Emotional integration is a cornerstone of personal transformation,
Shadow work,
And the attainment of self-knowledge.
Swiss psychologist Carl Jung once said,
There can be no transformation of darkness into light and of apathy into movement without emotion.
In this emotional integration exercise,
We will be voluntarily engaging with an emotional trigger.
We will bring this feeling to mind,
Experience it fully,
And allow it to run its course in conscious awareness.
By integrating emotions in this way,
We can release from old patterns,
Live freely without conflict,
And align more closely with our authentic selves.
So once you're ready,
And you know what emotion you will be working with today,
First find a quiet and comfortable place to sit or lie down.
Close your eyes.
Take a couple of deep breaths.
Just allowing the mind and the body to relax naturally.
And keep your attention on the breath for now.
If at any point you do get distracted,
Just bring the attention back to the exercise.
And now,
Scan through the body and see where you experience this emotion as a physical sensation.
How does the emotion appear in the body?
You might notice it in the face,
Or head,
Perhaps in the throat,
Arms,
Chest,
Heart,
Maybe the back,
Or lower back,
The abdomen,
The pelvic area,
Perhaps the legs,
Calves,
Or the feet.
Once you've identified the sensation,
Now give it your full and bare attention.
Experience this sensation fully.
What is it that you are experiencing?
In addition to the sensation,
Notice if it appears to have a shape.
Or an image.
Perhaps a color.
Is it some kind of object?
Is it warm?
Cold?
Sharp?
Or dull?
Just experience this sensation fully.
If there's any resistance arising,
That's normal.
Just bring the attention back to this sensation of the emotion.
And now,
You're going to ask yourself a series of questions.
A series of questions.
And as you do,
Rather than trying to think of an answer,
Simply state the question.
And see what arises.
What is this emotion protecting me from?
What is this emotion protecting me from?
What is it that I'm attached to?
What is it that I'm attached to?
And now ask,
What would happen if I stopped defending against this feeling?
What would happen if I stopped defending against this feeling?
Against this feeling?
What is so scary about experiencing this feeling?
What is so scary about experiencing this feeling?
How would my life be different if I didn't have to defend against this feeling anymore?
How would my life be different if I didn't have to defend against this feeling anymore?
What would be possible if I didn't have to defend against this anymore?
What would be possible if I didn't have to defend against this anymore?
Now,
Imagine yourself standing outside of this old pattern.
Notice how it's different.
Notice your energy,
Your mood,
And any new feelings.
Take a moment to notice how you feel now,
Versus when you began this exercise.
Whether or not you feel a significant change in your body,
A significant shift was made.
Trust that the exercise unfolded just the way it needed to.
And know that you can repeat this exercise regularly,
Or whenever there's a need to work through emotions,
And to bring them into conscious awareness.
So just bringing your attention back to the room now,
Noticing whatever you happen to notice.
Take a deep breath,
And in your own time,
Opening your eyes again.
