I am grateful for what I have learned through the SWIHA Health and Wellness Coaching program. Seven years ago, a talented tattoo artist created an image for me, “Be true to your being” intertwined with a butterfly. The butterfly is symbolic of transformation and the overall image illustrates living my life authentically. What I have learned throughout my coursework has helped to bring this visual imagery of living my life authentically to reality.
In my personal journey, I learned at a young age to stay silent and not draw attention to myself or act out in any way to minimize my mom’s tendency to lash out and react. As an adult I have come to understand her emotional outbursts and suicide attempts were a manifestation of her inability to cope and find happiness in her life, as a result of her own childhood pain. I am grateful that my Mom was able to live life differently in her later years and we were able to connect at an emotional level, revealing the work we had both done to heal the wounds from the past. It was her passing in January of 2021 that served as a catalyst for me to pursue a new career path. I made transformations on my path of health and wellness, and I can provide support to others on their journey of health and wellness, personal transformation, and living life authentically.
We can learn to be empowered by our emotions versus being overwhelmed and held hostage. Connecting with our emotions is key and for many of us, often hurts our quality of life because we learn to stuff, disconnect, or ignore our emotional responses to life events. What has been beneficial for me in my own journey is shifting my mindset to recognize that emotions are signals that can be used to navigate various situations.
For example, the emotion sadness is generally felt in the chest or heart chakra area. When we feel sadness we can be prompted to face the reality of the situation and/or relationship and let it go. This action allows us to release the emotion with the goal of being able to reflect on the situation and/or relationship without the emotional charge.
Another example is the emotion of anxiety or fear. We generally feel this emotion in our gut or solar plexus chakra area. This emotion signals us similar to a yellow caution sign, of slowing down, paying attention, and moving with caution. This emotion lets us know that there is a potentially unsafe situation and/or relationship. Sometimes this signal lets us know we don’t have all the information we need to move forward.
Another strong emotion is anger, which has a range including annoyance, frustration, and being mad and furious. Typically, this emotion is felt in the upper back, shoulders, and neck. This physical/emotional response is often connected with a relationship or situation where something is wrong; a boundary may have been crossed, or hurtful words or actions from others. This emotion is a call to action whether physical movement or speaking your truth.
It can be challenging to give ourselves permission to feel when we have learned to disconnect from our feelings, quiet our voices, and learn to hide when negatively impacted by our experiences. However, doing so comes at a price that will manifest in altered mood states and contribute to various health conditions. Developing a mindfulness practice builds self-awareness and understanding of our authentic self. We can learn to trust ourselves and view our emotions as signals guiding us in our interactions with others.
For past hurts and traumas, there are many tools available for releasing these trapped emotions we carry around with us. It is my personal experience that gives me insight as a Health and Wellness Coach to help my clients experience emotional freedom and the ability to live their lives authentically. No matter where you are in your journey, you can make the steps to move forward toward the life you want to create.
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