The Reiki Cafe 

I'm an empath, and I was wondering if anyone knows of any exercizes I could do to help hone and strengthen my ability. Thanks much!
Shinjite,
Jordan

Otoharo!

Jordan, I am a counselor whose whole training was in the direction of practicing empathy, not sympathy. I am a superb listener. So, be a good listener. And to do this, it is imperative to have someone who will be a good listener for you. Your listener needs to be someone besides those you listen to. However, love relationships have to be equal share of empathy. Keep the balance.

finality

Thank you very much for your advice. I too am a very good listener, in fact, I'm the one everyone comes to for there problems! I was thinking more of the psychic empathy though. I feel the emotions of others, as if they were my own(mainly people who are very close to me, otherwise I just "know" how they are feeling). I've heard it's a form of telepathy, but I'm not really shure. I have always had this ability, but it has really strengthened in adolesence and with reiki. I know that if you don't use it, you lose it and I want to learn how strengthen and use it better. Thanks again!
Shinjite,
Jordan

Greetings Reikame,
I understand your form of empathy as I have lived with this for a long time, and it used to confuse and upset me until I understood the nature of spirit. That was a long time ago...now i do not lose all my energy trying to cope with that silent pain or fear or chaos that emanates from others, and that once had me heading for a quiet space to be on my own......I love it and bless it and set it free. I still do have difficulty at times being amongst large groups of people and know that this is why.
I have had the very frequent experience of feeling our dear Mother Earth and her "feelings" for want of a better word. I love bushwalking and being out in Nature, and there are times when Her emotions and thoughts flood me. Again, it used to confuse me, even scare me as I thought this must be "my stuff" and had no idea where it was coming from (thought I was losing it!!! ;-))
Now i can direct my love and healing energies to Mother EArth and along with my brothers and sisters in the light, help to heal these upheavals.
We are all connected, after all....

Your discussion reminded me of a message received from Mother EArth - one of the most powerful empathic/telepathic messages i have ever felt..... and so I have posted it on the Writer's Board, if you wish to read it.
Thank you for reminding me!

Jordan, I see! You are a water person. It is natural for you to feel others feelings and have a tough time telling the difference. You will always have this ability. It will never leave you. Only if you shut your door to it over centuries and lifetimes would you ever lose it. AYou get answers from the Holy and from Reiki when you ask. These answers will come to your direct. So ask away and discover how much is really you.

finality

Jordan,

namaste,

Before answering your question, I would like to know what your definition of an empath is.

Blessings,

Priestess

Dear Priestess and Jordan,

Namaste...

This is quite an interesting subject. I found the following defininitions of empathy and empath. Just thought I would add this to the mix to define our subject here.

Jordan...does this ring true for you?

Empathy: n. 1. The ability to sense and/or understand emotion(s) from another person, animal, inanimate objects incorporating stimulation to any and or all of the senses (including the 6th Sense) without verbally being told and/or without obvious visual clues. 2. The ability to be sensitive and receptive to outside emotional stimuli. - adj. empathic or empathetic., v. to empathize
Empath: n. 1. A person who has the ability to experience empathy towards another person, and/or animate/inanimate objects, in part or from all of the above definition. 2. A person who is sensitive to the emotions in others.

Love and Light,
Lesley

Yep, Lesley!Those difinitions are the story of my life!

Empaths Of the World, Unite! :D

Love,
Pepi xxx

Hello All, and thank you for your replies.
To me Empathy is a hard word to define because it has a few meanings. It can meen "putting yourself in someone else's shoes" and it can mean knowing and/or feeling someone else's emotions psychicaly. I consider an empath to be someone who feels and/or knows someone's emotions psychicaly. And I was just wondering, what is a water person? Is it an astrological thing? Can someone have two elements? Thanks again every one!

namaste,

I wondered why you were asking about strengthening this particular ability. And although I appreciate others' answers, I wanted to know what YOU thought it was.

Nearly everyone has some ability in this area. More or less.

>:-o

It is good to know what others' feel, it is not a good thing to be so open to others' feelings that you have no protection.

Do you know yet how to discern which are your feelings and which are the feelings of others, that feel like your own?

If you read a bit, even on this board, and pick up on the feelings of others, you will find that there are those that are so sensitive to other's feelings, they think it is their own, and that they have a new problem to work on.

Soooooooo.....if you are going to be more open to another persons emotions, make sure you are really, really, really able to figure out which are yours or theirs', and how to clear them out/shut them down, once that happens.

You don't want to be walking around in a mall or the supermarket, and pick up on the emotions of everyone around you. That, sweetheart, will drive you absolutely crazy!!

Be careful what you ask for, you may get it!

Blessings,

Priestess

Otoharo!

reikame, occurding to my training, there are four main kinds of people, water, fire, air, and earth. These people also have a second category which adds up to twlve kinds of people: water/fire, water/air, water/earth. etc.
And you can take it two more levels down giving each person all four of the categories, in a certain priority of line up. In the over view, water people are very sensative to energies, as well as to physical surfaces, textures, etc., the hands of this person are very talented. They are very fast with their hands. Their hands are natural healers. Their emotions are soft, they are flowery. There is roundness in the body shapes. Water/fire have qualities of fire quite strong. Their energies are both strong. Their minds are quick. Water/air are more airy, their sensativity is super fine, subtle. Water/earth are powerful workers in all kinds of occupations. Builders, plumbers, secretaries, bookkeepers, farmers, ball players, etc. They are people-people. They tell the funniest jokes.

finality

Hi Jordan,

Thanks for posting this question. The answers have given me a better understanding of my own empathic abilities. My emotions and awareness of others seems to have calmed down significantly in the past several weeks. Perhaps it is because the apartment below me is vacant and will stay that way except for 2-3 weeks once or twice a year. The property owner lives in another state and will only be in town a few times during the year.

Also did a search on the internet and found some interesting information that I need to discuss with my daughter. She has recently been told she has an anxiety disorder and has been placed on medication. Perhaps that is not what is really going on with her.

Thanks again, Kathy

I right now am able to seperate which emotions are mine and which aren't. I am not shure why I want to strengthen my Empathy. It's just something I really feel guided to do, and I'm not quite shure why. Right now, I only feel the emotions of those that are very close to me, or those that are very strong and when I do, I only feel a fraction of them(I'd say about half the intensity).
I as of now, do not know how to shut down the emotions of others. I heard that sheilding can help, but that's a new skill I need to learn all together.
To me, Empathy is one of the most wonderful gifts I have received. It has it's ups and it's downs. You may share someone's pain, but you also are able to share is someone's joy, laughter and happiness. Hope this answers some of your questions! Thanks much!
Shinjite,
Jordan

I have been told I was an earth before. Do you think I may be both? What determines your element. My friend who told me I was an earth said that earth people are very nurturing, loving and are very mothery(If that's a word!:D).
That one fit me perfectly, and it seems that water fit me pretty well too. Do you know any way I can find out for shure which element I am for shure? Do you any sites where I can learn more about the elements? Thanks!
Shinjite,
Jordan

Otoharo!

Jordan, a simple protection: Place your hand over your solar plexus. You gather energy in there, so your hand will prevent it coming in. Very good when going to the mall, etc.

finality

Otoharo!

Jordan, you can experience yourself. Earth is visual, you see energy (rather than feel it), you tend to be critical as you see the finer points of situations and things. You tend to see things that others do not see. You are careful of what you wear and usually are colorful. You are neat and tidy, unless you are rebelling against yourself and then you are exceptionally messy. Things may look neat, but the drawers are in disarray. You are artistic. Your art is usually different from others.

finality

Alittle late but i would suggest 14 to 30 days of seclusion, no tvs, radios anything not of nature, this gives you enough time to dissipate the outer influences and allows you to find your true self.