Energy Vampires

We've all felt it... that drained, overwhelmed or irritated feeling that you have after an interaction with someone.  The interaction can be an innocent one with no confrontation but you walk away with less inspiration, ambition and/or invigoration for your day than you had prior to it.  Sometimes this interaction remains in your mind long after, clouding up space for more positive thoughts and feelings and you just can't put your finger on why!  You may think, why do I feel like the wind was swept from my sails or just plain "Ugh".

Answer is, you've come into contact with an Energy Vampire!  In no way will I claim that I've coined this term, I actually don't think "vampire" is necessarily the right word to use.  Many times, the person draining your energy doesn't even consciously know they are doing it (vampires on the other hand, certainly do (or so is my understanding of such mythical creatures)).  Likely, we've all been an Energy Vampire at one point or another, some people have learned to be such as a form of survival, some may just like the feeling it gives them.  I do believe however, that it's energy that's being taken and in my line of work and my personal life experience, living well emotionally, spiritually and physically, all require energy and the balance of it. 

I was introduced to the concept of Energy Vampires while a student at massage therapy school however I have certainly experienced it throughout my life and in more recent years have seen the impact of this phenomenon on the drains of my own energy as an unaware person.  I can only speak for myself but my educated guess is that I'm not the only person whose overall wellness has been impacted negatively by being unaware and largely unprepared by the impact of such people.  Therefore, I'm bringing Energy Vampires to the forefront on my blog posting today!

The "energy" phenomenon requires in large part a sense of self-awareness.  I encourage you to stop and think of those interactions with friends, co-workers, family members, colleagues, clients, customers, etc., that have drained your energy in this way.  Are these people regular energy sappers and what role do you play in the interaction?  Is there something about you that attracts you to these Energy Vampires? How, when and why do you allow that energy to be drained from you...was it because you were physically or emotionally tired, stressed, etc?  Are you an Energy Vampire and why? 

As a massage therapist I've had to ask these questions to myself and it's been quite freeing.   Just having the awareness of the "Energy Vampire" phenomenon and determining my role and participation in this energy exchange, I've found a more consistent level of balance as a whole.  Don't get me wrong, there are still times I'm unprepared and it knocks me off my game.  However, I'm thankful to see it for what it is which makes recovery much quicker!


Wishing you all the wellness and balance that you deserve!
-Laurie


PS:  I had a hard time ending this post because I felt there was so much more that could be brought to light.  One thing that I felt was missing and wanted to be sure to share was the respect of energy balance by massage therapists. In the setting that we work, we have the opportunity for energy exchange on many levels and we take very seriously our role in that.  That includes being Energy Vampires ourselves (because really, who wants a massage therapist that makes them feel worse than when they came in? ) 

We practice clearing our own negative energy to avoid the client feeling it and we prepare to allow for whatever energy the client brings.  We've experienced the power of healing through massage ourselves (physically, emotionally and spiritually) and we want our clients to walk out with a better balance of energy than when they came in!!  Pretty powerful and amazing stuff! 

OPEN HOUSE - Discounts/Information/Fun

 

at
ELLIPSIS MASSAGE

Saturday, December 3

5:00 – 8:00 pm

3 Loomis Terrace

Phoenix, NY

Meet the massage therapist, tour the studio, enjoy cocktails and

hors d’oeuvres, questions & answers

 GUESTS RECEIVE A ONE-TIME 25% DISCOUNT ON ALL SERVICES, 

 PACKAGES, HOLIDAY GIFT CERTIFICATES

BRING A FRIEND and RECEIVE AN ADDITIONAL 15% OFF

IF YOU [LIKE] THIS ON FACEBOOK, I will add you to my invite list. 

Laurie's Notes:

It is my role as a massage therapist to have the knowledge, skills and training to provide my clients with an effective massage based on their needs.  Just as important to me is my role in providing an experience and environment that allows my clients to relax their mind and body to be able to receive the fullest benefits of the massage.  

This is where the OPEN HOUSE came to mind.  Whether clients have never experienced a professional massage before or they have included massage therapy in their wellness life for years, it is important that they feel comfortable with their therapist and in the environment.

The OPEN HOUSE allows clients and potential clients to see the space; learn more about me, my philosophy and intentions; and ask as many questions as they'd like.  The guests will be provided with information about the benefits of massage based on their interests whether it be acute or chronic injuries, disease, mental health, pain management, etc.  Plus, they will be privy to some excellent discounts!!!

Cheers!

Ellipsis? Where did you come up with that?

For years it's been happening to me... In the early morning hours, shortly before it's time for me to wake up (at least I think that's when it happens) an idea, a vision, a plan comes to me.  Not necessarily anything profound but something that stays with me in my waking hours along with the feelings associated with it.  It's different than a dream in the sense that it clearly pertains to something tangible in my life, there is no need for interpretation, it's very lucid.

I think it's happened throughout my life but I didn't start appreciating or acknowledging it until I was an adult.  I wake up inspired, with a clear intention on something I didn't necessarily realize I had subconsciously been considering.  I've begun to trust this over the years and the clarity that it brings actually helps me take action with very little doubt.  I actually trust it more than some of my most well-thought and researched plans.  I'm sure I'm not the only one that experiences this.  Some may call it fate, inspiration, coincidence, works of the subconscious mind, a moment of clarity, a revelation...   I call it, a very cool experience!

Needless to say, this is where Ellipsis came from.

While a massage therapy student, in the middle of intense courses, tests and practicals, having no clear plan on what direction I wanted to take my massage therapy degree, I woke up with an image in my mind.  It was the three dots we use often in our casual texts or emails.  The image was substantial,  three large dots, horizontally aligned, and evenly spaced.  In other words, the "dot, dot, dot" image.  The feelings that came with it were safe, down-home, professional, precise, yet universal and unintimidating.  It was 6:00 am and I was on the computer researching what that image meant.

Come to find out, that image is referred to as an ellipsis. 
According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, ellipsis is:

2 : marks or a mark (as …) indicating an omission (as of words) or a pause

Wikipedia defines ellipsis as:

Ellipsis is a series of marks that usually indicate an intentional omission of a word, sentence or whole section from the original text being quoted. An ellipsis can also be used to indicate an unfinished thought or, at the end of a sentence, a trailing off into silence. 

The words in red are what caught my intention!

Whether it's being used in a grammatically correct manner or not, an Ellipsis to me leaves opportunities for finishing that sentence, taking that pause, embracing silence to be able to fill in your own blanks. 

Despite the difficulty with spelling it and/or pronouncing it (trust me, people have asked...), I chose to use it because my interpretation of that image felt right, came from inspiration and represents my intention which is to allow all of my clients the opportunity to experience an ellipsis in their very own way.

-Laurie