SC Musings for Nitya Gurukula

Holistic Energy- Part 2

July 19, 2024

Dear Readers, Welcome to SC Musings, Blog 15,

We have explored the meaning of energy, its forms and manifestations in Blog 14, using the NG Holistic model and Berne’s concepts of bound, unbound, and free cathexis, backed by my experiences, a case study and events. Before venturing into energy and self, let’s take a brief look at interpretations of energy in different cultures.

There are diverse references to energy in Eastern traditions, like prana, shakti, chi or qi, yin and yang, kundalini (Mellor, 2017, p.56). Berne briefly addresses ‘physis’, the ‘life force’ which is represented by the aspiration arrow (2018, p.215). The common thread in these various interpretations of energy is that it is a subtle, unifying and harmonizing force.

Back to back trips to Chettinad and Chennai by road and flight, to participate in a marriage, and experience NG @ Chennai, constituted a large chunk of my travel diary this fortnight. The totally different ambiences in these two places, which unleashed different energies in me, were intriguing and inspiring.

Travelling to Chettinad, accompanied by a cloud covering throughout provided blessed relief from the prolonged heat of summer; the regal western ghats, enveloped in green were a visual treat.

Chidambara Vilas, my overnight halt, was a refurbished Chettinad home, with modern facilities. There was a subtle blend of tradition and modernity in this resort; this blend was reflected in the food, the way it was served and the overall hospitality which filled the space.

Radhakrishnan, a dear friend, oversaw the construction of Devi Durai, the building where Nitya Gurukula is situated, which continues to draw individuals, due to its minimalist elegance. Radha, as I address him, guided the process from start to finish, in his own subtle and inimitable style. Our friendship has grown over decades, extending to our family members; and attending his younger daughter’s wedding was a labour of love.

Bride Deepika’s smile of welcome and recognition as she walked to the stage filled me and made the trip worthwhile. Radha and his wife Saradha, showered me with gifts, love and hospitality, and I returned to Coimbatore, satiated and glowing with a sense of belonging.

I soaked in the ambience of NG@ Chennai situated in West Mambalam – a bustling area with a distinct character, emitting tradition and culture. Dotted with places of worship, this part of Chennai preserves its historical ethos.

Dialoguing with Sudha, our NG COO, a life and live supervision*, culminated with a visit to the psychology department at the University of Madras. While Sudha introduced ITCC 2024 to the post graduate students, I engaged in a deep discussion about the status of my Ph.D. thesis; thesis evaluations are held up at the University due to the lack of a Vice Chancellor. The frustration and angst in us research scholars, whose thesis is hanging in mid-air is indescribable.

We are moving now to the self and energy, the theme of this blog and let’s begin with self.

Self is the identity which emerges and is created from birth, maybe even earlier, during conception and in the womb. Experiences, both internal and in the environment, what are known as nature and nurture, carve out an identity, the self, which is embedded in each one of us. Applying the Holistic Model, we can state that the different layers and dimensions we are made up of, namely our body, emotions, thinking, behaviours, social and spiritual, along with space and time, contribute individually and collectively to self.

In Figure 15.3, Self is placed in the centre of the Holistic Model. There is an ‘I’ on the left of the horizontal line in the Model, which indicates identity in relationship to others, which can be described as an individuated consciousness. Self in the centre is identity, which is embodied, that is, embedded in the body, experienced by the person and others in the environment. Our body language, which includes our posture, gestures, facial expressions, tone of voice, and how we move our bodies, to name a few, are manifestations of self.

Despite the ambiguity about self, we can claim that there are as many self’s in this universe as there are human beings. At present we will not concern ourselves with aliens!!

In tracing the origin and describing self, I have captured a miniscule aspect of this entity. A life time is spent by many, over millenniums, trying to make sense of self; ironically it is the innermost and intimate part of us- maybe our essence, but evades capturing.

This is because, I believe, that the energy which gives life to and moves self is invisible, imperceptible and subtle. However, it makes things happen all the time everywhere. Its presence is in everything, everywhere and at all times; and the self is also intangible.

Attempting to describe self and energy in simple, understandable terms has brought us to the paradoxes we are facing and dealing with in life. And, to further add to the confusion, we have personal, professional, organisational, regional, and global self’s. These self’s arise from the roles we play in the different arenas. So, the question hitting us is, where does my-self begin and end, and what kind of energy propels it? Leaving this question to philosophers and spiritual seekers, we move on to linking self and energy with our present understanding.

Returning to my travel experiences, I experienced an exploring, connecting self in Chettinad. Despite repeated trips, the region continues to intrigue, excite and fascinate me. The genuine warmth and hospitality it exudes which manifests in the buildings and the people, touches one deeply and holistically. When we are open to receive, it nourishes and nurtures the self.

In Chennai, the quaintness of West Mambalam, the University of Madras with its regal buildings situated on the Marina, and our NG dialogues brought hope and restored energy. Despite Ph.D. evading me, in spite of the effort and energy invested in submitting it, a realisation dawned about managing energy in desperate and unpredictable situations.

University of Madras holds a special place in my life- it’s a significant landmark. It begins with the many stories my father told us about his undergraduate experiences in Presidency College, situated almost next door to the University. His favourite one was the statement made by one of professors: “look the male cows are grazing”. An experience of elation, awe, and wonder wells within when I enter the premises - which comes from its history, with the likes of Ramanujan Iyengar (2016, 2024) and Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy (2024) as alumni; also, the purposeful movements of the seekers and facilitators, the students, and faculty, inspire. The self feels blessed by the ambience and the happenings there- delays in Ph.D. take the back seat, with a higher purpose drawing the spirit upwards.

From afore mentioned experiences, it becomes evident that places and people, the connections made, stimulates and enhances energy in self.

In Blog 15, after discussing self and energy, I have linked them through my experiences in Chettinad and Chennai. Realising it’s a deep exploration of intangibles, I am pressing the pause button, to give you space and time,

Dear Readers, to reflect on your- self and holistic energy. I bring your attention here to the fact that I have not yet touched on the universal Self- (with a capital S). Let’s see if we can address this Self later.

Dear Reader, I am grateful you are accompanying me on this journey of discovering the treasury of self and holistic energy.

Looking forward to seeing you in Blog 16 with the topic: self-other-energy.

Glossary

‘life and live supervision’: supervision is a contractual relationship between the supervisee and the supervisor for enhancing the professional development and growth of the supervisee, in service of the client/trainee/student as the case maybe. Life supervision is supervision given and received for the overall life process of the supervisee. Live supervision is given in person, unlike report, phone or online supervisions. This description and types of supervision have emerged from Nitya Gurukula’s four decades of practising supervision.

References

Berne, E. (2018). (original work published 1972). What do you say after you say hello? The psychology of Human destiny. Corgi Books. London, UK.

Blog 15

Mellor, K. (2017). Life the Hidden Template, Life Energy the Driving Force, Grounding the Action. Transactional Analysis Journal, 47(1), 54–67. https://doi.org/10.1177/0362153716680377

Ramanujan Iyengar, (2016): https://www.soulprints.in/celebrity/Srinivasa-Ramanujan-Iyengar

Ramanujan Iyengar, (2024): https://ast.wikipedia.org/wiki/Srinivasa_Aiyangar_Ramanujan

Muthulakshmi Reddy, (2024): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muthulakshmi_Reddy