Friday Five: Emotions

Another good series of questions this week, so here are my responses.

From holy memes and kosmic blog starters: It’s week 7 for the Friday Five! We give five questions, and Zaadzsters answer them in their blogs. Join in! Tag your blog with the words “friday five” and let the pod know you posted. And if you have an idea for next week’s Friday Five, send them to suzanne. Scatter the seeds!

This week's questions come from the great Kira! Thanks so much!

Week 7: Emotions

1) What is your view on emotions? Why do people have them?

Emotions? What are emotions? No, just kidding. My rational mind says emotions are simply the way that the brain interprets bodily sensations in response to specific environmental conditions or situations. How reductionist is that?

Okay, emotions reloaded. Emotions are the way that the soul expresses itself in the world. We have them so that we can know what is going on within us that is not rational thought. Many of us (mostly men) tend to live in our heads, but in doing so we cut ourselves off from the life of the soul. Some may see emotions as useless manifestations that distract us from higher goals, but we live in both the relative and the absolute worlds, so we need our emotions to navigate the relative world.

2) Are all emotions natural?

All emotions are natural, but some are the result of supressing other emotions. In essence, there are primary and secondary emotions. A supressed primary emotion results in a secondary emotion like anger, resentment, and so on.

3) Are there some emotions that need to be supressed?

No emotion should be supressed – we should work to honor all emotions as ways to know ourselves. But some emotions should not be expressed.

4) Which ones are the most difficult for you?

Anger is one I express easily and have a hard time controlling. Fear and shame are emotions that I tend to repress and then experience as anger. I also have a hard time being happy, but that is getting better.

5) How do you work with them? How SHOULD you work with them?

Mindfulness is the best way for me to work with emotions, simply trying to be aware of them as they come up. No shoulds on how to do it. I also find journaling, poetry writing, and blogging (hmm, all writing activities) to be good ways for me to uncover and work with emotions.

Pema Chodron has been a great teacher in this area. She advocates that we adopt the tender heart of the warrior and learn to gently be with our emotions – to not fear them but seek them out and enter into them as a way to prevent them from getting stuck (which is what happens when we don't work with them).

After lots of work, I also find talking with Kira to be a good way for me to work with emotions, but this is still in the learning process.


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