Being Empathic
By Leah Light, ©2003
Being empathic is both good news and bad. On the plus side empaths can be wonderful, compassionate human beings, radiating a healing light to everyone around them. The world would be a kinder place if we all knew what it felt like to walk the proverbial mile in another’s shoes.
Unfortunately, for those of us who are empathic, we are often rendered unable to discern whose shoes are pinching our feet. This is the down side for the empath—absorbing the feelings and energy of others and confusing it for our own. If unchecked, it can lead to all manner of psychological and physical ills.
It’s easy to notice where feelings come from if you’re most stressed around a difficult relative or overbearing boss. But what if you inexplicably burst into tears after a trip to the shopping mall? How could you know that the young woman pushing the baby stroller is deep in the throes of post-partum blues? Or that the buff guy in the flannel shirt recently lost his mother. You don’t know either of them or their stories, yet somehow you come home carrying their pain. Ouch!
Psychic self-defense is an important skill for the empath to learn. This should include releasing unwanted energy once the damage is done (via banishing rituals or cleansing meditations). My favorite place to let go of offending energy is the bathroom, and what better place? All that’s required is the focus and intention to release whatever is unnecessary to health and well being. I like to visualize the unwanted energy as a color, such as grungy green or dark grey, and picture it being drawn down into a funnel of light in front of me, such as the image of "Mr. Clean’s White Tornado."
It’s also important to catch what’s happening in the moment. Watch for sudden shifts in mood, then retrace your steps and intuit the source. And then release, release, release. Using light or prayers for protection can save your sanity. Good boundaries are also a must.
With awareness, being an empath CAN be a good thing.
Being empathic is both good news and bad. On the plus side empaths can be wonderful, compassionate human beings, radiating a healing light to everyone around them. The world would be a kinder place if we all knew what it felt like to walk the proverbial mile in another’s shoes.
Unfortunately, for those of us who are empathic, we are often rendered unable to discern whose shoes are pinching our feet. This is the down side for the empath—absorbing the feelings and energy of others and confusing it for our own. If unchecked, it can lead to all manner of psychological and physical ills.
It’s easy to notice where feelings come from if you’re most stressed around a difficult relative or overbearing boss. But what if you inexplicably burst into tears after a trip to the shopping mall? How could you know that the young woman pushing the baby stroller is deep in the throes of post-partum blues? Or that the buff guy in the flannel shirt recently lost his mother. You don’t know either of them or their stories, yet somehow you come home carrying their pain. Ouch!
Psychic self-defense is an important skill for the empath to learn. This should include releasing unwanted energy once the damage is done (via banishing rituals or cleansing meditations). My favorite place to let go of offending energy is the bathroom, and what better place? All that’s required is the focus and intention to release whatever is unnecessary to health and well being. I like to visualize the unwanted energy as a color, such as grungy green or dark grey, and picture it being drawn down into a funnel of light in front of me, such as the image of "Mr. Clean’s White Tornado."
It’s also important to catch what’s happening in the moment. Watch for sudden shifts in mood, then retrace your steps and intuit the source. And then release, release, release. Using light or prayers for protection can save your sanity. Good boundaries are also a must.
With awareness, being an empath CAN be a good thing.