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Elaine Aron claims, "high sensitivity can be an asset if you arrange your life to accommodate this gift." Her book, The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive when the World Overwhelms You, details her research findings, which include:
- The brains of highly sensitive people have more activity and blood flow in the right hemisphere, indicating an internal rather than an external focus.
- What is moderately arousing to most people is overwhelming to HSPs.
- HSPs often have decreased serotonin levels resulting from the repeated stress of over arousal.
- Likewise, they have more reactive immune systems (allergies) and more sensitive nervous systems.
- The sensitivity trait is just as likely among men as among women; both represent about 20 percent of the population.
- Spend at least eight to ten hours per day in bed, whether sleeping or not, plus an extra two hours spent in meditation or other forms of solitude and one hour of outdoor exercise.
- Make sure to have plenty of "down time", including: one full day per week completely off, one month of vacation per year (split up, preferably), time with animals and plants in nature as often as possible.
- Keep the following items on hand: earplugs (for loud noise), silk wrap or blanket of natural materials (to cuddle up in with favorite herbal tea), flowers, candles, incense (to please all the senses), protein snacks (as sensory over arousal depletes blood sugar).
In a shielding program, HSPs would typically visualize surrounding themselves with white light and placing a reflective shield outside the light, so negative energies from others get sent back. This, I believe is the most commonly used type of protection. In a similar concept, Native Americans brought us "smudging" using sage sticks. A healer friend of mine has a prayer she uses in the shower, "Please let all negative emotions that are not mine be washed away in this shower."
However, I agree with Judith Orloff, MD, who spoke recently during a Mind Science Foundation lecture. She said she made a conscious decision, even though highly empathic herself, not to shield herself, but to open 100 percent to her vulnerability.
If this idea fits better with your belief system, you can still strengthen yourself by seeing yourself as a channel for a higher energy source, instead of someone who needs protection. Something that worked very well for me during a big shift in my own consciousness was to sing "The Prayer of St. Francis" over and over again as a mantra. (This prayer, set to music, begins "Make me a channel of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me bring Your love...") And, actually visualize yourself as some form of pipe or other conduit, allowing Universal energy to flow through you to heal people and situations around you. I have a friend who allows the negative energy of others to flow through him and sends it into Mother Earth to be transmuted into positive again. Just sitting in the same room with him is extremely refreshing and empowering. You don't have to be born with this talent; you can develop it, and, in the process, heal your own life. Through the use of these and other techniques, being born highly sensitive can truly become a blessing. If you'd like more information on this subject, I highly recommend either of Judith Orloff's books or the one highlighted in this article, by Elaine Aron. Or, as always, feel free to contact me.
About this contributor: Kathy Moore, MBA, CH, is in full-time practice as a hypnotist and motivational consultant. She is also co-producer of a holistic health show in the San Antonio area (www.welltv.freeservers.com) called Wellness Connection. For more information, visit her Web site at www.mooreinspire.com
