Emotions - can you identify the sensations and their location

[ElenaO]

I've decided to do the exercise from this video: 

In short, you are given a list of emotions/feelings and you are asked to answer to the following questions for each of them:

 

1. What sensations are going through your body when you feel it?

2. Where in your body was this emotion being felt?

3. How was this different from the prior emotion?

4. What is going on in your mind when you are in the middle of this emotion?

My question: I do understand these emotions to some degree but I have very hard time recognizing/defining somehow the sensations that are happening in my body when these emotions are felt. The vast majority of them are either in my chest or my belly. And for others I cannot identify any sensations whatsoever. 
So my question is can you?

Here's a categorized list of the emotions from the video (I've written some of my own notes next to them ).

Apathy - least resourceful group

Depression - zero motivation to do anything, immobility; felt in my shoulders, passivity, shoulders slouched.

Nothing really works. There's no meaning in anything. Why do that?

Defeated - sensations in the chest, back. Less apathy, the pride has been damaged.
The world is unfair. I gotta prepare better for the fight next time. Gotta practice. I am far from being good at it.

Bored - sensations in the belly. Like you are being stuck somewhere and you want to leave the place but you cannot. Lack of control. Oh, I wish this would end. I need something to happen, I hate this monotony. Gloominess, dullness.

Lazy - hands? No point in doing this. I know I should but I don't really want to and I don't know if it even matters.

 

Grieve

Being sad - sensations in chest, heart area, burning feeling. Oh no, why did this had to happen? I wish it would all turn around and be the other way.

Hurt - sensations in the chest. How could he/she do that to me? Let them see what they get for it.

Betrayed - Chest. I knew I shouldn't trust anyone. I know I can only trust myself. You better do everything alone and not rely on anyone. This son of a bitch. Now my plans are ruined.

Disappointed - slightly ligther feeling compared to the rest. Chest-neck area. Damn, why is it so?

Guilty - chest, shoulders, belly. I gotta make up for it.


Fear

Terror - chest, belly, the whole core. What can I do to save myself?

Nervousness - upper back, chest, shaky feeling, anxiousness.

Worry - Chest. Very common. What if? What should I do?

Insecurity - chest, upper body. Oh please, don't see me/ask me/judge me.

 

Lust

Craving - belly. Mm, I want that. I can already feel it. I wish I could have it now.

Possessiveness - Haha, I am so powerful.

Greed - Chest. gotta have more, later might not have the possibility.

Frustration - chest. Oh, it's not working. I have been sitting here forever and it still doesn't work. Am I stupid? Am I not meant for this?

 

Anger

Disgusted - upper body, belly. How could he/she do this? I would have never done this.

Pissed off - How could this stupid guy do this?

Vengeful - Heart - they will regret it!

Annoyed - (kind of like disappointed?) Wish this could have worked better.

Pride

Gloating - delight in other's success/failure

Pretty good feeling.

Oh, I see. Makes sense. Haha, he could have done it another way.

Feeling icy - Ta-da. I am so much better in this. I knew I am great!

Being judgemental - OMG. How could someone do something like this? Why is he doing this? Can he already stop it?

Arrogance - Who are you compared to me? So what if you know that? I know I am better.

 

Courage

Confident - in the whole body. I am pretty calm. I can deal with anything that comes my way.

Creative - feeling of being in the flow, losing yourself in the moment. Detaching from the world.

Happy - content. Heart, body relaxed, muscles not tense.

Secure - oh, world is just fine. We are all doing fine. Everything will be all right. Relaxed and content feeling.

Acceptance

Compassion - oh, I see why he did that. Kindness you feel towards another.

Glowing - enthusiastic. Oh, we could do it this way but then there would be that. It's gonna be great.

Loving - he deserves that. Let's make him feel good.

Playful - overall feeling of energy. Spontaneous behaviour. Being non-judgemental.

 

Peace

Awareness - I see. Yes, this is how I react. It's OK.

Calm - I could just be sitting here doing nothing and the world and everyone would be just fine. No need to hustle around.

Feeling complete - deep breath. Self-satisfaction. World is amazing. Nature is wonderful. Life is awesome. We are all just perfect creatures.

Freedom - immense joy. I can do whatever, nothing can stop me. All life is just made of wonders.

Feeling centered - concentrated. Sensation in my forehead. Clarity.

 

[Shin]

I can only feel happiness and sadness.

Yeah, men are autistic, I got why now lol

[ElenaO]

3 minutes ago, Shin said:

I can only feel happiness and sadness.

Yeah, men are autistic, I got why now lol

Seriously? I think I've experienced all of them. But most of my day is centered around the pride and anger categories  

[Jamie Universe]

Are you trying to do shadow work? Because if you aren't, there's other techniques which are good for being vulnerable to your emotions and accepting them, which might work better for you, since you seem to have some trouble with this one.

P.S. 

6 minutes ago, Shin said:

Yeah, men are autistic, I got why now lol

ok?

Edited February 17, 2018 by Jamie Universe

[Shin]

13 minutes ago, ElenaO said:

Seriously? I think I've experienced all of them. But most of my day is centered around the pride and anger categories  

Yes but I'm probably highly fucked up, so I don't know if you can take my case into account.

@ElenaO 

 

Edited February 17, 2018 by Shin

[ElenaO]

9 minutes ago, Jamie Universe said:

Are you trying to do shadow work? Because if you aren't, there's other techniques which are good for being vulnerable to your emotions and accepting them, which might work better for you, since you seem to have some trouble with this one.

P.S. 

ok?

Hm, not sure I understood to whom was this addressed. I've heard of shadow work, but haven't done research on it yet. What do you know about it?

[Jamie Universe]

1 minute ago, ElenaO said:

Hm, not sure I understood to whom was this addressed. I've heard of shadow work, but haven't done research on it yet. What do you know about it?

I don't actually know a ton about it, but here's some stuff. https://lonerwolf.com/shadow-work-demons/

Its basically finding unconscious neurotic stuff and releasing it. Or something along those lines. I haven't actually done much of it myself, but I'm pretty sure that trying to identify emotions and having awareness of the body, is something you use for shadow work.

 

11 minutes ago, Shin said:

Yes but I'm probably highly fucked up, so I don't know if you can take my case into account.

When I was 13/14 years old I probably went insane for at least a year or two. Rationally I was fine, but I kept believing that I lived in some sort of society where everyone could control me, and I also started believing a bunch of other crap. And I occasionally still believe that stuff today, even though its pretty irrelevant at this point because I can catch myself believing it.

People get in car accidents and lose their legs, and literally enlightenment is about fucking murdering yourself. Shit happens, but I know for a fact that if I didn't have that time where I went insane, I would've been a lot unhappier. My point? Idk

[Leo Gura]

Emotions are extremely subtle and sneaky.

For example, try to notice the sensations in your arms when you are angry or frustrated or annoyed. Then try relaxing your arms consciously and see what difference it makes.

@ElenaO Good work! Keep observing. Especially during meditation.

[ElenaO]

Thank you! Will do that next time I am observing my emotions.

I fully realized just recently that I am a serious emotional eater. I've never paid attention to it. I always thought I just like food and that's why I am overeating and indulging. That's like my biggest "sin" at the moment. 

I also lose control and binge on things (including watching series) when I feel some emotions which are obviously out of my comfort zone. Or to be more exact, when I try to escape these emotions. For example, being in the center of attention, public speaking, etc. 

[Leo Gura]

@ElenaO Try practicing Mindful Eating.

[Staples]

If you want to continue that line of work of being conscious of feelings and analyzing them, you'd like Vipassana.

[ElenaO]

5 hours ago, Staples said:

If you want to continue that line of work of being conscious of feelings and analyzing them, you'd like Vipassana.

Yes, for sure. I do mindfulness meditation often. Planning to do a retreat, as I am leaving for Thailand very soon.

[Pallero]

On 18.2.2018 at 8:57 PM, ElenaO said:

I fully realized just recently that I am a serious emotional eater.

Me too! I've always been this way but recently I've begun noticing it, because I've become more aware. I don't stop it when it happens. I just keep hoping that all awareness is curative. Anyway, it makes me feel really bad, and I also read somewhere that it's a type of an eating disorder.

It's so awful when I see myself experience an emotion so difficult that I cannot deal with it and I get this craving to stuff my face so that I can numb it. Sometimes I've managed to stop myself from eating and what happens is usually I have a panic attack.

[ElenaO]

@Pallero I feel you. I thought of replacing the eating with some other activity, which would create positive feelings in my body. I couldn't come up yet with anything as powerful as eating is. Hopefully, some day. 
When I stop myself from stuffing my face with food I get this urge to eat again. So it doesn't end until I just eat. I cannot focus on anything else, it's horrible. 

I will look into emotional eating more seriously very soon, because I've had this for some time and it definitely robs me of happiness. Will start with reading books about it.

[Elisabeth]

 

Quote

@ElenaO My question: I do understand these emotions to some degree but I have very hard time recognizing/defining somehow the sensations that are happening in my body when these emotions are felt. The vast majority of them are either in my chest or my belly. And for others I cannot identify any sensations whatsoever. 
So my question is  can you? 

4

Yes I think I can if I really focus. Maybe not with all of them, and I also feel mostly in my chest and belly, and lower abdomen. Sometimes in my head. Sometimes my limbs go numb. 

I think feeling emotions in the body is like the number one tool to working with them - and I need to do a LOT of that kind of work. 

I wonder if you might like this picture. Seems they've done research on it, I haven't read the details. 

Feel you on emotional eating, I noticed it too and haven't even mustered the courage yet to look into it yet. 

[mohdanas]

Wonderful job of describing all the emotions