Think aloud
Have you ever heard of the Heyoka empath? There’s a good chance that you’re one of these sacred people who feel things on a whole new level.
Sometimes, when you look around yourself, you can see that you’re different from other people. However, you don’t really feel like the normal empath everyone is talking about. So, could this mean that you’re on a whole other level?
What is a Heyoka empath?
Heyoka is a word that originated from the Sioux indigenous tribe and can be roughly translated to ‘sacred clown’. The Heyoka is a person who doesn’t care about the opinions of others and simply does whatever they want, and by doing that they heal others around them.
That’s the person who challenges everyone’s beliefs, makes them question everything, and inspires them to rise to their full potential. It’s said that they are the most powerful people in the tribe because they use humor to help everyone rise to their true potential.
These people are so curious about life and other people. They want to see everyone’s perspective on things, understand them, and find unique solutions to issues that they didn’t even know about.
Does this sound familiar? Is this something that you resonate with?
6 signs you’re a Heyoka empath
1. You mimic the emotions of the people around you
Being a Heyoka empath means that you feel the emotions of others on a whole different level. You’re able to communicate with people and understand their perspectives without any trouble.
If you’re this type of person, then you know what I’m talking about. Whenever someone tells you about their lives, you’re able to mimic their emotions and their behaviors. You do this without any trouble and without batting an eye, while also being able to stay authentic throughout this entire process.
For example, the modern equivalent of this would be when your friend breaks up with her boyfriend, you’re able to understand her perspective, and you feel her emotions deeply.
You begin to experience her emotions because you soak them up like a sponge, and this could end up making you feel just as depressed and confused as she is. When you get home from this outing, you’re still carrying those emotions within yourself.
2. Your friends tell you that you’re brutally honest
Being a Heyoka empath means that you’re so filled with emotion that you don’t have time to beat around the bush. Everyone tells you that you’re too honest for your own good, but that doesn’t mean that you should stop being the person that you are.
You’re able to understand everyone’s perspective on things, and even when they’re trying to conceal their true intentions, you know them just by looking at the person. That’s why you know what to say to get through to those people!
Even though you’re brutally honest, you know that this is something that this person has to hear in order to get the needed result. Nothing good comes from being nice to someone who’s in a troubling situation. They need a reality check, and they need to know that pitying themselves won’t get them anywhere.
That’s where you come in. However, you wouldn’t be able to give that reality check if you weren’t a Heyoka empath. If you were a normal empath, you’d feel bad about putting things bluntly.
3. You’re known for being extremely creative
What’s the first thing that people say about you? It’s probably that you’re creative and that you’re an out-of-the-box thinker. That’s one of the most obvious signs that you’re a Heyoka empath.
You feel like you’re going to burst whenever you don’t do something creative with your time. You have to do something because otherwise the emotions and voices will be too much.
However, your creativity comes exactly from the empathy that you’re feeling. You get inspired by people’s stories and by their emotions. You don’t just experience them, and store those emotions within yourself. You’re actually able to put those feelings into a creative project.
Your creativity is obvious when someone steps foot into your house or even sees you in the street. You make sure to embrace your creative side with your style and your home decor. However, you also make sure to make something that will bring joy to yourself and others around you.
4. You have a strong connection to your inner child
If you’re a Heyoka empath, then you have a strong connection to your inner child. You understand that in order to enjoy life to the fullest, you have to keep that curiosity and child-like innocence alive and well within you.
Everyone has a child within them, however, only the most empathetic people are able to keep that part of themselves alive. We usually tend to embrace the world of grown-ups, and we completely neglect the things that we used to love when we were little.
You kept the connection to that part of yourself alive, and you’re not interested in letting go of it. You’re probably not even thinking about it too much, because it comes so naturally to you. Your inner child laughs, plays in the mud, creates art, climbs trees, and so on. That’s how you show the world that you don’t have to take life too seriously.
5. You have heightened intuition
For a Heyoka empath, it’s natural to feel everything on a whole new level. That’s why you know when someone close to you isn’t feeling well, even when they’re not around.
Has this ever happened to you? When you have that immense urge to check on a friend without even understanding why? And when you do text them, they tell you that something bad has happened.
You get a little bit freaked out at that moment, but that’s quite normal for a Heyoka empath to experience.
Also, it doesn’t matter if you’re in a bar or in private with someone. Even when a person looks completely fine, they’re smiling and dancing, something doesn’t feel right. Once you ask them about it, you can see that shift in their behavior, so you get the answer that you know is the truth.
This intuition is also prevalent in moments when you’re looking for a job, or when you’re hiking through mountains, and you feel that extreme sense of unease and danger. You can’t explain it, but you know that something bad is about to happen.
All those things show that your empathy is on a whole nother level.
6. You have a strong sense of humor
The most obvious sign of a Heyoka empath is their sense of humor. Even in those hard times, you’re able to make someone laugh or smile because you understand what you have to say to lighten the mood.
It’s said that the people with the healthiest minds are the people who can joke about anything. It doesn’t matter how bad a situation is, you’re able to make everyone laugh. Sometimes, your jokes don’t actually land, but you don’t feel bad about it.
You can feel the discomfort, but you’re sure that there’s nothing wrong with the way you experience those hard moments. You don’t dwell on the embarrassment of an unsuccessful joke, because you had to laugh with yourself.
Humor is there to break the ice and even make an argument seem less scary. That’s why you’re a Heyoka empath that the Indigenous tribes talked about – they always had someone who made light of every situation.
Is it inappropriate to consider yourself a Heyoka empath?
Considering that the Heyoka empath is part of the Indigenous culture, many people are concerned with the question of whether or not this is cultural appropriation. It’s genuinely important to consider the cultural importance of the spiritual beliefs of other people.
With the research that I’ve done on the Indigenous tribes and the Heyoka empath, it’s frowned upon to consider yourself one without being an Indigenous person. Just can embody these traits without having to put a label on it, and appropriate someone else’s culture.
You can embody all of these traits, and you can even know someone who could be a Heyoka empath, however, the role of the sacred clown is specific to the Indigenous community, and you shouldn’t fight against that.
Considering all of this information, you can still be an empathetic person, be a prankster, be humorous, be creative, and not appropriate an entire culture just to be quirky.
It’s simply unethical to attach the label of a Heyoka empath on someone who doesn’t have any roots in the Indigenous clans.