How to Speak the (Not So) Secret Language of Emotion
Did you know that emotions have a secret language all their own? Did you know that you already speak the language of emotion?
We have not been taught to pay attention to our emotions as sources of information. We just enjoy the positive emotions and we try to manage, stuff, or cope with the unpleasant emotions.
What if your emotions have something important to tell you?
Do emotions really communicate?
Every night when you dream, you speak the language of emotions. Your unconscious mind and your emotions speak the same language.
Your mind is like an iceberg. The small visible part of the iceberg is like your conscious mind. This is the part we communicate with every day using thoughts.
A huge part of the iceberg is invisible, below the water. This is like your unconscious mind. Your emotions are a part of your unconscious mind. If you know this language you can communicate with this vast part of yourself.
Your unconscious mind has a lot to tell you.
What is the language of emotion?
When you say “my heart is broken” or “I was boiling over with anger” or “you made my heart sing” you are speaking the language of emotion. This is not just a poetic expression.
Our emotions speak to us in metaphors, images, and stories. When you see a beautiful sunset this image speaks to you at a deep emotional level. You can be touched by a song, a poem, another person, or a spiritual experience.
You can speak with your emotions through drawing, journaling, dancing, movement, or music.
Another way to communicate with your emotions
The poetry of emotion process gives you a direct communication channel to your emotions. Although the poetry of emotion process is primarily used to release emotions from the past, you can use this method to talk to any emotion.
Speak the language of emotion in 5 steps:
1. Select an emotion you want to communicate with. Remember a time when you felt that emotion. Feel the emotion as strongly as you can.
2. Scan your body. Where do you feel that emotion? What does that sensation feel like? Click here to read more.
3. Describe your emotion as a metaphor. Here are some examples: lost in a fog, sparkling lights in heart, heavy weight on chest, or buzzing in head. Click here to read more.
4. Ask your emotion, “ Do you have anything to tell me?” Or you can ask a specific question.
5. Wait for the answer. Don’t expect a logical cognitive response. Look for changes in the metaphor or a new emotion. Sometimes your emotion will tell you a story.
When you start communicating, you may not understand what your emotion is telling you. This is a lot like trying to understand the meaning of a dream. Be patient and trust your intuition. You may be surprised at what you learn.
Let me know what you discover.
(Image: Petr and Bara Ruzicka @ Flickr)
