Feeling the feelings

As we’ve been exploring in the Lighter Living Series, “feeling the feelings” is not just about emotions — it’s about the full spectrum of our human experience.
There are layers to what we call feeling.

There’s the somatic layer — how sensations move and express through the body. A flutter in the chest, a tightness in the throat, a heaviness behind the eyes. The body often knows before the mind does.
Then there’s the intellectual or emotional layer — where we give meaning and labels to those sensations. We say “I feel sad,” “angry,” “disappointed.” This helps us make sense of what’s happening, but sometimes the label can be mistaken for the feeling itself.

There’s a subtle difference between what’s truly felt and what’s thought about feeling.
The mind might narrate — “I shouldn’t feel this way” or “I know where this comes from.”
But the body speaks in its own quiet truth — through trembling, tears, movement, or deep stillness.

In the work I do, there’s an invitation to strengthen the capacity to feel — to stay present with a wider spectrum of sensations and emotions without needing to dramatize, suppress, or check out.
It’s about learning to be with life and what wants to arise, feeling first before labelling it.

As this sensitivity grows, we begin to sense the subtleties and qualities within the spectrum of our experience - from emotions to energetic movements, even to the different personas or parts of self that emerge.
In the processing work, something is often seen, felt, and heard in a new way.

When an old pattern, part of self, or relationship dynamic comes into awareness, we may uncover deeper layers - outdated beliefs, unprocessed feelings, unmet needs, or simply missing or misunderstood information.
And sometimes, the feeling part doesn’t happen right away.

There can be a delayed reaction — as if the body waits for the right moment to release.
Grief, for example has its own rhythm and timing and can include a package of other essences of resentment, anger, and loss.

So if waves of emotion or physical release arise days or weeks later -  tears, shaking, fevers, or a need to rest-  know that this is all part of the integration. What wants to surface will surface, in its own time.
Give yourself the space and gentleness to allow that.

Seek support if needed — from a trusted practitioner, bodyworker, or specialist -  as the body often leads the way in healing.

Feeling the feelings isn’t about getting lost in them.

It’s about meeting what arises with presence — and letting the body, heart, and mind finally come into harmony. That’s how we lighten — one honest feeling at a time.

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