Becoming Aware of Bad Energy

Becoming aware of negative energy is a critical first step in releasing it. So I would encourage you to pay attention to the energy surrounding you and in you. Let me start by describing what I believe negative energy is.

When I think of negative energy, I think of stress, anxiety, grudges, critical or judgmental attitudes, hate, or negative thoughts. It takes away your center and it steals your peace. Allowing negative energy to fester will  make a person very stressed, tense, and protective over time. Over the past five years, I became so protective of myself, that nearly everything my husband would say to me or ask me to do would send me over the edge. 

"I can't handle this. This is too much. You are asking too much. Don't say that. Don't say this. I'm overwhelmed living with you." 

It wasn't him really; it was me that was allowing my own self to be overwhelmed. When I was made to stare into the face of divorce, I started to realize that I couldn't be this fragile forever. I had to do something drastic. I did, and now our house is mostly peaceful instead of mostly hostile. And as an obvious side-note, I would add that I have found a large measure of internal peace as well.

Here are some steps to releasing negative energy that I have found helpful (and by the way, the knowledge on this website is all borrowed!):

1. Become AWARE of the energy that you take in. 
2. RELEASE bad energy.
3. BLOCK bad energy.
4. DEVELOP good energy.
5. VISUALIZE what you want to be or feel like.
6. AVOID negative people.

Let's just focus on the first one. For the next few weeks try to notice every time your body tenses up or you become drained from a thought or from being around a certain person. Were you predicting something negative about the future? Does the person you are around have a habit of belittling people or talking negatively of others? Do they have a negative presence? This may take a while to get good at. But it is a critical first step to being able to release and block bad energy. So practice! Once you become aware of what you are allowing to affect you negatively, then you can block it from coming in!

Fundamentals of Energy

I will be using the term "energy" quite a lot on this website. So I would like to explain why I believe awareness about this is so important.

I realize that some of you reading this website are fairly conservative Christians that when thinking of someone who is aware of the energy surrounding them, laugh at how totally weird or New Age they seem! Or maybe you believe "this energy stuff" is too mystical, drawing its basis from the dark side. Thus you are left a bit frightened and want nothing to do with it.

I understand both of these mindsets because I espoused them at one time. Let me first just say that there are certain principles about the universe that although they can be used by the dark side, does not mean they themselves are bad. If you look, you will see truth everywhere--in Christians, in non-Christians, in Christianity, in non-Christianity. (I pick a Christian basis since I and most of you are Christians.) For the Creator's imprint is all over his creation. Now, regarding those of you who are just simply weirded out by "this energy stuff", I would say, give "this energy stuff" some consideration. :)

Energy: 

 Everything is made of energy. There is energy swirling around us all the time. It is being given off by people or animals and being taken in as well. Each thought makes a vibration that is sent out to others. Ever walk into the presence of a very proud, sarcastic and critical person? Without even talking to them, it's like you can feel their negative energy. If you don't know how to stop this negative energy from inhabiting you, then you will take it on as your own energy. This is why it is important to choose good friends. And when we can't avoid this negativity, such as with certain people we work with, then we find a way to internally block that energy. This is part of what I would like this website to focus on.

Why does this matter?

This matters because other people can end up binding us. In essence, we can allow others to take away our freedom. And then we open the door for lies to rush in swiftly and surely. None of us, attempting to create some freedom and peace for ourselves, wants to control the people around us so tightly that they can no longer be with us. None of us wants to be held captive by our circumstances either.

So I would like to propose a way that we can all rise above harmful energy. In the following articles I will give some basic steps to block negative energy from others (including meditation techniques) and to stop negative circumstances from controlling our outlook. For now, I will just leave you with this thought:

We can all learn from negativity. "Learning from it means understanding how destructive negativity is. Overcoming it doesn't just mean avoiding it as best we can. Overcoming it means confronting it, refusing to tolerate it or promote it, and doing active spiritual battle against it...." (Browne, 40)

Browne, Sylvia. Blessings From the Other Side. New York: New American Library 2002. Print.