Whether we love them or avoid them, whether we express them or repress them, emotions are an integral part of our lives. Our society also has a rather schizophrenic relationship with emotions. On the one hand, our culture encourages individual expression of feelings, valuing emotional authenticity, and on the other, social pressure can encourage the concealment of emotions perceived as vulnerable, or frowned upon.
Social media amplifies this duality, creating a space where emotions are exposed and shared, but often filtered to fit acceptable and accepted norms.
Yet emotions play an essential role in the way we perceive and interact with the world around us. But before going any further, I first want to differentiate Emotions and Feeling. I've found that they are often used interchangeably, yet they have distinct and important nuances that are worth exploring.
The emotions are:
Instantaneous: Emotions are automatic, almost instantaneous responses to internal or external stimuli. They are physical reactions that our body has to a situation.
Transient: Emotions are generally short-lived, lasting a few seconds to a few minutes. (This is usually where the skeptics show up). However, even if they are often intense they remain ephemeral. It’s an immediate reaction to something that’s happening.
Unconscious: Emotions can arise involuntarily, often before we are fully aware of what is happening. They are instinctive and represent our first response to a situation. It is possible to feel an emotion without even understanding the reason. A situation, a smell, a word can in fact bring back an emotion connected to a past trauma (more or less strong), just as a smell can remind us of a pleasant memory from our childhood for example.
The feelings are:
Conscious Reflection: Feelings, on the other hand, are formed when we become aware of and think about our emotions. They represent our conscious and considered interpretation of what we feel.
Extended Duration: Unlike emotions which are temporary, feelings last longer. They can take hold and become lasting parts of our emotional state, influencing how we perceive things over a longer period of time.
Subjectivity: Feelings are often influenced by our past experiences, education, and personal understanding. They are more complex and can vary from person to person. I give you an example. Imagine a situation where you are attending an awards ceremony. When the winner is announced, you might feel an instant emotion such as excitement, expressed through a racing heart and butterflies in your stomach. These immediate physical responses are the emotions. Now, after a few moments, you might reflect on this experience and feel a more lasting sense of pride, either for the winner or for your own experience of attending the event. These feelings result from conscious reflection on the initial emotion. Emotions are the immediate, involuntary responses, while feelings arise from our conscious and considered interpretation of those emotions, creating a key distinction in the complex landscape of our inner world.
Emotions… Energy blockages:
Unexpressed emotions can manifest themselves in the form of larger or smaller energy blockages. Think of emotions as currents, flows that can be fluid or remain stagnant. These blockages can vary in intensity. Think of them as obstacles that can negatively affect our physical and emotional well-being. In other words, if we don't express our emotions, it can impact our health and well-being.
Physical Consequences:
Muscle Tension: Blockages linked to stress and emotions, leading to muscle pain.
Lowered Immunity: Weakening of the immune system, making the body more vulnerable.
Digestive Problems: Impact on the digestive system, contributing to disorders.
Emotional Impact:
Depression and Anxiety: Contribution to persistent emotional disturbances.
Chronic Fatigue: Drainage of vital energy, causing fatigue.
Relational Difficulties: Obstacles in social interactions.
By releasing these blockages, we promote harmony of body and mind, allowing vital energy to flow freely to support a fulfilling life.
The Importance of Expression and Emotional Release: Expressing our emotions is crucial to maintaining our emotional well-being. Research shows that emotions, which as we have seen, generally last from a few seconds to a few minutes, can, if not expressed, be held back and manifest as recurring thoughts. This could potentially contribute to mental health problems. In other words, expressing how you feel can help avoid long-term emotional difficulties.
The Importance of Expression and Emotional Release:
Expressing our emotions is crucial to maintaining our emotional well-being. Research shows that emotions, which as we have seen, generally last from a few seconds to a few minutes, can, if not expressed, be held back and manifest as recurring thoughts. This could potentially contribute to mental health problems. In other words, expressing how you feel can help avoid long-term emotional difficulties.
Express to Release:
As we have seen, it is essential to express our emotions. But expressing them does not necessarily mean sharing them, or pouring them out on others. There are many ways to express our emotions and free ourselves from our blockages or avoid them. Moreover, in this complex emotional landscape, our retreats are a sanctuary where everyone can learn to discover, explore, express and share their emotions in complete freedom, far from external judgments, thus promoting a deeper understanding of themselves.
Our program “Connecting to the Inner Child: A Journey to Self” is the ideal combination to understand the origins of our emotions and release them through practical exercises and tools that you can integrate into your daily life.
For example, you will be able to discover and practice: - Meditation and Breathing: Practices to relax the mind and release energy. - Emotional Work: Exploration and conscious expression of repressed emotions. - Liberation practices based on the body.
Release Emotional Energy for a Balanced Life: Understanding, expressing and releasing our emotions are essential aspects of emotional well-being. By being aware of our emotional responses/reactions, we can promote energetic, physical and psychological balance. Energetic blockages that come from our unexpressed emotions are not just abstract concepts, they affect our bodies and our lives. Releasing these blockages and expressing our emotions thus becomes an essential key to regaining harmony between body and mind, allowing vital energy to circulate freely. Expressing our emotions does not necessarily mean sharing with the outside world, but rather discovering personal and healthy ways to release these emotions.
In this journey towards balance, our workshops, as well as our retreats, such as the “Connection to the Inner Child” program, are a real opportunity to discover, explore, express, and share our emotions far from external judgments. In conclusion, the release of this emotional energy opens the way to a balanced life, promoting emotional fulfillment and mental well-being.
