How to overcome negative emotions and live a more calm, peaceful and joyful life.

When you experience love do you ask what it is? No, it just happens. You get caught up in the feeling and the energy that the emotion produces. You don't need to ask what it is. It is obvious what it is and you know what it's for.

It is beyond thought, beliefs, concepts and questions. You just go with the flow of energy that's inside you. There is no need to try and dissect it. The energy is so great and so wonderful you automatically know what it's for.

On the other side of the emotion coin are emotions like hate, worry, lust and sadness. They too are energy but do not affect the body in the same way love and other positive emotions do. In the case of negative emotions, the energy is blocked in the body so much it hurts.

Some of us try to suppress these emotions, block them out or cover them up. We might go out and buy more stuff or eat more food. We try to bury the negative emotions so deep under our skin we hope they never resurface. But that never works. They will eventually work their way to the surface in unimaginable ways. And when that happens they are ten times worse. All hell breaks loose.

When the natural flow of a river is blocked by a dam, its energy is impeded and lies dormant behind the dam. The water can become stagnant and polluted. It stops being a river of free flowing water and turns into a reservoir of blocked energy.

The same is true for energy that lies blocked in the body. It quickly pools and becomes stagnant and polluted. It feels like a tight knot all waded up in the core of the body.

If the energy is allowed to fester it will soon ravage the insides looking for a way to get out. Ulcers, anxiety, depression and cancer can and do occur very rapidly.

The dam has to break and the energy must be set loose to flow freely again. Energy in the body is the same way. It must be allowed to flow freely.

What causes energy to be blocked in the body in the first place? The answer lies within the thinking mind. If someone says you are stupid and look ugly, an immediate thought and then a negative emotion occurs. In the beginning the emotion is anger which can turn into hatred.

Hatred festers and grows and then the mind can't get away from thinking about it. Hatred blocks the energy flow and a tight knot develops deep inside. So deep there seems to be no way to get rid of it. If it continues to grow it will permeate the entire body from the inside out.

What to do

The energy block must be dissolved. The solution is to relax. We can begin by relaxing the face. The face is directly connected to the heart. Think of a bad moment, make a big frown and squeeze your eyes shut. Notice how it feels in the middle of the chest.

Take a big breath in and with a slow breath out relax every muscle in the face. Next relax the shoulders. Go through the whole body this way, one body part at a time. Each time we relax a body part take a deep breath in and a slow breath out.

We can follow the energy by allowing the mind to focus on the breath as it moves into and through the body. Where the breath goes energy will follow. With the mind's eye follow the flow of energy as it begins to open and release wherever the blockage rests.

The next, hardest and last thing to do is speak to the person. We must speak to them personally either by phone or directly in person and say "I love you." We must be calm, confident and truthful in our own mind. A letter won't work. It is the magic of the  voice, ours and theirs, that finally breaks the blockage. This is compassion and understanding not only for the other person but for ourselves as well.

We need to tell them also how important they are. This is the final breaker of the block. People love to be told how they are important. Talk to them without becoming agitated. Talk to them about your family and their family, jobs, likes, trips, etc.  It will feel like a heavy weight is being lifted off your back and shoulders when the energy begins to flow freely again.

After we do this we will be able to experience the next negative emotion without absorbing it or identifying with it. We will know what to expect from both energy and body. There will be no blockage and energy will continue to flow unimpeded.

When we are able to act, not react, with love and compassion we are able to illuminate from within ourselves as well as beyond ourselves. By being connected to the continuous flow of energy we will be able to stay calm the next time someone tries pressing our buttons.