Is it hard to know how you feel? Read on…
Georgia writes:
My problem is I don’t know what I feel. I behave in an angry way though I’m sure I’m a sweet person inside. I can’t distinguish feelings and where they come from exactly. I don’t know if I’m angry or sad or depressed.
I feel lost because deep inside there is chaos. Your e-course talks about getting bigger than your emotions but how can I get bigger when I don’t know what my emotions are?
Dear Georgia:
My impression is that many people are going through something similar these days. Having a kind of chaos of feelings, and not being able to sort them out. Not very comfortable, I know!
Part of what makes this so hard is the pressure to name our feelings. You HAVE feelings, for sure! But when you ask yourself what they are, to put a name on them, it’s not easy to do.
That’s why sensing in the body can be so powerful and so helpful.
Let me take you through a little process.
First, find a moment of calm. Even in the midst of chaos, you can find a relatively quiet space… turn off your phone… and just sit for a while.
Breathe… and feel your body. Feel how you’re making contact with what you’re sitting on. Feel into the inner area of your body… your throat, your chest, your stomach.
Now just describe the sensations you are feeling. Heavy, or tight, or squeezing… and notice where you are feeling these things. You don’t have to worry about getting it right. Take your time.
And finally, just acknowledge what you are feeling. “I am sensing squeezing in my throat, and I am saying Hello to that.” If you like, you can let a gentle hand go to the place where you are feeling something.
This little process is the beginning of a journey of acceptance toward yourself… and that includes accepting what you feel as simply how you feel. How it is right now, anyway. One step at a time.
