If you’re here and reading this, you are likely empathic and sensitive to the emotions and moods of other people- possibly even so much so that you have a hard time discerning other people’s emotions (or the emotions and general feelings in society) from your own.
The goal here is for you to feel safe and knowledgeable to be unapologetically you and to deeply trust your body and self. A huge piece of having that is knowing how to protect yourself from unwanted energy, how to recognize when negative energy has a hold of you, and how to cleanse yourself of negative energy when it’s in your body or space.
First, real quick- what is energy?
Energy is what makes up everything in this world. We all have our own unique energies that make up our essence and the structure of who we are. Emotions have energy attached to them, and so do words, places, plants, animals, and memories (to name a few things).
Certain experiences, people, and places can affect us in certain ways- it’s part of why it often feels so good to be surrounded by nature, or why different people react differently to the energy of New York City- because their unique energies are different.
Most of us walk around blending our energies with everyone and everything, picking up energy from some people or places, depositing energy on or in others. Oftentimes, especially if you aren’t aware of this happening, you might find yourself totally drained and not know why, or you might feel fantastic and not exactly know why. You may brace yourself going into certain situations, or avoiding things because you know they make you feel bad.
This list could go on and on. What I want to share with you today is ways you can protect yourself from unwanted energy, recognizing negative energy, and how to get rid of it when it’s in you.
PART 1: PROTECTING YOURSELF FROM UNWANTED ENERGY
This practice is a great one to use both daily when you wake up in the morning, and when you are going into specific situations that you know may shake you up a bit or leave you feeling not so great.
An important piece of this I want to note before sharing is that creating this protection practice is different from shutting yourself off or closing yourself down. I did that for a long period of my life- closed off my heart, shut out energy, and turned off my intuition. It worked for awhile, but honestly, it didn’t really work. Because while it did help shield me a little bit from negative energy and getting hurt, it also closed me off from receiving positive energy and allowing love and support into my life.
Which is why I want to give you a practice that can help you pre-filter energy while still remaining open! Also, bonus, you can do this while still in bed when you wake up
In the morning, either right when you wake up or before you leave your house (or before you check Facebook for the first time…), close your eyes and take a few deep breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Bring your attention to the center of your diaphragm, right underneath where your ribs meet your sternum. Imagine a ball of light right in the middle of your body- your unique energy. As you breathe, imagine that light energy filling up your body and then expanding out beyond you a foot or two- connecting to and filling your energy field with your energy and magic.
As you breathe and experience your energy field, ask for support- from your body, your guides, the Universe, source, Mother Earth, God- whatever words resonate with you- to be a conduit for positive energy and a repellant for negative energy.
An example of what to say (either in your head or out loud):
“I call upon my guides and the Universe to support me- I’m requesting assistance, please do what can be done. May I be a source, conduit, and beacon for positive energy today, and may I repel any negative energy that comes my way. May I allow all positive energy to come into my field and space while simultaneously deflecting negativity and anything that may do me harm. Anything that may get in the way of this I uncreate and destroy it now from all past, present, and future experiences. Thank you.”
Why this works:
1) When you are aware of your energy field, you automatically have an increased awareness of energy in general, and with practice you can recognize negative energy before it embeds in you.
2) When you ask to be a force of positive energy, you are making a choice to contribute positive energy into the world. When we do this, we attract back the same thing we put out. The more committed to positive energy you are, the more you will receive.
3) When you ask to repel negative energy, it both increases that awareness, and creates a soft “shield” that will keep negativity out while allowing the good stuff in.
You can also do this before walking into work, before a conversation with someone who pushes your buttons, before getting on an airplane… the opportunities are endless.
PART 2: RECOGNIZING WHEN YOU’VE PICKED UP NEGATIVE ENERGY
Oftentimes we can pick up energy from people or places without even realizing it- whether it’s at the grocery store, at your gym, a phone call with a friend or family member… sometimes it just happens.
If you notice yourself feeling drained, anxious, or simply down, this is a great one to do. It’s also great if you suddenly have a headache out of nowhere, are feeling anger or sadness without knowing why, or anything similar that is derailing you from enjoying your day.
1) First things first- when you become aware that something is off, or you’re sick of having the same negative thought over and over, or you have a headache, or whatever it is- stop whatever you are doing and take a deep breath. Exhale and soften your shoulders, your jaw, your belly. Breathe deeply into the center of your diaphragm, bringing your awareness to right now.
Next, whatever it is you are experiencing- headache, anger, exhaustion, self-doubt- connect to it by feeling it and focusing on it.
Imagine that it is a separate entity from YOU- it may currently be in your space, you may be experiencing it, but it isn’t YOU.
Now, ask this entity, “Who do you belong to?”** This might sound kinda weird, and I’m going to invite you to go with it
Ask, “Do you belong to me?”
If you get a heavy or sinking feeling, guess what? It’s not yours! Because truth never feels heavy or constricting- truth feels like space and expansion. If you feel lighter when you ask this, then it does belong to you, and the next step is to do what you need to do to clear it out (see next section for an example).
If you do feel heavy, ask, “Do you belong to someone or something else?”
If that feels a little lighter, awesome! It’s not yours! If it feels heavy, an additional question to ask, “Does this feel heavy because it really is, or because I’m conditioned to feel that way around this experience?” Notice what you experience with this question.
By the way… if you don’t feel any sort of change, that’s okay! Let’s make the assumption that it belongs to someone else. You can always double up the practice here and the one below for extra negative energy banishment powers!
Finally, whatever it is you are experiencing- keeping it in mind as a separate entity that does not belong to you- ask it to detach and release from your body and space, and to return to sender with love.
“Headache, I demand that you detach and release, I return you to sender with love.”
“Anger, I release you and unhook you from my body and experience. I return you to sender transmuted to love and consciousness.”
(Because we probably don’t want to give someone back a headache or anger necessarily… but we sure don’t want to keep it either!)
**This part of the exercise is an adaptation of something I learned from Access Consciousness.
Important to note:
You’ve likely picked it up if: it comes up out of nowhere, you’ve been out in public recently, you’re on social media, or something similar.
Even if a feeling is familiar or habitual, like not feeling good enough, notice if you feel it after a certain situation- if you’re comparing yourself to someone on social media, even if that happens a lot, it doesn’t mean it *has* to belong to you. You can choose to keep it or send it back from whence it came.
Why this works:
1) Bringing awareness to something as separate from YOU is a powerful practice in creating separation. It’s a reminder that whatever you are experiencing is temporary.
2) Taking time to recognize something you’ve picked up versus something you created is a reminder that you are energetically powerful, AND that you don’t have to hold anything for anyone.
3) Returning it to sender creates a signal that you are no longer giving free rides to energy that wants to be processed and live somewhere. Not yours!
PART 3: HOW TO GET RID OF NEGATIVE ENERGY
One way to do this is exactly what is described in part 2. Another way is to cleanse and clear it from your body and space.
This can be done through burning, washing away, burning herbs, journaling, yelling, and more. There are sooo many ways to get rid of negative energy!
Create a simple ritual for clearing your body, your environment, your energy, and your thoughts from negativity. Use it often, make it your own, and allow yourself the freedom that comes from releasing negativity and connecting to YOUR unique energy and essence!
And, honestly? These are great practices to have in place, but the best way to deal with negative energy is to learn how to have great boundaries, stay in your body and power, and to break free of patterns that pull you into drama, chaos, anxiety, and negativity. Creating that reality is a longer, more intensive process, and is a core piece of my private coaching programs. If you’d like to explore what might be possible, click below for a complimentary program consultation.
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