The Art of Protection, Part 3: Emotional Protection — Discernment, Boundaries & the Nervous System
Sometimes we feel more than meets the eye. We walk through our day experiencing people, places and spaces and sometimes we pick up on those energies. Even though you can't SEE the energy, it becomes apparent that you picked something up that is not yours.
Maybe it was an uncomfortable conversation, a space where we had to put up a boundary or worse - where a boundary wasn't used. Or a banter with a family member where sarcasm and one upping lead the energy leaving you to face some truths that came out and stung a bit.
The thing is because your an empath you attract people who will trigger you, your on a path of growth, people will be attracted to that light in you and completely offload all their burdens into your lap, or rather your aura. This is known as transference, their crap verbally gets transferred from their energy to yours leaving them feeling “So much better after listening to them!”. Oh yeah, you know these instances way too much!
This is why emotional protection matters just as much as spiritual or energetic work. Because so many of us—healers, empaths, wisdom keepers—move through the world with soft, open hearts. And while this openness is beautiful, it also requires discernment.
Without it, we become sponges for others' emotions, or we lose ourselves in cycles of over-giving and self-abandonment.
Your Nervous System: The Gateway to Emotional Boundaries
You can cleanse your aura, call in your guides, and shield your home—but if your nervous system is dysregulated, your emotional body will remain porous. Sometimes this can even cause holes, rips or tears in your auric field!
A regulated nervous system is the foundation of strong emotional boundaries.
When you feel safe in your body, grounded in your truth, you can discern:
✨ What belongs to you
✨ What belongs to someone else
✨ When it’s time to step away or lovingly say “no” or “I love you, but my energy can’t hold yours right now, can we chat later?”
Queen Deen’s Practices for Emotional Protection
🧘🏾♀️ Body Check-In Ritual
Before entering a space (whether physical or virtual), pause and place a hand on your heart or womb. Ask yourself:
"What do I need to feel safe in this moment?"
"Am I choosing this from my soul, or from obligation?"
🧠 Anchor Your Awareness
Throughout your day, return to your breath.
Slow inhale… longer exhale. This simple act grounds your energy and prevents you from floating into others’ emotions.
💬 Clear Loving Boundaries
When needed, speak from your center:
"I’m not available for this conversation right now."
"That’s not mine to carry."
"I hear you, and I need to take space to process."
🌀 Somatic Release
After emotional entanglements or difficult conversations, shake, dance, breathe, or tap to release the residue from your body. This prevents stored tension from building up in your field. My go-to is a quick dance to my favorite soca song in the car or anywhere I am, I pretend like I am in the middle of Carnival itself and just let loose!
When to Strengthen Emotional Protection
After intense family dynamics
During times of collective stress (global events, tragedies)
When holding space for others' healing
In times of personal grief or transition
Before public speaking or teaching
Whenever your body says, “this doesn’t feel good.”
Queen Deen Wisdom
Emotional protection is an act of radical self-love. It is not cold. It is not selfish. It is the sacred honoring of your heart’s capacity—so that you can serve, love, and show up from a place of truth, not depletion. It’s honoring yourself before anyone else.
Sacred Self-Care Invitation
🌀 If your nervous system feels frayed… if your boundaries feel thin… if you are ready to reclaim your emotional sovereignty—let’s work together.
A Reiki Session can clear energetic cords, restore your emotional body, and help you embody new ways of being in the world.
Journal Prompt
Where in your life are you not honoring yourself?
What else is possible here, what can you shift the energy to?
To learn more about how you can work with Waheeda, visit www.metafixwellnesscenter.com to book a consultation.
