I am often asked by other massage therapists and yoga teachers, “How do you not take on other people’s energy?” I admit, when I first began this career I would feel depleted and worried at the end of the day. I would ruminate about whether I said the right thing to my clients. I would get angry at myself for being in a bad mood after a difficult client because I knew I let their state affect me. I would feel as if my clients were stealing my energy as I thought about their stories as I was falling asleep at night. I developed a few techniques over the years that can help holistic healers avoid burn out and taking on other people’s energy.
Three Tips to Keep Your Energy Strong as a Healer
1. Direct the Chi: As a massage therapist with a background in meridian theories, I am always working with the movement of Chi in a person. Chi is the energetic and physical life force within all living beings and objects. When I do bodywork session with someone, I often ask myself: How can I be a better facilitator of energetic and physical movement in this moment? For me, the movement of Chi is a metaphorical “one way street.” As I work with each client, I direct the Chi of the Earth and the Chi of the Sky to move through me to my client. I think of myself as a part of a larger meridian, river, channel, or wave in the ocean. This way, the positive energy I share is not a part of me; it is part of the larger energy of the planet moving through me.
2. Be Aware of Speech: When I return home from work, I leave any worries or unresolved problems at work, which means I do not talk about my work at home. If there is a client causing me challenges, I do not speak about it with my family or even my colleagues. This is part of my code of ethics and it also helps me be more present and happy around my family. It frees up my energy to spend quality time with the people that are closest to me, and let go of the day. This is also good business practices because my clients are assured that their sessions will be held in confidence. When I have questions or need advice about my clients, I have a group of senior teachers and mentors I can reach out to. This helps me put boundaries on the amount of energy I spend with a client, and share quality sessions with clients.
3. Restore: There is another major reason why I do not take on other people’s energy, and that is because I am filled up with my own energy! I created many self-care routines to restore my energy. I often practice the Dirgha Pranayama breathing exercise before I walk into my house. I also restore myself with my personal yoga practice and vegan diet so my physical body feels at its best!
I see part of my job as a massage therapist to be a director of energy and Chi. When I learned how to not take on other people’s energy, it made me a better massage therapist. I can direct the Chi of the massage session so that it is not depleting myself, but instead energizing me and benefiting my clients. I began to practice my code of ethics of being aware of my speech, so that I do not bring my clients’ situations into my home life. I make a conscious effort to restore myself with meditation, breathing exercises, yoga practices, and a healthy vegan diet so that I am fueling myself with the best nutrients for my body and mind. These three tips have the potential of being useful to all conscious healers to have an abundant, prosperous, long career.
