The Healing Potential of Emotional Releases
Emotional releases are an important and normal part of the treatment and healing process. However, they are often the thing we fear the most. How can our emotions help us to heal?
When trying to describe what happens during and after a Cranio-Sacral Therapy or Sound Healing session, I often tell people they may experience emotional releases. Before I can finish saying this is a normal part of the healing process, I can see people recoiling in horror. While it is not my intention to make my client’s cry or experience feelings of anger, these emotions are valid and when not expressed, can manifest in seemingly unrelated situations, or in physical patterns such as jaw clenching or digestive disturbances. Emotional releases can be incredibly insightful and help us to better understand patterns of behaviour that prevent us from moving forward with our relationships or goals.
In traditional healing systems, the emotional body is interconnected with the physical body via a two-way communication system - things that affect us emotionally can have physiological consequences and vice versa. The most well known system for understanding the emotional body is the chakra system, seven emotional or energy centres located along the body. A simplified explanation of the chakra system is: root chakra (stability), sacral chakra (relationships), solar plexus chakra (individual power), heart chakra (love), throat chakra (expression), third eye chakra (intuition) and the crown chakra (higher consciousness).
From my experience, each energy centre has a very different quality. Three chakras that are often quite useful to work with are the heart, solar plexus and throat. As mentioned, the heart chakra is associated with love, our connection to self and with others. People who are caregivers or people who struggle to feel accepted often find this contact useful, and may cry during or after the session.
The solar plexus is associated with individual power and fire. This chakra is often useful for people who experience repressive relationships, either in childhood or adulthood, where their sense of identity is taken from them. For these people, this region of the body, just above the naval, may feel tight or restricted. Their emotional release may manifest in the form of anger.
Finally, the throat chakra is associated with expression and our ability to share our thoughts and feelings with the world. Working with this chakra may be useful for people who are lacking clarity in their purpose or doubt in their creativity. Emotional releases from this centre may manifest as crying, anger and sometimes laughter. Emotional releases can also occur without directly connecting with a particular energy centre. A therapeutic setting alone offers a safe place for people to let go of things they have been holding onto - in some cases for years.
Map of consciousness developed by Dr. David R. Hawkins
Psychiatrist Dr. David R. Hawkins, developed a "Map of Consciousness," linking emotional states to specific frequencies or levels of consciousness. His work suggests higher emotional frequencies correspond to states like love and enlightenment, promoting well-being, while lower frequencies correspond to negative states like shame and anger. Cranio-Sacral Therapy and Sound Healing are effective tools to support and address emotional releases. Cranio-Sacral contacts, fascial unwinding, and instruments used in Sound Healing, including the voice, aim to restore the vibrational frequency of a person’s system to bring balance and improve well-being.
Emotional releases are an important and normal part of the treatment and healing process. For some people the effects are noticeable emotional releases, such as crying during the session or 1-2 days afterwards. For others, the releases are subtle and noticeable through a shift in their response to conversations or interactions that would normally cause them anxiety or fear. Emotional releases are a process of identifying, accepting and releasing - rinse and repeat. Our aim is not to be emotion-free but rather not controlled or overwhelmed by them. Being in tune with our emotions can be empowering and build deeper connections with ourselves and others.
