Ways to Release Stuck Emotions

Prior to 2020, I think I hardly ever showed my emotions. At some point when I was growing up, I started to equate being emotional with being weak. Being sad felt unproductive so I began building walls up. The pain of being hurt in the past had been buried so deep because I felt weak if I showed emotion. As my spiritual journey has evolved, I have become aware of how important feeling a full range of emotions is to my mental wellbeing and overall fulfillment in life. 2020 is the year that I have intentionally sought to get to know my emotions and release them. 

One of my intentions for 2020 was simply, “to feel more.” The walls I had built became counterproductive and kept me from connecting with those around me and connecting to myself.

While I am still working on releasing the attachment to not being seen as weak, I consciously practice a few things to get in touch with my emotions and graciously release them.

1. Cacao
   • Ceremonial Grade Cacao has been one of the biggest catalysts for tapping into my emotions. Cacao is a plant medicine that is known for its healing and heart-opening effects. I first tried Cacao in a ceremony but you can also purchase ceremonial Cacao here and have it in place of your morning coffee.
2. Breathwork
   • Breathwork is similar to meditation but you focus on manipulating your breath to move energy through your body. I have had several breathwork sessions that result in crying, laughing, screaming, etc. It is a gamechanger for releasing emotions (even if you didn't know you needed to). Here is a great breathwork meditation that I love.
3. Shaking Practice
   • Ok, here me out: shaking your body is a fantastic physical practice to move through stuck emotions. Shaking, or any movement is a way to get out of your head and into your body. I find shaking cathartic as I imagine I am shaking this emotion or stuck energy out of my body. I recently posted a shaking meditation on my Instagram if you want to check it out.
4. Journaling
   • In order to release our emotions, we must understand what we are feeling. I often journal to get to know what is coming up inside. When journaling, it is important to let your words flow and not judge or analyze what is coming up. A few questions to start with could be: What is making me feel this way? Have I felt this before? Why am I holding on to this feeling?
5. Communication
   • I think we all know having difficult conversations is...difficult. Something I have been working on lately is processing my emotions with loved ones. That looks like sharing when I am feeling down rather than putting on a smile and pretending things are okay. It also looks like communicating boundaries when my needs are not met or I need time to myself. Up until 2020, I never really talked about what I was feeling. This put a strain on friendship, I let relationships dissipate, and it made me feel isolated from the people I love most. While it's not always easy being vulnerable, you become closer to people when you are able to have these conversations with them. You become stronger from it.

At the beginning of 2020, I journaled every time I cried and saw it as a huge accomplishment. Now, the emotions flow like waves throughout my body. I try to honor each feeling that comes up and simply sit with it rather than trying to fix anything. Then, I consciously release the emotion or let it flow back out of my body like a wave.

I’ve been really leaning into the seasons of life and honoring where I’m at with open arms. Instead of constantly expecting myself to always feel happy, motivated, and productive, I look forward to moments that encourage me to rest and look inwards. I know that each moment is passing and has something to teach me. 

I give you permission to feel everything. Honor where you are at right now and give yourself grace, always.

The moment we begin connecting to the full scope of our emotions is when we begin fully living.

Enjoy, my dear.

If you would like more content like this, I am contributing to Nu Motive, a digital mystical magazine and community from Ultreia Vida. This month’s issue is honoring Cancer season is all about dreamy, watery energy calling us to connect to our emotions. I'm contributing a piece on Giving Yourself Permission to Feel and a guided meditation for emotional release. You can purchase EMOTE or the Summer Season Bundle here! Be sure to use NUCREW10 for 10% off.