Emotions are partly a physical experience

When we think about “emotions”, we tend to view them as abstract or conceptual. However, emotions are actually very physical. An emotion is a form of energy. When we believe a thought, it creates an emotional energy. When we have an emotion, there can be an abstract conceptual aspect of it, but there is also always a very real felt experience. A negative emotion may feel tense, dense, heavy, contracted, like a stone, or feel sharp like a knife. A positive emotion may feel light, open, like butterflies, or energizing. It can feel all sorts of ways. You might feel it in your stomach, your throat, your shoulders, or your chest. 

We can often be unaware of the experiential qualities of our negative emotions because we often unconsciously distance ourselves from our emotions since they are generally perceived to be painful or unwanted. The felt experience of our emotions can sometimes also be very subtle. When I refer to the physical felt experience of an emotion, I often refer to it as an energy. I use the word “energy” to describe an emotion in order to explore emotions as more real, tangible, and physical.