We’ve all been in those situations where being in a certain environment or with a certain person feels like it drains all the happiness right out of you. Whether the situation is toxic, manipulative, gossipy, or just plain negative, we’ve all been there. Everybody knows an “energy vampire” where time spent with that person leaves you feeling depleted and irritable. We must learn to protect out energy from negative people so that we can show up in this world as our best selves and do the beautiful work we were here to do.
We often don’t consciously recognize this, but our subconscious mind is aware of it all. Becoming more consciously aware of how you are feeling in a given moment and picking up on the energy of a certain place or person is the first step in protecting your energy from negative people. Awareness is everything!
Try to identify situations or people that bring you down or take you out of your optimal state. Become aware of the energy in these situations without attaching judgement to it. When we judge we lose our energy just as easily as when someone takes it. We are basically giving our energy away for free when we make negative judgements.
Where Are You Coming From?
It’s important to distinguish between protecting your precious energy in a loving way and being closed off energetically from a place of fear. You never want to close yourself off because you are fearful of the negative people in your life. It’s adding more negative energy into your life if you do that!
It is a necessary step in the energetic protection process that you come from a place of wanting to protect yourself in a loving way, just as you would lovingly wrap a baby in a blanket; not because you are so fearful of them getting cold, but because you taking loving care of them. So take loving care of yourself when you set your intention, keeping in mind that you are protecting your precious energy in order to preserve it because it is a powerful tool in how you live your happiest life. You never want to feel shut down or disconnected from the world.
This is Your Opportunity to Grow
Remember: The light you see in someone is just a refection of that same light that is in you, and the darkness you see in others is a reflection of the darkness in you. So the positive qualities you see in others (she’s so friendly, he’s incredibly reliable) are all qualities in yourself that you recognize in others. On the flip side the negative qualities you recognize in others are also a reflection of things you may not like about yourself (often these are subconscious).
These negative qualities in others come up in situations with people and reveal themselves to you because they are ready to be brought to the surface and healed. So when someones negative energy triggers something in you to surface, try to notice what that is and why it’s coming up for you. What part of you is getting activated by this person? Maybe it’s an opportunity to do some deep and transformative work within yourself.
3 Simple Techniques for Protecting Your Energy
Set Your Intention: Setting your intention to protect your energy and to avoid picking up anybody’s negative energy is the first thing you must do. It tells the world and yourself “nobody’s gonna fuck with my energy today.” Setting your intention to protect your valuable energy is what helps you perform your best in the world. You have control over what you choose to see and how you choose to show up in your life. Decide that you will not be taken down by tis person or situation.
Zip up: People can easily lift your energy or they can leave a negative energetic imprint on you if you walk out into the world with your energy field wide open. This tool will help you consciously make the decision to protect your energy before you enter a new environment. Imagine there is a zipper that begins at your toes. Grab the zipper at the front of your toes and literally zip all the way up from your toes, over your head and all the way behind your back, closing at your ankles. This is is a powerful practice for setting the intention to seal your energy and close your field before you step out into the world. This is especially important if you live in places like New York City or work in a busy office setting where it’s much easier to pick up someones negative energy.
Close your cloak: Imagine you have a big cloak over your shoulders. Set the intention to close your field and wrap your cloak around your shoulders as if you’re giving yourself a hug. This act will protect you and keep you safe. If you’re ever uncomfortable with the energy of a situation you can always close your cloak and send the universe a message that your field is shut off.
Clear energy from others: If you feel that for some reason you’ve picked up the energy of another person — positive or negative — or if you’ve lost your energy, here’s a great tool for clearing it. Simply say, “Thank you, guides/universe (or whatever you resonate with), for removing any energy I may have picked up and retrieving any energy I may have lost.” This prayer will clear it up every time.
