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92 m a s s a g e & b o d y w o r k m a y / j u n e 2 0 2 0 EMPATHIC OVERWHELM As stated, when we go too far, we can easily become overwhelmed by others' physical, emotional, or mental realities, or by their awareness of the unseen world. We can become flooded by another's bodily concerns, illnesses, and desires; pleasant or unpleasant emotions; or perceptions, judgments, opinions, and knowledge. You can also be overtaken by the concerns, values, and consciousness of another's core self, as well as the invisible spirits involved in an empathic process. Social scientists often apply the term contagion to describe the hyper-empathic condition in which one person's state of body, mind, or soul catches fire in another. Another term often used is empathic absorption, which happens when we soak up and hold onto so much of another's empathic data that we lose track of our own bodily needs, feelings, knowledge, or value system. Caregiver personalities are especially susceptible to this mistake, which can lead to caregiver burnout and its many afflictions, such as exhaustion, illness, depression, inflammation, and a lack of interest in life. Hence, the need for energetic boundaries. In relation to empathy, I call these "empathic boundaries." If you let in too many empathic energies in any of the four empathy areas, then you need to alter the programs managing that ability. Then, and only then, can you trust the information you're getting. SETTING EMPATHIC BOUNDARIES Baseline empathic boundaries are the filters that decide what empathic information we will let in or disseminate. These sieves are composed of many types of fields that emanate from us, including our electromagnetic fields, which are biological and are generated from every one of our cells and organs, and our overall body. The other vital fields are the auric fields, which are extensions of our chakras, the subtle energy organs that manage all aspects of our being. These conjoint fields decide what empathic data to let in or keep out based on programs, which are ideas stored in our neurological system and our chakras. TIPS FOR TAPPING INTO THE FOUR EMPATHIC STYLES The rest of this article is devoted to enabling you to alter any debilitating programs that might be impacting an empathic area, and providing you with tips for using data that is streaming in during a session. Physical Empathy 1. Clear old programs. If you're obtaining too much physical data, ask that your inner spirit release debilitating safety and security issues. We over-relate to others' bodily dilemmas if we think that understanding their challenges will keep us safe. Maybe sensing another's physical problems allows us to know how they would treat or respond to us. Excavate issues like these and substitute a new belief, such as "I only sense another's physical reality when it serves both of us." 2. Use your physical empathy. If you're starting to sense a bodily reaction when with a client (or you want to), these questions you ask of your inner self or a Higher Power can help you discern their meaning: • Is this my sensation or my client's? If it is your own, promise to deal with it later and allow it to be cleared right now. If it is your client's, continue with the next questions. • Is this sensation something they are feeling now? Or does it relate to the past or the future? • Is there something I should say to the client about this sensation? • Is there a bodywork technique I could use to alleviate any difficult sensation? Empathy enables you to relate to your client and lets them know you care, but it also comes with serious potential downsides for you as a massage therapist.