Sometimes it seems like we are randomly gifted by peak experiences, when we feel indubitably connected to something bigger than us all, something that gives us a glimpse beyond the veil, something that enables us to transcend the hustle and bustle of the everyday. These moments can feel truly life-changing, but when we come back down from that experience and re-enter the familiar rhythm of daily life, it’s easy to feel disconnected from that magic. One way we can integrate those peak experiences into our present reality is to recall—bodily—what it felt like in that moment. You can start with memory, but the point is to bring it down from the mind into a highly sensual experience. The more you can transport yourself back to that moment and relive it through all your senses and emotions, the easier it will be to anchor it into your body. What you are doing is anchoring the vibration of the experience so you can recall it and reexperience it ever more easily going forward.
I liken this process to how our bodies know what it feels like to be in the presence of a loved one. Notice how you experience each loved one’s particular energetic signature. It isn’t the same being in the presence of a romantic partner as it is, say, an old friend or your dear grandmother. And notice how even from afar, when you are missing that person, your body can remember what it is like being in their presence.
Calling up a past peak experience can be a lot like that. And just as remembering a loved one might not be as powerful as being in their physical presence, reliving a peak experience might pale in comparison to the actual experience. Still, if you do this regularly enough, that “muscle” will no doubt strengthen, and I believe that in this way you can reap the physiological, mental, and emotional benefits of the experience over and over again.
Let’s get more specific: Maybe you experienced divine peace during a yoga retreat or touched something deep in yourself during a meditation. Perhaps you tried to chase this bliss and have gotten frustrated at each turn. The feeling seems to escape you. The secret to success is to stop chasing. Simply set the intention to open yourself to the feeling. Relax and let it come to you.
This is a lot like dream recall. If you wake up in the morning knowing you’ve had a a significant dream but can’t remember any of it, the last thing you want to do is to go into hyper-focus because that will just shut down the energy immediately. A more effective way of remembering dreams is to keep still and let yourself fall back ever so lightly into the dreamstate. Chances are your dream will float back into the edges of your consciousness.
It was really interesting to hear what sort of experiences everyone in the room was tapping into. We got a spectrum of feelings ranging from a feeling of “openness” and “flow” to an “encounter with God.” Bodily, people reported tingling in different areas of the body (or all over) and a feeling of a presence in the heart. I could relate to everything said. I also shared an experience when in the middle of a sitting meditation I suddenly felt like the Tardis from Doctor Who: “bigger on the inside,” as well as the time in Peru when I felt like I was breathing in sync with the entirety of creation.
Although it might seem that “the moment has passed,” we can tap into this magic as much as wish if we just take the time to work consciously with this energy by anchoring it in our bodies and letting it fill us and nourish us as needed.
If you have any experiences you’d like to share below, I’d love to hear about it!
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