Have you heard the phrase “feel to heal?” Or perhaps you’re familiar with the concept of emotional bypassing? It’s a very common pattern in people to attempt to circumvent their emotions. Why? Emotions can be inconvenient, painful and awkward.
It’s essential that you feel your emotions in order to heal them. If you’ve had difficulty in the past, as most humans have, you may have unresolved emotions. These emotions go underground and drive your decisions and behaviors. Your body also takes a hit. This is why somatic therapy has become so prevalent these days. Somatic therapy of all types works within the body to identify and process emotions. You have more neuroreceptors in your body than your skull brain so many emotions are housed in the body and are negatively affecting you at the organ and cellular level.
First you need to recognize what is happening within you as well as your patterns. Next you need to investigate the emotions you may be feeling. Take an honest and thorough self-inventory to understand yourself at a deeper level. Denial causes further difficulties for you. They don’t like the feeling of vulnerability by acknowledging their humanity. They prefer to pretend or deny. This pattern causes more damage than it does good. In psychology, we identify this as “false bravado.” People fare much better when they release this pattern.
Many people tend to think their emotions rather than feel them which keeps them stuck. This is a form of emotional bypassing as is denial and avoidance. Feeling your full human emotions doesn’t mean you’re weak. It actually takes courage and strength. You can do this type of work while also remaining grounded and centered. Emotional bypassing dishonors who you truly are. When you take a leap of courage into this messy terrain of emotions, you become more comfortable with all of who you are and that is true personal power.