Christmas has come and gone. We now turn our attention to the New Year (Catholics celebrate the Christmas season from December 25, 2023 – January 8, 2024). During this time a mix of emotions arises for many of us to circumstances that occurred in the last year or even longer. For instance; the loss of a person in our families or memories from childhood.
Around 10 percent of the population finds it hard to access their emotions (Often this goes hand in hand with difficulty naming emotions). According to Russ Harris’s book, “The Happiness Trap”.
We can increase our capability to access our feelings by focusing on our bodies. The rewards are great. They include: Vitality-feeling fully human, Joy and Pleasure-give us access to a full range of feelings, Control over our bodies, and building better relationships.
In my book, “SuperHuman Being” I share in detail the impact of trauma had on my feelings. I was disconnected from my feelings. This was due to the physical abuse I went through as a boy. I conditioned myself to numb my feelings, especially anger and pain. If I showed pain from abuse I would get hit longer and harder. I was afraid if I became angry I would hurt people just like my father did to me. Therefore, I learned to not allow myself to feel. When I got older I kept the feelings stored inside my body out of fear if I released them I would become out of control.
A brief body scan is a technique we can use to get in touch with ourselves and notice different parts of our body. They can be for 30 seconds or as long as 30 minutes.
A brief body scan goes like this. Get yourself into a comfortable position and either close your eyes or gently fix them on a spot in front of you. The aim is to slowly scan our body, fully focusing your attention on the feelings you encounter no matter how faint they may be. Observe each sensation as if a curious child. Don’t struggle with the sensations you notice regardless if they are pleasant, neutral, or unpleasant.
When we have numbed, frozen, or avoided our feelings, in some situations back to childhood, we can learn how to experience feelings through practice and allow them to be a part of our humanity. It takes practice similar to shooting a high percentage from the free throw line in basketball. When I began at six years old I would shoot the ball underhand. Senior year in college I led the United States in free throw percentage shooting at a 90 percent clip (The statistic was for small colleges). Go ahead and practice getting in touch with your feelings by doing a brief body scan. What feelings come up for you? How can you heal from this practice?
Peace
Larry
email: ljw@superhumanbeing.net
website: https://superhumanbeing.net/