Whats is an e-motion? Simply put, it is just energy in motion. It is a barometer that indicate the change of energy and its intensity in our system. By nature, it is non-judgemental as there is really no "good" or "bad" emotions. The duality of "good" or "bad" comes from our own labelling. Once we become aware of this change of energy within us and decide to give it a name, it is then called a feeling: happy, sad, angry, anxious, excited, etc. Even if you do not give it a name, you can recognise it at a physiological level as expressed by a tingling sensation or some sort of tightness in a certain part of your body. Though little-understood, this is a psychosomatic reaction - the interaction of mind and body since these two departments have always functioned as one unit. Thus when unaddressed, such suppressed emotions could develop into discomfort and illnesses over time.
The neurologist Jill Bolte-Taylor has mentioned in her book My Stroke of Insight that the physiological lifespan of an emotion in the brain and body is 90 seconds. When you are engaged in a fight with someone and in a rage, the sensation of adrenaline rush, faster heart beat, heat in the face and stiffness in the neck are all supposed to take 90 seconds for it to set off and dissipate on its own. Likewise, when you are on stage giving that speech the first time, the butterflies in your stomach, light-headedness and palpitation are only there for a minute and a half. So why is it that when we are emotional it feels like we are stuck in a rut and cannot escape? It is the narrative that we are holding onto that makes our thoughts linger on and hence the associated emotions. The breakthrough lies in the ability of residing in the present moment and not assuming that the situation and environment should be otherwise. After all, would you rather experience a 90-second chemical process or stay in an emotional loop?
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