What is an Empath?
The term ‘empath’ refers to a person who relates to having highly developed empathy, intuition and sensitivity.
Current research in neuroscience has discovered that some people produce high numbers of ‘mirror neurons’ in the brain, that are responsible for reading subtle cues in body language and the environment. This is believed to be a survival mechanism which develops during childhood. In some people it is combined with higher levels of cortisol production than usual during times of stress. For this reason, neuroscientists believe heightened empathy is more common in children who experience trauma or feel unsafe in their home environment while growing up, although this isn’t always the case. The combination of increased mirror neurons and cortisol production create a unique ‘wiring’ in the brain. This leads to a nervous system that can be overly-sensitive when detecting ‘threats’ and more easily triggered, but it also creates the gift of advanced empathy.
A Double-Edged Sword
By sensing how other people are feeling, we can respond helpfully to what is most needed. While this is balanced with self care and awareness, empaths have so much to contribute towards others, animals and our planetary healing. However, when it feels like a gift that can’t be switched off, or turned down, empaths can feel drained of energy quickly and need recovery time to re-charge their energy.
Over Giving as an Empath and the Impact on Their Energy
Empaths are some of the kindest, most giving people and their innate empathy brings many gifts, including a desire to help others and contribute towards a better world. However, it’s common for empaths to over empathise with the suffering of others, becoming confused about their own energetic boundaries and those of others. This is especially true when empaths are in survival trauma, as this impacts their sensitive nervous system and empathetic pathways.
Empaths can also unconsciously ‘take onboard’ the emotions of others, in an attempt to alleviate unease and try to process any discord through their own energy system. This impacts how their own energy flows, causing them to feel overwhelmed and depleted.
When we try to transform other people’s emotions for them in an attempt to make them feel better, we are essentially holding energy frequencies in our system that that don’t belong to us. We can’t change the choices of others and take away their learning and growth, no matter how much we desire harmony. When we have clear boundaries and look after our own resources, we are more effective and can help others from a balanced place of resilience within ourself.
If this resonates with you, you can find out more about how we can work together.
You may also be interested in my blog post “Empaths and Toxic Relationships”.
Why Energy Clearing and Protection is essential for Empaths
Everything that exists is made up of energy and interacts with the energies around it, so we all ‘pick up’ energy from people, places and objects. Cleansing our aura regularly helps to keep our energy clear so we feel energised, healthy and positive.
We all clean our bodies, shower, put on clean clothes etc, but most people aren’t aware that every aspects of our lives are reflected in our energy bodies, or Aura. Our aura also benefits from clearing and protection from the ‘elements’. This is similar to us putting on a coat before we go outside to protect us from the weather.
What is Energetic Protection?
It shields and clears the energy bodies from dense energies that can accumulate and drain our vital life force energy. There are many methods of actively using intention to protect, ground and clear our energy bodies.
If you feel this relates to you, we can look at more effective ways of clearing, grounding and protecting your energy field and explore deeper patterns that maybe contributing to any imbalance, so you can strengthen and maintain your energetic boundaries.
