“This life is the way, the long sought after way to the unfathomable, which we call divine. There is no other way” (Carl Jung in his Red Book).
This life includes emotions, the sad ones, happy ones, mad ones, the positive ones, negative ones, numbing ones, energizing ones. Emotions are a part of Life. They can humble, and numb and frighten and bring us to our knees in some moments. They can uplift, motivate, inspire and move us in the most precious and courageous of ways! And…, Emotions are not who we are. They are aspects of, and doorways to our deepest humanity.
What are emotions. Like Einstein’s “E=Mc2″. Energy = Matter, squared. Emotions too are Energy, seeking motion. “E=Motion”. “Energy-in-Motion“. Motion is Life. Movement is health, on cellular levels, physiological, pyschic, psychological levels, on every level, every dimension, in every way. It’s when we analyze emotions, rationalize, explain, dismiss, get attached to, hold on to, and blame or judge ourSelves and others for them or deny that emotions are an integral part of our wholeness, our holiness, that we can grow brittle, fearful, judgemental and stagnent, setting the stage for disease, “dis-ease”, unease within our Selves and our understanding of the great Mystery. Many paths teach us to transcend emotion, control, manage, assess, or hierarchize emotions. There are always grains of Truth in every teaching, well…, most teachings (grin, grin). Emotions can run us, or rule us, or drive us into the “pity-pot” if we let them if we see them as “things” or as some kind of “failing” in and of themSelves. What happens when we re-Frame them. Energy in Motion? Emotion can become a vessel to the divine, creating doorways to open to and plug-In to the “one heart” that we are all a part of. Little children learn this as “when sad, cry, when happy, smile”. We are a part of something bigger than ourSelves, that connects us, that we can all identify with and yes, we are also very much individuals, individuated from the One, and, yet One.
In the documentary “I AM” director Tom Sheddyack (sorry if I’m spelling it wrong Tom!) shares some of the science that is Awe-inspiring around just how connected we all really are to each other and the planet. One incredible phenomena is that during world-changing events like the tsunami’s or the 9-11 tragedy, all these random-number making machines installed on various continents around the planet, all started manifesting non-random and very specific patterns of numbers! The theory was that these tragedies provided a common focal point for a good proportion of humanity. We came into our hearts out of compassion and sorrow and had an impact. We are not separte. Our hearts spoke and changed the mechanics of a machine. We are designed for feeling compassion. He also notes that the guy that interpreted Darwin’s theory of evolution, chose to focus on Darwins mention of the survival of the fittest. Strangely, Darwin only mentions this two times and mentions love and cooperation, 96 times! So how have we come to believe that cooperation, compassion, grief and vulnerability are “weak” or something to deny, label as weak, or ”overcome”? Perhaps culturally, we are beginning to remember??? as the poets and mystics of every tradition have always taught, vulnerability is actually a dooway to the divine. It is not for the faint of heart. Matters of the heart, never are. Opening to the gifts of our heart, “couer” in French and Latin, providing the root of the word “courage”, couer-age. It takes immense courage to honour the hearts emotion (energy in motion).
And so it happens that at this moment in my Life, I am about to have the priviledge to be on the planet fifty years. Immense feelings of grief and gratitude are rumbling to the surface. Grief for the choices made, and those not made, for the losses I have experienced and gratitude for as much. In these fifty years my emotions have in moments ruled me, AND, eventually and perhaps inevitably taught me, that ”IF” I have the courage to sit with my emotions, listen and express and be open to learning from them, they can transform into ”doorways to an experience of the divine”, of the “unfathomable” in Jung’s words. The key is, ”if I choose”. Leonard Cohen affirms this when he sings: “it’s thru the cracks that the Light gets thru”.
Emotions in all their colours have a higher purpose to them when we invite that higher purpose to come forward. For example, my absolute favorite understanding about what it is to be enlightened is not to feel bad about ourselves, or what we are feeling, but rather to see enlightenment as a lifelong invitation to “lighten UP”, physically, mentally, emotionally, attitudinally, and spiritually with ourSelves and Others. An invitation to SHINE!!!
Always, in all ways our lives are an on-going opportunity to really engage this present moment, even when it feels a little “messy”, or unsure, or confusing, or sad and humbling. Divine blessings are waiting for us always. We just need to be present enough to open the door and receive the gifts being delivered. If I’m busy in the past or future or stuck in my pity-pot, then I’m “not home” when the delivery man comes knocking!
We are not meant to be ashamed of our emotions, to hide or deny them. We are in fact being invited to engage them, let go, engage them again, and anew, discover, re-discover, and let go, and honour and Shine, and express and let go, with an ultimate purpose to simply love and shine, be open to more and more of the “who” of “who we really are”…, to love and open to our “wholeness”, our “holiness”, to the divine within ourSelves, Others and all that exists around us!
Over the course of the past few weeks, it is as always, humbling, to realize I have to call on deep courage and faith to honour this fresh wave of deep seated grief that rises to the surface. It may take hours or days to truly re-member that my grief is not a failure, or a weakness, or even something to “get over”. Engaging vulnerability is not for the faint of heart. It takes courage to walk in this world less guarded, less afraid, more at ease and grateful for what may be. I am trying. I choose this path. I see no other way. Authenticity is freedom.
So when those deep emotions surface, we can choose to deny or analyze or judge or blame them on OurSelves or anOther, or we can simply and daringly find Our best ways to allow E=motion conscious safe expression and let that “energy-in-motion” guide Us deeper into the ONE HEART that we are all a part of, in to our experience of Life as an Expression of the Divine. Whats your favorite way to get your energy in motion?: write, sing, dance, drum, hum, walk, create, garden, weave, stretch, laugh, run, talk, paint, sew, meditate, breathe…,
For me, I choose to Breathe, to Sing! As I sing my sorrow, my joy, my soul-songs.., I choose to let my energy-in-motion open my heart to whole new layers, to whole new levels of health and Life! I choose to invite my sorrow to become a sacred doorway to the divine within and around me. I sing loud so God will hear me! And by engaging my emotion, allowing my energy to be in motion, I always “lighten Up” and re-Fresh my connection into the Wonder and Grace of this moment called my Life and trust and pray that my “lightening up” makes some kind of contribution not only to my feelings, but to the beautiful, Magical, Wonder-full Mystery called LIFE! Breathe, Step Forward, Engage, Let Go, Repeat! My heart Hums with our “E=Motion”.
Bright Blessings!!!
Cheryl 
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