Hello,
Thank you for being here today.
My name is Karola and I'll be guiding you through an emotional inquiry.
An emotional inquiry is a tool for you to learn to be with your emotions and perhaps to find ways to process them,
Befriend them.
You might want to have a piece of paper and a pen and you might want to write down what comes up for you.
I like to do it at the end of the session but if you prefer to do differently,
Of course you can.
Wherever you are you want to find a comfortable place where nobody will disturb you.
I recommend to lay down,
But if you prefer to be seated of course you can.
You want to find the best place for you to go inwards.
You might want to bring some support behind your head or behind your legs,
Right under the thighs and wherever you are you want to be comfortable.
Make sure you're warm and supported.
See if there is anything you can do to become 3% more comfortable,
Really allowing your whole body to be supported by whatever is under you.
See if you can do anything to create extra support,
To really allow your body to relax and release,
Really creating a cocoon for you to explore your emotions and how you're feeling.
Wherever you are feel the contact points between your body and the floor or the sofa or the bed.
Feeling the contact points between the back of your head and the floor.
Feeling the contact points between the back of your shoulders and the floor.
Feeling the contact points between your right arm and the floor.
Feeling the contact points between your left arm and the floor.
Feeling the contact points between your spine and the floor.
The whole length of the spine,
So from the back of the neck to the area in between your shoulder blades,
Middle back and lower back of your spine.
Feel the contact points between the left side of your back and the floor and the right side of your back and the floor.
Feeling the contact points between your hips and the floor.
Right hip,
Left hip,
Maybe contact of the legs and the floor,
The right leg and the left leg.
Maybe the contact points between your soles of the feet and the floor or the heels,
Depending on the position of your legs.
And as you feel the floor,
Know that the floor is a certainty.
You can't fall,
You cannot go anywhere.
The floor will always be there to support you.
A certainty,
A safety.
And bring your awareness to the breath and observe how is your breath today.
And notice where is your breath flowing.
Belly,
Chest,
Ribcage,
Front of your body,
Back of your body,
Sides of your body.
So here I'm not looking for something specific.
So each one of us has a unique experience of the breath.
Notice that it could be many different places and you feel your breath as one-dimensional,
Two-dimensional or three-dimensional.
Notice if there are any differences between your inhales and exhales.
Maybe some,
Maybe none.
And bring your awareness to your mind and to your thoughts.
And notice what kind of thoughts are in your mind.
Many thoughts,
Not so many thoughts.
And where are your thoughts going?
Are they in the present,
With my voice and your body?
Or are your thoughts heading to the future?
Or heading to the past?
As usual,
No right or wrong answer.
Simply your unique experience.
Now bring to mind a place where you felt very safe.
Anywhere.
By yourself,
With somebody else,
Maybe indoors.
Maybe indoor or outdoor.
Look around.
What do you notice?
Do you notice any colors or shapes?
Any sounds or sensations?
Is it daytime,
Nighttime?
Maybe there is an animal.
And observe how it feels to be there.
How it feels to be safe.
How it feels to be held and supported.
You can always come back here.
If at any point you feel that you need a break,
You can always come back to this place of safety.
Now ask yourself the question,
How am I feeling?
You might be getting a very wide array of answers.
If you're getting a fine or okay,
I'd like to invite you to go a little bit deeper.
Can you observe,
Can you feel what's underlying,
What's beneath your okay or fine?
And if you're new to this kind of work,
It might be difficult to pinpoint exactly what you're feeling.
And that's fine,
That's okay.
But see if you can befriend what you're feeling.
And even if you don't have a name,
If you don't have a label for how you're feeling,
Where do you feel it in your body?
And does it feel like lightness or weight?
Does this emotion feel like something expanding or contracting?
Does it stay in one place in your body or does it change?
And does it come with a color,
A shape,
A form,
A sound,
An image?
And if you're getting any form,
Any shape,
Any image,
Any memory,
See if you can witness it and analyze it literally.
What does that form,
That shape mean,
Message you?
What's the meaning of it?
And what does it tell you about how you're feeling?
Is it still there where you first felt it or is it different?
Notice how this emotion impacts the breath.
How is the breath?
The breath is the mirror of your emotions.
Your breath changes according to how you feel.
Can you use the breath as a compass to guide this inquiry?
LO KA SAMASTA SUKHI NU BABANTU OM SHANTI SHANTI SHANTI And it's completely up to you if you want to stay where you are for a little bit longer.
It's completely up to you if you want to sketch what you just saw,
The shape,
The color,
The form on your piece of paper.
Or if you'd rather write down a few words,
Maybe they're sentences,
Maybe they're not really much sentences and that's okay.
So really allowing to now transport what you just experienced either into words or drawing shapes,
Forms.
And if that does not resonate with you,
That's perfectly fine.
Bathing,
Staying where you are.
Thank you for having listened to this guided emotional inquiry.
Be well.
