Alkaline & acidic emotions
Often, when we’re observant, we’ll tend to see themes arise that I believe are meant to teach us things when we’re paying attention. I’d like to share something we see regularly in our work, and hope to shed a little light on the fascinating connection between our emotions and our physical bodies.
Our emotions and physical bodies are intimately connected. We are designed to express, receive and process emotions, and are required to deal with them every day. Our emotions (in particular, how we process them,) are intimately connected with our physical bodies; hence our health, energy, and general sense of well being are directly impacted by our emotions. Our emotions, or feelings, create chemistry in our bodies. And conversely, how we use our bodies creates chemistry leading to emotional states.
All through the day we are responding physically, mentally and emotionally to the stimulus in our environment. The behaviours and responses/reactions that we have to “life”, create ongoing complex cascades of hormone responses.
For the sake of making a more simplified point, let’s categorize emotions into 2 basic categories. “Alkaline emotions” and “acidic emotions.” The basic gist is that “alkaline emotions” promote health, well being, serenity, calm, engage our parasympathetic nervous system (also known as the “rest and digest” system.) Alkaline emotions promote healing and a general sense of well being. “Acidic emotions”, if indulged in, or if we get stuck there or refuse to move on from them, generally will begin to create disharmony, engage the sympathetic nervous system (“fight or flight” response), slowing down digestion, creating dis-ease in the body as a whole, and over the long term can contribute to a host of challenges to our physical health as well as our mental and emotional well being.
Some examples of what could be classified as alkaline (or health promoting) emotional states would be; love, joy, trust, laughter, gratitude, faith, harmony, balance, peace, forgiveness, humility, thanksgiving, happiness, unity, kindness, generosity, etc.
Some examples of what could be classified as acidic emotional states/behaviours can be; unforgiveness, bitterness, self-pity, worry, anger, rage, frustration, upset, lying, stress, hatred, meanness, a cheap spirit, pride, refusal, stubbornness, arrogance, blame, mistrust, etc.
A disclaimer to the list of emotions is that the lists are much farther reaching than the few examples listed. Also the reality of life is that we will experience a plethora of emotional states. Believing we are ONLY supposed to live in a perpetual state of “alkaline emotions” is NOT a realistic response to the complexities of life’s experiences. We are not only likely to experience acidic emotions in our life, but we inevitably will, even if we’d rather not! That does not necessarily make all acidic emotions wrong to feel or experience at times…the challenge becomes if we get “stuck” in the so called “acidic emotions” without finding a way out, or a way to move forward from them; to heal from the root trigger/experience/offence/trauma, etc. that caused the acidic emotional states; regardless of whether we caused the issue for ourselves, or if it was something someone else did that gave us something to overcome. Perhaps the most dangerous approach being, if we consciously choose to live in an emotionally acidic state. Perhaps we even feel or “are” entitled to hold on to an emotionally acidic state; that is what I propose to you becomes the challenge not only to our emotional health, but our mental and physical sense of well being also. It’s not necessarily experiencing them when difficulties hit; but if we find ourselves refusing to move out from them, or wanting to hold on to them, that becomes harmful long term; spirit, soul and body.
The above is a very simplified list of alkaline and acid emotions, but I think most of us can agree we recognize that when we feel emotions from the “alkaline emotional list” we generally feel better, or good, and when we feel, indulge or get stuck in emotions from the “acidic emotional list” we generally feel worse, or bad…or worse than bad!
A good goal would be to work through life’s challenges as we’re able, as they present themselves, recognizing it’s a matter of when, not if they will present themselves, and to seek support/help if we find ourselves stuck in acidic emotional states.
As a family we make a practice of expressing “alkaline emotions”, whether we always feel like it or not. It’s easy on a great feeling day to feel great, but the secret is finding ways to cultivate/practice alkaline emotional states when we’re having a bad day. I’m not suggesting putting a fake smile on our faces and chanting,”I feel happy! I feel happy!” when perhaps there’s something very real to grieve…I’m suggesting on the tough days, to both be honest about the very real processing that needs to take place, and perhaps also gently, lovingly invite our hearts to express something we’re grateful for–before we “feel like it.”
Sometimes we have to work to condition ourselves to do the beneficial thing before we feel like it, or it can be a very, very long time if we’re waiting for a “feeling” before we ever lift our heads or hearts above our current pain. There is a very real process to the difficulties in life, and we must face them. Might I simply suggest on the tough days/seasons of life to take a few deep breaths and look for one simple small thing to feel grateful for?
I like to practice gratitude–not because I always feel like it, but because gratitude has a way of lifting the heart out of our current challenge to see something good, beautiful, funny, light, compassionate, lovely–something beyond ourselves in our current moment….gratitude is an alkaline emotion that lifts the heart, and as we begin to find small ways to cultivate those alkaline emotions, that tends to promote wellness bit by bit, not only to our emotions, but our minds and bodies also.
So, do our emotions actually impact the state and health of our physical bodies also? Absolutely! More on this to come.
With care,
Katarina