An important aspect of overall health and spiritual clarity is emotional fluency.  How well we are able to identify the feelings that arise in us as a response to a thought or experience, how well we are able to literally "FEEL" these vibrations and come back to an integrated homeostasis. 

The image to the right has a fluidity, flow and fluency to it.  Imagine a blot of black paint is added. How would this picture incorporate it, blend with it and become even more dynamic?

We know the survival brain of humans instinctively seeks pleasure and avoids pain.  This technique can serve us well in childhood and adolescence, however, as an adult our mastery comes from moving INTO places of pain.  FEELING and integrating these disowned frequencies allows our energy to freely flow throughout our entire being.  We feel FREEDOM and PEACE.

Many of us go through life with a very limited range of emotional fluency.  Anything outside of our range is unacknowledged or filtered into an acceptable emotion in order to keep our precarious equilibrium.  For instance, boys told not to cry, to suck it up learn that vulnerability is not acceptable to feel but anger is.  Therefore many men cannot tolerate the frequency of vulnerability within themselves and it can quickly adapt into anger and action. 

What's the way through?

Firstly, expand your emotional vocabulary by learning the subtler feelings that arise. Keeping a feelings chart on your fridge and in your pocket, check in with yourself several times a day and notice if there are more subtle emotions within your sadness, anger, joy etc.

We all have beautiful needs that we are trying to fulfill.  We develop strategies to get these needs met.  When our strategy isn't successful sometimes we try not to need, or to force others to fulfill our needs.  It can be a matter of becoming more aware of our own feelings and needs and learning how to effectively communicate this to others.  Check into Non-Violent Communication developed by Marshall B. Rosenberg PhD for more.

"Lighten Up!"

I have this phrase written on my blackboard in the kitchen.  When I'm not connected or out of alignment, reading the words bother me, make me feel like I've over reacted and some one is telling me off.  But the idea of Lightening UP seems to be a truth to embrace with discipline.

Lightening UP really is a simple solution to most problems isn't it?  When the grocery line is taking forever...Lighten UP, when you're running late for something important...Lighten UP, when kids are playing on your last nerve...Lighten UP, when it's just a bad day and nothing seems to go your way...Lighten UP!  Because, nothing, nothing, nothing is more important than staying connected to Yourself.

When we are connected to ourselves, our decisions are balanced between the mind and the heart, our human self and our higher self.  From this place good things come.  This is the place we're all looking for... it just takes a little effort (LOL) to harness the energies of dark, light, past, present, future, lower, higher vibrations and find our own unique centered point. 

On the physical plane, Lightening UP can feel like flexibility and flow in the body, a rebounding energy coming up through the legs, an excitement in the cells and a still point in the center of the body.   We can bend like the bamboo and not break.

On the emotional plane, Lightening UP calls us to explore and study more of the feelings that arise in us.  It requires us to move into a feeling, really get to know what it is so that when it visits us we don't get stuck in it or overwhelmed by it because we know the storm it brings. Click here for a comprehensive list of Feelings.

On the mental plane, Lightening UP opens options for us to choose the intensity, duration and frequency of our emotional state.  We have built a strong foundation of knowing the many emotions and what they feel like and now we can choose the most satisfying emotion for our present situation.  Responding to a given situation with anger may not offer us the most relief, it may be that jealousy or resentment is more appropriate.  When we become a more adept experiencer of the range of emotions on the emotional plane we develop mastery that allows us the freedom to truthfully experience and express ourselves.

On the spiritual plane, Lightening UP helps us stay connected to the thing that always matters most...our mighty self.   When we stay connected to our mighty self we can be with unsavory emotions like frustration, fear or panic allowing them to come, say their peace and leave.  The Mighty self resists disconnection over spilled milk and we remain bubbling along.

Energetically speaking, Lightening UP means we reach for higher vibration feelings like compassion, faith, gratefulness while acknowledging our lower vibration feelings and allowing them to be discharged or transformed.  This maintains the equilibrium of our auric field and we continue merrily along. 

Where are you at?  When are you connected? Do you have to work at it? What feelings throw you off center?  How long does it take you to recover?  What feelings are intolerable to you and cause disconnection? 

Practice: Lighten UP!  Notice when you're connected...notice when you're not and build your tolerance to unsavory emotions by being with, weathering the storm and reaching for higher vibration thoughts and feelings.