Have you ever left a conversation or interaction feeling completely drained? You could probably benefit from implementing some energy protection practices.
Your energy is your most precious commodity. It gets you through each and every day, It helps you stay healthy. It helps you have the motivation to complete tasks and fuels your creativity. Your energy impacts everything you do and how you show up in life. So how do you protect your energy?
First you want to start with a solid foundation, making sure your energy is grounded. When your energy is not grounded you can feel flighty, spacey, have trouble paying attention, forgetful, or anxious. Grounding, also referred to as earthing, is a practice of physically connecting with the Earth, by walking barefoot on the ground, or digging your hands into the Earth. Grounding can be done on dirt, grass (untreated), sand, and in water. Grounding allows the negative ions coming from the Earth to be absorbed up through the feet, which helps fight free radicals. Energetically speaking, grounding is all about bringing you back to awareness of the current moment, and out of your head.
Methods of energy grounding include:
Drink water
Eat root vegetables: potatoes, carrots, or parsnips
Wear or carry grounding crystals: Black tourmaline, Hematite, Obsidian, Onyx, or Tigers Eye (my bracelets Anchor, Honor, and Balance can help as well!)
Inhaling grounding essential oils: frankincense, vetiver, cedarwood, patchouli, or lavender (my Anchor Root Chakra Roller Bottle is also great for this!)
Envision roots growing from your feet growing deeper into the Earth, then as you inhale envision that earth energy coming up through those roots and into your body, and completely filling your body.
Check out my blog on grounding for more studies and information!
One way to protect your energy is to carry or use protective crystals. All crystals have a unique frequency which offers unique benefits. An easy way to pick a protective crystal is to go for the black ones: Jet, Kyanite, Obsidian, Onyx, Shungite, or Tourmaline to name a few. There are others that have protective qualities such as: Amethyst, Hematite, Labradorite, Tiger's Eye, and Smokey Quartz. (My bracelet, Honor, is specifically for protection. The Anchor, Balance, Chakra bracelets are also protective.)
There are also many essential oils or similar tools that have protective qualities. Protective essential oils are angelica, cedarwood, frankincense, lavender, peppermint, rose, rosemary, and sage. When around others it is always the safest practice to use an inhaler for the oils. However, if the oil has time to absorb, it is best to dilute the oil and apply behind the ears or on the neck. When using oils double check on the recommended safe dilution rate for that particular oil.
You can also ask for assistance from the spirit realm. You can pray and ask Jesus/Yeshua or God/Creator/Great Spirit/Source for protection. You can also ask Archangel Michael to protect you. You can also ask your ancestors, spirit animals, or spirit guides to protect your energy.
There are many exercises you can use to protect your energy, but what works best for me may not be the one that works best for you. The practice that works best for me is visualizing being surrounded by a bubble filled with protective white light energy.
Another practice I have used is standing with my feet together, and visualizing a zipper tag between my big toes. Then reach down and grab the zipper tag, pull it up your body as if you are zipping up your energy field, and bring it all the way up your forehead and to the back of your head and secure the zipper with the intention that your energy field is secured and protected.
Part of protecting your energy is also cleansing your energy field. When your energy field isn't protected it can act as a sponge absorbing the energy of others. Which can leave you feeling heavy, unlike yourself, sensory overload, anxious, or exhausted.
While you are grounding outside you can also add a cleansing exercise. This looks like bending down like you're trying to touch your toes but point your palms to the ground instead. Repeat 'I release all energy that is not mine' until you feel light and clear.
Crystals can also be helpful to cleanse your energy field. Wearing or carrying selenite, amethyst blue kyanite, clear quartz, smokey quartz, black tourmaline, or black obsidian can cleanse energy. Selenite is a master cleanser. Not only can it cleanse other crystals, you can also use it on your energy field. Feel free to grab a selenite stick and run it over your energy field in a similar fashion that you brush your hair.
Plants can also be effective in cleansing your energy. Smudging with white sage, juniper, or palo santo can assist in cleansing energy. Smudging is done by setting the intention to cleanse the energy holding the plant matter (in dried loose leaf or bundled form). Set the end of the bundle or loose plant matter on fire and hold it a few inches from your body. Repeat 'I cleanse all energy which is not mine or doesn't serve me'. (You're welcome to make an affirmation of your own to use.) And move it around your energy field. If you are inside, before beginning, make sure you have a window open for the smoke to escape.
One of my favorite cleansing practices is taking a detox bath. Water is a great way to cleanse energy. Being in living, moving water, like rivers, springs, or the ocean is my favorite way to cleanse my energy. But if it's cold out, or your land blocked, detox baths are gold. There are many recipes for detox baths for different purposes. Below is my favorite recipe to cleanse energy.
Detox bath
1 cup epsom salt
1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 cup bentonite clay (optional)
1/4th cup sea salt (optional)
2-3 drops of lavender essential oil
As the warm water runs put in all the ingredients. Once water is at the desired level get in and soak for 20 minutes.
You can also call on the consciousnesses mentioned earlier to cleanse your energy field.
Transmutation is also extremely effective. For this practice, bring your hands together and rub them like you're trying to warm them. This activates the palm chakras. Then bring your hands three inches apart and bounce them closer and further feeling the energy expanding and contracting. Then bring your hands together at your heart. Take several deep breaths focusing on the light between your palms. Then create a white ball of energy between your hands and expand your hands as if you are holding a ball. Then set the intention for the ball to be filled with white transmutation energy. Then exhale energy which does not serve you or energy isn't yours into the transmutation ball. Repeat until your energy is cleared.
If you feel like you need assistance getting a Reiki Energy session is also effective in cleansing energy and giving you a boost. (Learn more in my blog: What is energy therapy?) If you're interested in a Reiki Session, there are practitioners all over the world. I also have sessions available for booking on the treatments page of this website.
Protecting your energy also means setting boundaries. Setting boundaries protects you from situations that would be a drain on your energy. Boundaries are standards you set for your personal peace of mind and your health on how you allow yourself to be treated by others and what you’re willing to do. ANd there are many types of boundaries that protect you in their own way. You can put boundaries on your time, personal space, and intimacy just to name a few. Like I said, your energy is your most precious commodity, it is necessary to protect it at all costs. My blog post, Setting Boundaries, fully dives into what that looks like.
Respecting yourself also means cleansing your energy, setting boundaries, and protecting your energy. What are your favorite ways to cleanse and protect your energy? Share the wealth and leave them in the comments.