Have you ever been in a room where the atmosphere shifts the moment someone walks in, and every head turns, drawn by their sheer presence? There’s a radiance about them, a magnetic energy that draws people in. It’s more than confidence; it’s an undeniable glow, an emanation of pure life force.
But what exactly is life force?
In Eastern traditions, it’s known as Qi or Chi. In yoga, we call it Prana—the subtle energy that flows through us, animating every cell, every thought, every breath. It’s more than just vitality; it’s the very current of existence. Some experience it as a shimmering light, others as a flowing river of warmth, colour, or sound.
We asked Andrew how he experiences life force. His answer? “Like a river of light, a vibrant current of energy flowing exactly where I’ve asked it to go.”
Take a moment now. How do you experience life force?
Try this: Take a deep, conscious breath using Anahata breath, inhaling and exhaling smoothly through the heart centre. As you do, imagine drawing in a current of life force. What does it feel like to you? A glow? A pulse? A wave? Something beyond words?
Pause for a moment. Write down a few words. Let yourself notice.
In Dru Yoga, one of our key principles is: energy follows thought. When you consciously tune into life force, welcome its sources, and amplify its presence, you create a radiant, flowing state of vitality. But for this to work, your emotions must align—when they are alive, empowered, and enthusiastic, summoning life force becomes effortless.
The Soaring Heart – A Lesson in Transforming Emotion
Andrew was walking up the road with Radheema, a Russian translator deeply involved in trauma work with refugees. They had just finished a remarkable yoga and breathwork session—one of those rare, luminous moments where years of pain and tension seem to dissolve in an instant. The group had experienced profound release. Their hearts were open, their energy light, their spirits lifted.
As they walked, Radheema turned to Andrew with a bright smile. “Andrew,” she said, “there is a soaring in my heart.”
Andrew felt a surge of joy for her—what a beautiful expression. But something in her voice made him pause. “How does that feel?” he asked.
She hesitated, then winced slightly. “It’s tight. Painful here,” she gestured to her chest. “And behind it, it feels stiff and crackly.”
Suddenly, Andrew understood. She hadn’t meant soaring as in the wings of an eagle. She had meant sore.
“Why do you think that is?” he asked gently.
Radheema’s face grew thoughtful. “I think… it’s because I’ve been through so much trauma. It’s releasing now, and suddenly, I can feel the tightness that was always there.”
She wasn’t exaggerating. Radheema had survived unimaginable horrors—she had once tried to stop the murder of five Australian telecommunication workers in their beds. She was one of the only survivors of a Red Cross convoy that had been massacred.
Andrew nodded. “That makes perfect sense. We just worked through the outer layers of tension, so now your body is registering what was hidden underneath. There’s nothing masking it anymore. It’s surfacing so you can let it go.”
She was silent for a moment. Then, without hesitation, she began Energy Block Release 1 (EBR1), a flowing Dru Yoga sequence designed to clear tension and rebalance energy. As she moved through it, her breath deepened, her shoulders softened, and the tightness in her chest began to dissolve.
When she finished, she looked at him, radiant. “It’s gone,” she said simply.
This was yet another illustration of how emotions can be transformed. The weight of her trauma—something she had carried for so long—was no longer trapped within her body.
Refugee leaders in her community used to say, “After these sessions, I feel a warmth in my heart that lasts for six months. Then I need to come back and see you.”
The truth is, emotions are not the enemy. They are forces yearning for their positive counterpart—grief seeks peace, fear seeks courage, anger seeks understanding. When we learn to work with our emotions instead of being trapped by them, we realise something incredible:
Emotional mastery is possible
When we hold onto negative emotions, they create a neurochemical response in the body—a pattern that, if left unchecked for years or decades, becomes toxic. But when we transform them, when we consciously shift from struggle to flow, from turmoil to empowerment, we unlock the body’s most powerful medicine.
If a stuck emotion can make you feel heavy and drained, imagine what’s possible when you harness the positive forces within you. Imagine the vitality, the radiance, the sheer life force waiting to emerge.
This is what Dru Yoga teaches. This is what’s possible for you.
How Do I Transform Troublesome Emotions?
This is where Dru Yoga’s unique blend of movement, breath, and visualisation becomes a powerful tool for transformation. Rather than being stuck in difficult emotions, we can use the body as a lens to shift them—turning pain into peace, fear into courage, and heaviness into lightness.
When Andrew was diagnosed with a skull base tumour—one that carried the possibility of cancer and a five-year life expectancy—he was overwhelmed with grief, despair, anger, and fear. But instead of staying trapped in those emotions, he turned to one of his favourite emotional transformation yoga sequences. Within just 30 minutes, his state had shifted entirely—moving from distress to deep stillness, gratitude, and joy. From there, he could approach the therapeutic process with clarity and empowerment.
The truth is, energy follows thought—and movement shapes energy. If you're feeling sluggish, low, or disempowered, something as simple as Dru’s Rotating Triangle can lift your mood, awaken your life force, and restore a sense of buoyancy. The more you practise, the more effortless and instantaneous this shift becomes.
Would you like to experience this transformation for yourself?
To transform fear, try Andrew’s Balancing the Base class in the Online Studio—designed to create stability, courage, and a deep sense of grounding.
To work through sadness, explore the Gift of Grief class, where movement and breath help turn loss into wisdom, strength, and renewal.
These practices offer real, tangible shifts—helping you move from struggle into flow, from heaviness into empowerment. Why not give them a try today?
Reflective Questions for Your Classes, Clients, and Friends
- How does life force feel to you? Take a few deep breaths and tune into your energy right now. If your life force had a colour, texture, or movement, what would it be? How does it shift throughout the day?
- Micro-Practice - Transforming stuck emotions The next time you notice a challenging emotion (stress, fear, frustration), pause. Take five conscious breaths, allowing the inhale to create space and the exhale to soften resistance. Notice if this small shift creates more clarity or ease.
- What is your relationship with struggle? Reflect on a moment when you turned struggle into flow. What changed—your mindset, your breath, or your approach? How can you apply that same shift in another area of your life?
- Flowing river meditation - Stand or sit tall. With each inhale, imagine a river of vibrant energy flowing effortlessly through you—cleansing, nourishing, and energising every cell. With each exhale, release any resistance or stagnation. Feel your whole body aligning with ease and flow.
- What supports your emotional mastery? Think of a time when you felt emotionally empowered. What were you doing? Were you moving, breathing, visualising, journaling? How can you bring more of that into your daily life?
Book recommendations
The Joy Between Joy and Pain
https://druyoga.com/product/the-dance-between-joy-and-pain/
Stillness In Motion
https://druyoga.com/product/stillness-in-motion/
Eastern Body, Western Mind
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Eastern-Body-Western-Mind-Psychology/dp/1587612259/
