This weekend I took some time for myself and attended a powerful virtual event. Day 1 of the Claim Your Power Live conference with Mastin Kipp was intense to say the least.
Taking a polyvagal approach, one exercise involved shifting in and out of joy, sadness/depression, and anxiety/stress. People are often scared to allow themselves to feel the “bad” emotions because they think it will consume them or they will be stuck in the emotion. The purpose of that exercise is to teach our nervous system that it is safe to feel into those harsh emotions by showing we don’t have to stay there.
This process helps to release the emotions that we have trapped inside and create a more flexible nervous system.
Is it easy? Not exactly.
Does it hurt? Yup, but in a good way.
It allowed us to fully sink into those feelings temporarily, allowing us to free up space for ourselves on the other side of it. I can tell you that nobody died from fully feeling their feelings, but there were sooo many tears! Sometimes that is exactly what we need – to let it out.
Side note: I would like to take a moment to express my gratitude for waterproof mascara 
I finally see the science behind why some of the most impactful things that I’ve experienced this year have been so effective. From the Dickens process at Unleash the Power Within with Tony Robbins, Neuroencoding methods with Joseph McClendon the 3rd, even emotional vipasana from Teal Swan’s The Completion Process. They can all be tied back to polyvagal theory and somatic therapies.
The science is catching up, and this is gaining traction. I can’t wait for this to get out there more! This will be game changing for mental health treatment.
In the meantime, if you are struggling I highly encourage looking up Mastin and his work. So many of us struggle trying modality after modality, with nothing ever fully working to free us from the pain. I encourage you to look into these concepts because it just might be the missing piece!
With love,
Jessica
Finding Light in the Darkness 