Overcoming Emotional Instability
Working with Elemental Medicine gives us a powerful opportunity to observe ourselves. As we take a step back, we can make conscious reflections about how we feel and conscious decisions about how we behave. Emotions are within the water element. Many of the mysteries of the emotional body can be revealed by simply observing water within and around us.
Water is a medium of exchange. It is highly impressionable to different kinds of energy. The thoughts that we think and the different things we consume throughout the day all affect how our water behaves. Emotional instability can occur when we take unconscious action based on the various emotions that we feel.
For example, in one moment you may feel angry at a particular person. This in turn pushes you to behave differently in your interactions with them. Possibly you hold onto this anger for a week. Last week you may have been open and loving with them but this week, there is a cold hostility present in your words and actions.
Once the cause of the anger is resolved, the behavior changes again. When we are in constant flux with different emotional responses to people and situations, it can be exhausting. In this dynamic, it is impossible to feel stable within due to the consistent changes. What this can cause is a feeling that we are at the mercy of external situations all the time.
Water medicine is an amazing gift. It is wonderful to experience a wide spectrum of emotions throughout life. With that, we greatly benefit from the support of the other elements to keep our energy balanced. Too much water can begin to feel like drowning in the human experience. By working with earth, fire, and air, as well we can create stability within.
The first step is to embrace personal empowerment. You can navigate your life as you desire to. No one can make you feel or do anything. When we have this perspective, it is possible to then reflect on how we want to feel. This moves the focus away from how you are feeling, to the higher vibrational energy of how you want to feel.
Some patterns of emotional instability may have been present for many years so it can take some time to retrain our focus. Naturally, there are moments when we are knocked off center for different reasons. The muscle that can be strengthened is the ability to come back into our conscious awareness. This can be using affirmations or taking a few moments to consciously breathe.
Catching yourself is the most challenging step. Once you are aware of yourself once again, you are back in the driver's seat and can make a conscious decision about what you want to do next. The earth element provides us with the feeling of grounded presence. When things start to feel overwhelming, it is supportive to simply be still. Possibly place your feet on the earth.
Fire medicine allows us to awaken our ability to focus our attention. This is the opposite of the energy of water where we simply go with the flow. Embracing positive masculine energy reminds us that we can make changes to the experience we are having. In those emotionally overwhelming moments, everything can change just by snapping out of it and refocusing.
To support the fire in awakening, we can use air medicine with the breath. This can take the form of consciously breathing for a few moments or speaking to a trusted person in your life. Verbalizing your emotional experience allows you to take a step back to observe it. Your fire can see what is unfolding and you can then find your way through it.
By sharing with someone else you are also opening to their fiery awareness, they may give you some supportive insight into how to look at what you feel from another angle. As you open up about your internal experience, you are taking a significant step to stabilize yourself. If you remain silent, the experience can be prolonged.
Using the elements to gain emotional stability is a transformational journey that has the potential to enhance your relationships. Starting with the relationship you have with yourself. By creating a consistent experience of self-awareness, you are building a profound trust for yourself. This encourages confidence to grow and overall well-being to flourish.
Take a step back from those flowing emotions today to reflect on how you truly want to feel throughout your day. The elements are there to support you in finding your center and awakening the truth within.
