From fear to freedom in 90 seconds

The other day, I was reading through the preparatory documents for my daughter’s first summer at sleepaway camp when, out of nowhere, I was hit by a wave of emotion—something like sadness and fear all tangled together.

In the past, I probably would have pushed those feelings aside. I would have told myself it was silly or illogical, and that I didn’t have time to indulge in emotions like that.

But this time, I didn’t push them away. I sat still and really felt them—the ache in my chest, the tightness in my throat—and to my surprise, after about 90 seconds, it passed. I opened my eyes and calmly went back to reading.

It’s wild what becomes possible when we allow ourselves to feel what’s actually there. I’m not sure I’ve ever fully done that before. I’m great at analyzing emotions—feeling them is another story. But I’m starting to understand the freedom that comes from moving through emotion instead of around it.

If you’re interested in practices that help you tune into your current state, shift your energy, and move emotion through the body, check out the video conversations and practices I recently did with Jeff Cupchik on YouTube. We explore how breath, sound, and movement can support emotional regulation and greater presence.