Shielding is a common practice in new age and energy medicine communities. Simply put, it’s a matter of using your attention, intention and some form of life-force energy to create a barrier of sorts, protecting your energy field from the flotsam and jetsam of the world around you.

Given the amount of emotional leakage out in mainstream society, it makes perfect sense, especially for those of us who are sensitive or empathic. I, for one, do not wish to experience all the emotions of all the people whose paths I cross throughout the day. And I certainly don’t wish the amalgam of all that energy to clog my chakras or seep into my cells.

So I learned to throw on a bubble, reinforced with Reiki to protect my meticulously cultivated inner peace. Over the years, I learned to build a semi-permeable bubble so that I wasn’t isolating myself from experiences that would benefit me or opportunities to transmit healing energy. I just wanted some control over what was allowed to enter or exit my system.

I chose to be the Gatekeeper rather than the Velcro.

I don’t believe that there are many folks who have the skill and concentration necessary to deliberately engage in psychic attacks, nor would I even be on their radars. Yet there are a lot of hurt people out there who project their pain and others who seem to enjoy brewing up various miseries and flinging them about haphazardly. This is what concerns me.

Many years ago I had a roommate who carelessly caused me harm. It wasn’t intentional, but nonetheless that’s what happened. When she told me about the consequences of her actions without claiming responsibility for them, I found myself facing a choice of swallowing my feelings or expressing them. In an amazing feat of adulting, I managed to calmly say, “I’m angry about this.”

The surge of life-force that accompanied this simple disclosure was amazing! I was so proud of myself for speaking up. Not yelling. Not name calling. Just a basic sharing of a truth. I was indeed angry and despite extensive training in burying it inside me, I did not wish to do so anymore.

She was shocked. I don’t think anyone had ever been honest with her before about such a radical thing as emotions. She had the good grace to admit that my response made perfect sense and right there before my eyes, a shame spiral took hold.

And it got ugly. We never had a conversation after that, but I’m pretty sure that knowing her action caused very specific, albeit unintentional, harm activated a chain reaction from the powder keg of suppressed feelings within her psyche.

From that day forth, I sensed a petty, mean, spiteful vibe wafting off of her which might have been comical if it hadn’t been so darn unpleasant. Of course, my righteous indignation and newfound exuberance likely did not help matters. So I did the sensible thing and powered up a shield, sealing my aura, chakras, meridians, organs, all of me off from the potentially overwhelming yuck in the house.

I knew I needed to move out and soon, but these things aren’t always as easy as one would hope. For the better part of two months, I exerted a fair amount of my attention to protect myself from her shame projected outwards.

And then one day, I had a very rude awakening. Just like in that terrifying movie from the 70’s where the disturbing phone calls were coming from inside the house, I realized that I’d sealed myself in with all of my own energy, with no exhaust fan. So I was steeping in my schadenfreude and righteousness and immature grievances. Oof.

I may have been right. I may have had truth and justice on my side. And… (I fortunately realized before too much time had passed) I was choosing being right over being happy. Because happy I was not. And I was marinating in this lack-of-happy, sealed in nice and tight.

I immediately switched my focused to sealing Reiki energy in the bubble with me to saturate myself with healing throughout the day. It was a huge upgrade! Instead of working to keep the unwanted energies out, I concentrated on keeping the Reiki close.

It’s easy for me to tell this unflattering story as many years have since past and I’ve done a lot of work around releasing this particular rotten egg energy from my heart and mind. I have a greater awareness of the products of my thoughts and feelings and how they contaminate or enhance my energy field. I’m much less likely to generate a sh** storm and allow it to muck up my aura thanks to the ongoing support of Reiki.

So before you go caulking all the nooks and crannies of your energy field, take note of your mental/emotional state and ask yourself if you want to be locked in with all your thoughts, stories and beliefs. The conscious and the unconscious ones that lurk in the shadows. Maybe you’ve already gained mastery over your mind and cleared the depths of your emotional swamp and have nothing but love oozing from your pores. If not, maybe consider leaving an escape hatch or a vent to release any of the toxic gasses that are coming from inside your own house.