protecting our energy and raising our vibration
Overview
Whew, it’s September as I am writing this - we’ve passed the unofficial end of summer (Labor Day) and are moving swiftly toward the Fall and Winter months and everything that comes with that. As we begin to gear up for a change in energy and our practices that help to keep us uplifted, it’s the perfect time to take inventory of our protection practices and ways we can raise our vibration. For many of us, Fall and Winter can trigger our feelings of Seasonal Affect Disorder or Seasonal Depression as there is less sunlight and fewer opportunities to engage in activities that bring us joy. Now is the time for us to get strategic and revamp our rituals so we can thrive in the seasons to come.
What does protecting your energy mean?
I often say that we approach the world of wellness from a very obscure lens with lots of buzz words but very little tangible information we can build off of. When I think about energy, I first consider a few elements of the basic definition of what it is:
Energy, in physics, [is] the capacity for doing work. After it has been transferred, energy is always designated according to its nature. All forms of energy are associated with motion. Energy can be neither created nor destroyed but only changed from one form to another.
Energy is a force that is ever-present and constantly at play. We as people possess our own innate energetic composition that allows us to experience a range of different types of energy from deep joyous and inspirational feelings to more cautious and aware feelings. All of these feelings come from the perception of energy and what is around us.
Consider what you perceive when you feel “good vibes” or maybe when you feel bad ones. This is how we as humans perceive what cannot be seen and what we target when we think about protecting, calling back, minding, improving, or changing our energy. It’s less about actions and more about an aura that you create through your words, body language, and overall authentic expression. This is what we must continue to protect and fuel with our practices and rituals. Let’s explore some suggestions down below!
4 Ways to Target your Personal Energy and Improve Your Aura
Awareness
What we cannot acknowledge we cannot change! Changing anything whether it is a behavior, habit, way of thinking, etc. requires us to first be aware of what it is we need or want to change. When we think about raising our vibration and protecting our energy, there are 3 main areas of awareness for us to focus on.
Awareness of Self: Having self awareness is the first step in minding our vibration and improving our energy. By taking an inventory of how we feel, our capacity, our triggers, our needs, and desires we can tap into the areas of our lives that require additional support and attention. Moreover, as individuals our energy/aura can be heavily impacted by our emotions/feelings/mood. It’s important to get familiar with how our feelings may show up and manifest physically which can therefore impact how we are perceived or how we internalize certain interactions. Ways to practice self awareness are through journaling, meditation, gratitude exercises, and intentional movements such as yoga or walking.
Awareness of Others: Directly after ourselves, having an awareness of others is another area of focus when thinking about the energy around us. In addition to our environment which we’ll explore below, the people around us can have a direct impact on our inner world and energetic atmosphere. We’ve all been in situations when we’ve been around someone who has good energy and spreads light wherever they go but we’ve also been around people who spread negative energy and bring us down. Some of the ways we can practice awareness of and with others are by checking in with them regularly - asking questions like how are you feeling today or my personal fave, how are you living?; observing their actions without judgement or action, paying attention to body language, listening to people’s language and words used to describe themselves or others, observing how they react, and so much more. The key is be critically engaged with each interaction versus passively aware.
Awareness of Our Environment: the third area of focus is our environment. i am a firm believer that we are not meant to be in every place all of the time. having discernment about our environment and what we feel in certain spaces is critical to being mindful of how our personal energy can be effected. there are certain environments that may make us anxious, overwhelmed, drained, and just overall not feel good which in turn will effect how we show up moment to moment. by being mindful of how certain environments effect us, we can choose to stave off situations where we are not being fed, loved, affirmed, celebrated, etc. some ways to build mindfulness of your environment are through observation, journaling, drawing, taking slow walks, etc.
Cleansing
Now that you’ve become aware of your energy, the energy of others, and how your environment can effect you it’s time to focus on how we can clear the vibe and create a blank slate. Being aware of something is only half of the work. Only being aware without doing anything with that information is simply self-betrayal. It’s not enough just to recognize that your energy is fucked up or your environment triggers deep wounds within you. You have to decide intentionally on how to change the narrative/perspective or shift the energy into something else. Cleansing our energy is a personal practice that can be accomplished in a variety of different ways. Some of my favorite ways to practice cleansing in the three areas we explored are:
Get outside: getting outside, placing your feet on the ground, taking a walk, sitting by or touching water or simply breathing in fresh air are all great ways to practice cleansing our personal energy and aura. By taking yourself out of your current environment, mindset, and mental focus it can shift your energy from the inside out. Remember, a lot of times the energy that we give off or perceive can be directly impacted by our feelings. By getting outside you can give yourself time and space to process your emotions which will naturally shift and change your aura and energy.
Use sage or other cleansing herbs: Using herbs like garden sage, rosemary, cedar, lavender, etc. can provide various forms of cleansing and energy shifting. Whether you feel like you need to completely reset the vibe, uplift it, create more relaxation, or focus, herbs can be a great way to create different types of energy. You can find herbal cleansing bundles on our website in addition to intention oil rollers that provide a great way to incorporate herbal cleansing into your practice.
Crystals: Crystals are also a great tool to use to shift the energy and offer protection from all things seen and unseen. All crystals serve a purpose as they work through the chakra energy field and bodily systems. Our Chakras each have a corresponding color which I like to use to identify what crystals may satisfy my needs. Looking for grounding? Consider working through the Root Chakra and using red, black or brown crystals. Maybe you’re looking to add more joy and freedom to your energetic field which connects with our Solar Plexus Chakra (yellow in color). This may call you to connect with and use yellow crystals like Citrine or Golden Healer. Learn more about our Top 10 Recommended Crystals here!
Self Care
The relationship we have with ourselves is the most important relationship we will ever have and it’s essential to protecting our energy. Being aware and cleansing your energy are all rooted in the understanding of what you need and who you are. The key to practicing self care intentionally is to take a moment to focus on a few areas like:
what fills your cup?
building community
feeding your inner child
finding a hobby
Check out our March 2024 blog post about how to go beyond performative self care and target the areas mentioned above. Self care looks different for everyone and should be approached intentionally to maintain the energy that feels authentic to us.
Preventative Care
Preventative care is not just exclusive to our healthcare practices! Preventative care is necessary even spiritually/energetically. It’s far easier to prevent disruptions and disEASE by establishing routines that keep us well than finding a treatment plan to fix what is out of order. Our energy works the same way! By focusing on keeping your energetic intentions at the forefront, you can prepare and adapt when the time comes. Keep in mind our energetic intentions may shift from one day to the next. Maybe one day your intention is to have a more relaxed energetic output or maybe other days you want to embody more confidence or mystery. There are several ways to incorporate regular preventative care practices such as:
connecting with your ancestors
getting outside/moving your body
utilizing tools or talisman/jewelry. Here at Life of Velvet we offer a wide range of jewelry and other talisman to support. Check out our store here.
getting regular energetic resets through Reiki, Meditation, Sound Healing, Crystal Healing, Oracle card guidance, etc. To learn more about energetic resets, book a FREE consultation with us!
Takeaways
As you go through your day to day, I challenge you to be intentional in your observation of the energy around and within you. We all have the power to shift, change, and curate our lives starting with what we seek to feel. Taking steps to mind our energy will help to directly produce changes in our lives.
