Opening Our Emotional Center

The heart, home to our emotions, is innocent and direct. When it is open it is a source of love and joy, a generator of playful bliss and creative impulses. When the heart is closed, caged or repressed, our life force is blocked. We are not breathing, emotionally speaking, we are not fully alive; we are simply existing. The heart is also the master of our physical reality; it conducts the music which is the energy of our being. All physical manifestations are informed and effected by our feelings. If we are committed to being emotionally alive and physically healthy, we must recover and release the heart so it can return to its open and magical nature.

All of our feelings are necessary, including the ones that are difficult and painful. Feelings help us survive, express, and transform. Each feeling contributes to our understanding of ourselves, others and life. For example sadness can inform us about unfulfilled needs and longings, and it can move us to find expression for them. Anger might inform us about our boundaries and a possible violation of them. Fear can alarm us or teach us to find courage etc. The poetic, ecstatic and inspiring moments of our lives are born out of our ability to feel.

Since all feelings and emotions spring from the same source the fact is that when you shut down the difficult ones like pain, fear or anger, you will shut down the blissful ones as well. There is no way around this fact, no cheating will help. Each one of us needs to choose which we will commit to-- an open or closed heart. Feelings and emotions are energies. Energy is indestructible. It does not die: it only changes form. We can bury our feelings, repress or deny them but we can never kill them. They will keep hunting us and will manifest in our body, behavior and everyday life. The good news is that since energy transforms, we can shift the energy of feelings from negative to positive.

Here are tips on how to open up your emotional center.

1. Take time daily to get in touch with your feelings. Journaling is one great way to do that.

2. Teach yourself to accept and understand your emotions rather than to judge, criticize, or dismiss them.

3. Find the creative way to share and express your emotions.

4. Your emotions are your inner garden. Take responsibility for them. Shift the negative ones and cultivate the positive ones.

5. In emotionally difficult times, allow yourself to feel. At the same time, support yourself to find what makes you happy.

When you find emotional freedom, integration, and expression, you are able to interact with life fully as well as give and receive love.

- Nomi
 

Come Celebrate Rosh Hashanah With Nomi Bachar!      

Where: Ananda Ashram - Located at Yoga Society of New York, Inc. 13 Sapphire Road, Monroe, NY, 10950

When: Wednesday, September 24th, 2014

Time: 5:00-10:00 PM

Cost: $25 - $10 for guests who are staying overnight.