Hello,
I have been reading up on energy work and the comment was the right side is normally the projection side for energy and the left side is the receiving side for energies.
As a lefty, so you find that it is the opposite?
If you are ambidextrous did you pick a side or do you find you change sides depending on what is going on or how you are feeling?
Thanks!
Hi @Phoenix_Rose,
Thatās a really great question- after thinking on it for a little bit, I realized that when I do energy work I donāt personally split the energy. When I do the chi ball exercise, grounding, energy healing, or meditation, I tend to gather energy into a central location and try to balance it there. So apologies, Iām probably not the best one to try to answer this question! 
If I can look at this from a theoretical perspective, Iād say it would depend on the reasoning behind using left and right:
ā Is this exercise drawing on something internal, like the different halves of the brain? (If so, then yes- youād want to consider switching to match your dominant side)
Or
ā is it to tune in with outside forces, like directions such as east and west? (In which case, no- the directions and other outside forces are fixed)
Just offering up my two cents for your consideration! Iām sure others will have additional thoughts for you too 
Blessed be and happy energy work! 
Thanks for your response!
But that is a great answer- having no receiving/ projecting side is another option to consider.
Years ago I learned Reiki. I donāt think I ever did any of it with a receiver/ projector hand. I would be inclined not to. However, I am willing to explore to experience it and then decide.
Agreed. In the book it was presented as a dominance thing but then went on to say traditionally the left side is the moon/receiving side and the right is the sun/projecting side. ( Most likely because most are right handed or made to be right handed. 
)
@TheTravelWitch_Bry Conceptually, where do you gather the energy from?
I tend to imagine in coming in from the universe through my crown chakra through me out my hands. I always felt weird gathering it from myself as I worried I was depleting my own energy (over-thinker here)
This is exactly how Iāve heard it from my energy healer friendsā¦ not to use your own energy as itās limited, but to be a channel. One way Iāve heard it done and how I do it on myself is connecting to both the Source through your crown chakra, and to Earth through your root / earth star chakra, the two energies joining together in the heart and expressing through your hands. āThe arms and hands are the extension of your heartā is an expression Iāve heard. 
Thanks @CelestiaMoon !
I connect earth and universal energy when grounding. I will look at this for energy work too.
So when you are sensing energy- do you use one hand predominately or both or do you use a different way to sense energy?
Youāre welcome, I hope you can find a way that feels right to you 
It depends, sometimes I use both of my hands to sense or to project, sometimes out of convention more than anything else I use my dominant hand to project and submissive one to sense. Iām right handed, but Iāve trained myself to be somewhat ambidextrous 
I found Reiki was the means by which I opened up to all of this. It seems to have set me on the path to all of this, Not only the Craft, but Feng Shui, Herbalism, and First Nation beliefs and practices. In all āschoolsā the most important and overriding thing is intention, no matter which hand or practice.
Hello @Shadeweaver, 
I absolutely agree that intention is the most important thing! Where thought goes energy follows. I have spent most of my life focusing on the intention based on my exposure/teachings. But I was always dabbling.
Now that I am regularly exploring witchcraft I want to experience the rites and rituals as well. I also want to explore different ways to do things. I basically ask questions, synthesize the answers and then do what is right for me.
I find the answers given by others help me figure out my blockages with certain things as I explore different ways of doing things.
And the end of it all, I know my intentions will always be there to help (or hinder ).
I write with my right hand and use my left for everything else! So Iām kind of ambidextrousā¦ Sometimes, if Iām working with pain, I will use my left hand to remove it and release it out through my right hand. (I know when Iām done because I stop feeling the pain 
) If Iām just healing a specific area I use both hands, allowing the energy to come into my crown chakra and out of both of my hands. I was taught, left receives and right sends, but I can use either. I think it only makes a difference if you believe it does.
With love 
and magick 
always
Thanks everyone!!!
I am going to play with energy sensing tonight 
It kind of depends for me with the situation.
Sometimes I draw it in with my dominant hand & release it.
Other times if its something like a ball, Iām using both hands.
Depending on the type of energy, I will draw with my non dominant hand & release with my dominant & there are other times if its built up, I release using both.
For me itās sort of situational & what Iām doing. Also which is easier at the time.
Most times its my dominant & releasing non dominant.
Not necessarily a left or right thing unless its a directional or some kind of healing practice & that just happens to be the way I learned or is comfortable with doing.
This is such a great discussion- everyone has really helpful energy work tips and tactics! 
In the Tai Chi classes I used to take, we would work with the flow of energy within our own bodies- I imagine at higher levels it can tie in to working with the meridians and energy channels in the body (like in TCM Traditional Chinese Medicine) but I didnāt get that far 
There was something similar about the inner body energy work in karate, although it was much more explosive and aggressive than tai chi- Iād say if energy work in tai chi is like water 
, karate would be a combination of fire and air 
Iām rambling now (forgive me!) but to answer the original question Iād say that thanks to the martial arts I use primarily inner-body energy work. If Iām trying to heal something, I usually do inner body energy work as well (often with the aid of tea entering the system too) 
Dance is also inner-body energy work for me 
In fact, now that Iām thinking on it- I really only do outside energy work when Iām grounding- I tap deep, down into the soil and earth or ocean and draw it upwards into myself. And I suppose there are some spells that call on or require outside energy as well 
I agree with Shadeweaver- the most important thing is to do what feels right to you! To each their own- if it feels better and more natural to draw from the Earth, then thatās what you should do! 
Thanks again for a really insightful discussion, Phoenix- I always love when a topic is thought-provoking! Iāve learned a lot and am loving reading everyoneās replies and comments 
That is awesome! This is a whole other way of experiencing energy that I hadnāt thought of before. Flowing energy, explosive energy, I have not thought to put it in those terms.
I wonder if I can notice my inner energy when I am playing ball. I am so excited for this new idea for exploration!!! I will try for explosive energy when batting
I was getting an energy healing and the healer asked me to bring in light, I imagined it and it came in like shards of light. I worried I was doing something wrong and she checked in and said she didnāt know why it was shards but that it wasnāt hurting me, it was helping. I wonder if someone times we need a bit more of an energized, explosive energy to help us.
On a side note, I have always admired Bruce Lee. I had a video tape with an interview he gave, there werenāt many. He said the ābe like water, my friendā he went on to say water flows, it can crash, it can break through rock, it keeps moving, it is gentle and forceful.
There are so many things to learn!! It is exciting but takes me forever to get things done as I end up flitting from one thing to another. Eventually all the pieces will make more of a whole. Lol.
Thank you, @TheTravelWitch_Bry! I am glad you liked the question. Perhaps a weekly challenge , if it hasnt already been done.
Of course since I read this in the middle of the night (insomnia), and am intrigued with what everyone has written, I wonāt likely go back to sleep until just before the alarm goes off. 
Maybe some energy work will change that!
Than you, everyone, @marsha @Shadeweaver @CelestiaMoon @Siofra_Strega, @TheTravelWitch_Bry, for your answers. It is helpful to know how others do things as what is written in books can come across as āit is this way!ā When I bring in light weird things happen like red will splash up in response, or the shards will come down, and none of those things are in books, so it made me wonder. I know that wasnt my question, but my question was a layer on my journey of exploration and I thank you for taking the time to answer .
Iām excited about this line of thought too! 
I knew there was something about energy work in martial arts, but havenāt tried any myself so I couldnāt put my finger on itā¦ 
Iāve never really thought about itā¦ 
I think I tend to use whichever hand, or both, depending on how I feel. I donāt have a sort of structure that says āright hand = X, left hand = Yā I just use whichever one I feel like I need to in that moment, or I use both!
Thank you @Phoenix_Rose for starting this post. I always learn from the forum, but this post more than most
I feel this wayā¦oh look squirrelā¦more times than I would like to admit. lol
To be honest, I never thought of gathering energy from anywhere other than cosmically. I have always given energy to our Great Mother and never considered asking for any through her. I will have to try. And Ocean energyā¦ well after 3 typhoons in the South China Seaā¦ Iām a bit cautious about that energy. lol
But this idea brings in many new ideas
Love and Light
I know my answer may have been a bit confusing so if it was Iām sorryā¦ my train of thought was going faster than my typing ability & apparently I completely skipped a part too 
Um Hi! Yes, I do this too! (This would be the part I missed) Especially when Spring starts here & I can actually be outside to do anythingā¦ I do this with the Earth 
& the Ocean 
(or any natural body or flow of water where I can at the very least put my hands or feet into it) I have also sat on the ground up against trees 
, sat in the sun 
or under the moon from my back porch to draw in energy too.
It wasnāt Tai Chi (but this has been recommended to me) but to release pent-up energy that I can really feel but notā¦ get rid of on my own necessarilyā¦ I have used my hands & feet! My husband actually helps me with this one, but rarely my son becauseā¦ Well heās 20 & itās harder for me to explain it & have him not turn it into boxing 
lessons Itās based on my kickboxing training & different sets & movementsā¦ but somehow my 20-year-old turns it into a Mayweather vs Holyfield training sessionā¦ which is the exact opposite of what Iām looking for
I hadnāt even thought of drawing & releasing energy when I am working outside though, it is much the same as @TheTravelWitch_Bry. When Iām doing the energy work ballā¦ itās more of balancing it using what I can as most times I do this sitting down, usually in a crisscross applesauce position on my bed or floor.
Honestly, it comes down to what feels right or more comfortable for me with what it is I am doing. So absolutely thatās how you should approach it. I kind of learn from the books & will try it the way it is said in the book, but I have found that a lot of times I wind up tweaking it (kind of like with everything else i do ) so it feels better or is more comfortable for me to be able to do & enjoy the benefits from it. So I also agree with @Shadeweaver & @TheTravelWitch_Bry most important & for the best results, do what is the most comfortable for yourself.
You are very welcome! Itās not often we get energy work questions such as these & I love to learn from others & discuss it too! As for depleting your own energy, sometimes it can happen or when you release whatever it is, you feelā¦ tired or maybe drained So the best thing for those times is to rest also the best way for you & stay hydratedā¦ try not to do to much that is going to need a lot of brain power or concentrationā¦ (for me even reading a book 
or writing 
or thinking can be just exhausting) So if you have to lay down, then lay downā¦ or watch mindless TV 
laying on the couch or close your eyes & listen to some nice music 
, take a shower 
or bath 
ā¦ more the relaxing type of activities & hydration 
Now that I am sure I have made some word salad 
I will leave it at that 
Thanks, @Shadeweaver
I have two humourous nicknames 1. squirrel (we all know why) and when it comes to lightening, Brave Sir Robin (my fellow Monty Python aficionados will understand this)
@Siofra_Strega, I did not find your initial answer confusing. Thank you for adding though! I love your word salads!! 
Yes, I had worried that if I depleted my energy I was depleting my life force (thank you anxiety! ) Hence one of the reasons why I ask questions so I can challenge anxious thoughts if they come up. That was an old thought from years ago, but as I am now more active in using energy, still wanted to get some information from my wonderful fellow coven mates.
There is so much more to explore now.
Blessed be everyone!!
Oh dear, that made me crack up!
Definitely a squirrel here too 
And now I have that song in my headā¦
I love her stream of consciousness writing too, itās easy to tune into
Sometimes when Iām tired (like now) I might not get much out of it but thatās all on the receiving endā¦ 
Iām definitely going to reread this thread tomorrow with fresh eyes, thereās so much good, new insight! 
Sometimes my word salad or even energy work translates to: *āSiofraā¦ not appearing in this film.ā 