Expression Of Emotions Is The Key To Healing

pierre teilhard quote photo | Dianna Bonny Photography

I feel myself coming back to life over these past few weeks. It is as though my cells are peeking out from where they have been hibernating and hiding while I have been busy reconstructing my world. I have been moving furniture around. I had a sudden burst of inspiration to sell of many of my old belongings and embarked on a craigslist seller’s rampage. (Now, there’s an interesting way to interact with an intriguing slice of humanity.)

I am bringing color back into my environment again. I notice myself showing a desire to move my body and dance. I surprise myself by spontaneously belly laughing. It feels good.

These things are a big deal to me because they have been sorely missing. I have been wandering through my house for the last couple of years without a care for the aesthetics or placement of things. I have been numb to my surroundings, and at the bottom of the cavernous numb, was a lifeless soul despite all the outward activity. Don’t get me wrong. I love what I do here but I have felt a few paces removed from the pulse of my life.

All of this intrigues me and as I mentioned in my last post, I attended a workshop last weekend that rocked my world. In pondering the magic of the work we did, I believe what is happening to me is the core of the teaching:

Expression of emotions is the key to healing.

We can make this as complicated and overdone as we want, but at its essence, most of our human problems stem from the inability to allow our emotions to simply move through our bodies. We block, deny, suppress and find ways to go numb. I came across this article by Dr. Christiane Northrup the other day that echoes this sentiment.

“To be an ageless, healthy goddess, you must learn to cultivate your ability to experience emotions such as joy and compassion, release grief and resentment regularly, and allow yourself to feel righteous anger when appropriate. The worst thing you can do for yourself is hold onto destructive emotions.” Dr. Northrup

This takes practice {Sigh.} It requires doing the work finding out who you are and what you want {Sigh.} It means learning to be with uncomfortable emotions, as well as the beautiful ones. In the workshop, they fondly refer to is as, “Sit in your shit.” {Really big sigh.}

I suppose if we think of ourselves as intrepid explorers on the journey to becoming our highest selves, then we can willingly embrace all of this work. In order to scale the highest peaks, the most accomplished mountain climbers spend copious amounts of time in incredibly uncomfortable training in order to stretch their capacity and build endurance.

I think learning to express our emotions can, in a demented sort of way, be seen in a similar light.

I am fairly certain that the reason my cells are coming back to life is due to arduous work I have put into learning to tolerate and express my emotional landscape these past few years. The environment no longer feels hostile and foreign, and as I unearth old layers and get comfortable expressing myself freely in the moment, space has been opened up for joy, color and belly laughter.

Thank goodness.

Are you leaving yourself out of the healing equation by not expressing the emotions you carry? What if you took micro-steps toward your highest good and shared your deepest truths in a love letter to yourself?

How might your life be different if you lived from expression rather than suppression?

May you always be well loved, cherished and connected.

–db

Who is Dianna Bonny?

Hi, my name is Dianna Bonny. It’s my mission to candidly share my journey with you. For me, it’s all about the healing: to create a radiant healing energy for others who have befallen a similar fate. Together, we can forge beautiful lives of belonging and connection. Thanks for joining me today! I look forward to hearing from you.

 

 

 

 

  3 comments for “Expression Of Emotions Is The Key To Healing

  1. colinb897
    February 6, 2015 at 5:40 pm

    I agree. My emotions often attach to what I encounter as resistance and rejection when I speak about the autistic encountered in the children I educationally support. I find I must contain that emotion, accept that emotion as my lot, and be patient in allowing that emotion to find its own time and manner of expression. The expression cannot be forced; but the expression must be had, to have wholeness and healing.

    • Dianna Bonny
      February 12, 2015 at 3:59 pm

      Thanks for your comment Colin. So true! Expression can take many forms and is so essential to our well-being. Appreciate you being here. db

  2. August 30, 2019 at 8:55 pm

    Keeping one’s expression is really hard. I agree that we should learn to express our emotions as it is the only way to “let go” of what you’re feeling. I remember, when I get frustrated, angry and such, I always tend to be more productive as I do anything that needs to be done quickly. But even if I like the result, I hate the feeling after. It feels like the feeling is still there. Yes, it may be beneficial for me, but in the end, the problem is not solved. We really should be learning how to express our emotions.

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