Have you noticed that people are feeling stressed? I see it all around me. My clients have come in wanting to know how to handle their feelings around world challenges, the election, family dysfunction and frustration with work. Many feel distressed, overworked and incapable of handling the surge of emotions that are flooding their lives.
Since emotional integration is my work, it is easy for me to witness that many of these emotional meltdowns are because our culture does not want to feel. We will do almost anything to avoid the eruption of unresolved rage, disconnected experiences and age-old wounds. Here is what is interesting…..I believe the healing is in the feeling. The inability to go deep into what we are experiencing pushes us deeper into addictive and non-productive patterns.
I recently took a group on pilgrimage to an amazing 12-day retreat in Damanhur, Italy. In the past, I had noticed that when I do this kind of immersion, I want to eat more. Usually, it is food that has great sugar and fat content. This time, I decided to do it differently. I don’t smoke or drink so these things were not an issue. However, I recently joined a program of no sugar, wheat, grains, caffeine or dairy and chose to honor my commitment, even while in Europe. Now, I know some of you are thinking….is she crazy? How do you go to Italy and not eat those things?
Well, here is what happened. Because I had no sugar or fat to numb me out, I felt everything. I was super sensitive and it brought in such clarity that I was amazed. I had the beautiful opportunity of feeling my feelings and going deeper into the messages they brought. The insights and revelations were astounding and I came back with renewed energy and focus.
Now, I am not telling you to change your diet. What I am saying is that you might want to consider activating your “inner witness” and watching how often you avoid feeling by drowning your pain with an addictive behavior. Here are a couple of questions that you might want to bring into your time of journaling and contemplation:
- What if these feelings had messages of healing?
- What is the worst that could happen if I feel this right now?
- What is the best that could happen if I open and feel this right now?
- What if I don’t use this “addiction” as a means of escape?
- What do I really want and how could these feelings assist me?
Try using this as an exercise for 15 days. It may or may not create a big change. What it will do is bring you some amazing insights about your behavior and patterns.
Whatever you discover, I know it will serve you.
Much love and light,
Cynthia
