I am not the wave

Last week I was recovering from a silly argument with my husband. I don’t like to admit it but a few extra hormones added fuel to the situation.

Later I was texting with one of my mentors and was reminded of how important it is to acknowledge emotions as they surface without letting them become all consuming. Here is our exchange:

Marci: Sensei, do you have any advice today for those who serve the light and who also feel these very human emotions?

Sensei: Emotions are evolving bits of energy that wave though your body. Ride the wave and coast into shore. You don’t have to be devastated by or controlled by the emotion. You are the one riding the emotion.

Marci: I suppose that means we can also choose which waves to ride.

Sensei: Yes! These waves will ride into shore whether you ride them or not. You can let them crash through you and or you can choose to flow with them.

Marci: What if I am not strong enough to withstand the crash?

Sensei That is easy, you ride with it. The wave gets very small. You don’t have to be the wave. Ride it, observe. Emotions wave through your body. You are not the wave. You are the one observing the wave.

I have since observed many waves. The most surprising was a wave of joy and gratitude. It was rather easy for me to catch and observe a wave of uncomfortable feelings. It had not occurred to me that I could also do that with so called “good” or comfortable feelings. Why would I want to? I mean, feeling good feels good, right?! Why step aside and observe when you could immerse yourself in feeling good?

By taking a moment to observe waves of both uncomfortable feelings and very comfortable feelings I noticed where exactly the wave is surfacing in my body. I feel a tingly vibration in my chest which I associate with joy. I feel a tingly vibration in my belly which I call fear. I feel a tingly vibration coming from my solar plexus which I call love.

They are different. Yet, the tingly vibration is sometimes very similar. So, I tried experimenting by working the opposite direction. I imagined the tingly vibration in my belly. Yep, it was not comfortable. Then I imagined the tingly vibration of love expanding from my solar plexus. Whump! A smile spread across my face and a tear trickled down my cheek. I had created a wave of love!

How about you? Where do you feel waves of emotion in your body?