There will come a point in life where we are thrown into a cacophony of emotions,
All shouting at us,
Demanding our attention.
Fear wants us to retreat.
Doubt wants us to pause and think twice.
Excitement and angst want us to rip the band-aid and get the experience over with.
Passion wants to connect with kindred spirits,
While joy and pride are waiting on the sidelines,
Hoping for their moment to shine.
It's disorienting and intrusive,
But an inevitable part of the human experience.
And although it's a fairly common occurrence,
It propels the majority of us into a thick forest of trepidation,
Where light has difficulty penetrating.
The vines entangling us are our more negative thoughts and emotions.
We struggle to recognize any charm in this hostile environment,
And the sensation is so unpleasant that we cannot help but resist the ordeal altogether,
Or at least attempt to.
However,
Resisting our less desirable emotions does little to minimize their tormenting effect.
If anything,
It amplifies their power.
You see,
Emotions aren't inherently good or bad.
They simply exist,
And we project our subjective experience onto them.
Yet they do serve a purpose.
Emotions are there to convey a message.
If we want the emotion to move through us so that it may be released,
We have to willingly receive that message.
Start by regulating the breath.
It's natural for us to feel overstimulated in these circumstances.
So regaining our balance is a vital aspect of this skill.
Take slow,
Steady breaths in through the nose and release through the mouth.
Aim for longer exhales than inhales,
With a short pause between each.
Close yourself off to the outside world and open yourself up to your inner world.
As you settle into a state of equanimity,
Being in a state of equanimity is a key to being able to move through the world.
As you move through the world,
You will begin to notice the various emotions that are present in the horde.
Don't be surprised if the ones that come to mind initially are the less appealing ones.
Overwhelm,
Sorrow,
Irritation,
Panic,
Confusion.
Though they may be harder to spot,
There will likely be some pleasant emotions as well.
Hope,
Gratitude,
Or eagerness.
Now that you've identified your emotional experiences,
You can validate them.
Of course you're overwhelmed.
Your mind and body are on overdrive,
Processing an immense amount of data at an incredible speed.
Of course you're feeling vulnerable,
When you're very invested in the outcome of this situation,
But have no control over that outcome.
Of course you'd experience sorrow with change.
Even positive change comes as a result of a door closing,
A sun setting,
An era ending.
Finally,
Give yourself permission to experience the full range of your sensations.
No resisting,
No suppressing,
No avoiding.
Let it all in.
Feel the angst,
Feel the sorrow,
Feel the inspiration,
Feel the excitement,
Feel the dizzying mixture of thrill and sick to your stomach-ness.
It's our potential for complexity,
And the intricacies of life that make the human experience so awe-inspiring and wonderful.
Feel it,
Breathe into it.
All of you is welcome here.
