Hello! We’ve talked a lot about managing your emotions and stress (which is basically anxiety, fear at its core) because they directly influence and affect your body and well-being. We’ve also covered a few techniques by which you can release and control your emotional responses. But the exact processes by which those negative emotions affect your body were not fully discussed, so the concept that your emotions directly affect your physical health may seem a bit on the esoteric side for some people.

Today I want to share a bit more of the process by which emotions do interact and affect the body, actual physiological changes that occur when we are constantly feeling negative emotions and why relaxation (letting go of those emotions and sensations) is important.

Emotions are a natural response to our thoughts and each has a unique frequency. When we think a thought (consciously or beneath conscious level) our body is stimulated by the frequency of that thought. As a response to that stimulation, the body signals an organ to produce a chemical substance that matches that frequency (Traditional Chinese Medicine indicates which organs produce each). The release of that chemical into our bloodstream is what we then feel as an emotion and, again, this is a perfectly natural process. If we just feel that emotion and release it (with the accompanying thought), the body then purges the chemical produced and restores itself back to its balanced biochemistry.

When, however, we live in a constant mental landscape of thoughts that make us feel afraid or limited, constricted and tight, these chemicals are being constantly produced and thrown into the bloodstream! These thought patterns create anxiety, which leads to stress, which then leads to anger. If this anger isn’t released and is suppressed or ignored, it can make a person “blow up” emotionally, externalizing that energy in a completely disproportionate way. Or it can be turned inwards (angry at self) and lead to depression.

So, how do your emotions affect your body physically? Stress and anger cause the adrenal glands to secrete adrenaline and noradrenaline, which restrict the flow of digestive juices (because digestion is not a top priority when you’re in fight or flight, danger mode!), they delay the absorption of food and peristaltic movement, and they also inhibit the elimination of urine and feces. This wreaks havoc in your entire digestive system! Besides that, these hormones can also increase the heartbeat rate and raise blood pressure.

After the body has been subjected to this for a while it becomes saturated, and then it’s actually harder (but not impossible!) to release the thoughts and emotional patterns that created this imbalance in the first place, because the physical counterparts of the emotions, the chemical substances, are floating around everywhere.

To get back to a place of balance physically, emotionally and mentally, the best course of action is twofold. It involves cleansing the physical body’s systems with processes like the colon cleanse (discussed in the PDF “7 Quick Ways to Heal Your Body and Mind”), the Liver Cleanse and the Kidney Cleanse, for example.

And at the same time have a practice that helps you release old emotions like Presence or have the extra support of energy integration sessions, and also any activity that helps relax the mind and body (like Nature walks, playing with animals, meditation, yoga, laughing…). This way the body’s cleanse and regeneration is supported and new and more supportive ways of thinking and responding to things replace the old patterns.

It goes without saying that this will lead to a happier biochemistry, happier body and mind, and happier life. Your emotions affect your body, and you can take charge and help balance both! And you completely deserve to live that happy, relaxed and joyful life!