Experience emotions in a healthy way without getting overwhelmed by allowing them to be exactly as they are. They are different energies trying to help you and protect you. They serve a purpose. They are something to be experienced not denied or controlled. Turn yourself towards them to welcome them.
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Life is a mix of good & bad times
We all have some unpleasant experiences in our life. We go through troubles caused by external events, people, circumstances, or memories.
We have tendency to categorize our experiences as “good”, “bad” or “neutral.” When you label something as “good”, you want to hold on to it. When you label something as “bad”, you instantly try to push it away and deny it. When you label something as “neutral”, you ignore it.
As you’re not interested in “neutral”, it’s boring, you keep your attention on where the action is “good” or “bad.” Therefore, we are constantly running from our problems, from those unpleasant situations and after our desires, pleasant experiences.
“Let go of the battle. Breathe quietly and let it be. Let your body relax and your heart soften. Open to whatever you experience without fighting.”
How to experience emotions in a healthy way
Ups and downs, good and bad, pleasant and unpleasant go hand in hand!
What if we simply allow things to be exactly as they are, without having judgments about what’s happening around us and feeling the urge to label everything as “good” or “bad.”
The minute you label something as “bad”, you desperately want to fix it. Your mind is telling you “this is not right, I don’t want to be here. I have to do something about it.”
You are more in relationship with those stories that your mind is constantly creating than with the present moment.
Anger, sadness, or fear are very intense emotions but not necessarily negative.
What if we see grief as a persistent love; sadness as vulnerability “the birthplace of courage”, fear as an opportunity for growth.
If you watched the movie “Inside Out”, you saw that the hero of the story is Sadness. She taught Joy that all our emotions serve a purpose and helped Riley make things better.
They are just emotions, more intense therefore less welcome.
I feel like it’s all about how we channel those feelings and emotions. We can channel sadness into guilt or into self-compassion.
You’ve heard that song “Let it go, Let it go …” How do you let go? It’s not that easy, isn’t it.
I’ve realized in order to let go of anything, first you have to let it be. You’re willing to sit quietly in your own thoughts and emotions without judging them but allowing yourself to be with them. Don’t be ashamed of having them. Get curious about them instead – What is it? What does it feel like? Where do you feel it in your body? They will eventually pass.
I created a class for my online class library that is inspired by this whole concept “Let Be.” Yin yoga is a beautiful practice to slow down and experience that witness consciousness. As poses need to be held for a longer period of time, you can enter that stillness, be confronted with your present emotions, and practice being OK with what is.
Let it be
You can practice this in your daily life by surrendering to the moment, feeling everything, and breathing through the discomfort. When you accept the moment as it is, you create space around your emotions. When you take a conscious breath, you create time between the situation and your reaction to it.
That space becomes you, a witness of your thoughts and emotions; that time holds the power of choice. They allow you to take a step back, look at the situation with a rational mind, from what’s happening around you and respond to that situation rather than react to it.
Whenever you notice unpleasant thoughts and emotions, see them as an opportunity to practice presence and self-compassion. You can still label them by giving them a name: anxiety, excitement, scared, stressed…
Please remember to be kind to yourself not only in pleasantness but in unpleasantness too.
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