"​I have so much to be grateful for. I don't have any reason to be unhappy . . ."

is one of the most common statements I hear from my clients. It ranks right up there with, "There are people in the world with real problems. Why can't I just get over it?"

I don't know when or where we got the message that only people with real problems are allowed to feel bad and that we are accurate determiners of what constitutes a real problem. But I can tell you that, despite your egoic mind's tendency to think it knows the answer to these questions, your bodymind is saying that somethin' ain't right and no amount of trying to convince it otherwise is gonna help.

In fact, your judging disapproval of your feelings is what prevents them from releasing. Like the upset child who is dismissed, ignored, or told to shut up, our feelings will retreat or hide for awhile, only to come out again when triggered.

The next time you feel bad, sad, depressed, or "sorry for yourself" consider the possibility that an unknown, unloved part of you wants and needs your attention. You don't have to indulge him or her, you don't have to let them take over, just see if you can breathe and let them be with you as you go through your day. Simply acknowledge their presence. You might just find that you both relax and that gratitude comes, not from trying to be grateful, but as a natural quality of breath-filled, fully-embodied, non-resistant presence.

Related Article: Releasing: What It Is and What It Isn't
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Introduction To "Releasing" Video