Relaxation Tips Newsletter

I'm Candi, with Inner Health Studio. Welcome to Edition 12 of Inner Health Studio Relaxation Tips.

Did you receive this email as a forward? Click here if you would like to subscribe.

In This Issue....

Inner Health Studio Updates and News
New Relaxation Scripts
Tip of the Month: Dealing with Emotions

Inner Health Studio Updates and News

Don't forget to visit our Members Only Area! Post your questions, comments, requests, and ideas in the forums.

This month in the Members Only Area: Progressive muscle relaxation audio you can save to your computer. Relaxation downloads newly available in the members area include:
- Progressive Muscle Relaxation Exercise
- Passive Progressive Muscle Relaxation
- Progressive Muscle Relaxation with Keywords (with music)
- Quick Progressive Muscle Relaxation - Key Areas
- Healing Relaxation
- Anchoring Relaxation
- Relaxation for Children

New Relaxation Scripts:

Relaxation for Asthma Script
This relaxation for asthma script will help to calm breathing, reduce muscle tension in the chest and throat, and get though an attack. This script is also effective for reducing anxiety symptoms.

Writing an Exam Guided Imagery Script
This guided imagery script will allow you to visualize the process of studying for and writing an exam. Visualizing success will promote increased confidence, concentration, and memory.

Learning a Language Meditation
This meditation script will guide you to relax and improve your concentration to help with learning a language.

Tip of the month: Dealing with Emotions

Have you ever tried to get rid of negative feelings?

It is painful to experience feelings of anger, sadness, loneliness, jealousy, shame, anxiety, or other negative emotions. Often we try to fight against these feelings in an effort to feel good. This seems to make sense - if emotions are negative, they must be bad, so we need to get rid of them ... right?

Maybe not.

Have you ever noticed that by refusing to allow yourself to experience an emotion, it seems to get stronger? Perhaps the feeling even comes out in unexpected ways. A person who is feeling upset might claim that nothing is wrong, but experience headaches, poor concentration, and other physical symptoms.

Although we tend to categorize emotions as "good" or "bad," feelings are a neutral phenomenon. A feeling is neither right nor wrong. This concept can be difficult accept, because often as children we are taught that it is not okay to feel certain emotions. For example, many people are taught from a young age that anger is wrong, and must be suppressed.

It is important to distinguish emotions from behaviors. Feelings are neutral. The way we respond to feelings can be right or wrong. Consider anger, for instance. Whether or not the reason we are angry is reasonable, it is okay to feel anger. Damaging property, hurting others, or otherwise acting out is not okay.

Trying to get rid of negative emotions

Having emotions is what makes you human. Feelings are not something to get rid of. They are to be experienced as part of the whole range of human existence. Some emotions are unpleasant. This does not mean that we need to never experience them. It means that they need to be in balance with other emotions.

Being sad all the time, for example, is not helpful or desirable. But, experiencing genuine sadness is necessary and healthy in many circumstances. Would you really want to feel happy all the time? Are you truly human if you always feel completely happy, even when you lose a loved one, or get cheated, or experience a tragedy?

Are my feelings rational?

Many of the feelings we experience are based on incorrect assumptions, misunderstandings, or distorted thinking. This might mean that the feeling is not logical, but this does NOT mean that it is wrong to feel that way.

Our feelings occur for a reason. Negative emotions, whether logical or not, indicate a problem needing to be solved. The problem needing to be solved may be accurate thinking (a problematic situation) or inaccurate thinking (distorted thoughts). But whether it is the thinking or the situation that is causing a negative emotion, the emotion signifies that there is a problem needing to be addressed.

We need to respond by changing a situation, changing our thinking, or simply acknowledging and accepting negative emotions. Not all situations can be changed, and it is important to give oneself the right to feel upset. Coping does not mean feeling only positive emotions - it means experiencing both negative and positive emotions in healthy ways.

Emotions are essential because they make us human, and because they are signs that give us important information. For example, anger suggests that we believe we have been wronged in some way. Anger is a signal that something needs to be changed or a problem needs to be solved - we need anger to warn us when something is not right. Likewise, other emotions are also necessary to make sense of our experiences and tell us what problems we need to attend to. If we ignore feelings, the problems that lead to negative emotions will not be solved.

Instead of worrying whether feelings are rational, just acknowledge them, allow yourself to feel them. Think about why you may be feeling them, and if your perceptions of events are correct. Consider how long you want to feel this way for and how long you need to feel this way. Take charge of your behavior while allowing yourself to feel however it is you feel.

Where to go from here

Understanding, experiencing, and expressing emotions can be challenging. So how does one experience a full range of emotions while still fostering positive emotions?

There can be many steps to take in order to gain full ability to experience and manage emotions - but to begin the process, here is a simple place to start.

Just name your emotions, at least once a day. Write them down or say them out loud. Tell someone if you want to. All you need to do is give your feelings a name, without trying to change anything. Chances are, simply by doing this you will feel better - and you will have begun an important first step in the process of handling emotions.

If you are having trouble identifying emotions or thinking of names for them, visit the members only area for a list of emotions.