Joy

The size of our capacity for joy is directly proportional to our capacity for suffering.

Emotion is the engine of our thoughts and actions, and when emotions are blocked or concealed, our brain's ability to process them effectively is compromised, often resulting in challenges we can see and feel.

Consequently, increasing our awareness and creating more room for joy necessitates expanding our ability to tolerate distress. For me, the most effective method for this has been emotional expansion. This often involves allowing the initial intensity of a difficult experience to pass before engaging in work with an Integral Somatic Psychology (ISP) practitioner to distribute the emotion more fully within the body.

While I often find it beneficial to expand emotions like fear, sadness, disappointment, shame, and even terror, working with happiness, contentment, pleasure, and joy also holds significant value. Both positive and challenging emotional expansion positively influence the physical and energetic aspects of our being.

If you're curious about exploring emotional expansion as a path to greater well-being, please let me know, and we can discuss how these techniques can support you.