Everyone seems to have a different idea about the need for protection and if there's a need, the best way to go about it. In spite of all the contention and disagreement, I have noticed a few underlying themes:

• Protection or the desire for it arises quite naturally (given our humanity) out of feelings of insecurity. If we do not feel safe and supported we look for protection. Then, as we begin to trust ourselves to handle more of what life brings to us, the desire for protection diminishes.

• A sudden shift in perspective can change things in a second. If you have ever been in the midst of a family argument and then suddenly were struck by the humour of the situation you know how quickly and completely the energy transforms. Other methods for shifting perspective can include meditation, using triggers as reminders, fetishes, talismans and other sacred objects.

• Whatever we put our attention on is what we tend to experience. When we worry about things that go bump in the night, we tend to experience things that go bump in the night. If we spend minutes or hours putting up elaborate shields, we are giving minutes or hours of energy to the very things we want to protect ourselves from. Maybe it's time to find a way to make friends with the things we most fear. We don't have to invite them to dinner, but we can love them from a distance.

• By meeting life from a relaxed and centered place, we become open to the messages that life is always sending us. When we get a strong impulse to stay clear of an area, we might be smart to pay attention. Yet even when we are centered, some things are just too big for us to handle alone. Remember that we have Angels and other allies available at all times to handle the things that are overwhelming. When we get locked into a drama with an unfriendly energy, we can call for our Angels and they will step right in to intercede.

• Sometimes the stuff we seem to feel is attacking us is being drawn to us by unhealed aspects of ourselves. If we are holding and denying an inner hatred or anger for whatever reason, we may find ourselves falling victim to the very same forces that seem to come from outside ourselves. So it can be very helpful to stay relentlessly honest with ourselves, even if it's about something we may not want to see.

• The kinds of shielding we use can make a difference: If we use mirrors to reflect uncomfortable energy back to whoever is sending so that the sender experiences their own hurt, we may be adding to the energy of negativity we want to stop. Remember that they are already hurt or they wouldn't be sending this stuff to begin with. Shields that are opaque can prevent our own energies from moving freely. It might be easier to use a system that filters our experience in a way that allows us to stay aware of what is happening, but doesn't involve us directly in the drama. I have a number of exercises and strategies in my booklet Being Empathic, Managing Life For Those Who Are 'Too Sensitive' that many find useful.

• Sending light can be as much a violation of someone's energy as sending darkness. Instead, put yourself into the highest state you can manage, ask for higher assistance from Angels, and then simply hold the person you wish to assist in your awareness. That makes your light available to them without violating them. It is important to be in a beautiful space here or you will bring your own baggage long for the ride. That means having no judgement about the situation and having no desire for a specific outcome. Just acceptance. Don't assume that you know better than this person's soul what is good for him or her. Another way to make your light available to others is to hold the intention to assist in the highest way possible, get into your best space and then ask your Angels and their Angels to do whatever needs to be done. This assumes that Healing Angels know more than you do about what needs to be accomplished. Taking an attitude of gratitude, interest and curiosity builds a much stronger energy around the intent to make your light available to the other person than an attitude of sober seriousness.

• Protection from another person who wishes to control us or do us harm can be handled with some of the same techniques as we would use for defining boundaries when we are sensitive. The Snip ! method found in my booklet Being Empathic, Managing Life For Those Who Are 'Too Sensitive' is perfect when we have lingering thoughts about someone we have been in relationship with but who is now simply sucking our energy. If a possession of theirs that they have given you or left behind are still imbued with the person's energy, they can be cleared, given away, sold or discarded.

• There are strong advanced-level practices that can be used to move through tough situations such as the practice of tonglen. Buddhist teacher Pema Chodron has a book and several tapes out that can guide you through this form of practice. For example, in tonglen, you take in the energy you want to transform by allowing it to come into you, to resonate with your own compassion and to have it leave in a transformed way. This has been likened to the method a mother uses to calm down an over tired toddler who is screaming. She simply holds it in compassion and love and allows her own calm to remain present while the toddler works through his difficulty.

• Another trick is to walk over running water. An underground stream, a river, a water main or even a garden hose with water moving through it can be a barrier beyond which certain difficult energies can not pass. Yet, in the end, sometimes the easiest thing to do is simply walk away. Just get up and walk away. If it was a person whose energy was bothering you, often you can notice a change within 15 to 25 feet of this person. If it is a larger problem, you might need to get out of the building. For many situations, that is all that is needed.

All content Copyright © Janet Dane unless otherwise stated.