Although vampires have recently made a comeback on the big screen, real life  ‘emotional’ vampires are unfortunately lurking around quite often – they are  people who rob us of our life force and energy, leaving us feeling depleted and  lifeless.

Yoga teaches us to cultivate compassion for ourselves and for all Beings.  However, boundaries are crucial in some instances in order to protect our own  well being – we can have compassion, yes, but with emotional vampires, it needs  to be done from a distance. The main way you can recognize one is how YOU feel  after talking or hanging out with them.

Here are 3 ways to deal with difficult, emotional vampires, in 2013.

1. The emotional vampire you cannot  avoid, i.e. a family member. You have been here before with this person;  they are your family member or childhood friend. Before talking on the phone  and/or spending time with this  needy person who is demanding of your time  and energy, consciously decide how much time you will speak with them. Keep the  conversations short, light, and end it politely when the time is up. It’s not  personal – an emotional vampire is insecure. They feed off your positivity and  life force draining those around them so that they can feel  alive.

2. The needy friend.  Friendships should be fun or help you learn something and be uplifting – ideally  all the above! If after spending time with a friend, you feel unhappy, unsure,  competitive and/or drained, it might be time to reconsider that friendship.  Energy doesn’t lie. Being there for someone in a time of need is one  thing.  But notice if the neediness is chronic. If you cannot cut it off  entirely, keep them at an arm’s length, and when you do talk or have plans, keep  it short and always remember whom you are dealing with so you are not thrown off  balance every time.

3. Create a bubble around you.  A powerful meditation: the ‘bubble meditation’. When you feel like you might be  around someone who is negative, or if you yourself are feeling very sensitive or  delicate, you imagine that you have a bubble around you. You’ll  be  protected – nothing can penetrate!