Body 101: Emotions

©2008 Joan M. Newcomb

With all the fun and games going on in the news nowadays, I thought it would be helpful to revisit a basic topic in the Human Game playbook.

Emotions are body-level communications. As Essence, or Spirit, you are eternally joyful, nothing phases you, and even the most dire circumstances seem mildly amusing to you.

Your physical body communicates to You with it's emotions. Like a little baby that cries when it's sad or needs to be changed, your body is continually sending you messages in order for You to take care of it.

When we start upon a spiritually focused path, we think we need to ignore the body or discount the emotions it produces. Which is the opposite of why we as Spirit (or Essence) chose to be here in the first place.

We're here to experience all the wonderful highs and lows of living in this world, including the body's emotions. Even if we're miserable, the higher part of us is ecstatic (perhaps even more so, because It's sensing *really* low vibrations, so delightfully opposite of Itself)!

Ignoring the body puts it into resistance with us, it will balk at taking us where we want to go, and even get sick (although there's a lot of reasons for getting sick, which is a topic for another ezine).

It's really the personality aspect of us that has ethics about emotions. It's the part that says that it's only okay to have 'good' emotions, and not okay to have 'bad' ones. Not allowing *all* emotions is like not allowing yourself to use all your words. It's okay to use adjectives but not okay to use verbs. Repressing certain emotions pretty much guarantees they'll either seep out in another form, or volcanically explode some time. Letting feelings flow as they come up lessens the intensity of the ones you're usually uncomfortable with.

Being empathic, I'll notice other people's emotions within my body space, although I may not know they're someone else's at first. I can sense when family members are cranky or sad or even hungry! It can be confusing because the intensity of the transmission doesn't depend on their physical proximity. Anyone who's cared for a colicky infant knows how overwhelming it can be when blasted by another's emotions. It feels the same psychically even if the 'blaster' is an adult!

Here are some suggestions for Body-Emotion management:

Not resisting the overwhelming feelings is helpful, although sometimes it's a fine line between not resisting them and being swamped by them. Also, allowing your own feelings is different than letting your emotions drive your car. You can have your feelings without being your feelings. They can inform you that you need to take care of yourself in some way, but you needn't succumb to road rage!

It's helpful to be aware that body takes things very seriously and views things in black and white. At the core of body's considerations is it's own survival, since it's not going to make it out of this lifetime alive! Spirit or Essence is immortal and thus has bemused detachment about such things.

Keeping focused in the present moment is reassuring to your body. Too far in the future creates anxiety, too far in the past creates depression, as the body only operates right here and now. In highly stressful situations, take it one moment at a time, because moment-to-moment, everything is okay.

Focus on extreme self-care. Besides the basics of enough sleep, good food, enough exercise, make sure to treat your body as the adorable and precious asset it is to you. Give it bubble baths, massages, chocolate or whatever else delights it and makes it feel special. You can coax your body through tough times this way.

And, finally, focusing only on *your* reality is helpful, too, since you can't control or change someone else's. They're capable and immortal beings, as well, and are (as Essence) really enjoying their dilemma. Don't match the group and you'll be just fine.