Yesterday I had to walk a dear, loyal and loving companion and family member to the Rainbow Bridge. Dallas was a Bernese Mountain dog rescue from Texas. When we first got him he was so traumatized that he could barely leave the house and would freeze at the end of the driveway and shake. He matured into a fine, communicative, being. The massive tumor in his jaw prevented him from eating and he could no longer take his pain pills. It was too much to see him suffer, so with great sadness we made that last walk to the vet. The veterinarian was very, very sad too, having known Dallas’ astonishing progress over the years.
So you see this blog is about feelings and emotions. They are the result of our bodily systems and organs dumping chemicals (neurotransmitters and hormones) into our bloodstreams and altering our thought processes. Some of the familiar names are adrenaline and cortisol (associated with feelings of fear, anger, stress, overwhelm, frustration etc), dopamine and serotonin (good, happy joy). The stucture in the brain associated with anger, fear and sadness is the amygdala. You can easily trigger your amgydala- hold a smile on your face while standing upright with your shoulders back and chin held high; my clients and friends will know this as the “CHIN GRIN(tm)”. Not suggesting this, but you will know that stepping into moving traffic will trigger the amygdala too. So you see, with knowledge and understanding and discipline, and when we desire, we can control and temper our responses to outside stimuli. Emotions and feelings, are they real? We all experience them to different degrees. I am going to say that I am not qualified to give more than a simple answer. I can say this with certainty- I coach for balance. Mental or mind, emotional or heart, physical or strength, and spiritual or soul. I help you to help yourself integrate your wellness. And I know from 10 years with my good friend Dallas that LOVE has the power to change. Do you have the desire to change? A much better question.
