Some of us are just a bit more sensitive to the world around us.

Sensitive people, or ‘empaths’ don’t have the usual filters that others have so they tend to be sponges for other people’s emotions or physical symptoms.

Big crowds can be draining, they often experience fatigue, and other people’s anger, and stress can be exhausting. Society will often give them signs that they are not coping. For example, in their workplace sensitive qualities, such as true compassion and deeply caring, may not be appreciated. Empaths get a signal that they should ‘toughen up’ and not be so sensitive. This is not helpful or useful for empowering empaths.

Dr Judith Orloff MD author of the Empaths Survival Guide is a psychiatrist and an empath. She found that these patients were what she calls ‘emotional or physical empaths.’ She writes about how highly sensitive people can embrace their sensitive qualities and protect themselves to feel empowered.

Characteristics of empaths

Research has found highly sensitive people have the following defining characteristics:

Depth of processing - they see something in a deep way and reflect on it more than others.
Easily overstimulated - their neurotransmitters get worn out more easily.
Emotional responsiveness and empathy - Brain studies have found they experience stronger positive and negative emotions.
Sensitive to subtle stimuli

Sound familiar? Or maybe you know of someone who is an empath? If you do relate to this, you are not weird or crazy - you are simply a sensitive person with a gift that you can protect, develop, and share your creative nature with the world. If you know someone close to you in your family or workplace who fits this description, it’s helpful to understand how we can both empower and disempower empaths.

Being sensitive doesn’t mean you are flawed in any way

Being an empath is not a disorder or a syndrome that you need to heal from. As an empath, your quest is to become a high functioning empath - an empowered empath. Many highly sensitive people have adapted and learnt to protect their unique gifts. Unless you knew them well, you wouldn’t know much about their sensitivity. In fact, being an empath myself, I’ve learnt that if we get curious about ourselves, we notice that this sensitive quality is pretty special – it allows us to truly connect with people and nature in a deep way.

Personally, I remember as a child often crying a lot and not understanding why I was feeling so deeply. I would get told to ‘pull myself together". Like many other empaths, often we are born into families that are not empaths, so we try to hide or shut down our deep feelings so we are not a hindrance to parents or siblings. Elaine Aron, clinical psychologist and author of ‘The Highly Sensitive Person‘ explains that highly sensitive people (HSP’s) often have a harder childhood, are more anxious, and more easily wounded because they have low self-esteem.

You have a gift

Yoga helps us get insight on these experiences and start to ask more empowering questions like, what makes me weird or unique? What are my inner strengths? How can I help others with this unique gift?

In some Eastern culture’s empaths are often respected as shamans in their community for their special abilities to feel and sense others on a level that others cannot. Elaine Aron explains that higher functioning HSP’s are creative, ethically interesting, good listeners, good at details, and good at seeing the bigger picture.

I have since found that embracing my sensitive qualities and learning boundaries to protect them has helped me really get clear on my purpose in life as a yoga teacher. Wherever I can, these days I try to lead more from my heart and share my more vulnerable side. I share stories and insights of my authentic experience of life, which in turn often results in a more meaningful connection with others around me.

The bigger picture – our world needs you!

One of my favourite heart centred wise teachers Jack Kornfield said,

“We have enough apps and technology in the world, but right now, as a society we are called to develop inwardly as we have outwardly”.

We are so developed in the ‘intellectual’ space on earth – we have put a man on the moon but many of us don’t talk to our neighbours. We are taught maths and english and science at school which is great, but at the same the same time, we are not taught how to regulate our own emotions or even how to be happy. Why is this not our priority?

Many empaths don’t make it to leadership roles because they have no confidence, or their sensitive qualities are not celebrated or respected in the ‘Western culture working world’ as we know it. We need more leaders in the world who have compassion, who lead from the heart, and who have a deep authentic caring quality for others and our planet. For this reason, becoming an empowered empath, is not only good for you, but its good for the world.

Tips for becoming an empowered Empath

Truly connecting with people and supporting others to flourish as empaths brings me so much joy in my daily life’s work! Here’s some ways I’ve learnt to nourish and protect my empath gifts:

Quiet time to myself – after being out in busy public places I come home, lie on my back (preferably water fall pose), place a pillow under my head and a towel over my eyes to block out light. 10-20 minutes helps me decompress.

Boundaries – I mostly avoid big loud social gatherings, violent movies or other chaotic environments that might be overstimulating. I am getting better at not being pushed into doing more than I have time to do. As empaths, we are very giving creatures, so I try and notice when I’m trying to do more than I should.

Self-care – I plan my life so I’m not over stimulated. I make time for yoga and exercise. This helps me regulate my emotions, reframe stressful situations so I feel grounded and centred. Heart practices especially have helped me develop a wise and caring inner voice, rather than being harsh on myself.

Design a lifestyle that works for me – I’ve had to be quite bold in carving out a whole new lifestyle that works for me as an empath, including living simply, lots of time on nature, long periods of uninterrupted reading and writing for generating creativity.

Being an empath is a wonderful gift once we learn to embrace it as our superpower – our inner strength of character.

At the upcoming Yoga course - 30 Days to Find Your Vitality you will learn yoga and breathing techniques to become an empowered empath, and how to support other empaths around you. You will learn how to notice your unique gifts, create an exciting vision for your life, create new habits to help centre ourselves, protect ourselves, set healthy boundaries and release stress absorbed from others.

Jo Jarden is a personal trainer and yoga teacher and the founder of Heart and Mind Yoga studio in Central Christchurch. With 10 years experience in health promotion, she now helps people one on one with their health and wellbeing. Services include, beginners yoga, fitness classes personal training, workplace yoga, one on one sessions, and yoga and wellbeing workshops. To learn more click here

Are you a sensitive type?