What is following energy?

And what does it mean to follow the energy of your work, leadership and life?

A BLOG FEATURING SHORT VIDEOS & RUMINATIONS

Staci Boden 9/20/23 Staci Boden 9/20/23

Navigating ADHD with Following Energy

Following the energy can sometimes mean holding and living into questions for a long time.

Many years ago, I began noticing ADHD when clients who are moms started tracking differences with their children.

As these smart, intuitive, dedicated and loving women (many of you😍) began naming ADHD as a possibility for their kids, they also started wondering about their own unique wiring. These keen observations began making me wonder about my wiring too.

Then one day, in the midst of an embodied leadership group, ADHD came up, several participants self-identified and when someone commented casually, “following energy is really helping me with my ADHD,” they all nodded and smiled.

My jaw dropped. My stomach tightened. An inner voice exclaimed, “Holy shit, are you catching this?”

Why all the internal fuss?

Well, in 2008 my world got rocked when every woman in an ongoing group I was holding shared they’d been clinically diagnosed with anxiety at some point, and how energy healing had given them something western medicine couldn’t. Realizing energy work could soften fear not only crystallized how I could serve women with anxiety, it helped me recognize fear as a teacher for following energy overall.

Fast forward and this second holy shit moment introduced a new question: Was it possible that following energy could also be a resource for navigating ADHD?

Staci Boden 12/19/22 Staci Boden 12/19/22

3 Elements of Following Energy

If we’ve spent time together, you’ve heard me talk about following energy. A lot.

Following energy is rooted in Earth-based and feminine wisdom ways. The heart of following energy holds all life as a potential relationship. It’s possible to create a relationship with anyone or anything, starting with yourself.

Everyone I know who follows energy as a practice and approach to life agrees on one core tenant: by definition, following energy means staying behind it.

Don’t get ahead of the energy.

This is easy to write but embodying following energy is a whole other thing…which is why it’s a practice.

You can follow the energy of a person, group and heartfelt wish.

You can also follow the energy of your work and business as well as leadership.

Staci Boden 12/18/22 Staci Boden 12/18/22

How do you know if you’re following energy?

It was the early 2000’s in San Francisco when I began offering individual sessions with those who didn’t know about Earth-based or feminine wisdom ways much less “following energy”.

“How do I know if I’m following energy?”

“What does ‘stay behind the energy’ mean, anyway?”

“How will I know if following energy actually works?”

I just love feisty people.

Sitting with curious and brave people willing to grapple with me is what led to developing a shared language for following energy.

And before we got there, we spent awhile discussing the difference between push and flow as a felt experience.

Staci Boden 12/17/22 Staci Boden 12/17/22

How does following energy help you make decisions?

I regularly hold space for people to make all sorts of decisions.

Decisions about relationships and how to navigate conflict (helloooo codependency).

And choices about health—which can be especially confusing with mysterious or chronic symptoms.

When it comes to work, making decisions can be just as intense.

There are larger issues like choosing your field, earning more money, working solo or for others and maintaining a work-life balance.

And there’s also intricate yet mighty questions about services, leading projects, marketing, social media, individual or group dynamics (helloooo codependency) and….

Whoa. Even writing this is making my stomach clench.

Okay, so making a decision can feel challenging. Overwhelming. And even immobilizing.

Why?

Staci Boden 12/16/22 Staci Boden 12/16/22

How can following energy create great work?

Video is a whole new medium for me.

What's inspiring me to step forward is you.

Our interactions about following the energy of work and leadership.

How so many of us are clear that pushing isn't sustainable.

Just today I had an amazing conversation connecting pushing with urgency as a symptom of white supremacy which lives inside us all.

This made me appreciate that the roots of following energy rest in Earth-based and feminine wisdom that hold all life as a collaborative power-with relationship.

What might happen if we approach creating work as a way to grow (and practice) relationship?

How can following energy help create great work?

Staci Boden 12/15/22 Staci Boden 12/15/22

We interrupt this video series with a message from body

I'm interrupting our video series to share a real life story with you.

Consider it a message from body as a teacher for following energy.

Clearly, I'm all fired up to talk about following the energy of work and leadership more publicly right now.

Yes, this relates to my offering, Following Energy for Change Makers.

But I'm also feeling called to explore how to practice work in a more sustainable way. Especially with those who believe energy matters too.

Here's where following energy can expand potential in daily life.

Besides making videos, I've been producing Season 2 of my podcast focusing on my book with 8 teachers for learning how to follow energy.

It so happens that this month, body is the featured teacher on the podcast.

Staci Boden 12/14/22 Staci Boden 12/14/22

Letting go can make you feel powerful (shhh, don’t tell)

Sometimes a scene flashes where I see myself standing up in a room of strangers and confessing, “Hi, my name is Staci and I’m a recovering type A personality.”

Had control worked, I would be happily checking off my to do list right now.

But what I discovered years ago is that control is a fragile coping mechanism for life.

Often seeking control ends up controlling you, usually by terrorizing you with fear.

And so I invite you consider something:

Letting go can actually make you feel more powerful.

Staci Boden 12/13/22 Staci Boden 12/13/22

How can following energy make you a better leader?

I didn’t set out to become a group facilitator, or a leader.

Instead, somatic energy healing practices found me.

For example, one day 20 years ago, I was moving to music in a friend’s living room when a vision landed to explore dance as a ceremonial practice.

Because it was more fun to dance with others, we began inviting people over. Soon, the living room overflowed into a rented space and a fee to cover basics.

Gradually, periodic evenings grew into several monthly dance circles for women from September through June across the San Francisco Bay Area. Dancers started calling themselves a community. Many asked to become facilitators.

7Directions, a dance ceremony healing line, was born.

Sure, being a recovering type A personality has supported back end organization, production and communication over the years.

But what’s fueled my choice to keep practicing leadership with 7Directions through ongoing groups, retreats and facilitator trainings has been love.

Staci Boden 12/12/22 Staci Boden 12/12/22

Your next step for following energy starts with a word

The heart of following energy is getting behind the people and projects that you want to support.

"Staci Boden has been a steadfast guide for me over the past decade. Her skillful and compassionate insights have influenced my path greatly. She is fierce when it is called for, and a deep listener who nurtures as she teaches. I would not be the woman I am today wthout her support and love."

Tasha A.
"My husband and I found ourselves stuck in some patterns we were having trouble escaping. Working with Staci helped us identify the different ways in which we were effectively communicating and relating, and how we were not. She helped us gain greater understanding of our own energies and how we could create a both-and world."

Tina S.
"Staci's presence in my life has been unyielding and profound. With her support, I have been able to navigate living with depression and anxiety, going through major life/work/relationship transitions, and learning to work with the unknown and the unknowable. Staci never ceases to be a source of nurturance, guidance, and deep, deep care."

Lisa L.
"My beloved and I were fortunate to work with Staci over the course of 2+ years. Her skillful listening and pointed observations helped us to open to changes our relationship needed. The tools and practices along with having a place to talk it out together created a relationship container than holds us today. We would not have made it without her. Thank you, Staci for guiding and loving us."

Teresa C.
"Staci does not lead you into deep places unattended."

Catherine A.
"I started seeing Staci because I felt boxed in and trapped - literally. Staci helped me transform the box and get in touch with aspects of my life that had been long buried. She's provided the space and support to allow those aspects to thrive and flourish, which has helped me grow as a person. I no longer feel trapped and boxed in, my anxiety has diminished, and I've started writing again."

Carey H.
"Staci holds a sacred space better than anyone I have ever experienced."

Greta V.
"With Staci I've begun a journey into my own truth - one I've been afraid to take for this entire lifetime. But it feels as though she holds my hand and grants me space where I can come to trust my own instincts, intuition, and wisdom. When I'm overwhelmed I can rely on the tools I've found instead of various addictions. Sessions with Staci are the most worthwhile work I've ever done."

Diana C.
"Staci Boden is a spiritual midwife, holding you in her arms as you deliver yourself from the pain of the past. I will give you this warning: Do not step into this process with Staci unless you are truly prepared to awaken that which has been sleeping, deep inside of you, for far too long."

Gwen B.
"Staci was a clear, gentle and yet, ever present grounding force that helped me harness my own inner strength to leave an abusive relationship. From there, she's been a touchstone and guide for expanding into my own self-love and self-supportive capacity in its many permutations. I'm so grateful for the depths of Staci's innate wisdom and practical knowledge."

Jadyn D.
"Staci's methods helped me see that healing power is not only real, it is within all of us. Sometimes what it takes is learning a few tools and a lot of support."

Jay J.
"The unique earth-based wise-woman energy healing that Staci offers has allowed me to sit with and move through some of the most difficult transitions in my life with awareness and grace. Her sessions are just the right combination of talk (checking-in), energy work and assessment. I always feel seen, held, and lighter afterwards."

Hannah E.
"Recently I was struck by the (rather frightening) realization that, without Staci, I may have lived the rest of my life having never experienced the profound insight, awareness and healing this deep sacred work offers. Staci is the real deal. Where other practices I've tried have been more saccharine, her teaching is sweet honey, straight from the bee."

Jenny B.
"I trust Staci completely."

Mel F.
"Staci's loving support and wise guidance helped me through a very challenging phase of my life. She not only helped me to make sense of a painful ending with a friend, she also helped me to 'make medicine' out of it. I feel deeply grateful for Staci's integrative approach, wisdom and loving care."

Lindsay J.
"I am forever grateful to Staci and her beautiful book, which came into my life at a time when I was spinning in circles. Nothing compares to the loving container she upholds, the deep energy work and her mama bear presence. Thank you Staci for the ongoing space holding and guidance as I step into my heart work. Much love!"

Sam L.
"I'm in Michigan, so Staci and I work via Skype but she may as well be sitting right next to me. If I'm visualizing sitting by the sea, she will, in that exact moment, mention the sea. If an animal friend or spirit guide shows up for me, Staci knows it immediately. She can detect the precise sensations in my body and intuit how to work that energy. It's uncanny. I may never understand how she does this, but I'm just so grateful for her deep, powerful work."

Liz J.

What is following energy?

And what does it mean to follow the energy of your work, leadership and life?

A BLOG FEATURING SHORT VIDEOS & RUMINATIONS

"Staci Boden has been a steadfast guide for me over the past decade. Her skillful and compassionate insights have influenced my path greatly. She is fierce when it is called for, and a deep listener who nurtures as she teaches. I would not be the woman I am today wthout her support and love."

"Staci does not lead you into deep places unattended."

"Staci holds a sacred space better than anyone I have ever experienced."

"Staci Boden is a spiritual midwife, holding you in her arms as you deliver yourself from the pain of the past. I will give you this warning: Do not step into this process with Staci unless you are truly prepared to awaken that which has been sleeping, deep inside of you, for far too long."

"Staci's methods helped me see that healing power is not only real, it is within all of us. Sometimes what it takes is learning a few tools and a lot of support."

"I trust Staci completely."

"Staci's loving support and wise guidance helped me through a very challenging phase of my life. She not only helped me to make sense of a painful ending with a friend, she also helped me to 'make medicine' out of it. I feel deeply grateful for Staci's integrative approach, wisdom and loving care."