[SuperStar]

Originally Posted by JJH

You are so right SuperStar.

If you want to look into this in more depth (and haven't already), read Eckhart Tolle and learn about EFT. Great sources for emotional mastery.

Hehe, cool. I have "The Power of Now" waiting to be read on my bookshelf and the EFT introductory PDF waiting to be read on my desktop. Guess I'm going in the right directions.

Originally Posted by Gary

Being present with your emotions very much part of emotional mastery, but not all of it.

This process of going into complete feeling of emotions is a powerful process.

However my experience is that it is not one for beginners. In order to go completely into the emotion you must suspend belief in any of the thoughts you have while there. This is generally not a skill someone has unless they have practiced meditation for a while or learned to control their attention.

If someone intends to feel their emotions deeply, those emotions generally push stories and beliefs that align with the emotions. If a person begins to believe these stories, points of view, and interpretations, they will generate more of the same emotions from their beliefs this time. A person will no longer be in "presence" to as Tolle calls it. Instead they will be indulging in more of the same emotions that they are artificially creating. This can generate a downward spiral.

Being present with your emotions is a tremendous practice. However like all great techniques, there is a near enemy when misunderstood, or misused by someone that is not prepared.

Thanks for your insights. The main impetus for this revelation for me came from my mindfulness meditation class. So I've been practicing that, learning to control my attention and awareness in general, as well as in several specific areas, including this one. You're echoing just what my teachers said - let the story play in the background and concentrate your attention on the body sensations of the emotion without "owning" or self-identifying with them.

Originally Posted by AidanMatthews216

Understanding exactly what emotions you're feeling and why is only part of it. Discovering how to eliminate or overcome those emotions is much more difficult.

But I definitely agree that emotions can be felt in a very physical way. I can't think of any more physical emotion than guilt--it's so unpleasant it's almost painful. And of course love...

One thing my meditation teachers emphasized is that the goal of this is never to "eliminate or overcome" any emotions - that will only lead to denial and repression, the opposite of acceptance and awareness.