Shielding

Article by Angie Webster

Shielding, protection, and clearing your energy are very important things to learn as part of your healing process. They are even more important when you identify as an empath or if you wish to treat others using energy healing. For those who are sensitive to energy or who work closely with energy, these form of energy hygiene need to become as routine as washing your hands and brushing your teeth.

Our first and primary focus in energy healing must be on our own energy field and its health and coherence. For many, particularly those sensitive to energy, it may be very difficult to fully heal our own energy field or maintain its coherence until we learn shielding and clearing. Making this a regular part of your routine can make a big difference in your healing and in your overall comfort level in the world, especially if you are an empath.

Some people in the spiritual community say that using shielding is lacking in compassion and is “unspiritual”. The belief is that we are all one and that to shield other people’s energy from freely mingling with your own is blocking in the sharing of that oneness, and is therefore unkind and may cut off your own spiritual growth. However, though we all come from the same Source, and are part of the same Oneness, we are also each individuals. Just as the cells within our own bodies each have their own individual walls, yet are part of the whole that is us. Our cells would cease to function and we would die if all of our cells dropped their walls. We need our boundaries to function well, and so do other people. We all have our own role to play in this larger Oneness. We don’t serve that role well by losing who we are in all the other stimuli and emotional energy that swarms around us every day.

We naturally pick up each other’s emotional states and see the moods and energies reflected in other people. Some people have heightened senses when it comes to this and other stimuli, such as sound, light, movement, touch and other things. Everyday life can become difficult for them, particularly when they don’t understand how to filter out the excess or create boundaries between them and the rest of the world. Energy shielding and energy cleansing are tools that can help with this a great deal.

Shielding does not prevent you from receiving information about the world around you or about the people you are in communication with. I used to worry that shielding would cut me off from understanding the world as well, but I feel I understand and navigate it better now that I use it regularly. I have also heard the concern that using a shield puts out a fear vibration, and I used to believe that it would. However, you don’t have to do it from a place of fear. Do it from a place of sovereignty, strength and wisdom. Think of it this way, you can wash your hands from a place of fear that you will get sick, which puts that vibe out there. Or you can wash them simply knowing it is a simple and wise tool to use in your everyday well-being.

We work very closely with the energy fields of others when we do energy healing work, even doing distant healing. Our energies mingle in a very intimate way. It is important to both cleanse your energy and to have strong energetic shielding or boundaries in this kind of work, in order to keep yourself well, and to best help your client. A physical healer, such as a physician or a massage therapist, must wash their hands and be free of communicable disease prior to working with a client. Health protection measures, such as sanitizing equipment and disposing of used supplies, are also taken to ensure that contagions are not transferred to them from their clients, or from one client to another.
We must do the same with our energy field, for the highest good of ourselves and those we work with.

To shield: There a numerous ways to do this and the best one is the one that works well for you. Here are a couple of ideas. Imagine a bubble that completely encircles your body. This bubble can be any color you like, and can be as big or small as you like. Some people like to make their bubble reflective, so that anything outside of the bubble that is not of their highest good simply bounces off. You might also like to create an energetic box around your energy field, making a wall on each side of the body, one in back and in front, and one above and below you. However you create your shield, the idea is to charge it with Reiki or energy, asking that nothing penetrate the field that is not to your benefit, in service to the Highest Good. Use this whenever you go some place public, go on the internet, when you go to sleep at night, before a Reiki session, and before meditation.

To cleanse your energy: There are also many ways to do this. A very easy way is through your breath and visualization. You can also use grounding, asking the Earth to clear away any energy that is causing you difficulty or that does not belong in your field. Trees can be very helpful in clearing our energy, as can plants in general. Smudging or using incense can help. My personal favorite technique to use as I go through the day is the breath sweep.

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Angie Webster made a significant contribution to the Reiki community, with a particular focus on Animal Reiki, which she had a deep affection for. As a knowledgeable Reiki Master Teacher and Author, she conducted online courses on energy healing, herbalism, flower essences, and personal growth.
She is the author of “Animal Reiki: How it Heals, Teaches & Reconnects Us with Nature” and “Reiki from A to Z”. Currently, Angie has decided to retire from her professional life to devote more time to her health, family, and the little joys of life.