Are You an Empath? 20 Question Self-Assessment Test

Are You an Empath? 20 Question Self-Assessment Test

In this blog post I’m sharing information from the Art of Living Retreat Centre’s page written by psychiatrist, Dr Judith Orloff. Many of my clients tell me that they are an empath and feel so drained and anxious as a result of this. If you suspect that you are then take the quiz below to find out to what extent and then read my tips below to find out how you can use a simple method of Qigong for empaths to help you rid any negative energy you may have absorbed from someone else.

Here’s the article below (for the full article click here)….

Have you ever been told that you’re “too sensitive” or need to toughen up?  Do you feel exhausted and anxious after being in crowds or around certain people?  Do you have a sensitivity to light, sound, and smells?  Or perhaps it takes you longer to wind down after a long day at work?  If you answered, “yes” to these questions you may be an empath.

To determine how empathic you are take the following self assessment test.

Empath Self Assessment

1. Have I’ve been labeled as “overly sensitive,” shy, or introverted?
2. Do I frequently get overwhelmed or anxious?
3. Do arguments or yelling make me ill?
4. Do I often feel like I don’t fit in?
5. Am I drained by crowds and need alone time to revive myself?
6. Am I over stimulated by noise, odors, or non-stop talkers?
7. Do I have chemical sensitivities or can’t tolerate scratchy clothes?
8. Do I prefer taking my own car places so I can leave early if I need to?
9. Do I overeat to cope with stress?
10. Am I afraid of becoming suffocated by intimate relationships?
11. Do I startle easily?
12. Do I react strongly to caffeine or medications?
13. Do I have a low pain threshold?
14. Do I tend to socially isolate?
15. Do I absorb other people’s stress, emotions, or symptoms?
16. Am I overwhelmed by multitasking and prefer doing one thing at a time?
17. Do I replenish myself in nature?
18. Do I need a long time to recuperate after being with difficult people or energy vampires?
19. Do I feel better in small cities or the country than large cities?
20. Do I prefer one-to-one interactions or small groups rather than large gatherings?

To calculate your results:

  • If you answered yes to one to five questions, you’re at least partially an empath.
  • Responding yes to six to ten questions means you have moderate empathic tendencies.
  • Responding yes to eleven to fifteen means you have strong empathic tendencies.
  • Answering yes to more than fifteen questions means that you are a full blown empath.

More Information About Empaths

Being an empath is different from being empathetic.  Being empathetic is when your heart goes out to someone else.  Being an empath means you can actually feel another person’s happiness or sadness in your own body.

In empaths, the brain’s mirror neuron system – a specialized group of cells that are responsible for compassion- is thought to be hyperactive.  As a result, empaths can absorb other people’s energies (both positive and negative) into their own bodies. At times it may even be difficult to tell if your are feeling your own emotions or someone else’s.

There are different types of sensitivities an empath may experience.  Physical empaths, for example, are especially attuned to other people’s physical symptoms and absorb them into their own bodies.  Emotional empaths pick up on people’s emotions and become a sponge for their feelings, both happy and sad.  Food empaths are another type of empath who is attuned to the energy of food and may even experience sensitivities to certain foods.

Being empathic has incredible benefits such as greater intuition, compassion, creativity and a deeper connection to other people.  But living in this state of high sensitivity also comes with its challenges such as becoming easily overwhelmed, over-stimulated, exhausted, or absorbing the stress and negativity of others.

If a person isn’t aware that he or she is an empath, everyday interactions that others find tolerable could be causing and empath stress.  Those who are not aware of their empathic abilities may be inclined to use food, alcohol, and drugs to unconsciously numb their emotions.

Empaths are the medicine the world needs and they can have a profound impact on humanity with their compassion and understanding.  As you learn to identify your special talents, you will find that you not only enrich your life but you can enrich the lives of others too.  The key skill is to learn how to take charge of your sensitivities and learn specific strategies to prevent empathy overload.

To learn more about being an empath and strategies on how to stay grounded and centered purchase Dr Orloff’s book The Empath’s Survival Guide: Life Strategies for Sensitive People

Qigong For Empaths-How To Discharge Negative Energy You May Have Absorbed

Click here to read how to perform a simple 5 minute method of Qigong for empaths whereby you can rid any negative energy you may have absorbed from someone else due to your empathetic nature.

By discharging waste Qi in this way you will feel:

-much more energised

-relaxed

-able to sleep much better at night

This Qigong (Chi Kung) method feels almost like you are “taking a shower on the inside”.  The removal of waste Qi from deep down makes you feel much cleaner on the inside which makes this the perfect method of Qigong for empaths.

This is a short extract from the full exercise of “Discharge Waste Qi With Vibration”.  If you are interested in learning the full exercise then click on my Space To Relax homepage. At the top of the page you can sign up for a free 3 part Qigong video course which will be delivered to your e-mail. The exercise featured here is Exercise 3 in the FREE course. The first exercise shows you how to breathe much more efficiently so that your mind becomes instantly calmer and more focused.  The second exercise shows you how to quickly increase your energy levels in the space of only 5 minutes!

Also, if you head over to my free group on Facebook, “Space To Relax Free Group” you can leave any questions for me there and I’ll be happy to answer them.

Please subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking the red “Subscribe” button when you head over there.  When you do that you will receive my videos which are packed full of useful health enhancing tips and some additional useful methods of Qigong for empaths. Also, please give this video a “Like” if you learned something new here today.  Got questions? Just pop them in the box below and I’ll be happy to answer.

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Qigong For Grief

Qigong For Grief

I think all of us have at one time or another lost someone who is close to us and suffered the consequent grief associated with that loss. Grief can leave us unable to function on a day to day basis. We may feel exhausted, be unable to sleep and be so emotionally fragile that we feel unable to cope with even the smallest inconveniences or difficult situations. As with any emotion, from a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) point of view, it is never healthy to bottle up grief (which leads to stagnation) but rather allow it to be felt and expressed in a healthy way without opening the floodgates so much that the person is left even more devastated. In the video on this page you’ll be learning helpful methods of Qigong for grief.

Janice Tucker is a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Medical Qigong. She is also the founder of the Space To Relax online programme of Qigong video lessons.

Please head to YouTube to subscribe to my YouTube channel and clicking the red button so you won’t miss my regular videos which are full of useful health enhancing tips. These videos will help you to enhance your health and prevent illness from arising in the first place. Also please give this video a “Like” if you found it informative.

What Impact Does Grief Have Upon Us?

In serious cases the effects of grief may lead to suicidal thoughts, nicotine, drug and alcohol use, depression and an inability to complete simple daily tasks.

The emotional effects of grief include:

• Increased irritability
• Numbness
• Bitterness
• Detachment
• Preoccupation with loss
• Inability to show or experience joy

Grief can also affect our physical body and common symptoms include:

• Digestive problems
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Chest pain
• Sore muscles

What is Grief in Terms Of TCM?

In TCM terms grief is the associate emotion of the Lung system. Therefore we need to nourish and strengthen the Lungs in order to help us process and let go of grief in a healthy way. Obviously there is no timetable for this as it depends on the individual and the degree of loss which they have suffered.

3 Methods of Qigong For Grief

Any Qigong methods which help us to get rid of or “Discharge” grief and nourish or “Tonify” (build up) the Lung system will be helpful.

The three methods below are a good starting point for you to let go of grief in a healthy way.

1. Lung sound of the Six Healing Sounds. This method is shown in the following clip and is method of discharging waste Qi (including the emotion of grief) from the Lungs using a specific sound.

2. Discharge Qi With Vibration Method. This is Lesson 3 in my free part video series. In the short clip here you can see that the movement is very simple. Be loose, allowing the knees, wrist joints and neck to be relaxed. As you do this think of “sifting” the emotion of grief up to the skin surface with the vibration of your body. As you breathe out release the grief from the skin surface, like raindrops moving away from the body. Continue with this for as long as it takes you to feel more comfortable.

3. Qigong Standing Meditation. Hold your hands in front of your chest, palms facing each other, like you are holding a ball. Feel the energy between your hands. This is a ball of Qi. You may want to visualise it as a white light penetrating into the lungs and energising them.

You can use one of these methods of Qigong for grief either alone or practice them in the order I’ve listed them, finishing with the meditation. It is always better to discharge or let go of what you no longer want in your body before you bring healing energy in with a method such as the Qigong standing meditation above.

Where Can I Learn More?

If you would like to learn even more benefits of Qigong for grief then:

1. Head over to my Space To Relax homepage. There you can sign up for a free 3 part video series of Qigong lessons. Once you’ve completed the free series you’ll have the opportunity to join my Space To Relax online membership programme of Qigong video lessons. This will allow you to take your practice to a whole new level where you will learn many exercises to eliminate health issues before they become a major problem. I’ll guide you step by step through many more effective methods of Qigong for grief, along with other emotions too.

2. Subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking the red “Subscribe” button. That way you won’t miss my regular videos which are full of useful health enhancing tips. Also please give this video a “Like” and share with me in the comments box what you learned from this video.

3. Join my free Facebook group, “Space To Relax Free Qigong Group” and leave any comments or questions for me there. I’ll be happy to answer them. Also, by joining this group, you will receive regular posts of Qigong articles and videos with useful tips about how to use Qigong to improve your state of health.

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Qigong for Osteoporosis

Qigong for Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a bone disease that occurs when the body loses too much bone, makes too little bone, or both. As a result, bones become weak and may break from a fall or, in serious cases, from sneezing or minor bumps. It can affect men as well as women but it is more common in women. In the video on this page I’m going to show you how you can use Qigong for osteoporosis prevention by strengthening your bones. These methods may also slow down the development of osteoporosis if you have already been diagnosed with this condition.

Janice Tucker is a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Medical Qigong. She is also the founder of the Space To Relax online programme of Qigong video lessons.

Please head over to YouTube to subscribe to my YouTube channel and click the red “Subscribe” button. That way you won’t miss my regular videos which are full of health enhancing tips. These videos will help you to improve your health and prevent illness from arising in the first place. Also please give this video a “Like” if you found it informative.

Methods of Qigong for Osteoporosis

It is well known that weight bearing exercise such as walking, hiking, jogging, climbing stairs, lifting weights, playing tennis and dancing can help strengthen our bones and thereby manage the condition of osteoporosis.

In the same way, weight bearing Qigong methods will help you if you suffer with osteoporosis and help to improve bone health.

Here is a list of the methods from previous videos which will be helpful for you. Select your favourites and practice them every day as a 10 minute routine of Qigong for osteoporosis.

1. Qigong Morning Routine. Establishing a morning routine will help you get into the habit of regular practice which is important if you are to slow down the progression of osteoporosis. Click here to watch the video.

2. Qigong for Illness Prevention. In this video you will find out why it is much easier to prevent and illness or condition from arising in the first place rather than treat it once it has occurred. Click here to watch the video.

3. Qigong for Cleansing. This lovely 2 minute method can help you to rid any pains or stiffness in the body which might be associated with osteoporosis. You will feel 100% better after doing this! Click here to watch the video.

4. Qigong Standing Posture. Learn the correct standing posture to maximise the flow of Qi, (energy), blood and fluid in to the bones and joints. This method helps if you have developed a hunched posture as a result of loss of bone density. Click here to watch the video.

Where Can I Learn More?

If you would like to learn even more benefits of Qigong for osteoporosis and bone health then:

1. Head over to my Space To Relax homepage. There you can sign up for a free 3 part video series of Qigong lessons. Once you’ve completed the free series you’ll have the opportunity to join my Space To Relax online membership programme of Qigong video lessons. This will allow you to take your practice to a whole new level. You’ll learn many exercises to eliminate health issues before they become a major problem. I’ll guide you step by step through many more effective Qigong methods, all which can be adapted to be used for the condition of osteoporosis.

2. Subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking the red “Subscribe” button. That way you won’t miss my regular videos which are full of useful health enhancing tips. Also please give this video a “Like” and share with me in the comments box what you learned from this video.

3. Join my free Facebook group, “Space To Relax Free Qigong Group” and leave any comments or questions for me there. I’ll be happy to answer them. Also, by joining this group, you will receive regular posts of Qigong articles and videos with really useful tips about how to use Qigong to improve your state of health.

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Qigong For Stroke Recovery

Qigong For Stroke Recovery

A stroke occurs when a blood vessel, which is carrying oxygen and nutrients to the brain, bursts or is blocked by a clot. This causes an interruption of the blood supply to part of the brain. This can damage or destroy brain cells which will affect body functions. For example, if a stroke damages the part of your brain that controls limb movement, your ability to move an arm or leg may be affected. A stroke can also affect mental processes such as how people feel, think, communicate, or learn. In the video on this page you’ll learn some methods of Qigong for stroke recovery. These exercises can speed up the recovery process, regardless of how long ago the stroke occurred.

Janice Tucker is a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Medical Qigong. She is also the founder of the Space To Relax online programme of Qigong video lessons.

Please head over to YouTube to subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking the red “Subscribe” button. That way you won’t miss my regular videos which are full of useful health enhancing tips. These videos will help you to enhance your health and prevent illness from arising in the first place. Also please give this video a “Like” if you found it informative.

5 Reasons Why – Qigong For Stroke Recovery?

  1. As I explained above, if you have a stroke, your brain is affected. Qigong helps you to form new connections in your brain as the movements involved are ones which your body isn’t used to carrying out. These new movements promote new brain connections.
  1. Qigong involves repetitive movements which help you to reinforce the new neurological connections in your brain. Repetition is the key here. The more repetition, the more stable these new connections become.
  1. Qigong is free and easily accessible. Unlike attending the gym, physiotherapist or swimming to help with recovery from stroke, Qigong methods, once you have learned them, can be performed in the comfort of your home for no cost. Other methods to help recovery may incur a cost or visit to a special facility which is not always practical. You can also practice Qigong from a standing, sitting or lying down position. Because of this you can easily adapt Qigong methods to suit your individual range of movement following a stroke.
  1. Qigong exercises can easily be integrated into your daily activities. This makes the repetition aspect easy to carry out as you can practice Qigong when you are standing in a queue, walking, driving, standing, reaching for things, etc.
  1. Qigong helps balance the whole body. Working from a whole body perspective is very important subsequent to a stroke as this means that the parts of your body which may have been weakened by the stroke can be assisted by the stronger parts.

Where Can I Learn Qigong for Stroke Recovery?

If you would like to learn some Qigong for stroke recovery then there are a number of things you can do:

  1. Head over to my Space To Relax homepage. There you can sign up for a free 3 part video series of Qigong lessons. Next you’ll have the opportunity to join my Space To Relax online membership programme of Qigong video lessons. This will allow you to take your practice to a whole new level where you will learn many exercises to eliminate health issues before they become a major problem. I’ll guide you step by step through many more effective Qigong methods, all which can be adapted for stroke recovery.
  1. Subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking the red “Subscribe” button. That way you won’t miss my regular videos which are full of useful health enhancing tips. Also please give this video a “Like” and share with me in the comments box what you learned from this video.
  1. Join my free Facebook group, “Space To Relax Free Qigong Group” and leave any comments or questions for me there. I’ll be happy to answer them. Also, by joining this group, you will receive regular posts of Qigong articles and videos with tips about how to use Qigong to improve your state of health.

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Qigong for Weight Loss

Qigong for Weight Loss

In our busy world we might often find it difficult to find the time to eat. However, statistics show that people in the Western world are increasingly getting bigger. Obesity is on the rise. In Ireland, where I live, the percentage of people who were classified as overweight or obese in 2015 was 60%. This has risen to 62% in 2017 (Central Statistics Office – “The Wellbeing of the Nation 2017“). We all know that the healthiest way to shed pounds is to combine healthy eating with exercise. Fad diets rarely work and the weight often piles back on again afterwards. In the video on this page I’ll be showing you how you can use Qigong for weight loss. I’ll give you a few tips to get you started and let you know how you can progress and take things further if you really want to explore how you can use Qigong for weight loss that lasts!

Janice Tucker is a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Medical Qigong. She is also the founder of the Space To Relax online programme of Qigong video lessons.

Please head over to YouTube to subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking the red “Subscribe” button. That way you won’t miss my regular videos which are full of useful health enhancing tips. These videos will help you to enhance your health and prevent illness from arising in the first place. Also please give this video a “Like” if you found it informative.

Qigong for Weight Loss

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) offers an alternative method to help those who are trying to slim down. Qigong, as a branch of TCM focuses on bringing back balance to the body and treating the root cause of a problem by promoting the smooth flow of Qi (energy) throughout the body. Combining Qigong with other exercise and healthy eating can have tremendous results in your effort to lose weight.

Below are some of my recommendations of methods of Qigong for weight loss. There are lots more in the Space To Relax Online Programme but what is important is that you practice regularly, exercise regularly and eat healthily. CONSISTENCY is the key!

1. Develop a Morning Routine

This is the best way, I find, to be consistent. Set yourself up for the day with 5-10 minutes of Qigong. If you don’t have time, get up 10 minutes earlier! :-). Following along with my Qigong Morning Routine here.

2. Get Rid Of Toxic Build Up In Your Body

Often we put on weight because toxins accumulate in our bodies which make us feel sluggish and less likely to exercise. Before we know it our weight has increased. Also, excess weight can be a result of excess fluid accumulating in the body if the lymphatic system is not draining and moving fluids around in a healthy way. Below are two previous videos for you to watch if you want to use Qigong for weight loss:

To cleanse or detox your body use this Qigong cleansing method daily (click here to watch). It only takes 2 minutes to practice once you have memorised the movements.

To drain lymph watch my previous video on Qigong for Lymphatic Drainage.

3. Emotional Factors Affecting Weight Gain

As many of you may know emotions can play a significant role in weight gain because we can resort to “emotional eating” in response to stresses from family and work. The stress hormone cortisol can upset the body’s metabolism too, causing an increase in weight or failure to lose weight even when you are not overeating. Refer to my previous videos if you feel that emotional factors contribute to your situation.

Qigong for Anxiety

How To Calm Down With Qigong

Qigong For Overwhelm

Relieve Stress With Qigong

Other Tips To Help You Lose Weight

  1. Acupuncture helps a person lose body fat by reducing appetite and thus reducing the calorie consumption by the body. On the other hand, it increases the metabolic rate of the body and aids in burning more calories. Acupuncture also stimulates the release of endorphins that help to reduce the body fat and insulin levels. Seek out a practitioner in your area if you need some help and don’t want to tackle losing weight on your own.
  1. Consult a Health Coach. If you want to find someone to help keep you motivated and on track the you may want to consider seeking out a health coach who can help you with dietary and exercise advice. They know all the pitfalls on your journey to slimming down and getting healthier so can help you to overcome them, should they arise. Take a look here for a good example from Dr Ailis Brosnan, who works here in Ireland and runs online programmes available to people worldwide.

Where Can I Learn More?

If you would like to learn even more methods of Qigong for weight loss then:

  1. Head over to my Space To Relax homepage. There you can sign up for a free 3 part video series of Qigong lessons. Once you’ve completed the free series you’ll have the opportunity to join my Space To Relax online membership programme of Qigong video lessons. This will allow you to take your practice to a whole new level where you will learn many exercises to eliminate health issues before they become a major problem. I’ll guide you step by step through many more effective Qigong methods, all which can be used for helping with weight loss.
  2. Subscribe to my YouTube channel by clicking the red “Subscribe” button. That way you won’t miss my regular videos which are full of useful health enhancing tips. Also please give this video a “Like” and share with me in the comments box what you learned from this video.
  3. Join my free Facebook group, “Space To Relax Free Group” and leave any comments or questions for me there. I’ll be happy to answer them. Also, by joining this group, you will receive regular posts of Qigong articles and videos with really useful tips about how to use Qigong to improve your state of health.

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