Emotions as a tool of self-knowledge
In order for holistic education to be effective, it is essential that adults develop our self-knowledge and self-responsibility. All of us have to take intentional action to this purpose. Today, I propose a simple exercise that I hope will serve as an introduction to work these two aspects. It is an exercise based on working with emotions, an inherent characteristic of the human being and which, at times, is so difficult for us to manage.
Emotions' messages
Emotions are only indicators of how we are, how we feel. Actually, emotions are our allies, since they are always offering us information about ourselves. However, sometimes we ignore their messages and we tend to avoid them, as they don’t meet the expectations of the ego. The emotions are sincere, they never lie to us. It is for this reason that we should pay attention to them and learn to listen to them to find out the message they want to convey to us. This message contains valuable information, it is information about our true needs and desires, and it opens the way to our self-knowledge and, consequently, to our power.
Exercise proposal
Feel-YOURSELF. Feel your chest. Put your hands on it if necessary. Close your eyes and breathe. What do you feel? Peace? Anxiety? Fear? Everything is fine. Everything is part of you, of your own process. Just breathe and accept the emotion. Feel it. Recognize it. Don't repress it. Listen to it. It wants to teach you something. It is on your side, it is your friend, not your enemy. Talk to it. Ask it, what do you want to tell me? The answer will come in due course...