So This Isn't Going to Plan - Week 3

Moving beyond anxiety when the heart feels everything: holding space for ourselves amid collective change. Join me as we explore the empath and collective resistance to release. Blessed be x

This week I thought I was going to be writing about the impact of the stories we have learnt to believe, the stories we tell ourselves, and our trauma driven self in relation to anxiety.

And then

Several people close to me and a number of clients spoke of their feelings of anxiety; I too felt the heaviness of this time and saw the energetic debris of dead light bodies and low vibration contributed by mass consciousness struggling to lift from Earth’s mantle.

And so now I realise the schedule can wait - I want to talk about empaths and why we are feeling what we are feeling.

It is really an acknowledgement and reassurance for you, and for me. Believe me, some days I look for assurance too.

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Photo by Nataliee Shell 🇺🇦

So let’s start with that. Me.

A couple of days ago, I woke in a funk, tired. Irritated. By what I asked myself? Feeling like I worked all night long, I had red-rimmed eyes to prove it. I lay there feeling irritated. And again, by what I asked myself? As I tried to make sense of it all, I recollected a feeling around 2 am, of energy trying to move down through my knees and an equal force pushing it back. Resistance. Ugh.

My quick check in is to ensure the energetic 3D Star of David (the Mer-ka-bah) that I have within and around me is resonating smoothly for myself and my space. My mind’s eye sees mud-like crap flinging off in every direction and it is clearly a nudge to go deeper.

And so, with the wind gusting but without the squally rain for the first time in a week, I wandered out for a walk - one of my favourite activities to allow answers to drop in. The shape of Mother Earth soon appeared with a soggy crust. I could see the rain and the wind trying to lift this crust up and off her surface while a number of shadowy hands grasped both upwards and downwards, trying to prevent the separation from occurring.

While I believe our separation from the 3D has already occurred, Earth is still working to clear residue…

Digging Deeper

Later, a longtime healer friend and I were debriefing regarding 3D and higher dimensional awareness. Having both come from dysfunctional, self-punishing and overworking backgrounds, it led us to note how differently we make choices nowadays. That the things we used to do WHEN WE DIDN’T WANT TO so others would feel comfortable, not think badly of us, or be challenged by our different perspectives - hardly rated anymore. Why? Because we have finally remembered that how others process our choices is none of our business. And yet we reflected on how unhappy some were with our decisions to manage our energy, listen to our hearts, and to be more discerning.

Again, the image of the hands grasping to hold Earth’s heaviness appeared.

Bingo! An awareness that this old energy of resistance to change - and the energetic patterns of generations of women forgoing their truest desires, their Sovereignty, through subservience presented. What quickly followed was the masculine equivalent - one generation after the next of men who felt the burden of shouldering pre-determined roles. Neither truly happy yet often voiceless, tossed by waves created through a lack of belief in choice.

Now YOU and US

Change takes time.

And we can do it easy or we can do it hard.

As empaths we will feel the energetic shifts as they occur. While we exist simultaneously in the earth and astral planes, our physical body stands in the energy of Earth. This is good because She grounds us. This is also uncomfortable at stages because our feet are literally surrounded by the lowest polarities, the energies of heaviness and low vibration. We may also feel uncomfortable because our physical bodies register the misalignment between our Divine being of unconditional love and the residue of energetic debris.

It doesn’t feel good to be surrounded by what we are not:

Ancient pain.

Suffering.

Stuckness.

Sadness.

Self-punishment.

Fear - and whatever else you are noticing in these turbulent times.

And when we consider that our energetic radars are picking up on what is rising to move up and out, the low vibrational experiences surrounding our world, why wouldn’t we feel this?

Is it Yours? The Source of Energetic Impact

Did you know that we are energetically impacted in four possible ways?

1. Self to Self - how am I treating myself to create this dynamic?

2. Self to Others - how am I expending my energy towards others? Am I doing too much? Is the energetic exchange unequal?

3. Others to Others - am I staying in my lane - literally and energetically? I am a Divine witness and not here to carry everyone else’s lessons, learnings, or life experiences. Can I keep my heart open, offer compassion and let it be?

4. Others to Self - do I hold healthy boundaries? Am I allowing other’s expectations to influence my decisions and/or energy? Am I attracting other’s heaviness? Am I being empathic and feeling other’s experiences? Am I still carrying cords of indebtedness?

When we aren’t sure where imbalance or dis-comfort comes from we can simply ask ourselves, “Which number does this relate to, 1-4?” and then trust the first number that comes to mind.

And so number 4 came in loud and clear. We both knew it was not ours and yet we still feel it.

Have you experienced one of the four types of energetic impact? I’d love to hear how you recognised and responded to it in the comments below.

And so, dear ones, dear empaths, what to do? How can we create ways to process ENERGY without feeling the exposure to what is not ours?

To FEEL - a gift that requires our attention. Image by Ramiro Pianarosa

Energetic Exposure and Holding our Sacred Self

As empaths, we often work with people who are working through heavy life experiences in a range of caring / healing fields.

We act as lighthouses, holding sacred space for others and attract heaviness through our lightness of being.

Many of us are synchronised with Mother Earth, feeling the shifts She is experiencing within our bodies.

I have questioned many times, what can be done to clear any unhealed energy outside of my/our own auric field. So far, I have yet to discover/remember any method that is ‘set and forget’.

In part, I believe this is because to be a true filter, we must resonate fully with the Christos/Sophia energy of unconditional love. Anything less than this - our self-created human limits - maintains a resonance that acts as an energy magnet for other energies that are not unconditional love.

Resetting Our Energy

And so we must check in. Regular resets can help maintain high energetic resonance while we are still working to fully accept unconditional love. These are some of the resets I have found to be helpful:

🌟THE SIX-POINTED STAR

The Star of David or Mer-ka-bah anchors the union of matter and spiritual- our upper and lower body; balances the masculine and feminine, and harmonises emotion and thought within us. It literally transubstantiates our energetic beingness, bringing in the unconditional love of Christos/Sophia consienciousness into our physical form. This six-pointed star sits in our heart space and can be expanded to fill and surround us with grace of unconditional love: our heart, our physical being and then at our outermost auric field.

The Cosmic Alignment: Activate Your Inner Merkaba - A Meditation

Create this filter by focusing on your heart.

• Breathe and with each breath, imagine the star at its centre glowing with unconditional love, expanding and pushing all that is not for your Highest Good outwards

• Imagine it sealing the heart, only allowing unconditional love to enter your sacred space

• Breathe again and expand the Mer-ka-bah to glow and surround your physical body

• Breathe once more and expand a third layer about 1 1/2 metres or 6 feet beyond the physical body.

The layered mer-ka-bah will only allow what is for your highest good and evolution to enter your sacred space.

🌟 SALT CLEANSE

A dip in the ocean, a salt scrub in the shower, a bath or a foot soak in magnesium salts - each washes away what is not in our highest good. Salt will also often release pain that is not ours.

🌟 INTENT

When I first began working in clinic, I used to clear my energy at the end of the day by turning anti-clockwise in the shower 3 times, intending:

All that is not for my highest good be released, healed and returned to Source.

Then I would turn clockwise 3 times commanding:

Every energetic point connected to my mind, body and spirit is now commanded to be restored to 100% optimal in alignment with Christ consciousness. And so it is.

🌟 BREATHE

This is so under-rated and yet so simple. Take a long deep breath in and as you breathe out, imagine releasing anxiety and all the emotions you have collected.

Intend:

All that is not for my highest of high is now transmuted, healed, and restored to unconditional love. And so it is.

Repeat until you feel clearer and lighter.

🌟 FIND THE JOY

To ignore our feelings of discord and doggedly focus on the positive is not what I mean here. But if we can acknowledge that yes, suffering exists, and trust it is to remind us what we are not, to love, to forgive, to trust, to offer compassion and kindness. To hold our own healthy boundaries of love and respect, we can once again shift our focus to the beauty and the joy in the world.

The unconditional love that is us.

🌟 FEET CLEARING

This may help release the uncomfortable feeling of walking in these lower polarities. Our feet can be restored with an Epsom Salt soak and a foot massage with particular focus on the toes. Gently but firmly manipulate each foot, finishing by massaging each toe and even pulling the toe outwards, away from the foot.

🌟CLAIM YOUR SPACE

Light a candle*, perhaps at the front door or centre of your home. Then with intent, claim your home and its surrounding space as sacred:

As I light this candle,
I claim this as a sacred space for peace,
filled with love,
grounded in truth,
and guided by Divine will for my Highest Good and the Highest Good of all.
And so it is.

*Please be fire-safe: Never leave a lit candle unattended, near draughts, close to loose fabrics or within reach of children.

🌟SEEK SUPPORT IF YOU NEED IT

• Debrief with a trusted friend.

• See a spiritual healer.

• Find a counselor or psychologist.

• See your doctor.

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IMPORTANT: We are not here to journey alone and sometimes we need maximum support to manage our way through this lifetime. And remember Energy therapy never seeks to replace your Doctor or Mental Health provider, nor does it diagnose. You matter and your well-being is paramount. Always seek support as is needed.

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Create space for yourself.by journalling or simply quiet time to reflect. Image by Sixteen Miles Out

Reflection

Take your JOURNAL, find some quiet space and consider:

1. When was the last time you felt anxious or heavy without knowing why? Could it have been energetic sensitivity?

2. Was the source of the feeling 1, 2, 3, or 4? Trust the very first number that comes to mind and then return to the Energetic Impact paragraph above.

3. In what ways do you allow others’ expectations to influence your choices or energy?

4. ‘Staying in our lane’ is important - each has their work to do. How can you better recognise the difference between what is yours to carry and what is not?

5. What practices help you feel most grounded and energetically clear?

6. Are you giving yourself permission to seek support when needed, and have you found a trusted support person?

Honour Who We Are

Being an empath in this world can feel overwhelming, especially when we sense energy that isn’t ours. But with awareness and intentional practices, we can begin to filter, clear and maintain the integrity of our energetic space. This isn’t about getting it perfect or a regimen of ‘spiritual practice’, rather, it’s about honouring our sensitivity, choosing love, and remembering we’re not alone. We are here to support one another as we shift, grow, and reconnect with our true, sovereign selves.

Let it be gentle.

Let it be sacred.

I am so glad you are here. If you have enjoyed this article please click the ❤️, subscribe, share, comment. I appreciate you.

Blessed be

Michelle Cowles

Spiritual Healer, Energy Therapist

Copyright © Michelle Cowles 2025

You can also find me at www.michellecowles.com

Disclaimer: The information on this page is general, lifestyle information and should not be used to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease. If this article raises mental health issues, please contact your General Practitioner, mental health worker, or Lifeline on 13 11 14 (Australia) OR find support by country at www.helpguide.org.