My recent trip to the Costa Rican rainforest served as a reminder of how nature reveals the message of keeping boundaries. Win and I were there, teaching an InSight and InTuition workshop and in our down time had the opportunity to study birds and creatures in their natural habitat. From our room veranda we watched the daily ritual of a group of Egrets in a tree in the middle of a pond. There were probably close to 60 birds in this one tree residing together and keeping their boundaries. The only upset came when some unobservant humans overstepped the margins by moving too close to the tree. This created a ruckus for all concerned, except of course for the people.

When someone moves too close to you it is an invasion of your boundaries. You can feel this energetically, as if your personal space, privacy and whole being are taken over by another's energy. This will feel pleasant if it is someone you love, but if it is someone you have issues with or a negative person, then it can make you feel drained, unwell, and maybe even melancholy.

Consciously protecting yourself will help you stay energetically healthy. Remember all things are energy before they evolve on the physical level. So here are a few techniques to play with.

1. If someone invades your space simply ask that they move away or walk away yourself.

2. Visualize a bubble of light surrounding you. I like to make this white light. Some prefer two colors like lilac and blue or violet and pink. Use whatever images work for you.

3. If you feel you have picked up another's energy, imagine a sage tree or a piece of sage moving through your energy field cleansing it of unwanted garbage. Then picture the sage disappearing into the atmosphere taking the negative energy with it. Alternatively you can visualize a vacuum cleaner cleaning your field of unwanted energy.

4. Take a shower. This is essentially for cleansing, but a clean energy field will keep you strong.

5. Have a salt-water bath - salt is very cleansing. Kate Bush has a great song about protecting yourself with salt on her Red Shoes album.

6. Use bells, sound, clapping, etc. You are vibration so working with a vibration that feels good to you will help protect your boundaries.

7. Program an amulet or a crystal to protect you and carry it with you.

8. You can make yourself energetically invisible by imagining that you are surrounded by indigo light.

9. Try an Aura Soma pomander or quintessence. I like the white quintessence called Serapis Bey. It protects and cleanses both myself, and my space. The red pomander is also a good protector.

10. Green is a color of sacred space. Place plants around you, wear green, imagine green in your energy field, or wear green crystals.

11. Once when looking at a clients energy field I was unable to get into her energy unless I asked permission of the crystal she was wearing. It was a smoky quartz Angelic Star Vogel crystal. I have since purchased a number of these and they work beautifully for many different reasons.

12. Put mirrors up around you. Any energy sent to you will bounce off.

13. Use a smudge stick to cleanse and protect your field and space.

14. Charge water to protect. Intention is everything so you can intend anything to protect you provided you believe that it will do the trick.