Mana is Energy (And Energy is Everything)

Mana is Energy (And Energy is Everything)

You Think You Know Energy? Think Again.

You think you know what energy is? You think it's that feeling you get after a double espresso? Or maybe some vague, woo-woo concept you hear about in yoga class? Bullshit. You've been fed a lie. A comfortable, convenient lie that keeps you from understanding the single most powerful force that governs your entire existence. The ancient Hawaiians called it mana. It’s not just some spiritual concept; it’s the life force, the power, the very fabric of reality. And guess what? It maps perfectly onto the cold, hard science of thermodynamics.

This isn’t about chanting on a mountaintop—though I’m not knocking it. This is about understanding the fundamental laws of the universe and how they apply to you, right here, right now. It’s about realizing that your life, your success, your very consciousness are all expressions of energy flow. You are a dynamic, far-from-equilibrium system, and the sooner you grasp that, the sooner you can stop fighting the current and start riding the damn wave.

The Problem: Our Divided Reality

Here’s the deal: we’ve been conditioned to live in a divided world. We put “spirituality” in one box and “science” in another. We talk about “life force” and then go to a physics lecture about the laws of thermodynamics as if they are completely unrelated. This is a massive, self-imposed limitation. It’s like trying to understand a hurricane by studying a single drop of rain. You’re missing the whole picture.

We’ve been sold a bill of goods about “balance.” Find your work-life balance. Eat a balanced diet. Seek emotional balance. It sounds nice, doesn’t it? The problem is, nature doesn’t give a damn about balance. Equilibrium is death. A rock is in equilibrium. A corpse is in equilibrium. Life? Life exists at the edge of chaos. It’s a constant, raging fire of energy exchange, a process of continuous creation and destruction. The universe is not a static, predictable machine; it’s a chaotic, self-organizing system. And you are right in the middle of it.

By chasing this illusion of balance, you’re essentially trying to stop the flow of the river. You’re resisting the very nature of your being. You’re a Forward-Looking Person (FLP) trying to live by the rules of a Backward-Looking Person (BLP). It’s a recipe for stagnation, frustration, and ultimately, decay.

The Application: How to Increase Your Mana

Okay, so this isn’t just a cool science lesson. This is about your life. If mana is energy, and energy is everything, then the name of the game is to increase your mana. So how do you do it? You don’t get it by wishing for it. You get it by aligning yourself with the flow of the universe.

Reflecting on my own journey, I realize how often I resisted change and clung to outdated beliefs, making choices that drained my energy rather than replenished it. It was a process of learning to let go of ego-driven attachments and embrace the natural flow of life. This shift in perspective was crucial in increasing my mana, and it’s something you can cultivate as well. Here’s how you can apply this in your own life:

Here’s how you can apply this in your own life:

1. Become an Energy Detective: Start paying attention to what gives you energy and what drains it. This applies to food, people, activities, information, everything. Is that conversation uplifting you or dragging you down? Does that meal make you feel vibrant or sluggish? Be ruthless in cutting out the energy vampires in your life.
2. Embrace Stress (the good kind): I’m not talking about chronic, soul-crushing stress. I’m talking about hormesis—the beneficial stress that forces you to adapt and grow. Exercise, cold showers, fasting, learning a new skill—these are all things that temporarily push you out of your comfort zone and force your system to become stronger and more resilient. This is how you build your capacity to handle more energy.
3. Feed Your Mind with High-Quality Information: What you read, watch, and listen to is a form of energy. Are you consuming a diet of mental junk food, or are you feeding your mind with ideas that expand your understanding and challenge your assumptions? Stop scrolling through endless feeds of outrage and start seeking out knowledge that empowers you.
4. Practice Self-Organization: Stop trying to plan and control every little detail of your life. Create a structure, set a direction, and then allow for spontaneity and emergence. The most complex and beautiful systems in the universe, from galaxies to ecosystems, are self-organized. You are no different. Trust the process.

This isn’t about being passive. It’s about being intelligently active. It’s about knowing when to push and when to yield, when to hold on and when to let go. It’s a dance.

The Takeaway: Your Action Items for an Energized Life

I’m not going to leave you with a bunch of abstract concepts. I want you to walk away from this with concrete actions you can take right now to increase your mana and start living a more energized, powerful life.

• This week, conduct an energy audit. Get a notebook and for three days, write down everything that gives you a noticeable energy boost and everything that leaves you feeling drained. Be honest with yourself. At the end of the three days, identify the top three energy drains and make a plan to eliminate or reduce them.
• Choose one hormetic stressor to incorporate into your routine. It could be as simple as ending your shower with 30 seconds of cold water or trying intermittent fasting for one day. The goal is to introduce a small, manageable challenge that forces your body to adapt.
• Unsubscribe from five sources of mental junk food. This could be a newsletter, a social media account, or a news site that consistently leaves you feeling angry, anxious, or disempowered. Replace them with one source of high-quality, empowering information.

This isn’t about a complete life overhaul. It’s about making small, strategic shifts that align you with the flow of energy. It’s about moving from a state of resistance to a state of resonance.

Closing

We are at a unique point in history. The old structures are crumbling, and the world is becoming more chaotic and unpredictable. You can either be a Backward-Looking Person and get swept away by the tide, or you can be a Forward-Looking Person and learn to surf the waves of change. The choice is yours.

Understanding that mana is energy, and that energy is governed by the laws of thermodynamics, is not just an intellectual exercise. It’s a paradigm shift. It’s a new way of seeing yourself and your place in the universe. You are not a static object. You are a dynamic process. You are a conduit for the energy of the cosmos.

So, stop trying to find balance. Stop resisting the flow. Embrace the chaos. Increase your mana.

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References

1. Melamede, R. (2015). The Endocannabinoid System and Medical Marijuana. [https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2016/WorkGroups/Senate%20Government%20Operations/Marijuana%20Regulation%20in%20Vermont/W~Robert%20Melamede~The%20Endocannabinoid%20System%20and%20Medical%20Marijuana~11-3-2015.pdf](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2016/WorkGroups/Senate%20Government%20Operations/Marijuana%20Regulation%20in%20Vermont/W~Robert%20Melamede~The%20Endocannabinoid%20System%20and%20Medical%20Marijuana~11-3-2015.pdf)
2. Prigogine, I. (1977). Self-Organization in Non-Equilibrium Systems. Wiley.