Experiencing Emotions
In the last chapter we talked about starting to
break up physical and emotional tension. So what should you do when an emotion
comes up? Just be with it. If tears come, let them. Don’t run to the
refrigerator to find some “comfort” food to stop the feeling. Don’t get on the
phone to talk to your friends. Don’t do anything. Just relax, and let yourself
feel. There is no special breathing technique, just let your body bring up what
you’ve been trying not to feel for a long time. Will it be unpleasant?
Probably, but when you’ve felt the emotion fully, on the other side is peace,
so it’s worth going through. Don’t you want to be rid of all this unfinished
business you’ve been carrying around for eons? Of course you do. To fully feel
an emotion, relax and soften, surrender to the feeling, let it swallow you up.
Perhaps you are only aware of a physical sensation, just focus your awareness
on that physical sensation, it will shift when it’s ready.
What is the difference between experiencing and
expressing an emotion? Expressing an emotion can be screaming, pounding
pillows, stamping feet or talking about them. Unfortunately, this does not
release the emotion, it only expresses it. To scream you have to tense your
muscles, and even though you will get temporary relief, you haven’t released
the emotion. To release the emotion, you need to relax into the emotion and
fully feel it. If you focus on softening and imagining yourself falling into
the emotion, it’s easier to let go.
How do we avoid our emotions? We avoid our emotions
by talking excessively, by expressing instead of experiencing the emotion, by
trying to analyze the emotion, by thinking about everything but what is going
on with the body right now and by going to sleep. Or not wanting to go where
our body leads us, trying to stay in control. Not being in our bodies - at one
time it was too painful, so you fled your body, it’s now become an unconscious
response. To get back into the body takes practice but in time you’ll be fully
here and now.
It’s time to introduce some more exercises. Both are
good preparation for therapy and for use between sessions. The first one is to
practice following the body sensations and staying with them until they
dissolve, just like you would on the therapy table. The second one is more
directed in that you fall through emotions layer by layer until you get to your
source.
Become Aware
Turn off the phone and put up your do not disturb
sign. Lay down in a comfortable place. Start by closing your eyes and taking a
few slow deep breaths. Each time you breathe in, become aware of what you
notice. It may be a sound outside, it may be an itch in your left thumb, it
could be a thought “did I remember to turn off the phone?” or it could be a
feeling like happiness. Stay present, just notice with each breath what you are
aware of. If a sensation gets stronger, let it. If a thought persists, just let
it, just keep noticing with each breath what you are aware of. If you space
out, don’t worry, it’s normal, just return to being present with your body,
thoughts and sensations. If images come up, don’t try to analyze them, just be
with them. Do this exercise as often and as long as you like. As you progress
with this exercise you can let go of focusing with each breath, just stay present
with whatever is going on, if your attention wanders, bring yourself back
gently.
Emotions to Source
Make sure you are comfortable, either recline in a
chair or lay down. Close your eyes. Take a few slow deep breaths and relax, let
go. Ask yourself, what am I aware of right now - where in my physical body do I
feel a sensation - describe it out loud - and put a name on the emotion you are
feeling - now breathe into the emotion, feel it fully in your body, stay with
it for 30 seconds up to 3 minutes - then fall through to the next layer of
emotion, just let yourself fall and let go - then repeat the step - Ask
yourself, what am I aware of right now - where in my physical body do I feel a
sensation - describe it out loud - and put a name on the emotion you are
feeling - now breathe into the emotion, feel it fully in your body, stay with
it for 30 seconds up to 3 minutes - then fall through to the next layer of
emotion - continue until you get to your Source, you’ll know it when you get
there, it’s the place beyond time and space, that which some people call God.
This is the center of your Self. Stay with your Source as long as you want.
Then come back softly to here and now, open your eyes and stretch. With
practice, you can add asking if there is a memory associated with each layer.
If you aren’t used to feeling, these exercises may
be difficult at first. Just being still and being with yourself may be a
challenge, do what you can each time, and pat yourself on the back for having
taken time out for yourself.
Emotions come disguised as physical sensations or
mental chatter. The hungry feeling in the pit of your stomach may hide a deep
longing for security. Underneath the painful knees may be a deep grief, or it
could be something else, such as anger. Emotions reside not only in the
chakras, but also in other parts of our bodies. More about this in the next
chapter on where to work?.