Do you have fun in your life?
During a period of my life, I worked in a kindergarten. One day, I sat in the sandbox with a child who was awaiting heart surgery for a genetic malformation. Whenever it was my turn to care for him, I felt a weight of responsibility to ensure that I caught any sign of discomfort. As I watched him build a sandcastle, another child ran up and destroyed it by sitting on it. The two children looked at each other for a moment and then burst out laughing.
I couldn’t help but smile at their joy and inwardly thought how good it must have felt for the child who had been facing so many challenges. Despite his frequent hospital visits and inability to run around with the other kids, he could still laugh heartily at his friend’s joke.
It made me reflect on my own life. When was the last time I laughed like that?
When we’re young, we’re able to move fluidly between different emotions. We explore the full spectrum of our emotional landscape, experiencing joy, anger, fear, and everything in between. We don’t label emotions as positive or negative – we simply let them flow and then let them go. We are connected with our second Chakra and open to experiencing the spectrum and power of our emotional body.
The second Chakra, located under the navel, is connected to our capacity to feel, move energy, be creative, and enjoy our life experience.
We’re present in the moment. We feel the waves of our emotions as they wash over us – whether it’s a flutter in our chest, a rush of heat to our face, or a knot in our stomach. And we ride those waves.
We feel.
A healthy nervous system is designed to move from stress to relaxation, but as we get older, we can lose touch with our ability to experience joy and fun. To return to that place of lightheartedness, I had to learn to reconnect with my body and fully share each moment without getting too attached to any emotion but accepting them as they arose.
Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, a renowned Harvard brain scientist, explains:
“When a person has a reaction to something in their environment, there’s a 90-second chemical process that happens in the body; after that, any remaining emotional response is just the person choosing to stay in that emotional loop.”
Do you agree?
Tips for reconnecting with your emotions and second Chakra:
Before labeling your feelings, take a moment to connect with your body. Notice any sensations you are experiencing, such as tension in your muscles, a contracted solar plexus, or sweaty palms.
– Anger often manifests as muscle tension or tightness due to our fight or flight response. This can make it difficult to think clearly. If there is no immediate danger, focus on your breath and allow the wave of anger to subside before taking action.
– Fear can cause tension or tightness in the chest or stomach, as well as a rapid heartbeat and sweating. You may feel frozen and overwhelmed. If possible, ground yourself by focusing on the sensation of your feet on the floor and hugging yourself. Breathe deeply and allow yourself to feel present in your body.
– Sadness can feel like a heavy weight on your chest, leaving you tired and withdrawn. It’s important to be kind to yourself during this time and practice self-care. Connect with nature or a trusted friend, as connection helps balance our nervous system.
Remember to be kind to yourself, just as you would be to a friend. Accept your emotions without judgment, and allow yourself to feel them with love and compassion. Acceptance is a powerful tool to help you let go, learn, and grow. You didn’t fail, you are learning and it’s okay to ask for help when you need it.
You deserve to enjoy every moment of this journey.
