For the Tender Hearted in Troubling Times

With all that has been happening in our country in the last two weeks my tender heart has taken a beating.  I've unconsciously upped my game in self-care and thought I'd share with you the things that have worked for me.

Ways to Take Care of Yourself if you are Tender Hearted or Energetically Sensitive

Meditate on Love

Meditation on anything at anytime is going to help you feel more grounded.  But if you are an open hearted person then any energy that is not an energy of Love is generally disturbing to you. Right now the world is full of a lot of energy that is not loving, so turn yourself specifically towards Love as a way to rebalance yourself.  

Recently, I've played with two practices along those lines.  The first is using the mantra: "I am a Vessel of Love"  Seated comfortably, silently repeat "I am a vessel of love" over and over to yourself until you feel like an empty vessel being filled with a peaceful loving energy.  It isn't ancient Sanskrit, but it does work.  

The second is to imagine you are literally in an Ocean of Love.  As you sit comfortably imagine the space around you is filled with loving energy.  Perhaps it is golden and sparkling, perhaps it is just laden with sweetness, but it is filled.  As you rest in the ocean of love imagine your pores open and you can draw in and breathe out the Love... stay until you completely dissolve into Love.  

We, the open hearted, need to feel wrapped in Love when the world is troubled.  It is how we feel ok.

I have decided to stick with Love, hate is too great a burden to bear - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Practice Gratitude

What else do I need to say here? My problems are so small compared to those of others. My concerns are minuscule. And the world around me is constantly offering goodness to me.  When my heart is open I can feel it... and I feel grateful for it.

Get Outside

We just put up a bird feeder for the first time... (so we really put up a squirrel feeder by accident).  Just drawing our attention out the window to the antics of these little creatures has been such a balm for my heart.  Even better when I can sit outside and hear that the birds are not concerned about national politics. The squirrels seriously don't care.  The tree I rest against has seen much more than this.  Ah.

Limit Exposure

If you are energetically sensitive you are probably already limiting your exposure to those things that are too much for you.  It doesn't hurt to hear again that it's ok for you to limit your time with people, news, shocking events, and social media that make you feel upset, anxious, and ungrounded.  It is OK.  We seriously do not need any more ungroundeding.  Instead, curate.  Be very moderate and curate the information that you are allowing in.  That means you don't bury your head in the sand and hope it all goes away -- but seriously -- take care of yourself out on the internet!

Put on an Energy Suit

All of the suggestions above are well and good for while you are at home.  But what about when you go out in the world with your Love-filled open heart and sensitive energy.  It can be hard to even set foot in the grocery store or talk to an acquaintance right now without needing a serious rest afterwards.  

To take good care of yourself when you are out in the world put on a protective energy suit.  Imagine you are covered head to toe with fine mesh armor of a color of your choosing  -- mine is usually gold, though sometimes radiant white.  When you wear your energy suit nothing can get through it, so no one else's energy can affect you.  But of course you don't want to live closed off from everyone, so the cool thing about the energy suit is that you can adjust the weave of it to make it stronger or more open depending on who you are with that day.  You can also adjust how close and how far your energy suit is from your body - in effect, establishing a boundary line for those who would seek to disrupt your heart.

Be with someone untroubled

Finally, if none of these are working, and perhaps even if they are, if you are still struggling find someone who is untroubled.  Make sure to find time to be with that person, even if it is someone you are paying for their untroubledness.  My meditation teacher, Dr. Martha Beck, and some of the most enlightened people that I know of seem relatively to entirely untroubled by our current political climate.  Their general take seems to be that this is a huge moment of growth for all of us, and a tremendous opportunity to see ourselves way more deeply than ever.  This kind of seeing of oneself is uncomfortable (ask anyone who meditates or practices any true internal alchemy). It is uncomfortable and we as a culture are generally not so great at being uncomfortable so it is scary to us.  But it is growth and we have an opportunity to steer it towards love... but only if we are in Love ourselves.  See that?  For me (as a very unenlightened person) the message seems hopeful and it helps me stay grounded and trusting in the bigger work of the universe when I start to get spun out.  You don't have to believe any bit of that.  But what I do recommend is having someone that you can be with that is holding an energetic space of being untroubled.

Troubled? then stay with me for I am not - Hafiz

We, the tender hearted and emotionally sensitive are the ones who FEEL this for the country.  If you are one of us, do take care my friend.  And let me know if any of the suggestions above help you in anyway.  You are on my mind and in my heart!