In the yoga tradition we encounter a fascinating metaphor: it is said that the milk of a lioness is so potent that no container can hold it except for pure gold. If the golden vessel has impurities, the milk will eat through the vessel like acid at those points, and drain away. In the same way, if the practitioner has too many ‘energy leaks’ then the spiritual energy (shakti) that is generated through yogic practice will simply leak away again.

Have you ever been to a yoga retreat or meditation weekend that was so inspiring and empowering that you felt sure your life was going to change radically, only to find within days or weeks of returning home that all that extra juice had seeped away, returning you to much the same default state you had before the retreat? If so, you’re not alone. This is a very common experience. Because energy leaks.

Once you know what the main energy leaks are, you can set about plugging them. If you manage to plug most of them, you will experience something astonishing: the very same yogic practices you’ve been doing all along now seem to generate much more power, energy, prāṇa. In fact, they’re not generating more, you’re just not leaking it away.

Systematically addressing these ‘leaks’ shifts the playing field of spiritual practice radically. Of course, it can take time to address them — but it’s time and effort well-spent, that repays its investment more generously than you might imagine.

So, what are the most common energy leaks? Here is a short explanation of each major energy leak. They are discussed in more detail in my six-month Immersionprogram.

1. Exhaustion due to overdoing/multi-tasking

Easily the most common energy leak in today’s society, overdoing means having a plate that is too full, leaving little time for the relaxation, play, and social bonding that humans evolved with for most of their history. These are not only necessary for health, they create a body-mind container that can hold the energy generated by spiritual practice. By contrast, an exhausted body-mind is riddled with ‘holes’ out of which that energy drains away. Your conditioned mind might be convinced that you can’t afford to do less; but really, you can’t afford not to. (And by the way, if you use stimulants [caffeine etc.] every day, you are exhausted, though you might not feel it.) As Śākta-śaiva teacher Dharmabodhi says, “Wake up out of the dream of over-doing. Take responsibility for your runaway life. Closely examine the cultural trance of over-doing, expose it and tune into your own energies instead. Follow a simpler and more natural way of living, [which is actually]a more productive way of living.”…

Source: Understanding energy leaks; or, Seven Ways to keep your Mojo » The Event Chronicle