This is probably my favorite technique for shifting energy out of an intense emotional state, no matter how bad it seems.
The method I use evolved from an excellent book I read, published in 2017, called “Energy Healing and the Art of Awakening Through Wonder” by Alain and Jody Herriott, which I highly recommend.
I usually walk people through this in person, in real-time, when seriously heavy emotions are present and need to shift. The results are spectacular, and you can do it on yourself too!
The most important point is to first just BE with and acknowledge the “bad” emotion. We don’t try and make it go away, stop, or force it into something positive.
It’s there for a reason and it needs to be heard and seen. Imagine it like a small child trying to get your attention. What happens to the child if it is told to go away and be quiet, or something similar? And what happens to the child if we pause and listen to it with sincere interest?
Here are the basic steps:
Intense emotion is present. It might be fear, anxiety, guilt, sadness, dread, anger, despair, or something else.
Allow yourself to BE with it, and begin to feel it – specifically in these ways:
- What is doing to my breath? Really feel your breath in your body. Where does it go, where does it stop, what is its quality? Describe it either out loud or in your mind.
- What is it doing to the muscles in my face – around my eyes, around my mouth? Become aware of your face. What are your eyes doing? Are they squinched, tight, is one different than the other? Is your mouth down, tight, drawn in, at an uneven angle? Describe all of this either out loud or in your mind.
- What is happening to the muscles in your neck and shoulders? Are they tight, tense, even or uneven? Describe this either out loud or in your mind.
- Is there anything else you notice that stands out? Say it, describe it.
- Come back to your breath. What is your breath doing? Just feel it and think “Wow, this is how I breathe when I feel (the intense emotion).”
Continue to OBSERVE your breath, and eventually, spontaneously, it will change in some subtle way. I don’t know how it will change, but you’ll know. It might take 30 seconds, and it might take 5 minutes. Don’t ever force a change, just allow it to happen naturally when it’s ready.
THIS is the shift. It’s a subtle opening where we can consciously transform the emotion.
Ask yourself: What is one of the most beautiful, awe-inspiring things I have ever seen or experienced? It can be anything, no matter how big or how small. Maybe the smile or laugh of a baby, the snuggle of a puppy, a sunrise that turned the sky neon gold and pink, a stranger that said something unexpected and it changed your day, etc.
Whatever you think of, begin to describe it in detail. FEEL it. How big can you make the feeling of that memory? Even bigger? Relish this feeling.
Now ask yourself:
- How am I breathing?
- How are the muscles around my eyes? My mouth?
- How are the muscles in my neck and shoulders?
- Anything else noticeable?
You may notice the difference is beyond profound. Let your body-mind really be aware of the change.
This can be repeated as often as needed, and after a few times you’ll start to get really good at it. Enjoy!
May you be blessed with Light,
Cynthia
