Today’s blog is on the topic of "Energetic Hygiene." This concept may be something that you have never thought about before. When we think of hygiene, we often think of self-care practices such as brushing our teeth twice a day, showering regularly, and washing our hair. These personal hygiene practices help us stay clean and feel good.However, we often neglect to consider energetic hygiene practices. My intention with this blog is to support you in learning more about your own energy field and to encourage you to be mindful of how you can clear your energy just like how you pay attention to what you eat.

This is an area that has come to my attention personally, after experiencing feelings of exhaustion and feeling drained. I will first explain what I mean by "energetic hygiene" and provide some specific examples. Then, I will share a bit about how our energy fields interact with other energies, based on my own experiences.

If you tend to be more skeptical about the topic of energy, perhaps you can relate to situations where you've been around certain people and felt uncomfortable, without being able to pinpoint why. Or maybe there are people who drain your energy or make you feel exhausted after spending time with them. These are tangible examples of how your energy interacts with others, and I believe most of us have experienced some degree of this phenomenon. So even if you're skeptical about the concept of energy, you can still relate to these types of experiences.

Energetic hygiene refers to taking care of your energy and energy field. You may have heard of the term "aura" which is essentially your energetic field. In my book Radical Embodiment: A Practical Guide to Celebrating the Skin You’re In, I go into detail about this concept and provide specific tips and practices to help you connect with your energy body. I believe it's important for everyone to have a practice that clears out their energy fields and helps them to be mindful of what they're taking on and bringing in, especially if it's not serving them.

To provide some background information for those who are new to this concept, there are generally three types of ways in which we give our energy.

The first type are projectors, who have expanded and uncontained energy. They are usually large and noticeable, and even if they aren't vocally loud, their energy can be overpowering. When I mentioned earlier the example of someone whose energy feels like it's all up in your face, this is likely someone who falls into the projector category.

Another type of energy pattern is when people have a tendency to shrink. When they walk into a room, they may feel small, invisible, and as if their energy field is collapsing inwards. This can be due to various reasons such as past traumas, low self-esteem or lack of confidence. It's important to recognize and address these patterns to prevent them from negatively impacting our overall energetic well-being.

Everyone has all three tendencies of being a projector, a shrinker, and diffuser, but most of us have one that we do most frequently. To identify your primary tendency, you can try to remember a situation where you felt uncomfortable and then connect with how you felt your energy and nervous system responding. It is likely that the way you felt is an indicator of your primary tendency.

My primary tendency is to diffuse my energy, which is something I have to be mindful of and pay close attention to. I became aware of this about six years ago, and it has since become a significant aspect of my self-awareness.

As a result of my energy diffusing tendency, I used to be unaware of where my energy was and unable to track it. It was such a subconscious pattern that I was mostly unaware of. So, I have dedicated a lot of effort towards working on this challenge and continue to do so, with the goal of refining my ability to connect with and direct my energy towards myself.

Each one of us has an energetic boundary that can be visualized as a sphere encompassing us. If you extend your arms horizontally in all directions, that span would generally represent the scope of your energetic field. Ideally, this energetic sphere has a malleable boundary or border that delineates its edge.

When the energy diffuses, there is no clear boundary or border. As previously mentioned, I experienced a period of extreme fatigue over a couple of weeks. At the end of each day, after seeing multiple clients, I found that I had little energy left to take care of myself or complete even basic tasks. This was a result of my energy diffusing and not being properly channeled or conserved.

I became curious about my fatigue and started asking myself why I was feeling that way. It was evident that this was not a pattern I wanted to continue experiencing, so I needed to examine it closely to figure out how to shift, alter, or change it. My aim was to feel energized and not drained, and I was determined to find out what changes I needed to make to achieve that.

Upon exploring this issue further and seeking support, I realized that my energetic boundaries were unclear. About six years ago, when I first delved into the energy field and my own patterns, I had developed a strong daily practice. Every morning, and especially before seeing clients, I would set up some energetic practices to ensure that my boundary was clear and present, yet malleable. I would intentionally speak some affirmations to clear my energy space, let go of anything that wasn't serving me, ground myself to the Earth, set a grounding cord, and even anchor myself to the sky.

I realize this might sound a bit unconventional and maybe even a little ‘cooky’ or too woo-woo, but these practices were essential for me to orient my energy and create a clearer frame of reference. It was crucial to have a clear boundary so that I didn't merge so easily with my clients' energy fields and either take on their energy or give away mine. These practices helped me maintain a healthy energetic boundary, which was vital for my well-being and effectiveness as a practitioner.

In recent months, I've been a bit more lax with my daily practice. While I still do some grounding and quick clearing of my energy field, I've been less consistent and a bit more haphazard. I always make sure to spray essential oils in my room between clients to clear the energy and space, but I haven't been as diligent with my other practices. This inconsistency has led to my energy diffusing and not being as well contained, which in turn has caused me to feel drained and tired.

Since recognizing this pattern, I have been more diligent again in starting my days connecting with my own energetic field. And, I must say that this simple change has made a significant difference in how I feel both at the end of the day and between clients. I am no longer feeling as taxed or drained as I was before. Instead, I feel more resourced, more like myself, and more clear-headed.

When I'm not feeling like myself, or when I feel distracted or bored, those are usually signs that I'm not in my own energy field. So I take that as a cue to check in and come back into my space.

I encourage you to explore your own energetic hygiene and how you're taking care of your energy field. To help you get started with understanding your energy field and taking care of your energetic hygiene, I again encourage you to check out my book, Radical Embodiment: A Practical Guide to Celebrating the Skin You’re In, as well as downloading and doing the free guided audio meditation available from my book. Although it is mainly focused on accessing your authentic vulnerability and strength, I do touch on the concept of energy fields. The audio will guide you through connecting to your pelvis and psoas  muscles to help you find your center of gravity and base of support. This is a great starting point for understanding how to ground yourself and root into the earth from your pelvis, which will help you become more sovereign in your body and allow you to take better care of your energy.

If you are wanting to explore and study your own energy field more deeply, I invite you to check out my 12 week online course, Body Love: 12 Weeks to Happiness and Confidence in Your Own Skin. In the course, there is an entire week dedicated to energetic hygiene. You'll learn how to connect with your energy field and see how it supports and impacts your ability to experience self-love and love for your body. 

I hope you found this helpful, and I look forward to sharing more blogs on embodied musings with you.