Personal hygiene is something we're taught at a pretty young age. I remember in 3rd or 4th grade having my teacher, with slightly obvious discomfort, stand in front of the classroom and talk to us about hygiene. body odor, personal care products. Ya know, all that fun stuff. But why didn't anyone talk to us about personal energetic hygiene? Unless you had some super woke parents, energetic hygiene techniques were likely left out of your childhood life lesson talks.
But, there's no time like the present. So let's dive into.
First of all, what is energetic hygiene?
Energetic hygiene is all about the awareness of your energy field, often referred to your aura, as well as the energy centers that reside within you. To learn more about energy centers check out my blog on how to protect, empower +clear energy centers. Our energy field(aura) extends about 4-5 feet around us. Each person is unique in how they hold their energy field. Someone who has experienced trauma may hold their energy field in super close to their body as a form of protection, others may hold there's super far out.
Everyone is different. Either way, our energy fields mix with the energy of others when we are out and about in the world. There is beauty in this because when we communicate and show up for others, our energy dances with their energy, often creating beautiful sensations, conversations, experiences. However, that's not always the case. For example, if someone is super angry, distressed, etc you may pick up on that energy too, keeping it with you long after your interaction with them.
Energy never disappears. It simply transfers/shifts where it is at. For example, have you ever entered a room where someone was in it right before you and noticed a sensation of joy, anger, sadness? Have you argued with someone in a room, left the room, then came back to the room and still feel the sensation of conflict in the air even though the argument is over? That is energy. I think of energy like smoke. It sticks to our clothing, our bodies, and travels inside of us, filling our lungs and other organs. And when we fill with smoke, we can get sick, groggy, crabby, you name it. This is why energetic hygiene is a must.
Even though the concept is quite "ethereal" or what others have labeled as "woo," the tips to manage your energy can be pretty practical. The techniques are endless, so play around with different ones and see what work for you. These are the major energy drains I see impacting the lives of my clients, family, friends and myself: picking up others energy on our feet and picking up others' energy through technology. So you may be thinking, how do I avoid picking up others energy if I use technology and walk with my feet daily? No worries, the point isn't to avoid picking up others' energy, that is impossible. But what is most important is what you do with that energy afterward.
3 tips to improve your energetic hygiene
1. Leave your shoes at the door
Here's the deal, we leave energetic footprints everywhere we go. It's inevitable. When we walk, we pick up on the energy of others who walked in those spaces before us. Some of the energy will negatively impact our mood, health and alignment. Leaving your shoes at the door or outside is a great way to not track energy all over your home. I recommend also clearing your shoes energetically at least once per week. You can simply hold your shoes and ask The Divine, Source or whomever you believe brings healing/cleansing, for the shoes to be cleared and balanced. You can also use herbs, incense, cleansing sprays with energy infused oils to clear the shoes. Make sure you especially get the soles of the shoes where the most energy is collected!
2. Don't sleep next to technology
Our subconscious minds are vulnerable when we sleep. We aren't always putting up energetic shields before going to bed to protected from unhelpful energies(if you do, that's amazing and your energetic hygiene gets an A+) so it is super important to have a clean and clear sleeping space. I remember when I was 14 or 15, I would sleep with my cellphone under my pillow and would have wild, exhausting dreams.
Our phones hold SO much energy, especially these days when we have 47 apps open at all times, connecting to thousands, if not millions of people and their energetic bodies. So it's best to distance yourself from this as best as possible to get a solid night's rest without others' energy rolling into your brain + body. Put your phone across the room, turn it off if you can or at least have it on airplane mode.
3. Use protection when going online
Before your scroll on facebook, ig, clubhouse, tiktok or the other various social traps, I mean apps, protect yourself. Use an energetic shield before getting on your socials.
How to create an energy shield:
take a few deep breaths, place a hand on your heart and imagine your protection color surrounding your aura + body. Your protection color is simply a color that makes you feel in your power and safe. Ask for protection and boundaries. Declare you are a sovereign being with room only for your energy. You can say all this out loud or in your head :)
Sometimes we forget to shield before we watch the news or get our daily social media fix. That's okay, you can cleanse afterward. My favorite way to cleanse is a dry bath(or actual bath) but that's not always as accessible after a scroll.
How to dry bath:
Put your hands in prayer position or at your heart. Ask for any energies that are not your own to be lifted with this dry bath. Take your palms and start moving them in a scrubbing or brushing motion down your head, arms, torso, legs and bottom of your feet, lifting and visualizing the energy being lift from you to the light of the Divine or into the sky. Do this as many times as you need to feel lighter and more clear. Ta-da, you're done. You're welcome to use herbs/incense/oils along with your dry bath if you'd like.
Again, there are endless ways to help your energetic hygiene just like there are a hundred different ways to keep your physical hygiene in check. Take what feels good for you and leave the rest. The most powerful element to all of this is your intention. If you intend to improve your energetic health, you will. I suggest incorporating one of these into your daily routine then building on that. Check out the Tik Tok version of these tips: April Jay (@aprilandtheancestors) TikTok | Watch April Jay's Newest TikTok Videos
I'd love to hear how these practices go for you. If you'd like to learn more about energy, healing, and finding balance as a spirit having a human experience, check out our online community Ceremony Space.
With love + energetic cleansing,
April Jay
Comments