Clearing Emotional Clutter

By Rose Kress Posted in Anxiety, Articles, Depression, Free Mood Management Practices, Practices, Stress

Clearing Emotional Clutter

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.”

About the Author

Rose Kress

Rose Kress ERYT-500, C-IAYT, YACEP, Owner/Director of the LifeForce Yoga Healing Institute, and author of Awakening Your Inner Radiance with LifeForce Yoga. She directs retreats and training programs on using LifeForce Yoga to manage your mood.

Leave a comment.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sign up for our Research Newsletter

Subscribe

Cart

What People Say

“I gained tools for working with my own depression and with my clients’ depressions.” — Robert Sgona, LCSW, RYT, psychotherapist, Yoga teacher, Camden, ME.
“I integrate strategies like mantra tones and pranayama, but above all I invite myself and those I teach to cultivate svadhyaya, to practice self-observation without judgment.” — Barbara Sherman, RYT 200, LFYP, Tucson, AZ
“This program changed my life in a significant way. It helped me connect with the spirit which is something you can’t get from psychotherapy and medication.” – G. W., artist, Pittsburgh, PA
“My personal practice will change, as well as my yoga classes. I have a better understanding of yoga!” — Andrea Gattuso, RYT, Yoga Teacher, Hackettstown, N.J.
“I learned lots of ways to reduce the anxiety and depression of my patients and myself.” – Aviva Sinvany-Nubel, PhD, APN, CNSC, RN, psychotherapist, Bridgewater, N.J.
“I have found the LFYP training to be incredibly useful in giving people specific tools to use in maintaining physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual balance, and further opening their intuitive abilities.” — Nancy Windheart, RYT-200, LFYP, Reiki Master, Animal communication teacher, Prescott, AZ
“I have gained a softer heart, more receptive mind, and tools to enrich both personal and professional aspects of my life.” – Regina Trailweaver, LICSW, clinical social worker, Hancock, VT.
“I came hoping to learn to move past some of the obstacles blocking my creativity. Over the course of this weekend, I feel I’ve gained a certain measure of faith in myself and in my ability to change. I also had some realizations that I believe will be very helpful to me. I feel encouraged. Both the content and presentation of this program were so well-thought out that I can’t think of any way to improve it.” — Andrea Gollin, writer & editor, Miami, FL
“I have found the pranayama (breathing practices) especially easy to introduce in a clinical setting. Some people have benefited quickly in unexpected and transformative ways.” — Liz Brenner, LICSW, LFYP, Watertown, MA
“This workshop has changed so much — my self-image and my life. My own heart’s desire is 100% clear. I gained tools to help myself and others to live life fully.” — Marcia Siegel, Yoga teacher, therapist, Carlsbad, CA.
“Words do not do justice to all that I learned. This workshop changed my life!” — Jen Nolan, Teacher, Cortland, NY
“A client who returned said, "When I came before, you helped me understand and get where I wanted to go. Now you show me yoga practices I use to help myself understand and get where I want to go.” — Sherry Rubin, LCSW, BCD, LFYP, Downingtown, PA
“This workshop helped me rededicate my energies and begin to work through some of the blocks I’ve felt creatively.” — Steve Mark, college professor, New Haven, CT
“Giving my clients a strategy and permission to quiet their minds and rebalance the sympathetic nervous system has been very beneficial to them and in our work together.” — Sue Dilsworth, PhD, RYT 200, LFYP, Allendale, MI
“I feel profoundly transformed, both physically and emotionally. The connection between mind, body and spirit was clearly evident to me, but revealed to me through this workshop as an integrally vital link to overall health.” — Nadine Richardson, program manager at rehab agency, Monroe, CT
“I have gained an incredible opening and clearing of old obstructions. I hope to return to my life and fill this opening with things I love to do and that give me joy!” — Lisa Shine, administrative assistant, Ballston Lake, NY
“I utilize the LFY techniques in both a class room setting and one-on-one environment. The skills have infused my teachings with compassion, mindfulness, and awareness.” — Kat Larsen, CYT, LFYP
“My life is already changed! I will use the tools I learned in my own practice and in my work. I feel safe and seen.” — Susan Andrea Weiner, MA, teacher/expressive arts facilitator, El Cerrito, CA.
“I have been reminded that I am not on this path alone, that others are sharing the journey that sometimes seems so difficult. I have also been reminded of the importance of daily practice and I will do that. The whole program has been an incredible experience for me. Thank you!” — Lorraine Plauth, retired teacher, Voorheesville, NY
“I gained perspective of who I am in the world and this will change my life significantly.” — Mary Ford, artist, Southport, CT
“I began a fantasy during the meditation exercise... almost as if I’d been there. It’s now an on-going work of fiction.” — Serian Strauss, Tanzania
“My patients can now have the same effects as many medications without having to actually take medication!” — Deborah Lubetkin, PSY.D, LFYP, West Caldwell, NJ
“Yoga Skills for Therapists is the ideal resource for those who want to bring yoga practices into psychotherapy or healthcare. Weintraub, a leader in the field of yoga therapy, offers evidence-based, easy-to-introduce strategies for managing anxiety, improving mood, and relieving suffering. Helpful clinical insights and case examples emphasize safety, trust, and skillful adaptation to the individual, making it easy to apply the wisdom of yoga effectively in the therapeutic context.” — Kelly McGonigal, PhD, author, Yoga for Pain Relief, Editor-in-Chief, International Journal of Yoga Therapy
I absolutely love this stuff! I have been using it with my clients and I am just finding it to be so incredibly helpful. There seriously something for everything. Although I am not as skilled as I hope to be someday, even at my level of training I’m finding that I am beginning to figure out what to do. It just blows my mind! - Christine Brudnicki, MS, LPC
Scroll to Top