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Every Little Thing by April Jeppson

I am an empath. Empaths are “highly sensitive individuals, who have a keen ability to sense what people around them are thinking and feeling.” This is a blessing and a curse. I have learned that whatever I’m surrounded with, I take on. So if my co-worker is negative, that drains me. If my living room is decorated in all beige, it drains me. In reverse, great music, fun colors and positive friends fill me.

I’ve only been back home for a few days, but I already want to take another vacation. I can already tell that I’m starting to get worn down.

I have a friend who does yoga. She loves it and offered to guide me through some moves.

My friend was so good to me. She encouraged me. She complimented me. I’ve never had so many nice things said about the straightness of my spine. When I struggled, she brought up how hard I was working. When I was shaking with weak muscles, she congratulated me on activating my core. When I couldn’t reach my toes she brought up how much further I was reaching at the end of the stretch then when I started. For an hour, her encouraging, calm and uplifting voice filled my ears. As my doubts and struggles tried to rise up, she gently shewed them away.

After class I felt so at peace. I wasn’t tired or sleepy, I was just centered. I knew what was important and what was just noise in the background trying to distract me.

I took a call from a customer about 30 minutes after my session. This customer is draining. I’m sure he means well, but a three-minute complaint usually turns into a 20-minute phone call. He’s constantly trying to bend rules and get me to make exceptions. I’m always polite but after a call from him, I usually need to take a five-minute break. This call was different. I was my usual polite self, and I didn’t give in to his manipulations. However, when the call was over I didn’t need a break. None of the things he said stuck to me. I was able to hang up the phone and carry on with my work. It felt amazing to take none of that on.

How does that saying go? “I’m rubber, you’re glue — everything you say bounces off of me and sticks to you.” I felt like rubber or maybe satin. The negative energy didn’t stick to me — just slid right off.

I felt like I had a superpower. People would call or stop in my office, and none of the drama affected me. It was like I had horse blinders on, I was focused.

I’m not sure if it was the practice itself, or my instructor, but I’ll be back. I’ve already told her that I’m going to need to pencil this in weekly. Time, touch and words of affirmation are my love language. Having her hands gently helping me stretch deeper and hearing her continual flow of encouragement filled my cup for days. I may not be able to take a trip to Florida every week, but I think I’ve found a way that I can still recharge. Namaste. 

Albert Lean April Jeppson is a wife, mom, coach and encourager of dreams. Her column appears every Saturday.