Emotions As Messengers

By Jennifer Kelleher

We live in a world that often encourages us to “get over it” or “calm down,” when an uncomfortable emotion rises. Anger, sadness, jealousy, anxiety… These feelings are rarely welcomed. Instead, they’re often pushed aside, hidden, or numbed. But emotions are not problems to be solved. They’re messengers. They arrive with valuable information about our needs, boundaries, and desires. When we ignore them, we miss out on the wisdom they carry.

Think of emotions like the dashboard lights in your car. When one blinks on, it’s not there to ruin your drive– it’s there to signal that something beneath the hood needs attention. If you cover it with tape, the issue doesn’t go away. It might grow worse. Emotions function the same way. They are signals from our body and mind pointing us toward something that matters.

Research in psychology and neuroscience shows that emotions are not random. They are physical responses rooted in survival. Fear, for example, triggers the amygdala, releasing adrenaline and preparing your body to respond to potential danger. Anger often signals that a boundary has been crossed. Sadness points to something lost or a longing unmet. Even the emotions we’d rather avoid, the so-called negative ones, have important adaptive purposes.

What we do with them matters. Studies show that suppressing emotions doesn’t make them disappear. In fact, it can increase stress on the body, raising heart rate and blood pressure, and even lowering immune function. On the other hand, simply naming emotions (putting words to what we feel) has been shown to calm the nervous system. Brain scans reveal that when someone labels an emotion, the activity in the emotional centers of the brain decreases while the regulation centers increase. In other words, awareness creates space.

One of the most effective ways to create that space is to slow down and pay attention when an emotion arises. Notice where you feel it in your body. Is it a knot in your stomach, heat in your face, or tension across your shoulders? Give it a name as specifically as you can. Instead of a vague “I feel bad,” you might find it is actually disappointment, irritation, or grief. The more precise the label, the more clarity you gain. You can even measure its intensity on a scale of one to ten, which helps to keep perspective. Then ask yourself gently, “What is causing this emotion to arise right now?” Sometimes the answer is obvious, other times it uncovers deeper patterns. From there, all that’s left is to breathe and allow the feeling to be present. Every emotion is like a wave. It rises, crests, and eventually falls away. Our job is not to fight the tide but to ride it with awareness. The simple act of breathing with an emotion, without trying to fix it or push it away, allows it to move through us instead of getting stuck.

When we engage with emotions in this way, we shift from reacting to responding. Instead of snapping at a loved one when frustration builds, you might pause and realize that frustration is actually pointing to a need for more rest or support. Instead of drowning in sadness, you can see it as a reflection of how deeply you care about something or someone. Listening to emotions doesn’t mean indulging them or letting them control us. It means honoring the message, then choosing our response with awareness.

Imagine how different life might feel if, instead of rejecting our emotions, we welcomed them like wise visitors. Each one with a story to tell, each one reminding us of what it means to be fully alive. The next time an uncomfortable feeling surfaces, try pausing, naming it, and breathing with it. On the other side of that wave might be the clarity you didn’t know you were seeking.

If you’d like a place to practice this kind of presence in community, Ocean Bliss is here for you. Our classes are not only about moving the body, they’re about creating space for the heart and mind, too. Come move and breathe with us by the water and see what wisdom rises when you give yourself permission to listen. Sign up at oceanbliss­yoga.net. Questions or comments? Text or call me at 917-318-1168.