mind from my experience over the years.
The Power of Priority
Early in my practice, one of my teachers asked me on a particularly busy day whether I had done my EEs (short for Energization Exercises). I explained how busy I had been, but he wasn’t having any of it.
He simply said, “If it’s a priority, it always gets done. Therefore, if you didn’t do them, they were not a priority, at least not that day.” It was checkmate. I couldn’t argue with his logic.
Energy in Action
I used to play in competitive volleyball tournaments that would last all day, requiring high energy. I would always start the day with energization exercises, which I discovered was way more effective than Wheaties.
I quickly learned that if I did my EEs during breaks between games, I would start each match feeling completely refreshed, with no fatigue and minimal need for food. By the end of the day, I felt just as energized as when I started.
My teammates even noticed and would say, “Hey, it’s time for you to do those funny exercises.”
Though they saw the beneficial effects, none of them ever asked to learn them!
A Mysterious Confirmation
One day in Daytona Beach, I started questioning whether these exercises were truly making a difference. I always felt better at the beach. So I wondered, was it the exercises, or was it simply being at the beach?
That day was unusually foggy. As I was doing my EEs, a man suddenly started yelling, “Hey, dude! Hey, dude!” I assumed he was a panhandler or wanted a cigarette.
But as he approached, he said, “Yogananda’s Energization Exercises! I watch you do them every day!” He gave me a thumbs-up and disappeared into the fog.
I stood there, stunned. What did he mean, he watched me every day? Did he live nearby? I looked around, but he was gone. Then I remembered: that very morning, I had asked myself whether these exercises truly made a difference. And here was my answer, delivered by a mysterious hippie, on a foggy beach, recognizing what I was doing and affirming it without hesitation.
The Baked Potato Hike
Years later, my father, who was living on Maui, invited me to visit. He had recently suffered a heart attack, so I was concerned about him doing anything too strenuous. One of our planned activities was a 12-mile hike down to Haleakala, the dormant volcano.
To complicate things, someone decided we should bring 70 baked potatoes. To make them easier to eat, we boiled them beforehand—but the added water made them as heavy as rocks. None of the group were experienced backpackers, and their small daypacks weren’t designed for carrying that kind of weight. I worried about their safety.
After meditating on what to do, I felt strongly that I should carry all the potatoes. The group thought I was being macho, but I insisted. My only condition was that we eat every last one at the bottom—I was not hiking them back up!
As I picked up my pack, I immediately realized it was the heaviest I had ever carried. After just ten steps, I thought, If I feel this now, how am I going to survive 12 miles? I started repeating a scripture to myself: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Along the way, small blessings appeared—a cloudy sky that kept the sun off, light misty rains that cooled us without soaking us. Despite my extreme exhaustion, I managed to make it all the way down to the cabin. There, I collapsed into bed, too tired to even take off my muddy boots and wet jacket!
It was at this moment that Spirit spoke to me, in characteristic know-it-all fashion: If you do your Energization Exercises, you’ll feel better.
An agument between Man and Spirit ensued: Are you kidding me? I can barely move!
Spirit countered: Haleakala is an energy vortex. You’ll feel the effects here even more than on the beach.
I appealed: Let me get some shut-eye and get back to you in the morning.
Spirit: If you don’t do them now, you’ll be too sore in the morning and you’ll lose an entire day. Checkmate!
I sighed, dragged myself upright, and stumbled outside into the rain. My group laughed. “You must have OCD! You’re really going out in the rain to do your exercises?”
But as soon as I started, I immediately felt the energy coursing through me. Within five minutes, I felt completely revived. By the time I finished, I was back to normal. I walked inside and said, “So, what’s for dinner?”
Everyone stared. “How did you do that?!”
I explained the Energization Exercises. Suddenly, everyone wanted to learn them. We spent the rest of the trip practicing together, experiencing the powerful energy of the vortex.
A Personal Evolution
Over time, I began adapting these exercises to suit my own understanding, eventually developing what I call Triad Healing Energization Exercises—based on Yogananda’s methods but incorporating my own refinements.
Yogananda taught four key words for these exercises:
Will: Mentally convert oxygen into energy and send it to a specific body part
Tense: Tighten that body part, filling it with energy
Relax: Release the tension
Feel: Experience the energy flow in its relaxed state
This cycle of tension and relaxation mirrors principles found in Tai Chi, Qigong, and Hatha Yoga, creating a polarization effect that “charges the battery.”
The Power of Energy Awareness
Many people don’t prioritize energy acquisition, yet they religiously charge their phones. Just as a phone charges faster when it’s only halfway drained, our bodies and spirits recharge more effectively when we maintain a consistent practice rather than waiting until we’re completely depleted.
When starting Energization Exercises, many people don’t feel much at first. This is normal—it takes practice to develop awareness. I encourage people to use an energy scale:
1 = Can’t get out of bed
10 = Best energy you’ve ever felt (but let’s call this a 9, because we can always reach higher)
Before doing the exercises, assess your energy level. Then do the exercises and reassess. The first time you increase your number, you’ll realize that energy is a choice.
Conclusions
Energy is essential to health, wellness, spirituality, and service to others. If we make energy acquisition a priority, we don’t have to accept fatigue as inevitable. In fact, by cultivating energy intentionally, we can have more energy, eat less food, and feel more spiritually connected. I consider energy to be a key component in my eternal quest for the legendary Fountain of Youth.
Note: We have plans to someday create an instructional video on how to do John’s version of the Energy Exercises! If this is something you’d like to see, leave a comment, consider becoming a paid subscriber to this Substack, and/or contribute to our GiveSendGo fundraising campaign!
Wow, very very interesting indeed, thank you Jonathan
I’d be interested to see this