*Reposting this from the Nervous System Regulation Group because I thought it could be useful to everyone else here as well😊* Big emotions. How DO we actually deal with them? Sharing this with you today because I know that no doubt you have experienced, and will in the future, STRONG thoughts, memories, and emotions. This is part and parcel with being human. We FEEL things. It's my hope that my experience from the past few days could prove useful and instructive if you ever find yourself in a similar state! Anger, rage, bitterness and resentment, sadness, grief, despair. There's an entire spectrum of things that could be experienced, and this past weekend, I was face to face with anger and resentment and sadness like I haven't known in a long time. But these were not new... no. What occurred was a triggering situation that brought up deep seated, unexpressed, suppressed thoughts and emotions from childhood. And. It. Was. Overwhelming. To the point that I could not function or focus for the life of me, regardless of what tools and practices I engaged with. In a state like that, you don't meditate your way out. No. Meditation and other practices simply prepare you for when things do arise, and allow you to more effectively navigate them. We don't engage those practices so that we don't experience negative states. We engage them so that we can better enable ourselves to become aware of them and process them in a healthy way. Emotions are felt and experienced in the body. They are electromagnetic, bio chemical processes, and must be allowed to fully pass through so as not to get "stuck." They are not to be judged as either good or bad. Nor are YOU to judge yourself for feeling them. No shaming yourself or the feelings that surface. No blaming of others or ourselves. Your emotions are not a reflection of who you ARE. They are experiences. In my case this past weekend, my anger had to be released in a vigorous workout session. Followed by some cathartic screams into a pillow. The moment that anger dissipated, the grief and sadness was allowed to surface. And those screams turned to tears. Fully felt. Fully expressed. Followed by a long hot shower that allowed my body to physically relax. And you know, the clarity, focus, and levity I felt afterwards... were absolutely amazing. That release felt like weight was physically removed from my body. With a clear mind, I was able to then talk things out and look at them with curiosity with a coach of mine (because even coaches and guides have their own coaches and guides - it's hard to move beyond personal blindspots and biases and always helps to have someone mirror things back) who helped me really go deeper into the experience. I share this with you because we ALL experience these states. But having the right processes in which to release and express, and the right people to support you in that process, makes all the difference. And THAT is what this community, and all the Guides, are here for. To help YOU on YOUR path in the way YOU need =) I invite you to share your own strategies for handling different emotions below!

Posted by Tom - NeuroArkitect Guide at 2022-04-04 21:00:19 UTC