Our Emotional Interiors

"Genius is the ability to renew one's emotions in daily experience." ~Paul Cezanne

February is the month that celebrates love. A human condition loaded with emotion.

Astrologically our emotional composition relates to the sign and placement of our Moon. The Moon provides perspective to how we naturally manage what we feel, and the types of environments that support us. Therefore, knowing the location and sign of your Moon can provide insight for reflection.

Emotions play a huge role in our life circumstances, moods, and how we interact in our relationships. Life cycles, transitions, and events can all play havoc with our emotions. As a result, we can feel stressed and burnt out. Stress, as we know, is associated with several mental health issues including depression - and festering emotions like fear and anger are known to trigger negative chemical changes in our bodies. Changes associated with inflammation, asthma, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer.

On the positive side, having better control over our thoughts when under emotional stress and being more consciously aware of who we are and how we act in the world, can not only produce personal growth but support our overall health. As a result, we can find it easier to return to feelings of love, hope, faith, and happiness while managing our emotions.

So what does that mean for us going forward? How can we use this information for our good?

Here are three simple daily practices that can improve how we manage our emotional interiors: 1) create a sacred space, 2) journal, and 3) develop supportive relationships.

When we think of sacred spaces we may think of places outside our homes. Yet, to really support our emotional and spiritual well-being setting up a sacred space at home is a necessity. Think about how you benefit from retreating, and keep that in mind as you create your nurturing place. Simple things like colors can either calm or agitate us, the same with pictures and objects in and around our homes. Walk through your rooms and see what kind of emotional response you get from the colors and items that surround you. Do they make you feel comfortable, alive, and inspire you? If not, clear out what doesn’t feel supportive.

Taking care of ourselves doesn’t always have to be serious. Norman Cousins found that laughter is a powerful way to tap into our positive emotions. Commit to watching some of your favorite comedies on a regular basis and don’t forget about healing sounds and your favorite music. Just as we store thought – we store sound, scent, and image memory. Have you ever noticed how a certain song can come on the radio and instantly bring you to a happy state? Or how the smell of a certain fragrance reminds you of someone you love? Our senses relate back to our emotions. Consider how you can support yours in your personal spaces.

If you have never kept a journal, or have and found it a chore, try to make it easy for yourself to jot thoughts down. I have found that having a journal and pen that I like to write with on the nightstand by my bed keeps me engaged in the writing process. I use it to write about my dreams when I wake tapping into the wisdom of my unconscious, and my feelings as they turn up. Sometimes I work with prompts, other times it's just a flow of expressive writing. All of it is meaningful in the scope of self-understanding.

We can’t speak about emotions without speaking of love. Our social connections contribute to our long-term health. When we have satisfying social connections we are happier, have fewer health problems and live longer. However, as we know, all relationships are not equal. First and foremost, we need to spend time building the relationship with ourselves because that is the foundation of which all other relationships stand. We can do this through a practice of journal writing.

Like the universe we are continually evolving, and what we surround ourselves with in our home interior also supports our emotional interior. If one of these practices

resonates with you, incorporate it in your everyday life and take note of how things grow and change as a result.

© Cathi Curen 2017