What Is An Energy Reader?
Though I prefer not to use labels to define people, sometimes they are helpful in offering an understanding of the personal lens through which each individual sees life.
I had a profound experience in my early 20′s that gave me the corporeal understanding of ‘infinite points of view’. As I walked the street-length hallway of my apartment complex I noticed the overhead fluorescents forming a long, continuous stream of light. When I walked in the middle of the hall the light appear to float just above me, centered. As I walked to the right of the hall the light magically shifted and veered off to the left. Similarly, as I walked to the left of the hall the stream of light trailed to the right.
What did I learn from this experience? No two people perceive the light exactly the same. The ‘way’ the light appears depends on our personal perception. We each have a valid and unique perspective of the light.
And so it is as we move through life; none of us experience life in the same way. There are some people, approximately 20% of the population, who perceive the subtle nuances of life more clearly than others.
I am one of those people. I resonate with the terms Indigo, Highly Sensitive (HSP), Empath and Intuitive Extrovert.
Each of these terms speak to the way some people read energy. (Often this ability is referred to as the 6th sense.)
The term Indigo was coined by Nancy Ann Tappe in the 1970′s after she began noticing children with “indigo” auras and further expanded on by Jan Tober and Lee Carroll in the 1990′s. Indigos are said to be empathic, intelligent, intuitive, freedom seekers. They are here to “shake up old paradigms” and usher in a new earth brimming with love, peace, compassion and kindness. Indigos tend to be artists, creators, rebels and can be prone to depression when misunderstood.
While Carl Jung was the first to acknowledge the Highly Sensitive Person (HSP), Dr. Elaine Aron’s groundbreaking book, The Highly Sensitive Person, has been instrumental in bringing this often overlooked personality trait to the forefront. HSPs tend to pick up on subtleties and “read the energy” of people, places and things. Many HSPs are mislabeled as shy or introverted when in fact they are using non-verbal cues to decipher their surroundings. HSPs tend to process deeply, get easily over-stimulated, have big emotions, experience deep empathy and be sensitive to stimuli around them. These children are often overwhelmed in public and mislabeled as difficult, challenging, impossible, dramatic and too sensitive.
Empaths recognize that ‘infinite points of view’ exist and have the ability to feel things from another’s perspective. While this is a wonderful trait to have in a friend, coach, teacher or supporter it can be challenging for empaths to identify when they are ‘picking up’ on someone else’s emotions. Empaths tend to struggle with setting boundaries and taking care of themselves.
I coined the term Intuitive Extrovert because I am neither an introvert nor an extrovert. I have always ‘felt’ my way through life, following my intuition and inner guidance. Much of the research about Indigos, HSPs and Empaths make claims that introversion is a common trait. I would like to soften this by saying that these energy readers tend to feel out a situation before ‘jumping in’. Extrovert or introvert as it feels comfortable.
My greatest passion is offering parents and nannies insight into what it is like to live as a sensitive child and what they can begin (and stop) doing immediately to raise their sensitive child’s self-esteem and connection to their inner guidance while deepen their relationship.
We all deserve to thrive~ understanding that each of us experiences life differently is one of the keys to unlocking our deepest joy.
xo, Melissa
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