As physical beings on this earth plane, we experience a vast array of emotions, some of which at times may become challenging. Grief sometimes gets pushed down so deep, it is difficult to reclaim, process, and manage. Physical injuries and illness also cause emotions, as our bodies work to heal us, we create depression like symptoms which are actually just part of our immune system doing its job.
Our higher self may also create emotions in our bodies as a way of communicating with us. I’d like to highlight this for a moment because it can be so confusing, yet intensely important for our spiritual growth. There are times, perhaps often, when our bodies create emotions, depression or anxiety, that is actually our higher self, trying to get our attention. It is trying to tells us we are on the wrong track in something we are thinking about or pursuing. It is our body’s way of telling us we need to do something differently.
I’ll give you an example of a very clear time when I experienced this phenomena. While my son was still alive, he struggled with drug addiction and a desire to kill himself. I was so terrified that he would, I tried to get him some medication. I got terribly anxious about it, almost panicky, and realized it was the wrong way to deal with his misery and my fear. I told him I couldn’t help him get medications, but I could help him get into treatment. The anxiety evaporated. I helped him get into treatment and had my lovely son for at least 4 more years after that.
Grief work is tricky to negotiate. It may be time to grieve about something and we aren’t doing the grief work. Instead we are pushing along, working, taking care of others, doing the chores or whatever distracts us. Maybe we’re watching movies, playing video games, getting drunk or high, but we’re not paying attention to our bodies, so we feel pain. It may be physical pain or it may be anxiety, but the message is: “grieve”. Do the griefwork, face the tears, face our loss; the physical body needs to grieve and it actually helps our spirit counterparts when we face our grief and do this work. Sadness is an important, genuine, vulnerable emotion, healthy to feel and healthy to express. The amazing thing you might notice if you face this emotion head on, is your anxiety abates. This type of anxiety is your body’s way of telling you that you need to experience your sadness, the body’s loss.
Facing any of our emotions, learning to understand where they come from, and processing them, helps us grow spiritually. The amazing part is that it not only helps us, it helps the spirits on the other side of the veil.