Our Bodies Store Emotions
Here’s something
interesting to think about. I’ve taught about the body-soul-spirit connection
for some time, and today I had an experience that brought the importance of
this need for awareness to me once again. Let me start by asking you to imagine
you accidently hit your head on the door frame of your car and you experience a
stabbing, searing pain. What you do about it is as important as the blow
itself because if you snarl, frown, cry,
curse or get mad your body stores not
only the blow on the head but your reaction. Naturally, your soul is affected too, (your intellect, emotions, will) but at the
time of sudden pain all your reasoning power shuts down. When you feel sudden physical pain your
response is strictly emotional. (Just note what your fists and toes do at the
dentist when the Novocain needle hits your sensitive gum.)
Our bodies store not
only the memory of the prick of the Novocain needle or the blow on the head,
but they store our accompanying emotions. The body remembers and the soul remembers.
The body stores trauma, both physical and emotional.
You probably guessed
that I’m the one who hit my head on the door frame of my car today. I sat in
the front seat doubled over waiting for the pain to subside with thoughts
twirling. “Why did this happen?” “Why wasn’t I more careful?” “Will I have a
lump?” “Oh Jesus, take the pain away.” And because of my teeth-gritting
emotional state I didn’t think to say a sweet, comforting blessing to my
head.
Later I reminded
myself that my body requires resolution just as my mind does. I put my hands on
my head and said a blessing over it in the name of Jesus.
What I want stored in
my body is not the trauma of life with its accidents, trials, abuse, sorrows
and blows, but the blessing of God. I’m
going to talk more about the total person in this new weekly blog. Next time
let’s look more at how our
emotions get stored not only in our
inner emotional bank, but our bodies.
Meanwhile, I hope
you’ll read my two new books published in 2012, THE OTHER SIDE OF SUFFERING
(John Ramsey’s incredible story) and THE EMANCIPATION OF ROBERT SADLER (you’ll
never forget this story—how I loved this man.)
And I love you too –
Marie
