Meditation is one of the most powerful tools an Empath can use for their personal growth. It strengthens the mind, body and spirit and builds a powerful shield of protection against the energy of others. But that’s not all…
Meditation also opens up the Empath’s intuition like nothing else.
Strong intuition requires clean thinking. And this is where meditation comes in. When you have clarity of thought and a lucid mind, magical things happen.
Not only does meditation build intuition it also reprogrammes the brain into being able to better deal with negativity. This enables you to deal with the onslaught of thoughts, energy and emotions picked up from others.
Negative energy picked up from others can activate negative thoughts in your mind. Negative thoughts create stress within the body which is destructive to health and wellbeing.
Empaths spend a lot of time in their heads. Which is great when thoughts are creative, happy or enlightening. But spend too much time around certain people or in certain places, where the energy is low-level, and painful memories, anger or ideas of being wronged can be triggered.
This is why some type of meditation is crucial for the Empath to a) help you recognise when thoughts, you are experiencing, have been triggered by external energy, b) switch off from them, and c) develop the ability to stay grounded and detached.
Some Empaths find meditation difficult to get into because of their creative and over-active minds. But the more busy or chaotic your thoughts, the more you need to still them (also, the more we resist something the more we tend to need it).
An overly cluttered, thought-filled mind will do nothing to help you grow or develop your Empath abilities. Thoughts are addictive and the darker ones can lower your mood faster than anything… When the mind is reset, through meditation, you can switch off or disengage from destructive thoughts much easier.
Perseverance is all that is needed.
Starting with a five-minute practice and then building up will reap incredible benefits.
If your thoughts are keeping you up at night and creating unnecessary worry it is probably a good time to start a practise. Regular meditation helps you detach from thoughts, fact!
Transformation may not happen over night, but it does not take long for you to see how a regular meditation practice is totally transformative and a fast-tracked way to developing greater intuition.
To see what amazing transformations are to be had by practicing meditation, set yourself a four-week challenge and allot an amount of time each day to practice.
I find mornings are easiest.
Perhaps get up ten to twenty minutes earlier and start with five minutes meditation then gradually build up.
If you are on a time limit set a gentle alarm. It is amazing how quickly time goes once you are enveloped in your private mind sanctuary.
(The only time meditation is not recommended is if you are suffering deep depression. A moving meditation, such as Ashtanga yoga, may be more beneficial.)
I find the best way to meditate is with an erect spine, either sitting in a straight-backed chair or in a comfy cross-legged or kneeling position on the floor. Keeping the spine straight and upright allows the energy to flow up and down and the breath to be calm.
There are some who will say lying down is a perfectly acceptable way to meditate, which it is, but it is too easy to fall asleep when lying down and the opportunity to consciously quieten the mind is lost. Just make sure you feel comfortable before you start.
If you find meditation difficult it may be a good idea to try a guided meditation. There are hundreds to choose from on YouTube. I have included a couple, just to get you started (using earphones is beneficial with the guided meditations).
Before you start any guided meditation make sure you are compatible with the narrator’s voice. If you do not find the voice soothing then you may get irritated by it during the meditation, which is a distraction. Oh, and make sure you won’t be disturbed.
If you are an Empath you will already know that being in public places can be a traumatizing affair. Simply nipping to the shopping mall can mean you end up ‘wearing’ someone else’s energy for the rest of the day. Which isn’t such a bad thing if the energy is positive and highly charged. But it is mostly the not-so-nice energy that follows you home.
On my journey as an Empath, I have found the best way to stay protected, when out in public places, is to either take pre-emptive measures before leaving home or use energy balancing techniques as and when needed.
As all Empaths are different, what works for one might not work for another. And depending on the circumstances you might need to use different techniques for different situations… or several techniques all at once.
Here are some of the most effective and easy protective techniques you can use before, during or after crowd exposure:
Although emotions are part of human life and something everyone has to live with, Empaths and HSPs are known to have heightened emotions. This basically means they get upset easier, feel fear and nervousness more readily, and when they get down it can take them longer to get back up… But did you know there was a reason for this?
There is a certain part of the brain called the amygdala which plays a part in emotional overload.
Dr. Elaine Aron, a research psychologist, found the amygdala to be highly activated in Sensitive people. The more Sensitive you are the more this gland seems to work.
The amygdala is a set of small almond-shaped clusters of nuclei, located deep within the brain’s temporal lobe, which plays a huge part in processing emotions. The more aggressive the emotion the more responsive the amygdala becomes, and is responsible for triggering the stress response hormones.
Dr. Aron found, through a series of trials and research, that when Sensitive people (Empaths and HSPs) were shown pictures of human suffering the amygdala became highly activated. Which in turn released hormones, such as cortisol and adrenaline into the bloodstream, which further enticed emotional responses.
The amygdala is not a thinking part of the brain. It is a reacting part which activates when exposed to stimuli such as stress, fear or other strong emotions. It causes an automatic response known as the fight-or-flight response.
The fight-or-flight response is the body’s way of protecting us from dangerous situations. The process elevates hormones to give the energy and strength to run away from danger or stay and fight.
Two of the hormones released into the body, by amygdala activation, are adrenalin and cortisol. These hormones increase heart rate, respiration and glucose levels. All of which are essential for increased body activity. But, they can also ignite fearful emotions and anxiety.
When these hormones are constantly activated by the endocrine glands (courtesy of amygdala activation), and not used through body movement, etc. it can cause heightened emotional responses. This eventually puts other organs and hormones out of balance and leads to illnesses (such as heart disease, adrenal fatigue and diabetes), as well as problems within the energy body (leaky aura and blocked or excessively open chakras).
An Empath does not need to watch another endure pain to experience suffering. Simply being in the presence of someone suffering emotionally is enough to ignite a reaction, whether the other person shows their emotions or not. An Empath feels them and therefore reacts to them. This means the Empath often overproduces adrenalin and cortisol. Both of which stimulate fearful emotions and can lead to weight gain (another reason many Empaths have pot bellies).
In normal situations, when a stressful situation is removed stress levels return to normal, and the amygdala stops reacting. It is when the stress triggers do not decrease that problems arise. This is where issues can occur for the Empath.
Empaths don’t get away from stressful emotions easily. Not only do they have to deal with their own day-to-day stresses but that of others too…
The Empath may stop feeling other people’s emotions soon after leaving them. But this is not always the case. Some people’s emotional energy can cling to the Empath for days after (see this post to learn more). Which means the amygdala is constantly activated and large amounts of unnecessary hormones are dumped into the body.
What to do about it?
1. Avoid triggers:
The first step we can take in preventing unnecessary amygdala activation is to avoid known triggers. The people you know who stimulate a negative emotional response (see post here) lasting more than a day should be avoided.
The amygdala is a defence mechanism activated by emotional responses. It can also be triggered by emotional memories.
People who bring nothing to your life but emotional pain eventually become an Empath trauma trigger and should probably be avoided.
2. Control your mind and thoughts:
Keep the mind quiet to stop unnecessary amygdala activation from thoughts, read post here
3. Avoid stimulants:
Sensitives react to coffee and other stimulants more than most. It is best to know your caffeine intake limits and stay within them (take note at which point you get a physical response – too much caffeine can cause shakiness, pounding heart, flushing, faster breathing and an aching chest – and stay under the that amount). Also drug-like food has a huge impact on an Empath brain (read more about this subject here) and should be avoided.
4.Exercise daily:
Exercise has many redeeming benefits for the Empath. In the case of amygdala activation, it helps clear excess stress hormones from the bloodstream (which would otherwise cause damage).
5. Control glucose levels through diet:
Regularly experiencing stressful emotions, your own or off others’, results in extra glucose being dumped into the bloodstream (from amygdala hormone activation), the last thing an Empath needs is their diet to contribute to this problem. Avoiding sugar or sugar-forming foods can prevent this from happening.
If you are one who carries excess belly fat, your body is receiving too much glucose for its needs. If you want to learn more about how the right diet can transform an Empath’s life you may want to read this post.
I hope this blog post helped you understand how your brain plays a vital part in your Empath wellbeing, and how the amygdala’s activation impacts your emotional health.
If you want to learn more about the ways Empaths are affected by the energy of others click on the attached links above.
Hope all is keeping really well in your Empath corner of the world…
Until next time
Diane
If you have found my work to be helpful please consider donating here
Over the years, I have tried and studied numerous types of holistic healing. I have researched the benefits of food and nutrition on physical and mental health, and how it affects Sensitive people. Through this, I have made many incredible discoveries.
One of the biggest realizations I have made from observing life and all my research, is how different each and everyone of us is, even as Empaths.
Sadly, we live in a world where we are all expected to be the same in the way we behave, look, think and live. We are encouraged to have the same goals, expected to respond and benefit from the same educational programmes, nutritional and medical advice. Even in the ‘New Age’ arena it can be a one-size-fits-all and an ‘it worked for me so it should work for you’ approach. But this is not how life works.
Some Empaths need speeding up, some need slowing down, some will benefit from a high protein diet, some a high carbohydrate diet, some need to get out of their heads, some need to get inside their heads, and some need routine and rules, others need space and freedom.
Because we are different in so many ways, the path for us to connect our mind, body and spirit is unique to us. But it is also up to each of us to work at finding what is best for us individually.
We may think we want the easy path but, as you will probably have already discovered in life, the easy path rarely ends up being easy. Great, amazing and valuable lessons can be learnt from enduring difficult and challenging times.
On my early journey of finding balance, as an Empath, I used to believe the answers to my healing lay in the metaphysical. I thought if I made myself more ‘spiritual’ I would better deal with all that I felt and thus become more balanced… I hadn’t taken into consideration that it didn’t matter how many hours I sat in meditation, doing yoga or how many spiritual texts I read, if I was putting poison into my body, no amount of meditation or spiritual awareness was going to balance me.
I made this discovery when I decided to change my diet. And the first change I made was by eliminating wheat… This was the start of an incredible life transformation! I lost weight without trying, I felt happier, my energy changed and I took charge of my Empath traits.
Although wheat is hailed as a health food, it acts like a drug and has been scientifically proven to have a drug-like effect on the brain. Wheat has been linked with hundreds of mental and physical illnesses, Click here to check any of your symptoms against those found to be caused by wheat. and it heightens the more ‘negative’ Empath traits.
Drug-Like Foods and the Empath
Now, although I say we are all different as Empaths and each need differing approaches to find balance, none of us will benefit from consuming drug-like foods.
Why?
Empaths react more to drug-like foods because they are highly reactive. High reactive people taste the bitterness in lemons more than others, feel emotional and physical pain more, go red in the face easier and are affected by drugs and alcohol worse than those who are not highly reactive.
Wheat is not seen or classed as a drug but, as it acts like one, it carries the same energy signature.
Many Empaths are under the impression that most of their mental and physical maladies are caused from absorbing too much negative energy when, in fact, many are caused or worsened by what they consume… especially drug-like food.
No one benefits from eating drug-like foods such as wheat!
You may not be aware but wheat has been genetically altered and its protein structure changed. Now, when digested, wheat breaks down into many small proteins that have the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier and attach themselves to the opiate receptors of the brain. This has the effect of a narcotic but without the high.
Wheat has been shown to encourage overeating and trigger or worsen mental illnesses.
Not only is wheat destructive to physical health, by its consumption we can damage our energy field (causing leaky aura) and disrupt the balance of the chakras and endocrine glands (glands that produce hormones). The following post explains more on how unbalanced chakras can destroy the Empath.
If you are one who has tried many things to find balance as an Empath, such as: grounding and protective techniques, meditation and spiritual practice and exercise, or if you eat a balanced or vegetarian diet and still struggle with health issues, low moods or depression, look to see if you are including wheat in your diet.
I appreciate others may not have the same benefits as me from wheat elimination. We are all different. But it is worth trying it for at least 4 weeks just to see.
When you remove anything which harms your physical and energy body you naturally evolve. It is said we grow most from that what we give up and not what we acquire (unless it’s peace of mind)
If you want to try going wheat-free or if you want to transform your life as an Empath, The Eating Plan For Empaths and HSPs will take you there. It goes into detail about how certain foods impact you as an Empath and how by changing your diet it can transform your life.
Click on the above link or the picture for more information.
For an Empath, learning to control the mind is prerequisite to a happy, healthy life. It is after all thoughts that create our outlook on reality.
As thoughts and feelings are interconnected, the way we think about anything is how we feel about it. Thoughts trigger emotions both positive and negative.
Negative thoughts are catalyst to building feelings of anger, fear or sadness, etc. Positive thoughts create feelings of warmth and happiness.
It is said the average person has 35 thoughts a minute. If only a quarter of them are dark, life will be unnecessarily challenging.
Dark thoughts can keep us up at night and wake us in the morning. They take over our mind when driving (how often have you got somewhere without remembering the journey?) and can too easily distract us from life.
Also, picking up the emotions of others has a massive impact on the way we think. Which could be a good or bad thing, depending on the emotional energy.
The good news is, we have a choice over the thoughts we indulge. The trick is learning how to break free from the more negative musings and this involves quietening the mind.
Being able to quieten the mind may take time and effort but, in doing so, it ignites an incredible inner calm! And one of the best ways to do this is through meditation.
By meditating, it does not mean we never have thoughts again. We simply gain greater control over those we choose to focus on. This ultimately prevents us getting lost in the type of thoughts that trigger painful emotions. Which is especially beneficial to the Empath.
There are many types of meditation to try, and they don’t all involve sitting on the floor in the lotus position. There is a type to suit each Empath: chanting, breath-work, visualisation, trance, etc.
You don’t have to stay in doors either. You can do a walking meditation where you externalise your awareness and focus on everything around you. e.g.: your feet on the grass as you walk, or at the trees and clouds in the sky above you.
When practised with awareness, yoga is a moving meditation that unites body, mind and spirit and is a good option for those who do not like to sit still.
Unlike in relaxation, we don’t want to fall asleep in meditation. This is the time to quieten a busy mind through intention; if we fall asleep, we lose that opportunity.
When first meditating, it is common for mind chatter to step up a gear. It feels like the world and his wife has taken up residence in the head… all with very loud voices. This is often the egoic mind at work wanting to stay in control of the thought process. This is entirely normal, albeit somewhat frustrating. And, just like turbulence on a plane, when we push through we eventually climb above it… then, all becomes calm, smooth and serene.
A regular meditation practise is essential to reap the full benefits because, as with anything in life, good things don’t happen overnight. The more we practice the calmer our thoughts and emotions become.
Not only is meditation a must for gaining control of the mind it is another great technique for balancing the chakras (Read here how unbalanced chakras destroys the Empath). It is also anti-ageing, de-stressing to the body and an incredible aid to sleep — especially when done in darkness.
Meditating in the dark helps keep the pineal gland (third eye) healthy, which in turn keeps the production of melatonin balanced.
What Does Melatonin Do?
Melatonin is known as the anti-ageing hormone and is produced by the pineal gland (area of third eye) in the darkness. It is a naturally occurring hormone that regulates the sleep cycle. It is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory and helps prevent, and treat, many illnesses including cancer.
Studies have shown that meditation, done in complete darkness, before bedtime, increases production of melatonin and produces enough to last the night. This can be further aided by focusing on the third-eye (centre of forehead), which in turn stimulates the pineal gland.
Starting a Practice
To begin a meditation practise, it is best to plan a set time every day. Perhaps start with ten minutes and build to twenty or thirty.
Having no distractions is important. If you think someone will walk in and disturb you, that’s all you’ll think about when you’re supposed to be meditating.
If there is a lot of external noise, pop some earphones in and play some gentle music, or listen to a guided meditation… As long as you practice regularly you will continue to see the many benefits unfold.
Here are links to some meditations and breathing techniques.
There are many forms of psychic attack. For the purpose of this post, I’m referring to the type which is sent from one person to another, through dark thought forms.
Most Empaths have experienced psychic attack at some point in their life. Many without realizing what they are actually experiencing.
It’s often difficult to discern between the emotions our thoughts create, by pondering a stressful subject, to those we experience through psychic attack, and this is why many Empaths are unaware they are on the receiving end of it.
Most people don’t experience the dark thoughts of others, but Empaths do. When another is having undesirable thoughts about them, Many Empaths pick them up.
We are in the midst of some challenging times, which are bringing up buried insecurities and hidden issues to the surface within us all. But, instead of facing these issues and taking responsibility, many are projecting their pain onto others in the way of blame. This can be the reason behind psychic attack, as dark thoughts are projected out.
Those who stay in a negative mind-set tend to vibrate at a low-frequency. Their energy becomes toxic to the Empath. Because many Empaths find it difficult being around this type of energy, they may need to disconnect or stop spending time with them. This often causes resentments to form in the other. A psychic attack may then ensue.
Generally, a psychic attack comes from family members (not necessarily blood-related), friends who are close or once used to be, work colleagues, or those who the Empath has disconnected from.
How can you tell when being attacked?
When under psychic attack, the tell-tale signs are repetitive negative thought patterns surrounding one person.
For example: a certain friend (the one thinking and thus sending bad thoughts) repeatedly pops into the mind, along with negatively charged feelings, throughout the course of the day or days. You may wake up thinking angry thoughts towards this person, when you have had no recent contact with them. But you wrongly assume it is your own issues creating the angry thoughts.
When under attack, the one thinking/sending the dark thoughts won’t know you are on the receiving end of them. You probably won’t be the only person the thoughts are directed at, but you may likely be the only one feeling them.
What should you do when you sense a psychic attack?
If you suspect you are under attack, stop indulging the dark thoughts or emotions you are experiencing, immediately. Which has to be said, is not easy to do. By engaging angry thoughts that don’t belong to you, you become part of the problem.
An Empath has the power to project angry thoughts back to the source without realising. But, in doing so, they unintentionally open a two-way psychic battleground. This is when angry thoughts start flying back and forth. It can go on for days. And in these cases, the Empath always comes off worse.
You may have noticed your moods are projected onto others. If feeling happy you lift others up. If sad, you see it wash over those in your presence. Even your tiredness, and stumbling over words, is projected to another.
More than any other, Empaths have to be cautious of what they project into the world in the way of gloomy, angry or irrational thoughts. What goes out has the tendency to come back amplified. (The positive flipside to this is the return of projecting positive thoughts out into the world).
How do we stop engaging dark thoughts?
The easiest way to stop negative thoughts, that don’t belong to you, is distract yourself the moment you notice them; especially if they repeatedly go back to the same person.
You may have already discovered your own way to do this, but making noise in your head can really help, like singing, humming or chanting, etc. Just like plugging in your ears and singing loudly blocks out external sounds, I’ve found this helps with outside thoughts too. You could also try strenuous exercise or get creative as a way of distraction.
How can we protect ourselves from psychic attack?
Being out of balance, physically or mentally, automatically weakens your energy-field (aura). Your energy-field is your invisible shield which protects you from outside influences, such as negative thoughts and emotions. If you have an overly porous or leaky aura (as many Empaths do) you will allow too much energy in from others , including their thoughts. (click here to find out if your aura is leaky)
Suppressed emotions, poor diet, lack of exercise, a busy head, illness and emotional pain all contribute to weakening of the aura (energetic body). If you suspect you have been on the receiving end of psychic attack it might be a good time to tune into your IGS and see what changes could be made.
By strengthening your body and mind (see here for more) it in turn strengthens your aura and thus helps ward off psychic attack or negative energy.
Living in this heavily populated world, Empaths face many challenges. If it’s not having others’ negativities dumped on them, they get drained of vital energy just by spending too much time in public.
Learning to set energetic boundaries is, of course, a given for those of a Sensitive nature and many Empaths are hardwired into automatically doing this. However, sometimes life just gets in the way.
We all need gentle reminders, from time to time, about what we could be doing to protect ourselves and thus make life more enjoyable. And this is what I hope to present in this guide for the Empath.
For Empaths, wanting to block out all external emotions and energies would, no doubt, be a priority. But it is not always that cut and dry. For one thing, she might have already tried every energy-blocking technique known to man, without any success.
And then there are the questions: why is it Empaths feel and take on what they do, emotionally, is it not for a purpose? In taking on these negative energies are they not helping rid the world of them?
The answer to those question are debatable. But the fact is, all Empaths need to learn to protect themselves from wayward energies, and know how to stay grounded, so they can continue to function in everyday life.
Out and About
When an Empath is alone in people-congested places, they may soak up the highly charged energies no sooner than having stepped over the building’s threshold.
If you are one who finds being in public areas, such as shopping malls and cinemas, unbearable, to the point of avoiding them at all costs, there are some techniques you could try that may help:
Take a Friend: Being with another person acts as a buffer and helps diffuse external energies. This lessens the impact, when spending time in public places. It also serves as a pleasant distraction and takes your mind off what you are feeling.
Chances are, after the shopping trip or outing, you may still feel drained but your experience will have been a much more pleasant one.
If taking a friend, or family member, is not possible find a grounding technique, that works for you, and use it before going out. Below are some you could try:
Power Poses: A power pose is generally anything that opens up the body. They can be as simple as opening up one’s arms wide (so your body is in the shape of a cross) and taking long, slow breaths through the nose. Holding a gentle smile is further empowering.
If you are familiar with yoga, a Starfish pose (standing with wide legs and arms) is ideal, as is a Warrior pose with open arms.
Holding the power pose for a couple of minutes before leaving home, or entering an energy-hostile environment, serves in uplifting and expanding one’s energy field. This is opposed to how an Empath often goes out into the world, wanting to feel small and invisible.
Grounding visualizations: These could be anything from visualising roots coming from your feet, grounding you to the earth, to mentally building a halo of white light around your body and expanding it with your breath.
Take a couple of minutes to quieten the mind before attempting.
Affirmations: Positive mini-declarations repeated in the mind can serve in being uplifting, empowering and protective. Statements such as: ‘I am empowered ‘or ‘I am in control’, instantly, and positively, change your mind-set, and your vibration, and thus make you better equipped to handle excessive energies.
Find one that works for you, suitable for the time and place.
Music therapy: Taking your music and earphones is a huge help when out and about. Listening to music you love creates an inner-expansion. It uplifts your energy and creates a protective ‘bliss bubble’ around you. This energy expansion enables you to glide through public-places seemingly unaffected.
It is best to get into the ‘music zone’ before entering a peopled place.
Breath-work: There are many grounding and mind quietening methods available, such as meditation, that need a committed, daily practise to reap the full benefits. However, the breathing methods, included in the post below are meditative techniques and can be done in a hurry or when one is feeling out of sorts.
You may need to play around with different breathing techniques to find one which works for you. They can be used before entering or whilst in a busy place.
Please see this post for various breathing techniques.
Bedtime
If you are one who doesn’t like sleep-snuggling, or having to sleep close to your partner in bed, no matter how much you love them, you are not alone.
Having sleeping-space is essential for the Empath.
Most Empaths loathe having anyone get in their ‘energy-space’, day or night, but as sleep-time is crucial for recharging, it is even more important they are allowed it.
If you share a bed, and it is not possible for you to have your own bedroom, opt for the largest size bed available, if space permits.
If you still struggle sleeping near your partner or wake-up feeling drained, use one of the above grounding techniques and adapt them to bedtime mode.
Eating
Know your food and how it affects you. Listen to what your body is telling you about what is and isn’t right for you. If, for example, you have a nagging feeling that dairy is causing you to have an allergic reaction, you could try the 30 day exclusion challenge, to see if it is.
This involves abstaining from all dairy (or whatever you suspect does not agree with you, be it chocolate, tomatoes, alcohol or GMOs) for 30 days. After that time, gradually introduce it back into your diet. If you have a big reaction to it, you know you are intolerant, allergic or energetically incompatible and are best removing it from your diet.
Over a period of about 15 years, I’ve tried many eating and exercise plans. I have tried and trained in many holistic therapies and healing, and researched the benefits of nutrients. I always believed that the answers to my healing lay in the metaphysical, and if I made myself more ‘spiritual’ I would find life easier… I hadn’t taken into consideration that it didn’t matter how many hours I sat in meditation or doing yoga, or how many spiritual texts I read, if I was putting poison into my physical body, no amount of meditation or spiritual awareness was going to balance me.
Of everything I have tried over the years, holistically, spiritually and energetically, the most profound changes happened to me when I changed my diet!
I have written about benefits of changing the diet before (and will do again, and again), but as I consider it to be one of the best things you can do to aid physical healing and spiritual growth, especially for Empaths, I will keep spreading the word.
We may all be very different, with different spiritual, nutritional and physical requirements, but none of us will benefit from taking drugs or eating drug-like food…
Because they tend to be highly reactive, Empaths react more to drug-like foods than those not of a Sensitive nature. High reactive people taste the bitterness in lemons more than others, feel emotional and physical pain more, go red in the face easier and are affected by certain foods, drugs and alcohol worse than those who are not highly reactive.
High reactives are responsive to different vibrations of energy. Everything is energy vibrating at different frequencies and that includes what we eat and drink: the faster the vibration, the higher the frequency. Empaths are negatively affected by anything of a low vibration. Certain foods, drugs and alcohol all have a low vibrational energy and bring the Empath down fast.
If you suspect your diet is impacting your health, and Empath ways, and are keen to learn of all the negative ways your diet can impact Empath life click here.
It is also wise to take note how your food is prepared. Food made in an angry or unhappy environment will carry that energy and thus show up within you.
Most Empaths benefit from having mainly homemade food, so they know exactly what energy goes into their meals.
Socializing and Stimulants
Unfortunately, any kind of stimulant (alcohol, drugs, etc.) only serve in weakening the Empath (as they do any other human). Under the influence, it may feel like external energies are blocked but unfortunately this is not the case. They still seep in and still need to be dealt with.
When in company, other people’s emotions may show up in the Empath as aggression or an overly dominant ego on the evening of consumption or as a physical and emotional hangover from hell the day after.
If you don’t like the idea of giving up your favourite tipple, or social life, try using grounding techniques before an evening out and drink lots of water throughout the evening. Water has both a cleansing and grounding effect. Also include lots of alkalizing foods in your diet. By keeping your body in a more alkaline state it helps keep Empath balance and prevents alcohol doing as much damage.
Friends
The longer the Empath has known a friend, the more impact the friend can have on their energy. As you would imagine this could be a good or bad thing, depending on the relationship.
Knowing how to navigate your friendships serves in offering healthier and happier relationships.
Friends’ energy and how it affects those of a Sensitive nature will change along with their age and life circumstances. If down or depressed, a friend can unintentionally take the Empath down with them.
In theses cases one has to learn to emotionally unplug. One can still listen and be there, but in a detached way.
Also, be very wary of an unwanted energy drain.
We all know people who drain energy, otherwise known as the ‘Energy Vampires’, but when a friend, who isn’t normally a drainer, is experiencing a tough time their energy-sucking tentacles may seek out an instant uplift from anywhere they can get it. (Please see here, here, here for more ways to stay protected).
To avoid being a friend’s ‘energy-replacement-meal’, watch for any drain and where it is coming from. It is normally be from one of four of the main energy centres (chakras): sacral (below belly), solar plexus (mid belly), heart (heart area) or throat (front of throat) and it may be felt by a pull or ache in that area.
Wherever you feel the drain, cover that area immediately with your hands or arms. It is not by chance that we cross our arms over our stomach or chest in social situations; we are subconsciously stopping an energy-drain.
Empaths tend to be very faithful to their friends and keep them in their life for the long-haul. For this reason, it is a good idea to choose friends wisely.
For the Empath finding their calling or vocation can be a challenge of epic proportions.
Living a lie, through having to pretend they like doing a job which they don’t, or sell a product they do not believe in, is nothing short of torture for the Empath.
As eighty percent of the workforce do not enjoy their job, this does not make for an energy-efficient or happy working environment (another obstacle for the Empath).
If you listen, your Internal Guidance System will continuously present you with vocational options, perhaps as interests or passions.
If searching for your dream job, or just a new direction in life, here are some questions that may ignite the answer:
What are your passions?
What do you love to do?
What do you believe in?
What would you wake up excited to do each day?
What can you not live without doing?
What engages you?
What interest keeps coming back to you?
If you could change the world for the better, how would you do it?
Roadblocks
Roadblocks are what stop you going down your desired or chosen route in life. They can be seen through sickness, redundancy, depression, loss of money and social status or non-starting projects. They can unexpectedly pop up out of nowhere, take you off your current journey and bring your life to a standstill or send you off in a new direction.
When encountering roadblocks it may seem like they are purely an unfair punishment, but this comes down to your perspective. They are normally presented as a detour and a way to make changes to your life’s journey when refusing to listen to your IGS.
This detour may involve a long and winding scenic-route, which also happens to be an uncomfortable, seemingly never-ending, bumpy road. But again, this is down to your perspective.
You have a choice: you can get wrapped up in the inconvenience and discomfort of the long ‘scenic-route’, focusing only on that, or you can concentrate on the ever-changing landscape as it passes and be grateful for being given a chance to change.
Everything presented to us in life is a gift, even roadblocks, and are something to learn and grow from… if only you allow yourselves to see it.
Exercise
Exercise is essential to an Empath’s wellbeing. It works both the physical and energetic bodies, and helps clear stagnant or negative energy.
Sadly, we live in a society that promotes a ‘no-pain-no-gain’ philosophy towards exercise and a focus on sculpting the muscles instead of healing the body and mind. Exercise should be fun and liberating, not torturous or painful (unless you enjoy that ).
There are many ways to exercise and it doesn’t have to be costly or complicated. It can be as simple as turning on some funky music and shaking your hips around the kitchen. Dancing when no one is watching is unbelievably uplifting and you get to make your own moves with the beat of the music.
Running or walking in nature, freestyle dance, where there are no rules, or one of the many forms of yoga, are some of the best forms of exercise for the Empath. These could be done alone at home, and there is no need for a gym membership.
Swimming in the sea, or a lake, would also be great, if you’re fortunate enough to have one nearby.
A gym-class is not always the best environment for the Empath, especially if it has a very ego-driven or body-conscious atmosphere and adorned by lots of mirrors.
Some Empaths pick up negative residual energy left on mirrors. If there have been many insecure, or body conscious, people gazing into gym-mirrors (or mirrors in clothes shops, etc.) an Empath may feel the lingering energy of these insecurities and take them on as their own.
Relationships
For the Empath, relationships often prove to be a complicated area of life. But also very rewarding when they find a compatible mate (who very likely won’t be an Empath but may still be sensitive).
Empaths are a greatly misunderstood bunch. If they seem aloof or disconnected (after suffering Empath overwhelm) it may take a while for their detachment, and need for time alone, not to be taken personally by a prospective partner.
When one is romantically connected to another, it can make the energetic connection complicated.
Reading someone, who holds no emotional ties, comes quite easily for the Empath. However, when there is a strong emotional bind it can distort one’s ability to read energies clearly. This can lead to confusion and frustration, especially in the early building, days of a relationship and even further down the road.
Not everyone is as inclined to be as honest as an Empath; especially if they have grown-up or worked in an environment where lying is ‘quietly’ seen as acceptable (it is surprising how often this is the case). This is a huge bugbear for the Empath because they feel the energy of a lie, but not always what the lie is. In some cases, this leads to paranoia which in turn leads to ungrounded accusations and arguments.
A whole book could be dedicated to the relationship highs and lows of an Empath and how to handle every situation (see The Empath Awakening for more on Empath relationships). But in brief, it’s safe to say that the best way to be in any relationship is honest (unless the truth will cause unnecessary pain) and never be afraid to show your True-Self.
It’s always good to remember that every relationship, no matter how brief, offers valuable lessons. Even toxic relationships, filled with strife and arguments, can show areas of life that need to be worked on or improved.
Comfort Zone
Allowing yourself to step from your comfort zone, on a daily basis, allows for growth in all areas of your life. It enables you to face your fears and, in facing them, it gives you a greater capacity to deal with any negative emotions you meet.
When we stay comfortable, we stay small and don’t expand. As the saying goes:
‘If it doesn’t challenge you it doesn’t change you!’
– Fred Devito
Stepping from the comfort zone can be done by going further than you would like during exercise, by making a phone-call you’ve been putting off for months, by telling someone you love them, or anything that makes you squirm but which you know you should do.
Getting Out of Your Head
Thoughts can be destructive to your health and wellbeing, especially when they are negative and repetitive. Empaths tend to spend a lot of time in their heads, which is great when thoughts are creative, happy or enlightening. But spend too much time around certain people, or places, and those happy thoughts can quickly turn into painful memories, anger or notions of being wronged or unfairly treated by another.
You may not realise those irrational thoughts, that are on a perpetual time-loop, were ignited by being around certain others, as they don’t always kick in till a day or two after exposure.
So, how do you stop them? It’s not easy but it can be done. The best techniques involves externalising your awareness or by distracting the mind.
Externalising Awareness: One of the best ways to get out of the head is to focus your awareness outside of yourself, using a meditative technique called mindfulness.
This can be done almost anywhere and involves focusing on something outside of your mind. You could gaze at a flickering candle or pay close attention to your scenery as you pass it by (obviously not to be done whilst driving).
If you like walking in nature look up at the trees and notice all you can about the bark, branches and leaves, see the different cloud formations in the sky or inspect the wild flowers growing within the foliage.
Thought Distraction: When your thoughts are on negative-overdrive, doing activities which allow you to indulge them is not advisable. You need to distract yourself. One of the quickest ways to do this is by stepping out of your comfort zone.
When your mind becomes preoccupied by anything which causes discomfort it stops engaging dark or repetitive thoughts. A few minutes exercising usually does the trick:
If you practise yoga do a pose you find challenging or which requires stamina or concentration, such as the Plank, Warrior, Tree or Crow.
Do some on the spot exercise: march, jog, star jumps, twist jumps, etc.
Just be wary of injury before doing any on the spot exercise. When your muscles, or joints, are cold they are not as pliable and are more prone to injury. Start slowly and build up the intensity.
Conclusion
As we are all here on our own journey with learning experiences unique to us, not all the tips and advice offered here will be helpful to everyone. But until you try them for yourself you will not know what works or what doesn’t.
As an Empath, you may have come into life purely to gain experience of feeling others’ emotions. And because of this, it is important to remember that just because one Sensitive has learnt how to deal with external energies and you haven’t, even after trying every technique in the book, doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong or being punished. It may simply mean you have not yet achieved a certain lesson from a certain experience.
It could also be that you are capable of enduring more hardships in life and your mountains are higher and harder to climb than most and in turn you will be learning more.
Hope this helps on your Empath journey.
Until next time…
Diane
Do you want to transform your Empath life in the most amazing way and enjoy complete emotional freedom? If the answer is yes, then this book is for You. Click here for more information.
Modern life often brings daily challenges for an Empath. If it’s not dealing with their own ‘issues’, it’s picking up on the pained emotions of the people around them or the stressed collective energy of the masses.
Sometimes it can look like there is no way to get away from the many challenges that life throws an Empath. Especially when it feels like when one hurdle is jumped, another one appears.
But one thing all Empaths generally have is a strong Inner Guidance (IG). It is a guidance they can depend on, if they tune into it, to guide them through the challenges of ‘Sensitive life.’
So, what is an Empath’s Inner Guidance (IG) and how do they tune into it?
Basically, your IG is heard through the quiet voice that whispers to you when you’re troubled. It is felt through strong gut-sensations and your intuitive ideas.
When in tune with your Inner Guidance, Empath life becomes smoother sailing. But the downside to this guidance is, it is easily manipulated by external energy, from the emotions of others, or by internal chemical imbalances that are caused by stress, chakra or endocrine imbalances.
In particular, anything that lowers your vibration can impact your ability to tune into your Inner Empath Guidance.
I mentioned in my last post that sensitivities are on the rise for many people (and not just the Empaths) in the form of allergies, intolerances, negative emotional responses and depression. These are clear signs that something is amiss within the body, mind and spirit.
Finding Balance Within
The problem is, many people, Empaths included, tend to focus on either the development of the spiritual or the physical self, but not both at the same time. They may pray, meditate or chant for hours each day and spend every waking moment, wondering how they could serve others, but they do no exercise, they may smoke twenty cigarettes a day and eat nothing but processed food. Or they may go to the other extreme of exercising two to three hours a day and are fastidious about what they eat, but have no ethical or spiritual practice.
However, if you are to find complete balance and harmony, and tune into your Inner Guidance, you need to work towards having the mind, body and spirit in unison.
The body is the physical, which is also home to our spirit, or soul, our true eternal-self. The soul carries all our life experiences and knowledge and it is the only thing we get to take with us when we leave this body. Our mind is what makes us, well, us.
Generally, when we have found balance in the body and mind, through avoiding anything that lowers our vibration, and strive to live an honest life, we feel happy. When we ignore the voice of our higher-self and our strong gut sensations, in regards to health and wellbeing, however, our life becomes more turbulent and uncomfortable.
If you regularly read my posts, you may have noticed I am a massive advocate for taking self-responsibility. It is my belief that if we want to see change, within our life, we have to make the necessary changes.
We hold all the answers. We just need to tune into the voice of our higher self.
Tune Into Your Inner Guidance
Although we may each have teachers, who plant seeds of knowledge and offer us clues about which direction we should be going in life, it is up to each of us to do it for ourselves. We have to decide what is or isn’t right for us.
It is easy to become dependant on another’s teachings or words of wisdom. But everyone is an individual and each life journey should be a reflection of this.
The real answers lie within. You hold the key to your own happiness and freedom. You only find your keys by following your own Inner Guidance.
The first step to hearing your guiding voice is through having a quiet mind, and learning to recognise and trust its voice.
There are well over ten years worth of posts, here on this blog, written for the Empath. So feel free to browse to find ways to better work with your Inner Guidance to become the Empowered Empath you deserve to be! These posts, here and here, are a good place to start.
Alternatively, if you want to find ways to help you tune into your Inner Guidance and live a more fulfilled life, you may want to go the fast-tracked route and read my book 7 Secrets of the Sensitive. It is filled with information to help the Empath find balance and live an empowered life.
The majority of us have no idea how much tension we hold within our body. Even without exercise and sports, our muscles are constantly stimulated, either through the stresses of modern life or from taking on the emotional energy of others. All of which impacts our emotional wellbeing.
Even the TV programs we watch of an evening for entertainment can have an effect of firing up the mind which then stimulates the muscles, further tensing them.
Any painful emotions, whether our own or those we pick up from others, are stored within the muscles which leads to greater muscle fatigue and stress.
When our muscles are constantly contracted and stressed they fuel the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight).
Stressed Muscles Leads to a Stressed Empath Mind!
Did you know even now, whilst reading this, you are holding tension somewhere in your body?
If you take your awareness to your face you may notice that your forehead, jaw or eyes are not relaxed. If you travel further into the body you may find your shoulders hunched or your wrists extended back, your legs, hips or back might be in an awkward or unnatural position, all creating pressure in the muscles and joints. But, until this was pointed out, you were unaware you were holding any tension.
We could go through the entire body, but I think it’s safe to say you will be unwittingly holding tension somewhere. Not only is this depleting the body of vital energy that most can ill-afford to lose but it causes many other problems: It is prematurely ageing, it raises blood pressure, lowers the immune system and unnecessarily heightens Empath stress.
What To Do About It
Relax! In yoga, it is known that the relaxation, at the end of a class, is the most beneficial part of the practice. Not only is it time for the body to rest but it’s the time the muscles can let go of any tension they are holding.
One of the best and easiest ways to get the muscles to relax and soften is to tense them first.
By training the muscles to soften and loosen, through relaxation, it switches on the parasympathetic nervous system. This in turn slows the breathing, lowers blood pressure, initiates deep relaxation of body and mind, and allows healing to occur.
Here are some more of the benefits:
Muscle Relaxation Benefits
Reduces fatigue
Anti-ageing
Lowers blood pressure
Boosts immune system
Induces restful sleep
Allows for muscle regeneration
Switches on parasympathetic nervous system
Promotes mind stillness
Aides in general well-being.
Here’s a quick and easy relaxation technique:
Muscle relaxation technique:
Lie on the floor or a bed (for anyone suffering back problems: a bolster or cushion under knees is helpful).
Starting at the feet, tense the both feet at the same time for five to ten seconds, then release.
Work up through legs, torso, arms, shoulders, head and face, tensing and relaxing each body part in turn (If time is short, you could tense the lower part of body first, then the upper half, finishing on the face.).
When you’ve tensed each body part, focus on the whole body and allow it to relax and go floppy. Feel it melting into the floor and let go.
Close your eyes and stay for a while in this deep state of relaxation.
Not only does the above exercise promote relaxation but it also aids in stilling the mind. Relaxation can be done at any time of day but it is great to do at bedtime or after exercise.
If, as an Empath, you suffer any kind of stress conditions or chronic fatigue, doing full-body muscle tensing and relaxation is a great help to your overall well-being.
Also, if you are suffering a lot of emotional stress, you may find this post on Essential Oils for the Empath beneficial. Or visit this post to discover how yoga can help you as an Empath.
When you don’t have control of your thoughts, your thoughts can shape your life into something you don’t want. In other words, your thoughts create your reality.
Thoughts are so powerful that they can be the root cause of illness. And because Empaths are ‘big thinkers’ they tend to be at a higher risk of developing stress-related illnesses due to overthinking.
Thoughts feed emotions and emotions feed thoughts. Negative thought patterns become a dangerous repetitive cycle. Due to the fact an Empath picks up the emotions from those around them, which they may claim as their own, their thoughts can be influenced by the energy of others.
If negative emotions are stirred up by your overbearing thoughts, your emotions and thoughts are ruling your life in a very unproductive way. But, never fear, there is a way to take back control:
Yogic Breathing…
For all the many benefits yoga has to offer the body, it was primarily designed to still the mind. Which makes sense, for it is only when the mind is calm and quiet that we truly find peace.
Ancient yogis knew that whilst the body or mind was in pain or discomfort, negative thoughts would remain dominant.
One of the quickest ways to still disruptive thoughts, and help calm the emotions that caused them, is through yogic breathing techniques.
Not only are the different yogic breathing techniques energizing and uplifting, they are also calming, relaxing and rejuvenating.
For an Empath, yoga breathing (pranayama) also helps lessen the impact of negative energy picked up from others. Their practice also helps keep a strong aura. Having a strong aura will protect you against psychic attack and leaky aura syndrome.
In challenging times, yoga and the yogic breathing systems are a blessing and should be part of every Empath’s life.
Below is a list of easy breathing exercises, and links to their demonstrations on YouTube, that you can use to calm the body and mind.
Nadi Shodhana (alternate nostril breathing) is a technique that quietens the mind and blisses you out. It is brilliant to do before bedtime, especially if you have a wired monkey mind. It is also perfect for balancing masculine and feminine energies within the body.
For an instructional video click here. or to learn more about balancing masculine and feminine energy click here.
Kapalbhati (bellows breath) is a fantastic energizing breathing technique that also works and strengthens the core stomach muscles. It is best to do this in the morning (always on an empty stomach), or when one needs a quick energy boost. It is perfect for eliminating raging emotions that linger around the solar plexus area (seat of emotions). A few rounds of kapalbhati, will leave you with a quiet, yet energised, mind. For an instructional video click here.
Ujayi (victorious breath) is commonly used within yogic asana practise to create heat within the body. It keeps the mind focused and helps remove toxins. I find this technique great to use when in places such as supermarkets, where there are lots of different ‘people’ energies swirling round. Ujayi helps keep you centred and helps prevent emotional overwhelm . For instructional video click here
Dynamic Asana Practice: This is a flowing yoga practice that moves with the breath. Instead of holding poses static, for a certain length of time, you move in and out of the postures with the rhythm of your breath. Again, brilliant for quietening a busy Empath mind, but also great for alleviating tension, and building strength and flexibility within the body. (I have not attached a link to this as it’s best to learn under a qualified instructor).
To reap the greatest benefits of any yoga breathing techniques you should try to practise every day, if only for 5 minutes.
Any yogic breathing system should be approached gradually. When first attempted they may cause dizziness or sometimes anxiety. This, however, quickly passes, so don’t be put off.
Alternatively, if you want an incredibly easy relaxation technique click here to learn more.
Hope this helps on your Empath journey.
Are you ready to transfor
If you want to discover more about being an Empath click here.
It is incredible how quickly clutter builds within the home and the mind. How many of us hold onto things long after they’ve outlived their use?
Have you kept old clothes for when you lose weight or hope they may come back in fashion one day?
Or have you been given a gift you didn’t really like, but kept to avoid hurting another’s feelings?
I think it’s safe to say most could answer yes to the above questions. But hoarding, even just a bit, soon sees your home overloaded with junk. Bad news for Empaths or those of a Sensitive nature.
An overly cluttered house leads to an overly cluttered energy field.
Clutter equates to stagnated energy and is extremely draining to the body and mind. Even clutter the eye cannot see has a debilitating effect on the psyche and creates an overcrowded feeling.
If you have a crowded house (and I don’t mean with people) you may not realize how much it depletes your energy. Clutter causes sluggishness, apathy and an uninspired Empath mind.
Empaths tend to have an inbuilt loathing of clutter, whether they are aware of their gift or not, and this is because they feel ‘clutter energy’ dragging them down. They may opt for an uncomplicated decor, without too much fuss, for the simple reason all objects hold energy. But over the years clutter unintentionally builds.
Many years ago, I read a book by Karen Kingston called: ‘Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui, it really resonated with me and inspired me to have a full-on house detox.
I hatched a plan to rid the home of all unwanted, unused and unhelpful items we had hoarded. My husband and I ploughed through the house, room by room, and cleared tonnes of stuff (slight exaggeration, but you will be surprised how much is crammed into the smallest draw). I have a minimalistic décor style and have never liked visual clutter. So everything removed came out of cupboards, draws and wardrobes.
It was amazing how clean, fresh and liberated we both felt afterwards. Removing the clutter also cleared energetic debris held within the unused items.
Where to start
The first thing you need to summon when de-cluttering is bravery. Yes, it may sound silly to suggest being brave when it comes to house-clearing, but it’s often exactly what you need. Letting anything go causes discomfort. Fear always rear its ugly head when making any changes in life. When de-cluttering, fear likes to perch on your shoulder and whisper in your ear, telling you how much you need those unneeded items.
Hoarding is born from the fear of lack. By clearing your clutter you face this fear. When your home is full there is no room for anything new to come into your life. In making space, you send out a message to the universe that you are open to receive (but hopefully not to more clutter).
To find out whether you really need something in your life simply ask this question: How will this item improve my life? If you can’t come up with an answer (other than it won’t) it’s probably time to ditch or give it to charity.
Mental Clutter
Clearing the clutter doesn’t just have to be of your home, you can have an internal-clutter-clearing session.
Disposing of old beliefs, traits or thought patterns is both liberating and rejuvenating. Granted, they’re not as easy to be rid of as belongings, but probably ten times more beneficial.
A trait that will serve you no-end in eliminating is overly judgemental behaviour.
Judgemental behaviour carries a dark, cluttering energy
Although Empaths may dislike judging others it doesn’t mean they won’t harshly judge themselves. Being judgemental is imprisoning and causes untold harm. And it doesn’t have to be vindictive to be damaging: Believing you are not good enough, or another is more worthy is destructive. Self-judgements shrinks your self-worth and clutters your mind with insecurities.
Being judgemental catches all Empaths unaware. But when you work to clear it you become more conscious and automatically disengage from judgemental musings before they have chance to do damage.
Clutter Clearing Check List for the Internal and External
If you are in doubt of what you should or shouldn’t keep in your life, see the following questions:
Does this serve me today?
Will this serve me in the foreseeable future?
Can this serve anyone else?
Why am I holding onto this?
Will keeping/holding onto this make me happy?
A word of warning: Within days of having a clear-out your mind will play tricks on you. You will suddenly find use for everything you de-cluttered. You may not have used an item for 5 years but your mind will find a job for it once you’ve binned it. Just know that this is part of the de-cluttering process and it will pass.
Hope this post helps you on your Empath journey.
Until next time
Diane
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The main aspect of being an Empath is feeling and experiencing the emotions of others. For example, an Empath can tell when another is nervous, when one is angry or sad. They may enter shopping centres, or busy peopled places, and feel an array of strange sensations wash over them like a tidal wave. This is due to the gift of being able to feel…
Granted, not all Empaths consider the ability to experience other people’s emotional energy as a gift. In fact, some would say the opposite. But that is often because they have emotional or physical imbalances to work through (which may take some time), and this makes feeling the emotions of others as intrusive and ‘just too much!’
Before they become aware of their birthright, some Empaths may not give much thought to all they experience, energetically, because what they feel happens so naturally. It is not something they force, nor do they have to work at it. They may go through life assuming everyone experiences the same, not realizing that what they ‘feel’ is a unique part of Empath life.
But once the Empath’s eyes are open to their incredible traits and abilities they have, they can’t unsee them. All those ‘feelings’ finally have an explanation.
Other than their ability to sense the emotions of others, most Empaths also have incredible intuition…
Empath intuition comes in many forms, but for most it comes as strong gut sensations, having the ability to read others, or just having a ‘Knowing’ about future outcomes.
Intuition can be developed (see this post for more details), if that’s what one wants, but most Empaths already have very dependable intuition (in the way of gut-feelings) without having to try at it.
Some ignore their gut-feelings for their own reasons: Maybe they want to see the best in others, or perhaps they don’t believe in their intuition as much as they should. But every Empath’s gut-feelings are there to warn, serve and protect them from experiencing anything they don’t need to.
The strong sense of intuition an Empath has is both their guide and their best friend.
They may question their intuition, especially if it does not fit in with what their mind or ego wants, but they would be wise to listen to it.
Strong urges, feelings, premonitions or notions in any shape or form, happen for a reason and it is in one’s best interest to take heed of them.
The reason behind them may not be revealed for days, weeks, months or even years but they will have a purpose that will eventually reveal itself. For more information on tuning into Empath intuition see this post.
Another one of the many traits an Empath has is the ability to feel the energy of the days of the week.
Many love the vibe of a Saturday morning, because it feels calm, peaceful and uplifting, but are not so keen on the energy of Sunday evening, there’s a reason for that too…
Empaths pick up on collective energy.
The start of the weekend, when the majority are off work, can feel deliciously freeing. Late weekend evenings (Sunday evening for example), can carry that heavy vibe, as people prepare to return to jobs they dislike or even dread.
Some Empaths blame their workday feelings on their own job dissatisfaction, not realizing they are picking up on the energy of those around them.
But not only do Empaths have the ability to feel energy, some can also see it.
I remember, from an early age, seeing energy fields (auras), around the animate and inanimate, without even trying.
I loved lying on the grass, on a warm summer’s day, and watching the hazy energy around the trees as they swayed gently in the breeze. I assumed this was something everyone could see/do.
It was only in adulthood, that I discovered not everyone could see energy fields. I realized it was just another trait of being an Empath and Sensitive to energy… There are many more.
An Empath’s traits may strengthen or weaken with passing years, depending on life circumstances. But they have these traits for a reason, and a great part of Empath life is figuring them out and learning how they can guide them towards the life they were born to lead.
Want to learn more about Empath traits? Click here.
Empaths tend to be hardwired for learning and are often on the lookout for new ways to help them find balance. By discovering your unique dosha type it could be that last piece of the puzzle you were looking for.
I have long been an advocate of the healing powers of yoga on the body and mind. So much so, I trained as a yoga teacher.
A part of my yoga teacher-training was devoted to the study of Ayurveda: an ancient healing practice and sister science to yoga, in which we discovered how our body constitutions, known as the doshas, affect our lives.
The meaning of Ayurveda roughly translates to ‘the science of life’. Its aim is to bring balance and health to both body and mind. This is achieved through various Ayurvedic methods. But one essential element is discovering what our dosha type is.
Each individual dosha type determines how and what we should eat, what type of exercise is more beneficial, it even determines our temperments and the emotions we are more prone to experience. Each of which can affect how we show up in the world as Empaths!
It is said we are all born with one basic constitution (dosha) which are known as either: Kapha, Pitta, or Vata.
80% of us are born with one primary dosha and the other 20% will have a dual-dosha or even tri-doshic type.
Dependant on your type will depend on what you experience in life and even what diet you should consume:
For example, a Kapha type who:
Tends to be on the heavier side
Dislikes the cold
Puts weight on easily
Is sluggish
Can have oily skin
Suffers with excess mucus
Tends to be laid back
A diet consisting of lower-fat, low-sugar, no-wheat products and plenty of spicy food is recommended.
A diet consisting of sweet, warm, moist and oily foods is recommended (not processed food though).
Pitta types tend to be:
Medium size and weight
Can eat a lot without weight-gain
Often suffers with thinning or fine hair
Are good decision makers
Can be short-tempered
Witty and often outspoken
Have high energy levels
Foods good to balance pitta are coconut oil, olive oil, rice, barley, oats, sweet fruits, asparagus, cucumber, courgette, cooling herbs and spices, and organic chicken
What Works for One Type Doesn’t Work for Another
It goes against the grain of what the Western world promotes, in that the same healthy diet is beneficial to all.
A food which is incredibly healthy for one dosha type, may not be so good for another.
I have included a link further down for you to discover your own unique dosha type.
So how does this information help an Empath?
Finding your dosha certainly won’t take away your Empath woes. But when we discover what is best for our individual doshas it is another step towards overall balance.
Empaths take on so much and can spend much of the time feeling exhausted just from dealing with external energy. But if we know that we have balanced our body, mind and spirit through eating, drinking and exercising according to our type it will make life easier and happier.
Also by finding your dosha type it will help you understand to which emotions you are more prone. Which will ultimately help you navigate your way through life!
These days we can not afford to get ourselves any more out of balance than we already are. If we are not physically in shape and are not doing what is best for our type then it leaves us vulnerable.
If you would like to uncover many more amazing ways to find balance as an Empath Click here
If you are keen to discover your unique dosha type you can visit:
Chopra Dosha Quiz A questionnaire which will determine which type you are.
When answering the questions it is best to cast your mind back to late childhood and early adulthood, because this is when you were most likely your true dosha type: before you got imbalanced from a stressful lifestyle, wrong diet and exercise et-cetera.
There is a wealth of information on both websites about your dosha type and what foods to eat, or to avoid, to balance it/them. You can also discover how much exercise is beneficial to your type and whether eating your food hot or cold should be a consideration.
If you get chance, visit an Ayurvedic practitioner who will give you a reliable diagnosis of your dosha type.
If you are an Empath you will already know that being in public places can be a traumatizing affair. Simply nipping to the shopping mall can mean you end up ‘wearing’ someone else’s energy for the rest of the day. Which isn’t such a bad thing if the energy is positive and highly charged. But it is mostly the not-so-nice energy that follows you home.
Over the years, I have tried and studied numerous types of holistic healing. I have researched the benefits of food and nutrition on physical and mental health, and how it affects Sensitive people. Through this, I have made many incredible discoveries.
It is incredible how quickly clutter builds within the home and the mind. 
Empaths Empowered 