I'm a computer programmer but I have a hard time working because of lack of energy and difficulty concentrating. I've lost my passion for everything I used to love (music, beautiful women, sports, surfing...) Now I basically live in seclusion. I can't seem to make any friends because I'm too sensitive to the energy around me. I've tried exercising, which makes me angry and more tired than before, and every kind of doctor. Nothing has helped. I would like to know, is it possible to reverse this phenomena and get back to my body?"

A: Thank you for your message and questions. Your condition is typical of a left-side imbalance in the heart, with dissociative symptoms. I'm sympathetic of your plight. How could you have known that meditation could produce such debilitating consequences? Fortunately, it is not too late and the power of meditation can be used to reverse these effects and hopefully give you a boost beyond where you where five years ago.

We receive energy and vibration on the left side and express it on the right, so you need to shift your emphasis from left to right. The best way to do that is to breathe through the right nostril. When you're alone around the house, you can block your left nostril with cotton. When sleeping, lie on your left side. That will cause your left nostril to become blocked and you'll sleep while breathing through your right nostril. Later, when you feel balanced again, switch to an alternating sleep posture where you first go to sleep on your right side and then turn over in the middle of the night to your left side.

In meditation, concentrate on the sensation you get in your body from sending your breath into your right arm, right hand and right leg. If you get "high" while meditating, stop at once, before you dissociate. Keep your concentration on your bodily sensation, especially on your breathing and your pulse in the right side of your body. Keeping your awareness within your body will increase the power of your heart, which you need to build your accomplishments and relationships.

You don't have to avoid people, you just have to realize that you can have a bigger influence on them than they have on you. You have to breathe out of your heart, sending the power of your heart ahead of you and into their hearts. If you become tired or distracted and you lose this concentration, then leave until you can recover it. It's actually easy and fun to do; it doesn't involve any forcing.

Stop reading the newspaper and cut down on the television. Be careful what you take in through your eyes. Rather, practice making arts with your hands out of wood or clay or metal. This will reduce your left-side sensitivity and increase your right-side expression.

Your diet can help too. Eat more yang foods (right-side) instead of yin (left-side). For example, eat sunflower seeds and avoid sweets. Also, maintain a daily schedule and don't let yourself fall into irregular bedtimes. Finally, as you begin to feel stronger, give expression to your interests and challenge yourself to develop mastery of a particular creative discipline such as music, theater, sports, sculpture, gardening, etc. Use the pull of your interests to draw out your right-sided, expressive energy.