Emotions
Hello everybody : )
This month I would like to talk about emotions.
So many of us ignore our emotions or even learn to numb them to a point of an emotionless existence.
Some even say emotions cannot be trusted and deem them useless. Why is this? Why does this happen?
Some generations ago, men were taught not to cry because it is not manly and women were taught to pull up their socks, to suck it up and deal. This is outdated and unrealistic because science and doctors are concurring more and more with the perspective of emotional states affecting the physical and mental well being of a person.
The mind body connection has to include the emotional connection between the two. We now know that stress for example ages the body and it can make us sick. Where is and what is stress? It is a state of mind in relation to our surroundings; it is an emotional reaction that shows itself through nervousness, irritation, anxiety and even depression.
Society in general our parents, schools and often doctors neither teach us how to effectively “deal” with these emotions nor give us a sense from where these feelings originate. Because we have not fully acknowledged our emotions, we’ve not developed the appropriate barometers to let us know what is healthy and what is not. So the instant gratification reaction remains in our culture to the reach for that pill which will make it all go away. Or so we think.
The emotional range is wide. Emotions are flighty like the weather yet solid in their power over people (hence the emotional roller coaster which I am mentioning in the February blog). Emotions come and they go but just like patterns of thought, emotions have conditioned habitual and predominant reccurrences. Emotions are connected to thought patterns. If one thinks positive thoughts, the emotional reaction will most likely be positive and if one thinks negative thoughts the emotional reaction will most likely be negative.
The key to understanding emotions is to know that they do not go away unless they are being recognized, felt and dealt with. Emotions actually get stored up until being felt. So our ignoring or avoidance of emotions will lead to tension, or even worse, disease within the body. Every person reacts individually to unacknowledged and stored up emotions.
Ultimately you have to feel them to heal them!
If you fall into the category of having avoided/ignored your emotions for a while, then you want to expect feeling the “build up” on occasion. Feeling your emotions will get easier and the easier it becomes to be with yourself in this very tender and unconditional way, the stronger you will become.
Try not to act out of negative emotional states but remember to breathe and simply feel what you are feeling. The more you acknowledge your emotions, the faster they may pass. Being conscious with yourself in this way, will create the space and clarity for you to choose a response which will lay the groundwork for a more positive life experience on all levels.
… More of choosing conscious response vs. reaction in next month’s blog : )
Namaste everybody,
with Love and Light,
Britta