Are You an Empath?

Several years ago, I visited a friend whose father was visiting her. When I went to greet her dad, who was sitting on the couch, my breath stopped. It felt like the wind had been knocked out of my sails by a sharp blow to the gut. Not really understanding what had happened, I regained my outward composure, said hello, and continued with the visit. Quietly I was trying to recover from the shock that had hit my sensitive energy field.

Sadly, I later learned that my friend's father had colon cancer and would eventually die from it a few months later.

Empaths are people who can sense another person's emotions so keenly that they feel the emotions themselves. They can also feel another person's physical pain in their own body, which is what happened to me with my friend's father.

Empathy is a gift—it acknowledges others' emotions and lets them know that it is okay to feel, and therefore be seen on an authentic level. However, being overly empathic can be a problem. If you are overly empathic, you tend to lose your center constantly because you are absorbing the emotions around you.

Do you ever avoid large gatherings because you become suddenly overwhelmed by emotions that are not yours?

Is it important for you to have peaceful surroundings so that you feel peaceful too?

Do you avoid violent movies or the news because you can't bear the intensity of the emotions?

Can you suss people out easily, knowing their true intentions?

If you answered yes to these questions, it's likely you are an empath.

Energetically speaking, how does someone become an empath? It usually happens before the age of 7. Usually, trauma or chaotic surroundings cause the child to close the first chakra due to fear. The second and third chakras blow wide open or shut down to compensate for the first chakra. The spirit travels higher up the body, and sometimes even dissociates from the body. A hypervigilance develops. The child is constantly scanning the environment to keep a lookout for anything that will cause him or her to feel unsafe again. This is a defense mechanism that develops in an effort to keep the self safe.

However, where there is a vacancy energetically (in this case the second chakra in particular), energy will flow in to fill it. Other people's energy!

Thus there is a loss of self, boundaries, feelings of overwhelm, and anxiety. It can be exhausting to be an empath.

But there is hope! It is possible to release trauma so the self feels safe to occupy the first three chakras again. You can learn to ground and feel your spirit in your body. This will bring a sense of power and with it a balanced expression of your empathy, a true gift to the world. But most importantly, it will allow your spirit to sit in your energy body so you can shine your light into the world. You will feel empowered, rather than powerless.

Interested in learning more about your energy field? Join me this month on September 16 for an energy tune-up via Zoom where I will show you how to balance your chakras and energy field. It is a great first step for empaths who what to learn how to regulate their energy fields. To learn more, click here: https://www.fenestraenergyhealing.com/events.