Permission To Feel

Pushing Away Emotions

Throughout our lives, we may experience emotions that disturb or distress us. Often, our first reaction is to push our feelings away. We may say, “I don’t want to think about that right now, I’ll think about it later” and we bury our emotions, deny the validity of our feelings, or distract ourselves with other concerns. But the diverse emotions you experience are neither good nor bad—they are simply a part being human. Choosing not to experience pain, anger, or other intense feelings could cause those feelings to become buried deep into your physical body. There, they may linger unresolved and unable to emerge, even as they affect the way you experience the world. Allowing yourself to experience all of your emotions rather than push the more painful ones away can help you come to terms with your feelings so you can experience them and then move on.

It is possible to bring forth the old feelings you have pushed aside and experience them in a safe and enriching way. It may sound silly to set aside time to feel your old wounds that you haven’t dealt with, but this can be a very beneficial healing experience. Find a safel place and pick a time when you can be alone. Make sure that you feel secure and comfortable in your surroundings. Bring to mind the circumstances that originally triggered the emotions you’ve been pushing away. You may need to revisit these circumstances by reading relevant entries in your journal or using visualization to relive your past. Once you have triggered your long-denied emotions, let yourself feel your feelings, and try not to judge your reactions. Cry or sound your emotions if you need to, and don’t block the flow of your feelings. Allow any thoughts that are connected to your emotions to surface. As you release the feelings you have pushed inside of you, you will find yourself healing from ! the experience associated with these emotions.

When you deal with your feelings directly, they can move through you rather than staying stopped up in your body as emotional blocks that can sometimes turn into disease. Acknowledging your emotions, instead of pushing them away, allows you to stay emotionally healthy and in touch with your feelings.

The Daily Om

How i really needed to read this, i am very hard on myself i judge myself horribly. I am constantly looking at all my faults i just cannot see the good i do for myself and others. I have many repressed feelings because i just did not want to deal with the emotions. I feel i was much more compassionate and loving before the move into this new house. I am having alot of trouble adjusting and without these forums i would be lost, the things i read here help me and alot of times snap me out of my self pity. This post reminded me of Forgiveness, forgiving ourselves for the wrongs we have done to others, forgiving ourselves for the wrongs we have done to ourselves & forgiving the wrongs others have done to us as well. I used top do this daily and somehow i stopped forgiving myself. I can forgive others very easily but when it comes to forgiving myself i have some trouble.

From what you posted HypnoDude i think this is part of my problem and just reading it i think maybe it sunk in my brain, hopefully i can find some quiet time and search for these emotions that i have bottled up for so long.

Many Blessings