Practices and techniques to help you clear the emotional clutter from your mind, space, and energy field.
When we work with others, we are taught to open ourselves and our energy fields to what another is experiencing. For us, that means that we often “take on” what has been released, especially if you are an empath. This shows up in the form of tiredness, exhaustion, or heaviness after a session. If we have multiple sessions in a day, we might not be functional at the end of the day. This experience is not limited to yoga teachers, mental health professionals, massage therapists, etc. This may happen as a result of being around others.
If you are into the unseen, or what some call “woo-woo,” this post may resonate. If it seems a little far-fetched, then think about the ritual of clearing things out. No matter what you believe in, the clearing is necessary because it helps refresh the mind. Think about all your daily experiences as though they were open apps on your phone, or open tabs on your browser. The more tabs/apps you have open the slower your phone or your browser runs. The more stimulation and experiences you have, the more your mind is occupied with the residue. A clearing/cleansing ritual helps you let go of what is weighing you down.
Signs that you need to cleanse or clear your space
As a general guideline, it is good to clear your space daily. You may also need to clear/cleanse your space if you are experiencing any of the following after interactions with others:
- Exhaustion and tiredness
- Overthinking experiences and conversations
- Heaviness
- Feeling emotions that don’t seem to belong to you, or that seem to be coming from out of nowhere
- Loss of lack of enthusiasm for teaching, work, friends, the next client, class, or patient, etc
- A dirty feeling after interacting with someone
Techniques for cleansing and clearing your energy field
Try a simple breathing technique in between clients. Bellows Breath is good if you are seated or low on energy. Breath of Joy or Pulling Prana are great if you have more room to move your arms. They also engage muscles in the lower body, which helps you feel more connected and grounded.
Burning sage or palo santo, if that is an option. If not, you can easily find an Aura Cleansing Spray online or in your community. Start at the crown of the head and work your way down the front of the body and then get the back of the body. Sprays work great for this because the bottle directs the spray for you.
Svasti Mudrā is the hand gesture of healthy boundaries. Here is a practice that includes Svasti mudrā, to help establish and maintain health boundaries. You can find a meditation practice in the LifeForce Yoga Mudrās course.
I learned this great tip from Tara Bliss. A mantra that you can repeat to yourself is, “my solar plexus is not open for business.” When we give energy or take energy from others, the exchange happens in the solar plexus region. In the healing modalities it is important to maintain proper energetic boundaries. Letting your hands rest on your solar plexus and repeating the mantra to yourself three times, “my solar plexus is not open for business.”