How Emotions Can Become Transformational Guides on Your Journey

Embrace Your Emotions: How to Welcome Them as Guides for Personal Growth

Emotions are often seen as things to avoid, hide, or suppress. We’ve all felt the weight of difficult emotions—like jealousy, sadness, or fear—and many of us have been taught to push them away as quickly as possible. But what if we’ve been going about it all wrong?

In today’s blog post, I want to share a transformative approach to how we relate to our emotions. Instead of resisting or shaming them, what if we treated them like guests in our lives? What if we welcomed them in, learned from them, and allowed them to guide us to deeper understanding and personal growth?

The Power of Emotional Resistance

In my recent podcast episode, I shared a personal story about experiencing jealousy and how I initially tried to talk myself out of the emotion. But here's the catch: when we resist our emotions, they don't just disappear. They often come back with even more intensity, showing up in different forms or scenarios. Or as my yoga teacher says, "What you resist persists."

I've come to understand that difficult emotions, like jealousy in my case, are simply trying to teach us something. Rather than pushing them away, we can instead allow them to show us what we still need to heal or release. As I worked through my feelings of jealousy, I uncovered an old belief that I wasn’t good enough or worthy of love. By acknowledging this emotion and sitting with it, I was able to illuminate a hidden part of myself that needed attention.

Emotions as Messengers

One of the most powerful lessons I've learned is that emotions are not enemies; they are messengers. They show us what is still unresolved within us. And rather than being something to avoid, they’re opportunities to grow.

This concept is beautifully captured by Zen Master Shunryu Suzuki, who said, "Leave your front door and your back door open. Allow your thoughts to come and go. Just don’t serve them tea."

What Suzuki’s words remind us is that thoughts and emotions are transient—they come and go, just like visitors. We don’t need to hold onto them, and we certainly don’t need to invite them to stay longer than necessary. Let them come in, acknowledge their presence, and then let them go when they’re ready. This simple act of acceptance can create space for peace and clarity.

Learning to Sit with Our Emotions

Another powerful reminder comes from poet Donna Ashworth, who talks about hosting sadness as a visitor in our lives. In her beautiful poem, "Hosting Sad," Ashworth speaks directly to this practice of accepting emotions without judgment or attachment. Here’s a snippet:

"Sometimes I wake up sad. For no reason.

And I know, as soon as my eyes open, that today, I am sad.

I can choose positive thoughts, have a cold shower, run on the treadmill, but I will still be sad.

And counting my blessings, on days like this, makes me even more sad.

How lucky I am and how tenuous that is.

How others are not so blessed and how unfair that is.

And I’ve learned to accept these little bouts of sad, or soul-flu, as I have now come to call them.

They are not within my control, this I know.

I don’t fear them anymore, they can’t harm me - because I don’t ‘become’ them.

I just let my ‘sad’ in the door and say 'hey, how are you, take a seat…but don’t stay too long please, I have things to do.'

And I rumble along in my mental kitchen, making tea, emptying the dishwasher. And my sad sits there and just exists, without judgement or acrimony. Just acceptance."

Ashworth’s words resonate so deeply because they give us permission to welcome our emotions as they come, without the need to fight them, fix them, or even understand them fully. It’s about allowing them to exist without attaching judgment or fear. When we do this, emotions become less of an enemy and more of a visitor with something important to offer. They’re here for a reason, and when we allow them to be present without judgment or resistance, they can even teach us valuable lessons.

Emotions as Guides: The Wisdom of Rumi

Perhaps the most beautiful reflection on emotions, not just as visitors but perhaps as guides, comes from the beloved poet Rumi, who wrote in The Guest House:

"This being human is a guest house.

Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,

some momentary awareness comes

as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!

Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,

who violently sweep your house

empty of its furniture,

still, treat each guest honorably.

He may be clearing you out

for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,

meet them at the door laughing,

and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,

because each has been sent

as a guide from beyond."

Rumi’s wisdom echoes the idea that every emotion has something to offer us and reminds us that every emotion, even the heavy ones that feel overwhelming or destructive, comes for a reason. Sometimes, emotions like sorrow or fear show up to clear out what no longer serves us by helping us release outdated beliefs, fears, or old patterns to make space for something new. This helps us to realize that even in these moments of discomfort, we are being prepared for growth, healing, and transformation-- if we allow it.

"Be grateful for whoever comes, | because each has been sent | as a guide from beyond."

How to Start Embracing Your Emotions as Transformational Guides

1. Recognize your emotions without judgment. When you notice an emotion arising, don’t immediately push it away. Instead, pause and acknowledge it. Say to yourself, "I am feeling this emotion right now. It's okay to feel this way."

2. Ask what the emotion is here to teach you. Every emotion carries a lesson. Instead of resisting, ask yourself, "What is this emotion trying to show me?" Whether it’s fear, anger, jealousy, or sadness, there’s always a deeper message behind it.

3. Sit with the emotion. Allow yourself to feel the emotion fully. Let it move through you without trying to change it. This might feel uncomfortable, but it’s in these moments of discomfort that deep healing happens.

4. Release resistance. Instead of fighting the emotion, let go of the urge to control it. Trust that emotions are meant to flow through you and release when their work is done.

5. Use your emotions as guides for growth. Every emotion, even the challenging ones, is here to help you evolve. Look for what your emotions are teaching you and use them as a roadmap for your personal transformation.

   
   

Embrace the Journey

Emotions are not here to hold us back—they are here to help us grow, evolve, and align with our highest selves. By learning to embrace emotions as transformational guides, we can unlock new depths of self-awareness and healing.

If this post resonated with you, I encourage you to take the next step in your emotional journey. Embrace your emotions with compassion and curiosity, and let them show you the path forward.

And if you’re looking for more support on this journey, I invite you to explore how we can work together through personalized coaching, Reiki sessions, or my Yoga+ Membership. You can find the details at wholebeingjourney.com. 

You can also listen to the Return to Her podcast for more insights and inspiration around this and similar topics.

Together, we’ll dive deeper into the power of healing and emotional release.

General Disclaimer

The content shared in this blog is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult a qualified healthcare provider for any personal health or wellness concerns.