Understanding Control & Manipulation: an Empowerment Exercise

By removing ourselves from controlling or manipulative situations, and removing the energetic control mechanisms of the past, we can become Empowered.

This exercise seeks to help us to move towards a self that is not deeply affected by outside control or manipulation, we focus here on clearing the energetic effects of past relationships and situations.

Important Note:- if you are currently in a relationship (romantic, familial or other), whereby you feel you are being controlled or manipulated then it is important to seek help from a trained professional or organisation - there is a list of helpful links on this NHS website: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/getting-help-for-domestic-violence/

Any form of control or domination - by another, an organisation, or a historic trend or practice - over one person or a population, can affect our ability to be or become our true selves.

We can begin by considering the most impactful relationships on our lives by reviewing the control asserted over us by our parents (or other caregivers), from the moment we were born to the moment we began trying to assert our individuality. Were you encouraged to be yourself ? Or were you required to sit quietly in a corner and simply ‘obey’.

We cannot underestimate the power of those interactions in our early years and how these relationships can shape how we view ourselves and how we behave. Do we feel safe to assert out personalities into a space? Or do we feel forever bound by the spoken or unspoken control mechanisms put in place by a dominating parent, or an educational, religious, or political system?

In adult life these controls and restraints continue, perhaps in romantic relationships, or work scenarios, or simply in how we respond to the rules that are applied to us every single day, where to stand, what to eat, and how to live our lives.

This control and restraint on ourselves continues deep into the past, our current lives, and into our future.

The echos of a past control continue to affect us and how we interact today.

From the past we may be carrying the restraints applied to women in a patriarchal society, or even the control and dominance of a country that heavily repressed a part of a population, for example in order to be used for unpaid work.

For every control or dominating action we are subject to, I see and feel a weakening of the energy body. As if these behaviours and practices by others in some way feed off our energy body, leaving us more exposed and subject to their will, and not our own. We can see some forms of control as cords of energy reaching out from the source of control and attaching to us, keeping us exactly where the other wants us to be. In order to become ourselves, we must break free from all restraints.

In a world so heavily dominated by the ‘other’ how can we possibly assert ourselves as individuals ?

The answer could lie in first identifying the controls that we have been subject to; those from the past, and those which may continue into our present day. Some of these controls may be hidden, subconscious, and as such we do not need a complete list before we can work on removing them.

However, where the controls are strong or continuing in your current life it may be necessary (with the help and guidance of trained professionals where needed): firstly, to consider removing yourself from that relationship or situation, freeing yourself physically; secondly, to free yourself mentally and emotionally; and, thirdly, to free yourself energetically.

Summary:-

1. Free yourself physically

2. Free yourself mentally and emotionally

3. Free yourself energetically

In this context of Energy Work, we can consider the energetic effect of such control. An assessment can be made to see what possible outside influence has been affecting you with an Energy Health Check assessment, and then the energetic aspects of those controls and influences can be removed in an Energy Healing Session.

You can also begin work on removing those energetic imprints of control in the following exercise:-

Please note:- This exercise is may not be suitable for beginners or newcomers to energy work and visualisation practices.

Step 1:-

Find a comfortable seated position, closing your eyes, and begin to focus on deepening your breath. Stay here for a few moments, simply inhaling and exhaling. Feeling supported by the ground beneath you.

Step 2:-

Begin to focus on any feelings that you have noticed of being controlled or manipulated in some way, are there areas in your life where you do not feel free ? For example, as a woman or female-identifying person in a patriarchal society, as a free-thinker in a religious setting, or as an artist living in a restrictive and judgemental environment.

Notice where you are seeing or feeling this in the body. Perhaps it is a constraint on your thinking, your ability to express your feelings or your true self. Does this feel like a constraint on your breathing ? Or perhaps it is felt as a tension in the body, are you clenching your jaw as you begin this exercise ? Or perhaps anger is rising, or a sense of powerless or weakness is experienced.

Whatever information arises here, your awareness of a situation that needs attention is increasing. Perhaps at this stage you may make a realisation about a person or situation that needs to be changed, you may become aware of practical action that needs to be taken after the exercise (see the list of helpful links on NHS website above) - make a note of this, and come back to your breath.

Focus on that issue of control, manipulation or restraint, bringing to mind a feeling of control that you want to let go of; you may see this as energy cords connecting you to a person, or it may simply be a feeling of imbalance relating to a situation.

1. Breathing in:- bring your attention to a strong source of energy - for example, the sun (keep your imagination open, maybe you are drawn to connecting with the element of fast flowing water, or even a powerful fire), breath in that energy.

   
   

2. Breathing out:- then as you exhale, imagine breathing out that feeling or energy of control . Using the strength of the sun or fire energy, you may imagine pushing a person or a feeling out of your body, out of your energy field with a deep and forceful exhale, you may even be drawn to using your hands, your arms to push this energy out. And if you see or feel cords of energy binding you to someone or some place, then as you exhale imagine pushing those cords out of your body, your energy field, or simply cutting or burning through these ties, releasing yourself.

Continue inhaling and exhaling in this way until it feels like the person or issue has less power, less control over you, and you feel more Empowered. You take back control, you take back your Power, you feel more Empowered, you are Empowered.

As you move towards becoming a more Autonomous Self, you can be, act and live more of yourself.

Step 3:-

Once this feels complete in that moment, come back to your breath. Simply inhaling and exhaling, and this time, as you inhale breathe in light energy and as you exhale imagine filling any gaps in your energy field with that new energy, continue inhaling and exhaling in this way to strengthen your energy body - do this at least three times.

Please Note:- If any difficult memories or emotions come up when doing this exercise, stop, come back to your breath and consider seeking the help of a trained therapist of counsellor.