The Surprising Relief That Comes From Feeling Your Feelings

Thing We Avoid Is the Thing That Sets Us Free

That the very thing we avoid - just feeling - is the exact thing that brings relief.
But everything in us says:
Don’t go there. Don’t feel the feeling. It’ll be too much.
Stay in the head. Fix it, manage it, avoid it.

And yet - when we do the simplest thing… turn toward it, stay kind…
It softens.
For some, instantly.
For others, it takes a little getting used to.

That resistance is ancient. It's not personal.
It was how we survived when feeling wasn't safe.
It protected us, maybe when we were small and the environment was unpredictable or explosive.
Maybe it’s what our parents modelled - ignore your feelings, carry on, don’t make a fuss.

So of course there's still a part of you that tenses at the threshold of a feeling.
It says: Don’t let that in. It might swallow you.
But it won’t.
It’s just energy moving through the body.

And what if you let it?
What if you stopped trying to understand it, solve it, or justify it -
and just felt it?

You don’t have to give it a name.
You don’t have to like it.
You don’t even have to be brave.

You just have to stop running from it.
And let it be here, in your chest, your throat, your gut - wherever it shows up.

No story. No pressure.
Just presence.

That’s where the shift happens.
Not because you forced it.
But because you finally stopped resisting what was already true.

And something in you, something deep and old, breathes a sigh of relief.
We’re not hiding anymore.

A Short Practice: Letting the Feeling Be Here

Find a quiet moment. Sit or lie down. Let your hands rest wherever they want to.

• Let your attention gently drop down into your body.

• Ask: Where do I feel something right now?
  Don’t look for a big drama—just notice. A slight tightness? A squeeze? A flicker of heat?

• When you find it, pause there.
  Let your attention rest gently on that spot, like placing a hand on it from the inside.

And say, quietly, inwardly:

“I notice you.”
“You’re allowed to be here.”
“I won’t push you away.”
“I’m just going to stay with you for a little while.”

You don’t need to get rid of the feeling.
Just give it some space. Stay close without trying to change it.

And if it helps to be guided through it...feel free to contact me.

Sometimes that’s all it takes - a few minutes of quiet presence.
Let’s see what happens when we stop running and simply listen.