I share a classic technique that allows us to be with challenging emotions, and transform that energy, instead of numbing out with food or drugs. I did not create this method, but I find it extremely beneficial, because most of us have been taught to fear, run from, or numb out when faced with challenging emotions.
Play with this process when experiencing any difficult emotion. I use anxiety in the example, but we can use it for any emotion that makes us uncomfortable like frustration, anger, guilt, loneliness, fear, etc…
- Get comfortable someplace where you can relax.
- Take at least three deep grounding breaths.
- Identify where IN YOUR BODY you feel anxiety.
- Briefly describe what the emotion feels like in your body.
Possible examples:
Tightness in my shoulders.
Twist in my stomach.
Shaking in my hands.
Buzzing in my head.
Tight chest, shallow breathing, etc. (It will vary person to person.)
- Now breathe into the place in your body where you feel the anxiety – as if your lungs were in that place and all the oxygen you breathe goes right to the emotion you feel there.
Just breathe and notice. Keep breathing into that part of your body and notice what happens. We do not focus on the cause of the anxiety, just where we feel it, and how it reacts as we breathe into it.
Does the anxiety begin to subside? Does it expand? Does it move? Keep your awareness on how the anxiety vibrates, and continue breathing into it.
What happens, if rather than pushing against the anxiety, we own the energy of that anxiety? You’re feeling the anxiety anyway, why not just own that powerful energy?
“It’s in my body. It’s mine, and it’s powerful.”
- Own that power. Breathe into it until you notice the emotion beginning to move, beginning to metabolize, to let itself go.
Once we begin to metabolize the anxiety, it can no longer drain our energy. We can reclaim the energy and use it for anything we wish – whatever makes our heart sing. Instead of draining our energy, we get to reclaim that energy!
This is how we metabolize and transform our powerful emotions into reclaimed energy!
How will you use the energy you reclaim?
Wishing you energized thriving!
