A better title might be “Emotions, Part Two”, as I suspect this will probably develop into an ongoing topic... The fact that this work seems to have the ability to bring emotion into consciousness for us might be its primary challenge—perhaps its only major challenge-—and therefore, I believe, merits further attention.
Indeed, doesn’t the desire to feel good and not feel bad motivate every single action we ever take?
Consequently, most of us (understandably) tend to veer away from activities which might trigger “negative” emotion (fear, anger, sadness, guilt, shame, et al.). So why then would any self-respecting person choose to do anything which might trigger such an experience? I consider this an important question—and one with an important answer. For the answer, I believe it helps to understand the mechanics at work.
Let’s start with a thumbnail understanding of the philosophy underlying this work, namely, that the reason that we experience anything other than perfect health, happiness, and alignment in any given moment is because our body is storing a past, unprocessed emotion for us. As I understand it, this is a brilliant, self-protective mechanism that allows us to carry on functioning until such time as we’re psychically strong enough to process the event. Hence, when an emotion is triggered the body is essentially setting an emotion free for us to have another crack at it. I understand that every emotion the body is carrying will arise eventually—and just like cleaning out an attic, the task may not always be easy to enjoy, but it sure feels good when it’s done and it can clear a lot of handy space.
Healing work is one of a probably infinite number of things that can trigger emotion for us, and from the perspective of this paradigm, all of them are beneficial since they’re nothing more and nothing less than a priceless opportunity for growth. Regardless of the trigger, said growth seems to be facilitated by our simply staying present, observing, and fully allowing the experience. (I see a “Part Three” percolating already…)
I think it also helps to understand that a great deal of healing is occurring beyond the conscious mind; so while we may have “iceberg tips” arising from time to time, a much greater quantity of “melting” is occurring under the surface. —A certain quantity of emotion seems to want our conscious participation in its healing, and I have a working theory that the experience beneficially strengthens us, like a psychic resistance-training program.
Perhaps also helpful is the realization that, from this perspective, the quantity of emotion we carry is finite. It seems that many of us feel plagued by emotion, like Sisyphus going nowhere unpleasantly, but from this perspective that isn’t the case at all; rather, we're chipping away.
Also uplifting, perhaps, is my own experience that this work tends to amp-up equanimity. That is to say, that I tend to find myself less mentally reactive, but when I am, I feel that I tend to catch it much quicker and more easily.
So why engage in an activity that might facilitate anger or sadness for us? Because it’s an opportunity to heal, and is hence a Very Good Thing indeed.
Indeed, doesn’t the desire to feel good and not feel bad motivate every single action we ever take?
Consequently, most of us (understandably) tend to veer away from activities which might trigger “negative” emotion (fear, anger, sadness, guilt, shame, et al.). So why then would any self-respecting person choose to do anything which might trigger such an experience? I consider this an important question—and one with an important answer. For the answer, I believe it helps to understand the mechanics at work.
Let’s start with a thumbnail understanding of the philosophy underlying this work, namely, that the reason that we experience anything other than perfect health, happiness, and alignment in any given moment is because our body is storing a past, unprocessed emotion for us. As I understand it, this is a brilliant, self-protective mechanism that allows us to carry on functioning until such time as we’re psychically strong enough to process the event. Hence, when an emotion is triggered the body is essentially setting an emotion free for us to have another crack at it. I understand that every emotion the body is carrying will arise eventually—and just like cleaning out an attic, the task may not always be easy to enjoy, but it sure feels good when it’s done and it can clear a lot of handy space.
Healing work is one of a probably infinite number of things that can trigger emotion for us, and from the perspective of this paradigm, all of them are beneficial since they’re nothing more and nothing less than a priceless opportunity for growth. Regardless of the trigger, said growth seems to be facilitated by our simply staying present, observing, and fully allowing the experience. (I see a “Part Three” percolating already…)
I think it also helps to understand that a great deal of healing is occurring beyond the conscious mind; so while we may have “iceberg tips” arising from time to time, a much greater quantity of “melting” is occurring under the surface. —A certain quantity of emotion seems to want our conscious participation in its healing, and I have a working theory that the experience beneficially strengthens us, like a psychic resistance-training program.
Perhaps also helpful is the realization that, from this perspective, the quantity of emotion we carry is finite. It seems that many of us feel plagued by emotion, like Sisyphus going nowhere unpleasantly, but from this perspective that isn’t the case at all; rather, we're chipping away.
Also uplifting, perhaps, is my own experience that this work tends to amp-up equanimity. That is to say, that I tend to find myself less mentally reactive, but when I am, I feel that I tend to catch it much quicker and more easily.
So why engage in an activity that might facilitate anger or sadness for us? Because it’s an opportunity to heal, and is hence a Very Good Thing indeed.
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