I have a friend who, whenever we go out, declares, “let’s not chat about anything heavy.” It makes me instantly pucker up. I am not sure I can guarantee that, I think. When I am relaxed, my mind wanders around all that I have been doing that week or since I last saw them. My feelings spew out in an unedited flow of consciousness. It would be hard work to not talk about all that is going on and how it affects me, especially as I only share this with people that I am close to ( and you of course). It’s one of the ways that I regulate my nervous system. Feeling my feelings plays a huge part in why and how I teach. I don’t want to have to police myself in my downtime. My friend is a lover of fun and doesn’t mean any harm however, I can’t help but be amused that the evening starts off with a bold statement of intent. One that I know I won’t adhere to. It’s like telling someone NOT to press the red button.
Having to curtail my messy parts reminds me of a film called Stepfather. It is a thriller about a woman who meets a seemingly perfect man who loves her and loves her children. It is all seems too good to be true. Until they hit the bumps of family living, a teen answering back or the woman not being always available to him. He suddenly he starts glitching and getting angrier and angrier every time his idea of a perfect family fails the grade. It’s a chilling thriller with a gruesome end, so be warned if you seek it out.
I say, forget the airbrushed selfies and Insta-perfect smiles. The easy way to be in 2024 is to be your authentic self, and that means diving headfirst into the glorious technicolour ocean of your emotions. Yes, even the messy, salty bits. Embracing your feelings, from the giddy highs of Friday night dancing to the Monday morning dreads, is the secret sauce to a happier, healthier you.
Think of your emotions as painting with a full range of colours. Ignoring your emotions is like limiting yourself to one colour only, stifling your creative spark and leaving your drawing looking flat. Bottling up anger just creates pressure until you explode at the barista who adds in soya milk instead of oat. Pushing down worries festers into anxiety, making you avoid things that you fret over.
But here's the magic: when you acknowledge your feelings, even the uncomfortable ones, it's like opening the windows and letting the sunshine in. You can breathe, name what's happening ("Hello, sadness, I see you have come to visit me"), and choose how to respond instead of being ruled by the feels. Feeling sad after a break-up? Instead of scrolling through their Facebook until your phone melts, cry it out, write it out, dance it out or go for a walk with your friend to chat it out. The point is to feel, authentically and unapologetically, until the wave passes.
And guess what? Owning your emotions makes you even more magnetic. Vulnerability is the new (em)power move. Sharing your struggles shows you're real, relatable, and brave. It fosters deeper connections, attracts genuine relationships, and turns you into a human kaleidoscope, shimmering with every nuanced shade of your being. The world is in chaos, what we thought was true is turning inside out. Now more than ever we need to seek the comfort of community who share our values and will fight for them. That means talking about how you feel instead of bottling it up and suffering on your own.
So put down the emotional filter. Let your tears water your resilience, your joy spark laughter lines, and your anger fuel your fight for what's right. Feeling your feelings isn't messy, it's masterpiece-in-progress. It's owning your story, embracing your humanity, and painting your life with all the vibrant colours that make you, you.
Now go forth and feel lovely people – the world needs your emotional technicolour magic.
What’s going on
The January Soothe Day Retreat in London sold out a while ago but the bookings for the March Soothe Day Retreat in London are now open.
The Soothe Programme has been helping clients to unlock their habitual movement patterns which in turn unlocks their behavioural patterns. 12 weeks of private sessions with me for chronic stress, anxiety, burnout and trauma issues. More info here or drop me an email to chat about how we can work together.
For local clients, I’m excited to announce the in person Intelligent Movement Reformer sessions to release, lengthen and strengthen.
The reformer helps create internal pressure to elongate the spine, joints and muscles which then leads to greater flexibility, strength, stamina and a more balanced posture. I work with your brain, the beginning of the process to communicate more effectively with your muscle, at the end of the process. Please get in touch if you would like more info.
For paid subscribers, I’ve dropped you a somatic meditation to release tension in your body, heaven knows we all need to do more of that. Tell me, where do you hold your tension?
Stay human,
Nahid x