The Secret Life Inside Your Body
What are emotions anyway?
Hello friends 🫶 I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend. I have a couple of announcements to start with today.
First, I wanted to keep you all updated so you know what to expect for the upcoming season. I’m currently navigating a major life transition while dedicating more time and energy to growing my practice. As a result, I’ll be shifting my weekly newsletter to a bi-weekly schedule for the time being. This decision wasn’t easy, as this community brings me so much joy. However, to maintain the quality you’ve come to expect, I need to honor my time boundaries and stay balanced. Rest assured, we’ll return to weekly newsletters soon.
Second, I’m thrilled to share some exciting news! I’m teaming up with local spiritual healer Shatel Peters (@mindbeautysoul_) for an in-person workshop on intuition on Friday, October 25, at 6:00, at Stretched Out Buffalo. This transformative, interactive experience is designed to help you tap into your inner wisdom and unlock your intuitive power. We’ll dive into both the science and spirituality behind intuition, helping you strengthen your connection, overcome barriers, and learn how to incorporate intuition into your daily life, decision-making, and personal growth. The goal is for you to walk away with a deeper understanding of yourself and feel empowered moving forward.
This workshop includes a meditation with a short sound healing experience. You will also leave with a small goodie bag to assist you along your journey. Click here for more information and to reserve your spot. Note: The total payment is due at the time of booking. It will be a rewarding experience, and I hope to see some of you there!
I will be offering workshops in the near future, both in person and via Zoom. Don’t fret, my long-distance friends, we have plenty of opportunities coming soon!
Today, we are continuing our discussion on emotional regulation. Building on last week's discussion of some underlying circumstances that could contribute to emotional disruption in our lives, this week, we will examine the purpose of emotions and how we can process stored energy in our bodies. Remember, the ultimate goal is equanimity or some form of emotional balance. Before we get to the bigger (and more spiritual) theories, we first need to tune into our physical bodies and release pent-up feelings and emotions.
Today’s article will have a slightly different feel because I’m pulling in some condensed and modified material (for easier reading) from one of my research papers on emotions. My point today is to show how complex emotions are and that it takes some digging to find your emotional balance. In a world where instant gratification seems to be the norm, it’s time we slow down and understand the ancient wisdom held in our bodies.
I hope you enjoy this little twist today 😁 Let’s begin.
Emotions: Your Body’s Hidden Guide to Healing Introduction
Emotions shape every part of our lives, influencing how we think, act, and feel. But did you know emotions are not just in your head? They live in your body, too. There is a ton of research available on this, and it was hard to stay within the confines of this article. Your feelings don’t simply "come and go"; they have a physical presence, creating a bridge between your mind, body, and overall well-being. Your body and emotions are their own form of consciousness; the brain does not drive everything we do.
Research indicates that emotions are processed and stored throughout the body, with growing evidence suggesting they are held within the fascia—a connective tissue that envelops and supports muscles, bones, organs, and nerves. Fascial tissue is now believed to serve a deeper role, potentially storing emotional energy and influencing both physical and emotional well-being. Although there isn’t much quantitative research (physical proof) showing that the fascia stores emotions, there is enough qualitative (exploratory) evidence. This understanding has the power to change how we think about emotional health, offering new ways to heal and regulate our emotions. Let’s start by understanding what emotions are.
What Are Emotions and Why Do We Have Them?
Emotions are far more than just feelings—they’re your internal compass.
From an evolutionary perspective, it has long been believed that emotions are core products of consciousness that help organisms respond effectively to their environments, guiding decision-making, motivating actions, and regulating social interactions. These emotional responses are not simple reactions to stimuli but are inherent to the biological processes that support human survival and well-being; Emotions act as internal guides, coordinating our thoughts, behaviors, and body responses to help us navigate complex situations. Their research shows that emotions are crucial for human survival and adaptation, deeply connected to our evolutionary needs (Panskepp, 2005; Tooby & Cosmides, 2008).
From one angle of the sociological perspective, emotions are described as serving the critical purpose of fostering and maintaining social bonds. Emotions play a vital role in the need to belong, which can be considered a fundamental human motivation. According to this theory, the purpose of emotions is to ensure the formation and preservation of meaningful interpersonal relationships, which are essential for psychological and physical well-being. Sociology also views emotions as components of social life that influence behavior, communication, culture, and power dynamics (Baumeister & Leary, 1995).
From a spiritual perspective, emotions bridge the physical and spiritual aspects of human experience. Emotions are seen as a vital part of the human experience that not only influences physical and mental health but also plays a crucial role in spiritual growth and consciousness. Emotions are essential for navigating life's challenges and opportunities, acting as signals that guide individuals toward greater self-awareness and spiritual understanding. Emotions are vital in the holistic integration of the mind, body, and spirit, fostering overall well-being and deeper connections with oneself and others (Jawer & Micozzi, 2009).
It is believed that emotions are fundamental components of consciousness itself rather than just products of it. A recently published study showed the overlay between emotional processing and conscious activity in the brain. Emotions can shape and even dominate conscious experience, influencing how we perceive and interpret the world around us. This also means we project our internal states onto others and our environment (Tooby & Cosmides, 2008; Tsuchiya & Adolphs, 2007).
Emotions…Proof They Live in the Body
While we often think of emotions as mental experiences, as we mentioned above, research reveals that they are stored and processed in the body as well.
Your body uses emotions as a communication system for the body’s physical state and social aspects. Meaning, and here’s the cool part, emotions are a consciousness that your body uses to communicate with itself.
Studies show that emotions are processed not just in isolated brain regions but also through a dynamic and interconnected system involving neuropeptides, which integrates emotional, physiological, and social aspects of human experience. Neuropeptides play a crucial role in the communication between the brain and the body, acting as messengers that influence emotional states by interacting with their receptors in various parts of the brain and body (Pert et al.,1985).
Scientists like Nummenmaa et al. (2014) have even mapped out how different emotions are felt in different areas of the body. For instance, anger is often felt in the chest and arms, while sadness tends to sit heavily in the chest. The autonomic nervous system is activated during emotions, leading to physiological changes like increased heart rate and altered breathing, preparing the body for actions such as fight or flight (Blanchard et al., 2001).
One of the more fascinating discoveries is the role of fascia in emotional storage. Fascia is a connective tissue that runs throughout your body, and researchers like Long (2021) and Schleip et al. (2021) have found that it holds onto emotional experiences. Think of it as a physical diary where your body keeps track of unresolved feelings, tensions, and stress.
This connection between emotions and physical sensations is important for emotional regulation. By tuning into your body, you can begin to recognize the signals it’s sending you about your emotional state. Awareness is the first step toward healing and balance.
Releasing Emotions: The Power of Myofascial Release and Somatic Therapy
If emotions are stored in your body, how do you release them? This is where myofascial release and somatic practices come in.
Myofascial release refers to a therapeutic technique that targets both the muscles ("myo") and the fascia (the connective tissue) to relieve tension, pain, restricted movement, and you guessed it, stored emotions. The therapy involves applying gentle, sustained pressure to the fascia to help release tightness and improve mobility.
Somatic therapy focuses on the mind-body connection, using techniques like breathwork, mindful movement, and body scanning to help you become aware of where emotions are stored and how to let them go.
Think of these as emotional housekeeping for your body. You’re clearing out the tension, stress, and emotional buildup that your body has been holding onto—sometimes for years.
It’s a holistic approach to emotional regulation that honors both your body and mind. By consciously working through the physical sensations tied to emotions, you can process them in a way that talking alone often can’t.
I always suggest approaching these kinds of methods with a professional. Especially if you have been through trauma that has not been fully processed. However, I know time and money are tight, so here are some ways you can start your myofascial and somatic work now:
To combine these two methods, it is wise to do the myofascial release first, followed by somatic processing. You can do these back to back, or split them up. Go with your intuition.
Warning: myofascial release may cause temporary irritability or other intense emotions (especially during practice) because you are releasing old energy back into your body. This is why you should follow with some good somatic work or a yoga session to move the energy and help discharge it.
For myofascial release, you can purchase mini-courses on the internet (there are many to choose from) or free videos available on YouTube. You can search different focus areas of the body or check out this free full-body video here.
Next, your somatic processing is gentler. In summary, it is connecting into your body, feeling into your feelings and allowing them to move through your body. I encourage you to research your own at-home tutorials, but here are some great free guides on YouTube:
General somatic meditation:
Gentle Somatic yoga for processing emotions:
This is a good somatic meditation for chronic pain or unprocessed trauma:
Conclusion: Listening to Your Body’s Emotional Wisdom
When we pay attention to our emotions, we not only heal old wounds but also align more closely with our true selves. This process helps us live more authentically and connect more deeply with others.
The next time you feel tension, pain, or discomfort, take a moment to check in with your body. What emotions might be stored there? Are you holding onto stress in your shoulders or sadness in your chest? By paying attention to the physical sensations of emotions, you can start to understand what your body is trying to tell you. And with the help of somatic practices, you can release those stored emotions, creating space for healing, balance, and growth.
On a deeper level, emotions are more than just physical and mental experiences—they’re also spiritual. Emotions guide us toward greater self-awareness, helping us grow on a personal and spiritual level. Emotions act as signals that guide us toward understanding ourselves more fully, offering insights into our true needs and desires (Jawer and Micozzi, 2009).
As we mentioned above, emotions are a consciousness and communication system within the body. I believe there is something sacred in this. In the next article, I want to begin looking at different spiritual theories on emotions and emotional regulation to give you some insight and practical tools for regulating your emotions in the future. I hope everyone has a blessed Sunday! See you all back here soon 🌈
*A research reference list is available upon request.