Wellbeing

A guide to energy cleansing

Do you ever feel like you’re a magnet for attracting bad energy? Dissolve, transform and release these vibrations with our guide to energy cleansing

Ever struggled for hours with a work report, only to find the ideas flowing freely once you’ve taken a short break? Or maybe you’ve gone for a walk after a row with your partner and returned home feeling calmer and more open to their point of view? Whenever we move from one activity to another – and it can be as simple as taking a shower or washing the dishes – we are changing our energy, and giving ourselves the opportunity to let go of the past moment and embrace the next with a fresh perspective. Sometimes, however, our lives can become stuck and feel more like a dammed up river than a free-flowing one. At times like these, working with your energy can help bring about the changes you’re looking for.

Purge negativity

People turn to energy cleansing for all kinds of reasons. Maybe you’ve been struggling with lack of motivation or hoping for a promotion that just isn’t happening. Perhaps you’re finding it hard to express your needs and the thoughts that keep going round and round in your head. Or you could simply be overwhelmed by all the demands placed on you and feel you have no time to connect with your deeper self. Cleansing your energy often involves working with your aura, but what is that and why does it matter? “Your aura, or personal energy field, is generated by your body’s cellular and biochemical activities, as well as by nature’s primal magnetic forces,” says Alla Svirinskaya, medically-trained energy healer and author of Own Your Energy (Hay House, £14.99). “When it’s blocked, it anchors you in a rigid and negative attitude and this, in turn, will have a toxic effect on your emotional and mental health.” Clearing these blocks can leave you feeling calmer, happier and more balanced.

Re-energise your space

It’s not just your personal energy field that benefits from a cleansing ritual. Working with the energy in your home can also make a difference to how you experience life. “Any time there’s been a conflict in your living space, such as a big argument, clearing the energy in your home can help,” says Gabrielle Henry, soul journey practitioner. “Or perhaps there’s been a trauma associated with your home, such as a burglary.” It needn’t be a major event that draws you to try home energy clearing. You can also shift less dramatic feelings, such as a vague dissatisfaction with your life or a sense that the freshness has gone out of your relationship.

“By clearing the energy in your home, you’ll increase the sense of physical and emotional spaciousness,” says Gabrielle. “It’s a bit like your peripheral vision will expand and you’ll be able to see more possibilities.” Clearing the energy in your home can also help you attract more positive elements into your life as well. “Your environment is key [to your mindset], and can be cleansed to support your goals and aspirations,’ says Poppy Delbridge, mindset coach and intuitive energy worker (poppydelbridge.com). ‘Your home space can help you to create a better emotional state and manifest what you want in every aspect of your life.” Ready to give it a go? Here are a few ways to start your energy cleansing journey.

Clapping

Clap your hands in a dusty corner that gets little movement of air and you’ll likely hear a dull muffled, sound, but clap in the centre of an empty room and you can almost feel the echo ricocheting off the walls. Sound travels in waves (of vibrating air particles) and the louder the sound, the bigger the vibration, so it makes sense that a clap, with its sudden burst of sound could have an impact on something with a slower vibration.

Best for: Those wanting a quick and simple way to change the energy in a room or even themselves.

Try this: Spend a moment noticing how you feel, then clap rhythmically around your head (above, in front, behind and to the sides) and neck, focusing on any areas that feel warmer or denser. Then reconnect with yourself and see if you can notice any difference. Use the technique whenever you need to refresh your mental energy.

Crystals

Believed to absorb, focus and emit energy, one way practitioners use crystals is to realign subtle energies in your aura, laying specific crystals over your chakras to bring them back into balance and help clear physical or psychological blockages. Advocates place them around their home as well, either in specific places or in a grid format, to bring about harmony and balance.

Best for: Those who appreciate beauty, form and colour, or are naturally drawn to crystals.

Try this: Learn the qualities and meanings of individual crystals in Crystallize: The modern guide to crystal healing, by Yulia Van Doren (Quadrille, £10).

Feng shui

This ancient Chinese art aims to enhance the flow of energy or ‘chi’ in your home (and by extension your own energy) by balancing yin and yang and using the Chinese theory of the five elements. An energy map called a ‘bagua’ divides your home into eight or nine zones representing aspects of your life such as family, health and career, etc, which are then ‘cleared’ and enhanced by placing specific objects in different places.

Best for: Anyone feeling stuck in any area of life, such as those struggling with working from home.

Try this: Find an accredited feng shui consultant at fengshuisociety.org.uk

Smudging

Based on the Native American Sacred Smoke Bowl Blessing ritual, smudging uses the smoke from herbs such as white sage (itself known to be antimicrobial) to remove negative energies in your mind, body or home. The practice can be strengthened by setting and focusing on an intention, such as releasing negative emotions, as you waft the smoke around your aura or living space.

Best for: People who enjoy rituals and are sensitive to odours.

Try this: Explore the effects of smudging with the Sarimoire Sage Smudge Kit, £20.99, amazon.co.uk*

Vastu

Like feng shui, vastu (which means dwelling) works with the five elements. Originating from the ancient Indian spiritual texts, the Vedas, proponents describe it as a science of architecture and buildings that aims to enhance health, prosperity and happiness. The use of rooms and the objects in them are decided according to the points on a compass, also taking into account natural energies such as sunlight and electromagnetic stress.

Best for: Those willing to make major changes to their home, such as knocking down a wall or switching rooms around.

Try this: For a quick vastu way to bolster happiness, positivity and success, clear out clutter and broken objects, torn clothing, dried or artificial flowers and any negative images in your home, such as a sad looking face.