This article was written for Annabel & Grace, which is now part of Rest Less.
Thanks to Emily Graves for writing this post. Emily has been teaching yoga for 3 years in and around Sussex, is in demand for her 1-1 sessions and regularly runs mini retreats. “Yoga has taught me, more than anything, about compassion, kindness and acceptance, of yourself and others.” If you can do one thing today, be kind to yourself.
I don’t know about you, but I cry a lot. I cry when I am touched or moved. Touched by love, kindness, friendship. I cry when I belly laugh. I cry at songs, paintings, films, stories, poems and photographs. I cry when I see two people sitting on a bench holding hands. I’ve always been a ‘cryer’, I’ve made many people uncomfortable in the cinema by sobbing loudly at films.
“I wear my heart on my sleeve” I declared at a job interview once. Does that mean you’ll cry at work? If I care enough, yes. I also cry when life hurts. When there is pain, suffering, frustration, anger and uncertainty. I let myself sob and howl and sometimes almost hyperventilate until the hot fat salty tears run themselves dry.
Why am I sharing this? Because it seems that crying is still something to hide, to suppress, to be ashamed of, that crying is a weakness. A bit awkward. And I happen to disagree.
Crying is just a physical response to allowing yourself to feel. To feel joy. And to feel pain. The body can’t discern or choose which emotions are ‘good’ or ‘bad’… emotions are just that: emotional states that arise and pass, that need to be felt and lived to be truly awake.
I cried in my massage course last week and I think some people felt sorry for me, like I was an ‘emotional wreck’. The truth is (for me) by allowing myself to really embrace all my emotions in real time, I know I am alive and standing in my truth.
After sobbing on the kitchen floor last night I got up, washed my face and slept more soundly. It doesn’t always feel ‘good’. But I have learnt that chasing just the nice(r) and good emotions is futile. Like chasing one more drink… one more anything… another way to feed the craving mind. Another way to run from the truth of what is. To be with what is. Whatever that is.
Anyway, this is me with sunglasses on this morning after last night’s aforementioned sobbing session. More resilient. A little clearer, and a little softer. But definitely a lot puffier in the eye department. So let the tears flow proudly next time you feel them bubble up and just see what happens…
Emily would love to hear from you! CLICK HERE to email her or call her on 07760160033
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