Bear's Blog

Cultures can be typified as having the qualities of a particular chakra; us Americans have a 3rd chakra culture. The third chakra relates to the rational mind, ego, action… linear thinking. We give more weight to that perspective. It’s what we call “reality”, what we believe and accept as true. Yet it is just one aspect of our reality, and neglecting the rest of our experience has – consequences.

We avoid feelings as being messy and unproductive, and often not “solvable”. The 3rd chakra (located in the solar plexus) mind likes to fix things and move on. Second chakra territory (located in the belly) is all about emotion, creativity and sexuality. What are we as a culture uncomfortable discussing? Emotions and sex! Quite often when I see a new client, I notice that energy moves from their feet up the outside of their legs, past the hips, and then coming back to center to meet at the 3rd chakra - conveniently missing the whole 2nd chakra area! 

We have fear around the power of emotional energy, and rightly so. When we avoid feeling, that energy literally gets backed up; and repressing our feelings takes an additional energetic toll. It’s not possible to cherry-pick emotions – just wanting the feel-goods and not the “bad” ones. It’s all or nothing!

When we avoid, repress, or discount feelings they grow bigger and more formidable, eventually becoming toxic. Ever experienced a “hair-trigger emotion” or having someone “push your button”? That button is unconscious emotion. We literally get “stuck” in our reactions and these unacknowledged, blocked feelings express themselves unexpectedly. No wonder we fear their power, built up over time and often completely inappropriate to the situation.

Feelings are meant to be experienced. When they are met in the present with acknowledgment and acceptance, they change! They move! And then something else comes next.

Another aspect of this avoidance of feeling means that WE ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO EMOTIONAL MANIPULATION. In marketing, advertisers want to connect to a “pain point” – feelings people want to avoid. And then they can have “happy outcomes” by buying x, y, or z! (see cherry-picking emotions, above). From body-care products to pharmaceuticals, our lack of emotional intelligence can drive endless consumption with no true satisfaction. 

Just as dangerous – more so? is this dynamic related to politics. Political strategy is at least as savvy as any ad campaign, and depending on the willingness to aggressively manipulate for a desired outcome, can be destructive. 

Notice how facts are completely negated in the heat of emotion. Recognize the phrase “I have my opinion don’t confuse me with the facts”? Spin is one thing – the same facts being used to support different points of view - but outright lies intended to elicit emotion are something else. When we hold unconscious, unexamined emotional material we are much more susceptible to indoctrination.

So feel deeply and let it go. If it’s part of an ongoing situation, you will repeat the process until – something different happens. It can take some time if you have an emotional “backlog”, but just know that it WILL change eventually. That emotional reaction will become less charged, and you can exercise free will without being driven by unconscious emotions.