|
For
the beginning intuitive and spiritual seeker, coming into relationship
with the emotional body is essential for physical, emotional, and
psychic health, for accuracy of our intuitive guidance, and for
improving our relationships. So many of us have the belief
that negative emotions serve no useful purpose, or are an indication
that we are doing something wrong. We may end up frustrated
with ourselves for our feelings of anger, grief, or hatred, and
we may try to cover up our discomfort with depression or unending
activity. When we know that emotions are information and
energy, we can approach our emotional bodies with less fear and
judgment. Then it becomes a task of exploration and self discovery
to jump into our emotions, even the uncomfortable ones.
Our
health, both physical and emotional, is dependent on free flowing
feelings. Unresolved feelings do not disappear with time.
Instead, they become blocked within our physical and emotional bodies,
sometimes even creating disease. So many people believe that
time heals all wounds and so they let time pass in the hope that
they (or their loved ones) will feel differently. I have found
this not to be true. Old hurts, angers, and resentments do
not fade without being dealt with directly or through personal growth
work. The surest way to move a feeling out of our bodies is
to be willing to experience it in the moment. Because past
unresolved hurts are still in the present, we can heal a past hurt
by feeling it now. (Some emotional traumas need assistance
from a healer or therapist to be moved out of the body effectively.
See Illuminations for one method
of moving trauma out of the energybody.)
For
Intuitives, if our emotional bodies are cluttered or hidden from
us, our intuitive hits will end up distorted, or we will confuse
our own unresolved emotions for an intuitive hit. Also, because
we are empathic, we are very sensitive to emotional energy.
Knowing our emotional bodies intimately prevents us from taking
on and absorbing the emotional energy of those around us; we are
able to claim what is ours and refuse what is someone else's.
When we are clear about our emotional responses, our intuitive guidance
is able to use those feelings as channels. Many times during
my own readings, if I experience emotions that I know are not mine,
I can interpret them as clues to what my client needs to hear next.
Emotional
energy, when understood, gives us information about how our innerselves
are reacting to the outerworld. We need our emotional responses
to live effective lives. People who do not pay attention to
their emotions miss important cues to how their relationships are
unfolding. They may also find themselves projecting their
unwanted emotions on to others. The more out of touch we are
from our feelings, the more our feelings and emotions run our lives
unconsciously. When we are fully aware of our emotions, we
are at choice whether to follow them or not. The most emotionally
dissociated people think they are run by logical thought process,
but if observed for long enough, it is apparent that the fear of
facing their emotional body is the main motivating factor in their
lives. (For more explanation, see the essay, Emotional
Dissociation .)
It's
in our best interest to explore underneath our emotional responses
because the more we try to hide any aspect of ourselves from ourselves,
the more that aspect will push forward to be restored to consciousness.
The way the shadow side of ourselves pushes forward is usually very
unpleasant and can create unsavory situations in our lives and in
the lives of our loved ones. We do everyone a favor when we
become willing to dive into ourselves. This takes tremendous
courage and faith in ourselves and our basic goodness. When
we uncover our shadow side we realize that we hold the whole spectrum
of emotions, and that those emotions hold positive gifts for us.
Some examples are: anger can help us hold our boundaries and strengthen
our personal power, and sadness and grief can help us have compassion
for others.
Embracing
our emotional responses by being willing to feel all our feelings
and think all the thoughts generated by those feelings is the key
to self awareness and emotional well being. As we do so we
develop the experiential knowledge that our identity is not based
on our feelings or on our thoughts; those feelings and thoughts
are transitory. Being willing to face our feelings enables
us to face and understand others' emotional needs as well.
In fact, it is only to the extent that we know our emotional bodies
that we can experience intimacy with others, or be a healing presence
for others. We also discover that emotions are simply energy
moving through our body, and we stop judging the feelings we have
in the moment.
Being
emotionally mature and competent means being willing to experience
our emotions and being willing to face another's emotions without
a need to change or dismiss emotional signals for our own immediate
comfort. When we are truly willing to do so, we open ourselves
up to the deep richness of life that cannot be experienced in any
other way.
Return
to Publications
Return
to Homepage
|
|