During this time we are all experiencing an increase in sensitivity to subtle energy. Much of what is coming at us is traumatic so it is even more critical that we have self care tools that can bring us into balance and strengthen our energy..
Empath VS Empathic
Have you been told you are too sensitive by family, friends, teachers, co-workers? This is often our experience when we are an empath, E.G. particularly sensitive to subtle energy.
Being an empath is different from being empathic. We can be empathetic, understanding another’s distress or situation and have compassion for them, but not be an empath. An empath experiences things profoundly. They can feel others emotions, be deeply affected by others mental, emotional and physical state as if it were theirs. This often happens without any of the usual forms of communication between people!
Empathy: The Challenge Before the Gift
Everyone has the capacity to sense energy, but some of us are more sensitive and tuned in either because of our basic energetic signature or because the impact of life events has drawn this innate ability forward. For me, I was born that way and also had life experiences that heightened my sensitivity. One of the ways I used to describe how this felt was to say that it felt like I was born without skin! I was often on overload, stressed and confused about my experience. Learning how to manage my energy field was the key to me moving out of the overwhelm of feeling everything and everyone around me and into a place where this capacity became a gift.
The Empath as Spiritual Warrior
Empaths are often highly intuitive, have healing ability and often are “spiritual warriors”. (Spiritual Warrior simply means someone who is interested in and works on developing the spiritual aspect of our human nature).
Empaths can be a source of help and solace to others. However they are prone to running on empty and can suffer negative health consequences as a result. Negative habits, addictions, and stress related issues can all be the outcome of unrecognized or unmanaged energy sensitivity.
Until empaths understand the underpinnings of their sensitivity,
learn skills for clearing and managing energy, their energy-sensitivity may be difficult, stressful and debilitating mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
Without awareness of how to create healthy boundaries and to consciously focus and flow energy emapths tend toward disorganization, tension, emotional and mental overload and can experience many limitations in life.
It helps that we now have a name for being energy sensitive. There are several actually: emotional empath, energy sensitive, highly sensitive person, and intuitive empath are a few. To name something and recognize its characteristics is to begin to be able to understand and deal with it.
So how do you know if you are an empath?
Here are some questions to help identify this challenging gift.
Are you hypersensitive to noise?
Do you find it difficult to say “NO”?
Do you become overly stimulated easily?
Have you often been labeled as overly or too sensitive?
Are you extraordinarily sensitive to others’ emotions?
Do you try to avoid large groups, noisy or crowded places?
Do you feel things deeply, much more so than those around you seem to?
Are you very sensitive to negativity, bad news, or violence in movies or newscasts?
Are you easily overloaded or overwhelmed by others’ issues, pain or circumstances?
Are large groups, crowded or noisy places overwhelming, draining or exhausting for you?
Is it hard to disengage from someone who is going on and on about their troubles?
Do you tend to feel others mental distress, or physical or emotional pain as if it is yours?
Do you have a pattern of putting others’ needs before yours often automatically and unconsciously?
Do you make sure you take your own car if you can so you are free to leave places when you have had enough?
The greater the number of yes answers to these questions, the greater likelihood that you are an empath.
Remember being an empath is both a challenge and a gift. The gift becomes more apparent as you learn inner self care, how to manage your energy and how to build and maintain healthy boundaries.
The questions above point in the direction of where change needs to happen in your life in order to turn your energy sensitivity from a challenge to a gift.
Where will you start?
Where can you begin to turn your gift into an asset?
How can you make it work for you in your life?
Using tools and techniques that directly address the energy system are particularly helpful. My book, Fully Human, Fully Alive presents theory and information re: the human energy system for greater awareness and understanding. It also provides a variety of (Audio) guided meditations to help you balance and strengthen your field so you are less vulnerable to external sources that drain you. Learn more here: https://karenkallie.com/shop-2/
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.