Spiritual Spring Cleaning Part 2: Emotional Bodies

(I'm back! For starters, I'd like to apologize for the hiatus. My laptop might have been stepped on, and I found out it is nearly impossible to type an article on an iPhone without throwing it across the room because of tiny, tiny letters. )

In my last post, I gave a few options on how to raise your vibrations and cleanse the energy of the physical body (smudging, herbal soaps, exercise, etc). Today, we are moving on the the layer closest to the physical body: the emotional body. As far as energy goes, this body is pretty dense. To some folks (you may have heard the term "empath" a time or two) it is very easy to feel other peoples emotional energy when they are in close proximity. The emotional body is very water-like, in that it moves freely around the body, ebbs and flows as your emotional state varies, and also tends to pick up any spiritual dirt and debris that it comes across. Most of us have had at least one occasion where we are in an area or around a person that feels off, despite having no tangible context clues to give you that impression. For example, you go into a house and get the feeling that a fight just took place there, or you see a stranger and get a sad feeling even if they are just calmly reading the newspaper. If this sounds familiar, then you have had an empathic experience. Merriam-Webster defines empathy as "the feeling that you understand and share another person's experiences and emotions : the ability to share someone else's feelings". Sounds great, right? Perhaps if you are a therapist, but most of us don't need or want to feel other peoples negativity. So what can you do if you don't want other peoples dense, negative energy getting up in your grill? Set boundaries. I can not stress this enough for your spiritual growth and emotional well-being. Boundaries are essential for you to let those around you know what you are comfortable with, and what you will not tolerate. For today, I am just referring to energy boundaries or "shields". If you are prone to these emotional TMI issues, take some time to ground and center in the mornings and get a feel for what your emotional baseline is. If, through the day, you feel angry/sad/anxious/stressed for no obvious reason, its probably not your baggage that you're carrying. If this happens, take a deep breath and feel your personal energy. Visualize it hardening around you, forming a barrier preventing any negativity from breaking through and keeping your own fluid body from wandering and leaving you feeling drained.

Fortunately, empathy isn't a daily problem for most people, and simple aura maintenance will suffice. You can simply add a splash of vinegar in your shower or bath routine to rinse off your polluted emotional body. Don't want to smell like vinegar? Rinse with beer. Why beer? The hops are cleansing herbs. Don't want to smell like you got into a bar fight? Use salt. If you are super-picky about your bathing preferences, you can try my personal favorite: floral waters! Rose water (which happens to be recommended by Edgar Cayce) is available in spray bottles and can be used to mist your body as much as you want, and it doesn't leave a strong scent. A few of my fellow witches and myself noticed an immediate change in our emotional state. It's not just soothing, but a little invigorating. It's like getting a hug from that one friend/relative who is always excited to see everyone. You can usually find this wonder-spray in New Age or natural food stores. There are other flowers that get the job done, but roses are a potent pick because they are naturally uplifting, grounded, sturdy, and protective. Here is my personal favorite brand:

 If you live with people who have toxic energy and normally leave you feeling like crap, or you just want to clear away any heavy vibes you track in from mundane life, raising your home's emotional energy is easy. A simple, little water fountain to keep the chi flowing does wonders (look into feng shui if this sounds like something you'd enjoy), or you can make a scented room spray with water and a few drops of rose, apple, or gardenia essential oils. If allergies are an issue, a bowl of salt water left on a windowsill can be charged with the intention of absorbing any negative energy.

Next week (Gods willing, and unless the laptop gets stepped on again) I will add Part 3: The Mental Body. Sorry for the delay (I know thats an understatement) and thanks for reading!