Describe Your Emotions To An Alien.

I promised I would share one of my favorite tools for feeling your emotions today.  When you are feeling an uncomfortable emotion, I want you to pretend you are describing that emotion to an alien who has no clue what  emotions are, let alone what they feel like.   Let's use the example of sadness, although this tool works with any emotion.  The alien doesn't get what sadness is so you want to describe exactly how sadness feels in your body.  This may sound silly, but do YOU (as the earthling) know what your emotions feel like?  Most of us have never even thought about what  sadness feels like because we are too busy drowning our sorrows in a pint of Haagen-daz and scrolling on social media.  Let me give you some questions that will help you describe it to your extra terrestrial friend.

• Go inside your body and describe sadness.
• Turn your brain off.  Don't focus on why you are feeling sad, focus on where you are feeling sad.
• Where is the sadness specifically located in your body?
• Scan your body from top to bottom.  For me sadness is in my chest, my throat, and my eyes.
• How big is it?  The sadness in my chest is about the size of a volleyball.  In my throat, it is about the size of my fist.  
• What color is it? A very drab grey.
• Does sadness move or stay put?  It is growing in my throat.  It is hard to breathe and talk.  I notice tears streaming down my cheeks.
• Is sadness hard or soft?  Does it have a texture? Does it have a temperature?  Sadness feels soft, prickly and warm.
• Describe sadness in as much detail as you possibly can.  

Once I have completely described it, I go back and see if anything has changed.  Most of the time the volleyball is smaller, the tears slow down, and I can breathe better.  As I allow the sadness to be there it dissipates. Next time it comes back, and it will, I describe it again.  I do it as often as I need to.  I am not in any rush, I am just allowing it to be there and run its course.  This feels so much better than ignoring, reacting or resisting the sadness. 

What uncomfortable emotions are you currently trying so hard not to feel?  Let's set up a free consultation and I can help you.