When we endeavor to create change in our bodies and habits we are inevitably bound to come across some difficult emotions. There’s a scientific reason for this: emotions are stored in the recesses of our bodies, not just in the brain. Researchers and scientists such as Candace Pert(1), T. Kishi and J. Elmquist(2), to name a few, have documented this ancient wisdom in modern research publications and in their own books and websites. This is a fascinating phenomenon that helps us understand why we may be holding on to weight and emotion and in turn we can venture into the processes that help us let the emotions and weight resolve and release.
Ayurveda and other ancient subtle body systems have long known the correlations between various parts of the body and the types of emotions that are stored there. For example, some commonly known relationships between various organs and emotions are; liver & anger, kidneys & courage/fear, lungs & grief. Though sometimes the body can hold memory in other areas and ways, too. Let’s look at constriction. When we are hit with betrayal, the body will tighten, often in abdominal region. We may feel as if we’ve been “punched in the gut”. Then one may experience indigestion or constipation which can lead to backache. Especially if what we’ve experienced is very difficult to digest. Over longer periods of time, if left untreated/unacknowledged/stuck, this can turn into difficulty standing up straight as the constriction can begin to pull us downward.
Sometimes, women will feel betrayal in the womb. I have seen many women scramble to keep an unhealthy/betrayal ridden relationship going when there are children involved and it is literally a pull from the womb to keep their family together. Then, over time, there can be issues such as excessive bleeding, fibroids, leukorrhea or pelvic prolapse.
So, what is emotional depth? It is willingness, it is self permission, it is gentle, it is presence and non projection. It is observation. It is honest. It is self reflection. And, sometimes, it is not easy. Emotional depth takes giving yourself permission to go there and patience, time and space to open. It is being willing to feel the pains of our griefs and traumas, of which there are many, to welcome home the suppressed, ostracized parts of ourselves that we had to abandon in certain aspects to move forward in life, or for safety reasons. To welcome ourselves home to wholeness, to vulnerability, to ease, relaxation and comfort in our bodies, to loving our selves and our precious opportunity of being alive and feeling ourselves in totality, in integrity.
Integrity is being whole. If we are in a pattern of not doing what we say we are going to do, it isn’t because we are “flakey” or unreliable, those are symptoms of us not being whole. If we were whole, we would just say no in the first place, lol. Or, we would know if that task, meeting, event or favor was in alignment for us or not. Or, with someone else if we are seeing people have these qualities. Have some compassion for yourself and others; no one wants to be lacking in integrity, we all want to be whole, and wholesome.. it is generally, our most natural state of being.
So, how does this relate to weight loss? Braving emotional depth in weight loss is about creating a safe space to explore these hidden facets of the gem of our being. It requires us to be gentle and compassionate with ourselves as we delve into and explore our emotional landscapes. This journey of self-discovery not only lifts the emotional burdens that have been weighing us down, it moves us physically and literally. It’s a process of re-integrating these lost parts, bringing them back into the folds of our being, and healing from within.
In essence, embracing emotional depth is about understanding that our bodies and emotions are intricately connected. By acknowledging and addressing our emotional states, we pave the way for a more profound transformation, one that is rooted in holistic well-being. The path may be challenging, but the rewards are immeasurable.
The Slimmerveda Program helps us uncover layers of emotions with supportive methods to effectively and safely feel, deal, heal and release the emotions; often times, taking some excess weight with it. When we come into a greater totality of being, we can sit in our natural state, which is with a loose belly, relaxed shoulders, gentle, but alert gaze and ease can loosen up our stagnant energies, blood, chi, fat, phlegm and movement can naturally occur.
This piece left unattended to is why I’ve seen many people eat salad and water and not loose weight. And people that do this deeper work in combination with balancing their Kapha, naturally loose weight with less effort over time. And, why I see so many people achieve astounding results of healing, wholeness, and healthy fit bodies doing The Slimmerveda Program. It is because of this aspect that is so well supported. Feeling moves a mountain of stagnancy and we become free with so much more life force available to us. Through this journey, we find that true weight loss is not just about losing pounds but gaining emotional, physical and energetic freedom, a renewed sense of self, and a coming home to ourselves on the deepest levels.
Let’s Get Started!!!
Whether you are seeking support, going it alone, or reaching out to me at slimmervedaweightloss.com, here are some tips to help get you going.
- Connection with your deeper self. Start a deeper conversation with yourself. Tell yourself that you are going to begin a deeper look at yourself, your emotions, what you haven’t looked at in a long time and befriend yourself.
- Permission, Time and Space: once you open this conversation and give yourself permission to go deeper, create time for yourself and space away from others that could distract you, create harm for you or otherwise thwart your efforts. This work is to be done with intention and safety. So, even if you do a lot of work solo, find the support of a therapist. In the early stages, it can help to speak our experiences, so a talk therapy person could be helpful, if you need cognitive or behavioral support this would be a CBT or DBT therapeutic approach, and then when you are ready to really move past it, a somatic therapist is the way to go. In Slimmerveda we use somatic work, mind training and art therapeutic approaches. Try journaling, collage and daily meditation to really get you started.
- Newness: your mind will respond to new. So, once you start moving some of this, try adding some newness into your life: take alternate routes to and from work, the store, friends houses, etc. and start making yourself laugh and do silly things to break up old neurological patterns. These things really help and we generally need all the help we can get!
(1) http://candacepert.com/articles/where-do-you-store-your-emotions/
(3) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7449839/
(4) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35918662/