Learning how to protect your energy as an Empath starts with simple practices you can use every day. If shopping, family gatherings, or scrolling social media leaves you feeling drained, shielding your energy and cutting energetic cords can help you feel more centered. Here’s how I teach Empaths and Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) to begin — while staying open to their gifts.
First of all, remember that it's OK to shield yourself and cut cords often. Shielding should become a regular practice for you, especially if you work or live in a highly charged, emotional environment. If you are a nurse, doctor, teacher, therapist, police officer, social worker, etc., you definitely need to get in the habit of shielding yourself in the morning and then clearing the energies that are in your environment from your energy field before you go home.
How to Shield Your Energy
What does “shielding yourself” mean? Well, basically, you create a little bubble of light around yourself to protect yourself from absorbing or being affected by the energies you encounter on a normal day.
You don't need to overthink this one.
Just close your eyes, breathe in and out deeply a couple of times, and imagine yourself surrounded by a luminescent pure light. You can have it be blue for physical protection or violet for general shielding. Set the intention to let only loving, peaceful energy get through to you, and let you exude only loving and peaceful energy.
Sometimes you will want a permeable bubble, kind of like the edges of a cell. Other times you'll want something more solid and crystalline. When you feel more raw or sensitive, or if you know you will be in an energetically charged space, opt for a bit more solidity for your boundary. If you are in situations where you want a lot of flow, then go with something more porous.
If you want to block all emotions from certain people or situations, you can even give your bubble an intention.. such as “Block all of X's energy from coming to me” if you are in the presence of an energy vampire or someone with attachments or very negative energy. I usually imagine this protection like a shield.
If you’re preparing for meditation, channeling, or healing work, you can also learn how to build a sacred circle to support your spiritual practice.
How to Cut Energetic Cords
We create energetic attachments to everyone we encounter in day-to-day living. Our friends and family members likely have larger energetic connections with us, while the people we meet in passing have smaller connections.
If you are an Empath or Highly Sensitive Person (HSP), you might find these attachments particularly draining. Even people you love—like your children or your partner—who you don't mind sharing your energy with might have very heavy energetic attachments to you, especially if you are the person's caregiver or in a close relationship with the person.
Cutting cords won't ruin your relationships! Don't worry. It will help the energy exchange between you and the people in your life be more balanced and synergistic.
Also, some people you have to interact with, like bosses, co-workers, neighbors, distant relatives might maintain energetic cords with you and even ex-lovers or ex-partners might still have an attachment to your energy field.
That's why it's so important to cut cords from time to time. Any cords attached to you can be draining and you want to maintain your own energy autonomously.
Cutting cords can be super easy; it's all about setting the intention. You can ask Archangel Michael and St. Germain to assist you. Start at the top of your head and work your way down, imagining Archangel Michael's sapphire blue sword cutting away any unnecessary or overgrown energetic cords that might be attached to your energy body. Go over every part of your body—front, back, down the sides, under your arms, and even between your legs. Imagine the cords you no longer need being easily cut away.
Strengthen Your Energy Protection with Reiki and Angel Fire
You can also work with crystals to help you protect your personal energy and also the energy in your home or workspace. I teach this in my Protection & Shielding Angel Fire Class.
Ready to strengthen your energetic foundation? I recommend Psychic Reiki Healing Level 1 for Empaths and Highly Sensitive People who want to learn self-healing and feel more supported as their psychic gifts open. I teach Reiki attunement as a permanent upgrade to your vibration — a foundation you can continue building on through regular practice.
The course also includes my Protection & Shielding Angel Fire Class, where you’ll learn to work with Angel Fire and crystals to help protect your energy, home, and workspace. Learn at your own pace with video lessons, and choose the option with a live personal attunement with me!