Emotions are not just feelings. They are powerful, high-energy, biological and psychological events.
Emotions impact your mind and every cell in your body. When emotions are suppressed or too intense, they are often dangerous and can even kill you (as an example, a heart attack brought on by rage ).
When emotions are in balance they produce a sense of wellbeing and a sense of compassion for the suffering of fellow humans.
Emotions are not a side event to life; they are at its centre. Emotions define you as a primate and human. Reptiles and other forms of life do not have them. They define who we are in the vast world of living creatures.
We are taught very little about the nature and management of emotions unless we are lucky enough to see this in the family we are born to. We are taught as children to brush our teeth, but little or nothing about the meaning, importance, or management of emotion.
Suicide is usually the result of a severe level of emotional pain that seems interminable, unchangeable — inner torture of despair such that life seems unbearable.
Even despair can be melted away by many techniques, and can be ameliorated by shame-free professional help. (When brushing your teeth still permits cavities, you go to your dentist shame-free. )
How about a little short-term help with anxiety, when awaiting a job interview, or in an awkward social situation.
Just take in a gentle, deep, breath and blow it out in a slow, lengthy, exhalation.
Do it right now. No one will notice.
I’m betting you’ll feel more relaxed for a few minutes. (This technique will also temporarily drop your blood pressure. )
My Saturday workshops are about deep emotional re-education.
