I hear a lot of people talk about being an Empath. I have a difficult time with most labels – they sound like a semantics game with Psychic Sciences and other capacities inherent in all consciousness. That being said, I have also heard that many Empaths have difficult time with it because of how easily and intensely they can absorb energies around them. To be honest, ALL Healers are Empaths – it’s a necessary part of the gift. And, most Sensitives – like Psychics & Mediums – are also Empaths.
Yet, there are some Psychics & Mediums, even people with some healing gifts and skills, who are not “Empaths” per se, rather they are Sensitive on a different level. Why is this? Simply because everyone is different, everyone’s intuitive gifts of consciousness are different, and everyone learns & experiences differently. Still, we all must realize that - while respecting, honoring, accepting, and appreciating our unique differences – our differences do not separate us but give us an opportunity to harmonize. Imagine if the cells of you heart decided to argue with the cells of your blood. They are all different. They are all necessary. Their beauty is in both how unique they are and how well they work together harmoniously – hopefully in balance.
In this article, however, I want to explore what it is to be an Empath and what lessons come with living as an Empath. I want to speak in support of embracing and developing certain skills that hone the gifts, especially in the face of intense challenges and circumstances. Empaths are highly sensitive & receptive individuals and are easily bombarded with energy from people and environments on mental, emotional, and physical levels. For these reasons, they often have to take time to ground themselves and cleanse their own energetic bodies frequently.
On a deeper level, Empaths need to realize that their gifts are meant to be honed and used – they are unique Healers who must heal themselves, recognize their true power, and bring healing to the world around them. They are often magnets for strife and suffering because those are the energies most readily absorbed by their auric body, although they can also be adversely effected by an overabundance o what we think of as good, positive, or excited energy. If the stress energies of suffering can become overwhelming, so can the adrenaline-rush energies of intense joy – either extreme can be uncomfortable to say the least.
My best advice from experience: work from the inside outward. That’s the best advice for everything any of us have to deal with, but let’s consider as it applies to an Empath. First, grounding and protection is necessary and great – but it can quickly consume your meditations and your day if what is inside you remains stewing away. There are several ways to begin – the most basic, with nutrition. It is important to pay attention to what you fuel your body with because everything comes from somewhere, and we all take it in when we eat or drink it. I’m not saying you have to eat only this way or completely cut-out that food or beverage, or whatever. I am saying, be mindful of what you put in your mouth and pay attention to your body and how you feel when you eat or drink it.
The simple practice is, whether you grab a soda or water, a bag of chips or a gourmet meal, sit down, take a few deep breaths, and pay attention. Don’t rush through and say, “I don’t care. I’m so hungry because I haven’t eaten all day,” or “I don’t have time for that.” Make time. Even if it’s only once a day that you take that extra minute of focus and mindfulness. Turn off the phone, turn off the TV, put down the book, turn off the music, take a moment alone… with your food. Put your feet flat on the floor, sit up comfortably but not slouched, take a few deep breaths, and take one bite at a time, one sip at a time.
Then, over the next 2 to 3 hours, be aware of your body and how the nutrition you just took in is serving your energy, body, emotions, thoughts, responses, etc. Symptoms may not be directly related to the food, but I can almost guarantee you’ll notice something. Maybe it’s just because you ate mindfully. Maybe it’s because your body is accepting or rejecting what you ate. Literally trust your gut on this – whether it seems intellectually rational or not. Step it up a notch and start a “food diary”. Just record what you eat or drink and any sensations of body, mind, or spirit you experience for the following 2 to 3 hours. A more in-depth diary might note eating times – like 8 am, 11am, 1pm, 7pm; or, Breakfast, Morning Snack, Dinner, Nighttime Snack – and your condition before eating, such as “felt dizzy, grabbed a granola bar” or “felt nauseous, drank a ginger ale” or “woke up hungry, ready for a big breakfast” (followed by food description).
Another thing an Empath may find helpful is specifically setting meditation time aside for spiritual development. There may always be a grounding or cleansing meditation to set your energy, but – at last once a day – there needs to be an extension if it’s not already there wherein you take it to the next level. Focus on the breath, focus on a candle flame (visualized or actual), or recite a mantra. Something calm and peaceful to relax the mind and enhance the sound of the internal voice. Eventually, take this meditation to another level wherein you can work with moving energy through your body, or can up-level your communication with your Spirit Guides/Helpers/Protectors. Find you style – visualization, sensation, or a combination.
Eventually, we all have to recognize and face our inner shadows. We all have to face difficult memories and feelings from the past – whether this lifetime or others. This is especially important work for Empaths because there are things that can be done to clear yourself as a channel for the Divine Grace which rushes through you. It is time to own who you are, heal yourself from whatever clutters your channel, release yourself from limitation and tangled webs, and live in the mantle of your graceful power – purposefully and beautifully designed to be right here and right now. This is true for everyone. This is also an encouragement to Empaths and other Sensitives.
In this article, however, I want to explore what it is to be an Empath and what lessons come with living as an Empath. I want to speak in support of embracing and developing certain skills that hone the gifts, especially in the face of intense challenges and circumstances. Empaths are highly sensitive & receptive individuals and are easily bombarded with energy from people and environments on mental, emotional, and physical levels. For these reasons, they often have to take time to ground themselves and cleanse their own energetic bodies frequently.
On a deeper level, Empaths need to realize that their gifts are meant to be honed and used – they are unique Healers who must heal themselves, recognize their true power, and bring healing to the world around them. They are often magnets for strife and suffering because those are the energies most readily absorbed by their auric body, although they can also be adversely effected by an overabundance o what we think of as good, positive, or excited energy. If the stress energies of suffering can become overwhelming, so can the adrenaline-rush energies of intense joy – either extreme can be uncomfortable to say the least.
My best advice from experience: work from the inside outward. That’s the best advice for everything any of us have to deal with, but let’s consider as it applies to an Empath. First, grounding and protection is necessary and great – but it can quickly consume your meditations and your day if what is inside you remains stewing away. There are several ways to begin – the most basic, with nutrition. It is important to pay attention to what you fuel your body with because everything comes from somewhere, and we all take it in when we eat or drink it. I’m not saying you have to eat only this way or completely cut-out that food or beverage, or whatever. I am saying, be mindful of what you put in your mouth and pay attention to your body and how you feel when you eat or drink it.
The simple practice is, whether you grab a soda or water, a bag of chips or a gourmet meal, sit down, take a few deep breaths, and pay attention. Don’t rush through and say, “I don’t care. I’m so hungry because I haven’t eaten all day,” or “I don’t have time for that.” Make time. Even if it’s only once a day that you take that extra minute of focus and mindfulness. Turn off the phone, turn off the TV, put down the book, turn off the music, take a moment alone… with your food. Put your feet flat on the floor, sit up comfortably but not slouched, take a few deep breaths, and take one bite at a time, one sip at a time.
Then, over the next 2 to 3 hours, be aware of your body and how the nutrition you just took in is serving your energy, body, emotions, thoughts, responses, etc. Symptoms may not be directly related to the food, but I can almost guarantee you’ll notice something. Maybe it’s just because you ate mindfully. Maybe it’s because your body is accepting or rejecting what you ate. Literally trust your gut on this – whether it seems intellectually rational or not. Step it up a notch and start a “food diary”. Just record what you eat or drink and any sensations of body, mind, or spirit you experience for the following 2 to 3 hours. A more in-depth diary might note eating times – like 8 am, 11am, 1pm, 7pm; or, Breakfast, Morning Snack, Dinner, Nighttime Snack – and your condition before eating, such as “felt dizzy, grabbed a granola bar” or “felt nauseous, drank a ginger ale” or “woke up hungry, ready for a big breakfast” (followed by food description).
Another thing an Empath may find helpful is specifically setting meditation time aside for spiritual development. There may always be a grounding or cleansing meditation to set your energy, but – at last once a day – there needs to be an extension if it’s not already there wherein you take it to the next level. Focus on the breath, focus on a candle flame (visualized or actual), or recite a mantra. Something calm and peaceful to relax the mind and enhance the sound of the internal voice. Eventually, take this meditation to another level wherein you can work with moving energy through your body, or can up-level your communication with your Spirit Guides/Helpers/Protectors. Find you style – visualization, sensation, or a combination.
Eventually, we all have to recognize and face our inner shadows. We all have to face difficult memories and feelings from the past – whether this lifetime or others. This is especially important work for Empaths because there are things that can be done to clear yourself as a channel for the Divine Grace which rushes through you. It is time to own who you are, heal yourself from whatever clutters your channel, release yourself from limitation and tangled webs, and live in the mantle of your graceful power – purposefully and beautifully designed to be right here and right now. This is true for everyone. This is also an encouragement to Empaths and other Sensitives.
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