(Or as I like to call it: Practicing Energetic Aikido)

This morning, as I walked into work, a coworker stopped me and said, “Girl, we’ve gotta do lunch together.” I smiled and said sure. Then she followed up with, “I want to fill you in on some things. Watch these people.”

I could tell she meant well — she probably wanted to “warn” me, give me the inside scoop. But internally, I felt something shift. Like, Wait… I’m in a good space right now. I don’t want your experience to become my perception.

It wasn’t about being rude or dismissive. I just didn’t want her energy — or her opinions — coloring how I experienced this new environment. Because I’ve learned that even well-meaning people can project their own wounds, fears, and biases onto you if you let them.

And I’m no longer letting that energy stick to me.

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✨ The Energy Exchange We Don’t Talk About

Every day, we’re exchanging energy — in conversations, at work, in texts, even in quick hellos at the grocery store. Most of it is unconscious. People vent, overshare, or gossip, not always because they’re malicious, but because they want to connect.

The problem is, if you’re an empathic or spiritually sensitive person, you might end up carrying what they offload. You absorb their emotions like a sponge — and by the end of the day, you feel heavy, anxious, or irritated without knowing why.

For a long time, I thought protecting my peace meant pulling away or avoiding people altogether. But now I know that’s not the answer either. The real magic is in the middle ground — in being present with boundaries.

I don’t have to close off to protect my peace. I just have to stay grounded in who I am while I interact with others.

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💫 What Is Energetic Aikido?

Aikido is a Japanese martial art that isn’t about fighting — it’s about flow. Instead of meeting force with force, you blend with your opponent’s movement and redirect their energy.

That’s what I call Energetic Aikido — meeting the energy that comes toward you with awareness, not resistance. You don’t fight people’s energy or absorb it; you redirect it.

When someone brings negativity or gossip, you can acknowledge it, breathe through it, and gently shift the flow. Like water moving around a rock — steady, clear, and untouched.

It’s the art of saying, “I see you, but I’m not carrying that with me.”

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🌿 Presence With Boundaries

What I’m learning in this season is that protecting my peace doesn’t mean isolation — it means integration with intention.

I can hold space for people without holding onto their stuff. I can care without carrying.

Presence with boundaries looks like:

• Listening without internalizing.
  
• Showing compassion without fixing.
  
• Being kind without being consumed.
  

Because empathy without boundaries leads to exhaustion. But empathy with boundaries leads to peace.

So now, when I feel that tightening in my chest — that moment when I sense my energy shifting — I pause, breathe, and remind myself:

“Their energy is not mine to manage. My peace is.”

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🪷 How to Practice Energetic Aikido

Here are a few things that have helped me stay open, grounded, and clear:

1. Ground Your Energy Before You Engage
Before walking into work, a conversation, or even opening your messages — take a deep breath and set an intention: “I’m grounded in my own energy today.”

2. Acknowledge Without Absorbing
You don’t have to match someone’s emotion to validate them. Phrases like, “That sounds like a lot,” or “I can see why you’d feel that way,” create empathy without entanglement.

3. Be Curious, Not Combative
If you feel yourself getting triggered or uncomfortable, try asking a curious question or shifting the energy gently. You can even repeat what you heard them say — it helps you stay connected without absorbing.

4. Redirect With Grace
Not every conversation deserves deep emotional investment. When you feel a conversation veering into negativity, pivot kindly: “That’s wild. Anyway, have you seen…” or “That reminds me of something more positive…”

5. Release What’s Not Yours
After interactions, take a moment to breathe, stretch, or walk. Visualize releasing any energy that doesn’t belong to you — letting it return to where it came from.

Affirmation:

“I can be fully present without becoming the container for someone else’s chaos.”

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🌬️ When It Still Feels Hard

Even with all the tools, there are still days when I feel that chest-tightening discomfort — when being in certain energies feels heavy or overstimulating.

But I remind myself: sensitivity isn’t weakness. It’s awareness. My body is just signaling that it’s time to ground, breathe, and re-center.

And sometimes, that’s all balance really is — learning to stay connected to yourself even as the world keeps moving around you.

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💌 Final Reflection

Protecting your peace doesn’t mean you have to close off from people. It means staying grounded in your own energy while being open to theirs.

You can listen without absorbing.
You can care without carrying.
You can be soft and strong — present, with boundaries.That’s Energetic Aikido.
And that’s what it really means to stay open without losing yourself.

If you’re learning how to protect your peace in this season, I’d love to hear your story. Drop a comment below or connect with me on TikTok @realblackcarriebradshaw — let’s keep this energy grounded, soft, and sacred. 💫