Return to What Is True | How Sitting with Feelings

We cannot heal or change what is unacknowledged.

Acknowledging what you feel rather than burying or ignoring it is an important step toward emotional clarity and returning to what is true for you.

I learned and experienced the importance of acknowledging what I feel as a participant in a Dream Circle. It was facilitated by a Jungian psychologist and provided a safe environment to explore dreams. Circle members were encouraged to write their dreams down, give them a title, and most importantly, get in touch with how the dream made them feel. I learned to sit with whatever I was feeling, rather than trying to fix it, explain it, or justify it. I gave myself permission to feel whatever I was feeling. I had several revelatory experiences as a part of the process, one of which I shared in my book, Be True to You: A Practical Guide to Pursuing an Authentic Path.

There’s something really powerful in acknowledging raw feelings without fixing, rationalizing, or judging. It gives you the space and grace to honor a deeper part of yourself that may be buried or unexplored. It’s a powerful pause to experience deep and authentic feelings that bring emotional clarity and guide the way forward.

I started applying this approach more and more to my everyday life, especially when dealing with complicated or nagging feelings. I now identify and sit with what I’m feeling before exploring the why and the what to do about it.

As a practice, simply asking “How am I feeling?” as a morning, evening, or weekly check-in connects you to a deeper part of yourself. Capturing those feelings in a journal or notebook and sitting with them is a step toward honoring what is true for you. From that space, exploring why you are feeling what you’re feeling provides insight and understanding that can help guide the way forward.

Digging into the “why” is where the process becomes truly clarifying. As an example, my response to the check-in question not too long ago was “I feel angry.” Upon deeper inquiry, I uncovered the real feelings that lay underneath the anger which was not feeling seen and not feeling appreciated. Knowing what lay beneath the anger on those occasions was clarifying as it enabled me to reflect on the situations through the feelings beneath the surface and give voice to them in a meaningful way.

When we are aware of what we’re feeling, why we’re feeling it, and what to do about it, we are practicing a deep form of self-care and honoring what is true. From that grounded place, we are better able to show up and interact with others more authentically and emotionally balanced.

Thank you for pausing here.

If this reflection speaks to you, I would love to hear what resonates. If it feels meaningful, you’re welcome to share it with someone who might appreciate it.

If you would like to receive Intentional Living blog posts and updates by email, please use the link below.

If you prefer to receive blog updates only, you can enter your email below.