Why I no Longer Label Emotions "Positive or Negative".

I remember lying on my back, admittedly feeling less angrier than when I started but still feeling the intensity of emotion living in my body, I wondered whether this yoga class had worked. Instead of feeling zen, the anger had shifted to immense sorrow. Hot tears streamed down my yoga sweat induced face as I lay in savasana thanking God none of these strangers could witness the silent melt down I was experiencing inside. I felt ashamed that I had transformed what should be a positive experience of bliss into my own personal pity party. I judged myself as being lesser than the other yogis around me who I assumed were currently riding the yogic wave to enlightenment whilst I lurked in the shadows of sadness. Then something remarkable happened, the Yoga teacher read a poem which completely altered my perception of not only this moment but the judgments I cast on emotions and ultimately myself according to how I felt.

The Guest House

​This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.

​A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.

​Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

​The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.

​Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

​by Rumi

The hot tears I cried suddenly held a new meaning. An acknowledgement that sorrow was visiting me right now and acceptance that this is fine. I remember printing this poem off at work the next day, contemplating, journalling and really feeling out this new approach and perception of emotions and the potential implications this had for me moving forward.

Emotions are energy in motion.

They are alive, they need to breathe and move without the suffocation of judgement and oppression through forcing them to be any different than what they are in that moment. The energy of emotions means that some will naturally be more denser with heavier qualities than other lighter ones. The vibrational frequency of emotions differs also which we inevitably feel. ‘Positive’ and ‘negative’ are semantics that we have attributed to emotions as a simplistic means of labelling them with perhaps the intention of being able to communicate the nature of what we feel as human beings. However, it becomes problematic when we see emotions as good as bad and need to forcefully will the experience of emotion away simply because our cultural conceptions perceive it to be bad and negative. We become only tolerant of those we label good such as joy, love and peace and try to push out the emotions we label bad such as sadness, anger and jealousy. However, when we do this, we fail to experience the full spectrum of the human experience.

Emotions are valuable messengers.

Within modern society we have become so disconnected from our emotions, that we find it challenging to make decisions, build relationships and work from a place of authenticity. To be authentic it requires us to be vulnerable in tuning into what emotions are genuinely alive within us right now. This requires bravery since it is still socially unacceptable to admit that sorrow, rage, grief or jealousy are loud, noisy visitors staying in our homes right now. Instead of trying to shut them up and force them to vacate from fear of what the neighbours will think, wisdom would take a moment to be present and listen to these valuable visitors. Gently enquiring WHY they chose to visit here, WHY now?

In the yoga class 7 years ago, I was experiencing a huge transformation. I was leaving my full time job, my home, to go backpacking around east asia for 3 months alone. I was judging myself for the sadness and grief this evoked since this was an exciting, liberating, joy filled opportunity. It was indeed this but it was also lifechanging for me, I intuitively knew I would not return to the same life and neither would I be the same person. Letting go felt sad. The valuable message here was that an ending of a beautiful and valuable chapter in my life would soon be occurring. It revealed how much this stage of my life and the people within it mattered to me. That I too inside was experiencing a symbolic death since I could feel myself shifting and expanding, ready to embrace and experience the new. The grief and sorrow was valid and welcome now.

Emotions Are Essential for Humanity.

Alternatively, sometimes there are no answers. Sometimes this energy in motion, emotion, has been stuck for so long and now feels the spaciousness and safety to move freely through the body at this moment. Since I was a yoga newbie at the time, I didn’t understand or appreciate the medicine of yoga for awakening, moving and transmuting dormant and stagnant energy living in my energetic, emotional and physical body. In retrospect I can clearly see how unhealed grief wounds were activated by the present transition I was undergoing in my world and how yoga provided the safe space for the sorrow and grief to fully emerge in that moment.

On a collective scale, we struggle with bringing emotionality to practical everyday life so it feels unsafe for us to be vulnerable and truthful about what emotions are present within us. Social media trends of ‘Good Vibes Only’ and ‘Love and Light’ can influence us to minimise the importance of the labelled low vibe emotions or experience shame and guilt for feeling them. Leading to a reluctance to acknowledge and share the emotions that are calling for our attention and wanting to be processed now. Suppression of emotions are detrimental to our overall mental health and wellbeing. In order for them to fulfil their highest purpose, they have to be witnessed, moved and potentially even shared to be able to transmute into healing and aligned actions for our best interests. It is the only way to deepen our relationship with ourselves as well as our emotional and spiritual connections with those around us.

Creating spaces where emotions are given the freedom they are ALL worthy of will encourage a world where the collective is weaved through authenticity, vulnerability and compassion. Ultimately, this is the meaning of Heaven on Earth.