Vibrational Hygiene: Gentle, yet powerful ways to protect your energy (without ghosting anyone)

I’d just finished doing my early morning 1 Healing Breath practice, and feeling wonderfully energized when my phone buzzed with a message from a friend I’ll call Eileen.

“I’m having the worst day,” she typed. “My boss is driving me crazy, my car needs repairs AGAIN, and my boyfriend just cancelled our anniversary dinner – for the third time! Says he has to work late again… 🙄” 

You know that moment when you can feel your carefully cultivated high vibe energy starting to… deflate? It was like watching a beautiful balloon slowly sink to the ground.

I used to think I had only 2 options in this type of situation:

1. Completely absorb the other person’s negative energy (goodbye, manifesting mojo!)
2. Avoid that person entirely (hello, guilt!)

But here’s what I’ve learned about navigating tricky energy dynamics and I like to call it maintaining my Vibrational Hygiene 🤩

Just as we wouldn’t dream of skipping our physical hygiene, we need daily practices to cleanse our energetic field – especially when we’re regularly interacting with people who might be going through challenging times.

The key? Creating what I like to call an “Energetic Airlock” – a space where you can connect with someone without completely merging energy fields.

Here’s how it works in real life:

💖 When a relative spent 30 minutes complaining about a friend taking advantage of her kindness (yet again!), I silently practiced my 1 Healing Breath while listening, imagining a soft pink bubble of compassion surrounding me

💖 When my usually-cheerful neighbor was stuck in a worry spiral about her kids, I visualized our conversation happening through a filter of golden light that transformed heavy energy into healing energy.

💖 And as for Eileen? Instead of trying to fix her situation or absorb her stress, I tuned into her remarkable capacity for love and generosity. I gently shifted our conversation: “You know what I was just thinking about? How you showed up for Marie when she was finalizing her divorce last month – bringing her dinner every Wednesday and just sitting with her and letting her talk – that was amazing. That kind of compassionate presence is rare and it’s one of your superpowers.”

I noticed her whole energy shift in her following text message – it was like she remembered who she really is, beyond the day’s challenges. 

Sometimes all it takes is holding up a mirror to someone’s true essence to help them realign with their own magic 

Practicing Vibrational Hygiene is like being a lighthouse. You can shine your light and guide others without dimming your own brightness!

The Universe doesn’t expect us to avoid negative people or situations. Instead, it invites us to practice something more powerful…

Maintaining our vibration while extending compassion to others.