Your Emotions Are Sacred

a woman in a white shirt holding a mirror over her face with a reflection of a forest

I recently came across an article that said we are our emotions. The spiritual part of us, that which never changes even when the physical body dies, IS emotion. If we are closer to emotion than thoughts and flesh, how does that change the way we see ourselves? More importantly what does that say about the importance of mental health?

I am now several years into my personal mental health journey, and it actually does break my heart that there’s still a stigma around getting help for mental health. It shouldn’t be that way, and that’s why I’m so open about telling people that I am in therapy. I want it to be normalized! We all have our stuff. We all have things that make us feel depressed, anxious, angry, jealous, and more. Unfortunately, many of us were taught to ignore certain feelings in favor of being strong and generally emotionless.

Society is slowly changing around mental health, but far too often it seems how the mind feels doesn’t matter. Even if we have a clinical, repeatable mind pattern that is unhealthy, we pretend it isn’t there. It doesn’t make sense. If someone has a broken leg, back pain, or an auto-immune disease, they are allowed, even expected, to go to a doctor to get better. Our brain should not be treated differently from other body parts. We should be empowered to recognize when something is off, and encouraged to get the help we rightfully deserve.

From a young age, we are taught to keep the body healthy. We exercise, apply sunscreen, eat well, and take vitamins. Hopefully, we also get regular checkups and screenings. However, we do nothing for our mental health. We are not taught the importance of mental health in the same way (if at all.)

Given the state of the world today, the importance of mental health is quickly coming to the forefront.  As yoga practitioners, we have an advantage that others may not. We’ve learned how to relax, to stay calm. Everyone wants balance, joy, and ease, and our practice brings us there, even if it’s only for a little while.

Don’t underestimate the power of meeting your emotional self on your mat. It may only peek through sometimes, but at least you are giving yourself space to move, breath, and feel. This is where the power of mind-body-spirit resides. So please practice. If not asana, then practice mindfulness, breathwork, or meditation. These practices work. They have been scientifically proven to alter your brain chemistry for the better. It is up to us to hold the light and lead by example. The world needs us right now.