"Acknowledge and honor all your emotions".
Tracy Kennedy
We often think about negative emotions like some subproduct of the unfortunate dysfunction of our behavior. Something went wrong, and instead of being happy and content, we drew in a miserable range of negativity.
But suppose we describe emotions as an element of the brain and the body, which help us to form the bond between us and the outside world, just like a tool, which allows us to adjust to the given environment - then any emotion is equally valuable.
From the point of view of Chinese medicine, our bodies generate negative emotions for a particular reason, and they are essential for survival.
Let's have a closer look at the five primary negative emotions:
ANGER
The energy of Anger helps us to keep our drive for a living. It keeps us moving on our path and gives us the power to execute our plans.
FEAR
We won't last long to stay alive if we wouldn't have a sense of Fear. Fear makes us stay away from danger and support our will to live.
WORRY
The first step in solving a problem is getting into a state of worry. Worry about the issue - push us to search for solutions.
SADNESS
Nobody likes to be sad, but without feeling sad, we don't know the value of Joy. It makes us appreciate the happy experience and keep us hungry for new ones.
GRIEF
Grief is the natural separation tool from past experiences that are no longer part of our lives to move on with our path.
Everything is good in proper timing and quantity, and it is when we allow those powerful emotions to grow out of proportion they bring us harm and damage on all levels.
The next time you feel sad or angry, fearful or worried or burdened with grief, do not try to suppress your emotions or run away from them but ask yourself - how this "negative' emotion can serve you well.
And if you have trouble dealing with this kind of situation - the Body Talk session can bring you clarity with acceptance of your emotions or separate from them if needed.