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INVITATION TO INQUIRY

Exploring Emotions

The word emotion comes from the Latin ex/out meaning outward and motio meaning motion. E-motion outward motion. Emotion is a psyche-physiological state that moves an organism to action.* There are many words and labels to identify and describe emotions. For this inquiry, I will focus on the four core emotions: fear, anger, sadness and joy.

Often when we experience strong emotions and the biological sensations that accompany them, we either
avoid the sensation, and freeze the emotion or lose awareness becoming fused with the outward movement or expression of the emotion. An example is resisting anger or becoming angry, and projecting it onto another or a situation. The mind will usually weave a story as to why we are feeling such a strong emotion. Another characteristic is the belief that we will be angry forever that we are stuck in an emotion. Holding onto the story as to why you’re feeling anger, then carefully avoiding situations that might create that sensation of anger again. The vow to never let it happen again further freezes the movement. In taking this internal vow, we have to keep the emotional pain of the past alive in present time to insure it does not happen again.

When we do this the experience is not allowed to become a memory of an event in the past, rather it becomes the lens through which we view the world.

When the present is viewed through the lens of past emotional pain and trauma, it can be projected onto every life situation and colors experiences and relationships. How often have we been angry about something and then projected it onto another unconsciously rather than look to the source of the emotion?

When an uncomfortable or painful emotion arises there is a great desire to get rid of it. We do this in many creative ways. In order to not feel the experience we can use denial, avoidance, distraction, repression, or projection. This exercise is for simply experiencing the emotions and feelings in the body without the story as to why you feel the emotion.

“In meeting any emotion without telling a story about it, you can meet the truth of yourself.”

- Gangaji**

Exploring Emotion

1. Remember an emotion that has a charge for you. (fear, anger or sadness)
2. Where in or around your body do you feel the emotion?
3. Notice if there is a story running related to this feeling and sensation.
4. Allow yourself to take your attention off the story and to directly feel the sensation in the body.
Take your time to really feel the sensation. If the mind tries to divert you come back to the sensation in the body without trying to get rid of it.
5. Now take the emotion off (like taking off a pair of glasses) Notice how you feel.
6. Put the emotion back on and look through the lens of the emotion and notice how you feel.
7. Do this several times: putting it on and feeling,; taking it off and feeling.
8. How does the emotion seem now?
9. How does the story as to why you feel the emotion seem now?

To willingly or intentionally feel an emotion, without taking any evasive or deflecting action allows it to diminish in intensity. Emotions actually do not last forever. If you watch a child who is angry or frustrated have a temper tantrum we know it will pass. Yet the sensation of the frustration is often so great for that moment it seems to last forever. All emotions come and go, like the tide coming in and going out. If the next time you have a strong emotion you can observe while experiencing it you will see that you can be present for this coming and going of the emotion. Sometimes it is more like riding the wave of the emotion instead of being submerged in it. Enjoy your exploration.

* Wikipedia
** Diamond in your pocket Gangaji

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