We only have to look to the gaming, movie/tv show/netflix, alcohol industries and workaholic brainwashing to see how we are influenced to fill our waking moments occupied, consumed, consuming, distracted, escaping... your emotions don't matter.
And there's the catch.
Emotions do matter.
In fact, emotions are matter.
Emotions are energy.
The suppressed energy of negative emotions accumulates and seeks expression through psychosomatic distress, bodily disorders and dysfunctions, disorders in emotional behaviour, physical tension and illness.
Did you know that when you feel a negative emotion - immediately your muscles lose 50% of strength?
So if our bodes don't want us to suppress the negative emotions - what do we do with them?
The key, while counter-intuitive in our culture is to
FEEL the emotion,
so you moves through you and by letting it move through you,
you can let it go.
It's the attachment to the emotion (and all the beliefs and stories we attache to that emotion) that is the cause of suffering.
Feeling the emotion
without attachment to the emotion
is letting go;
is the practice of surrender.
And, yes, it's a practice.
So it's ok to trip up, forget how to do it, try it all sorts of ways -
it's not something you need to add to your to-do list,
it's a practice - like brushing your teeth.
Brushing your teeth isn't a skill (once you know what to do),
it's a necessity that we do daily, even multiple times per day for health maintenance.
Feeling feelings without attachment can be seen as health maintenance too.
So now over to you, "How have you been feeling lately, Friend?"
Here's a list to choose from - please choose one.
Below the image is some indications for what the negative emotion might really be revealing about your needs:
BITTERNESS
RESENTMENT
DISCOMFORT
ANGER
DISAPPOINTMENT
GUILT
SHAME
ANXIETYÂ
SADNESS