Think of the Energy level as more like all the subtle, invisible stuff that we can sense but aren’t always attuned to. What some schools would call “chi” or “prana”.

This level also includes any way that energy can move, for example the way oxygen moves through the bloodstream when you breathe or how the brain and rest of the nervous system release hormones or transmit information through electrical impulses.

Whereas the Awareness level — also pretty subtle — relates to spiritual understanding, awareness of yourself and your relation to the world around you. Connection would also fit into the Awareness level.

If you want to learn more about this stuff, I would point you to my teacher, yoga master Andrey Lappa. His theory work is absolutely genius, and I believe you can get DVDs with his theoretical lectures through http://pranamaya.com.

That’s a pretty short answer, but I hope it kind of points you in a helpful direction!

Also, does Connection fit in there, or could it be a sixth option? For me, connecting with things (people, touchstone concepts, experiences (for example, being in nature))–these things don’t fit squarely in just one of the other categories.

But maybe I’m missing something?

I keep coming back to these ideas, so they have some pull for me. Any reading suggestions?

I actually prefer your “flow” and “growth” to the corresponding “energy” and “awareness”. Flow actually works better with the sanskrit version (prana maya kosha) anyway. And love that you’re applying.

A huge part of the “working on your stuff” process — for me anyway — is recognizing that any technique can work for all sorts of things. Mix and match, collect them all, etc, but then take each one and apply to everything. Because you never know.

Anyway, your comment is a really lovely reminder of the way it seems like we all get to the same good stuff, in radically different ways.

I stumbled upon them when I was helping my mom through chemo a few years back and needed to make some order out of the chaos that is all that. My list called ‘energy’ “flow” and ‘awareness’ “growth” but your terms are more concrete and really useful. When that IDing and sorting helped me act on my care-giving, I found it kept me sane. So I applied it to a very different work that I do with my clients and it helps them, too.

Thanks for another great tool to nurture, heal and grow — whether it’s over a personal trauma or used to grow an idea, very useful indeed.