Can you talk about shielding?

In some sense you can do that, but you will have to expend a great deal of your energy to maintain that position.  It also tends to make you very rigid in some ways, all the way out to thinking and emotions.  On the other hand, if you meet someone who intends to bother you and is experienced in moving energy, your shields aren't going to be worth much precisely because they've made you rigid and an easy target for someone like that.  Here's my question to you; do you breathe air?  Then you are connected with the world, and I can find that connection no matter where in the world you're doing it and I'll ride it in straight down your throat.  Do you drink water, touch material objects, sneeze, cough, watch TV, use the computer, talk on the phone, urinate, defecate?  I'll find you and nothing you've done will 'shield' you.

So people who brag about shields no one can get through, are really saying what?

They're scared.  Here's my attitude, people have seen me face off with people before, both online and offline.  "Go ahead and take your best shot, I won't do anything at all to defend myself, no shields, no protection, nothing.  The only thing is, when you're done, I get mine and I have no expectation of succeeding, only my intent and I will hold that intent and reinforce it over and over until the day I die."  It's usually enough.  Its usually drug-addled teenagers who imagine they have a lot of power.  But it's also on occasion been, the Yaqui nation sorcerers, jaguar women, etc., I'm still here.  I don't mean to sound melodramatic, and if people are happy with the concept of shielding, etc., that's fine with me.  They should only stand back and look at themselves and realize how brittle and rigid it has made them - but then, that's not my responsibility either.

For the first time, I thought I felt someone today 'checking me out' energetically.

That's kewl, I always flash them a little thigh, you know, get their temperature up some.  If I'm going to go through the world scared of every thing I feel, see, or don't understand I'm not going to be a very effective shaman.  The best defense is to just not be where they think you are.