I often see a common struggle in my clients—those who find it difficult to fully surrender to the breath and reach emotional freedom are usually the same ones who struggle with control. They are so busy trying to manage every aspect of both their external and internal world that they remain stuck in a constant state of fight-or-flight.
They are not just resisting chaos; they are resisting discomfort. They are avoiding the natural ebb and flow of emotions—the full range of human experience that the universe has gifted us. But here’s the truth: When we suppress uncomfortable emotions like sadness, guilt, shame, or anger, they don’t just disappear. They don’t dissolve into thin air. Instead, we press pause on them, saving them for a later time—a time that never quite comes.
And what happens? These suppressed emotions accumulate. Layer upon layer, they build up until they manifest as overwhelm, anxiety, and emotional exhaustion over the smallest, most trivial moments of daily life.
I often hear people say, “I don’t have time to feel this.” But in avoiding these emotions, they are making life far more difficult. The energy it takes to suppress an emotion is far greater than the energy required to feel it, process it, and let it go.
The same is true on the other side of the emotional spectrum. When people experience joy or happiness, they cling to it, trying desperately to make it last. The moment has passed, but they hold on for dear life, wishing they could experience it over and over again.
This is the paradox of control: We either try to grip the beautiful moments so tightly that we miss their natural flow, or we push away the difficult ones, never allowing them to pass through us.
So, here’s my challenge to you:
For the next 30 days, I invite you to practice emotional presence.
• When you experience something beautiful, be fully present with it. Feel it. Enjoy it. Process it. And then—let it go.
• When you encounter discomfort, resist the urge to suppress it. Instead, pause. Allow yourself to fully feel the emotion, however uncomfortable it may be. Let it move through your body. And then—release it and return to the present moment.
Your body was never designed to hold on to emotions indefinitely. It is meant to experience life as it comes—moment by moment. When you resist what’s arising because you “don’t like it,” you’re simply saving it for later. And that “later” never comes—leading to chronic stress on your body, mind, and soul.
The more you practice this, the easier it becomes. With time, you’ll find yourself flowing through life as effortlessly as a river flows downstream—no longer resisting, no longer gripping—just being.
Are you ready to take on the challenge?
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