An Empath's Guide to Using Quartz to Protect From "Toxic People"

This is sort of a bait and switch, because now is the part where I tell you I don't believe in "toxic people." I think that everyone has a good soul, and we are all carrying different levels of pain and baggage that keep us from connecting with our inner selves. I believe that deep down our inner selves are loving, and want to live our lives from a place of love. When we act from a place of fear, hate, or negativity, we are out of alignment with our inner self, and we experience pain...and often project that pain onto others in what we often call a "toxic" way.

That being said, if you are someone that finds yourself feeling other people's pain along with them, it can be difficult to live a positive life, in a world where everyone is trying to figure their own shit out.  Here are 3 tips that I have learned to protect my alignment, and not feel other people's negative emotions...

1. Remove yourself from the situation. Sometimes I feel a situation escalating, and it's very easy to pop off on someone out of defense or anger. If I have done this, or feel like I want to do this, I remove myself from the situation.
2. Get into alignment, whatever that means for you. I find it easy to connect with my inner self when I am in nature, so sometimes I just need to step outside. Sometimes I visualize walking in the woods with my happy pup. Whatever your happy place is...find it.
3. Send the person love. Not only does it feel good for you to act out of a place of love, but you must also understand that they are in pain. If someone is acting from a low vibration, chances are they are out of alignment with their inner being, which does not feel good for them. This could be where you end this list. It's totally ok to send love from a distance, and keep your distance.
4. If it is a scenario that needs to be addressed, fill yourself with love beforehand. You can think about everything you love about that person (trust me, you can find something.) If you do that, and behave from your inner self's place of love, I believe you can continue to have positive interactions.

Here are some tips to use quartz to protect your vibrations from being dragged down in the first place. 

1. Do a grounding and uplifting meditation using smoky quartz and clear quartz. Later this month, I'll be sharing one that I do each morning. 
2.  Wear quartz jewelry (I'm not just saying this because I make jewelry.) If you wear both smoky quartz and clear quartz, it will be a power combo. The clear quartz will raise your vibration, and connect you with your inner self, meanwhile the smoky quartz will protect you from the negative vibration.
3. Carry them in your pocket

Pro-tip: Never judge. I have found that when people start becoming aware of this stuff, the first instinct is to think everyone should raise their vibrations. This sounds great, but what I have found is people using this as just another means of shaming each other...which is not acting from a place of love. If you encounter someone in a negative state, accusing them of being out of alignment, being low vibe, or needing to align their chakras...will almost never help. Everyone is at their own place in life's journey. 

Peace and Love