"Never apologize for showing feelings. When you do so, you apologize for the truth."
– Benjamin Disraeli

Today I practiced one of my favorite heart openers: supported fish pose (matsyasana). Not only does this pose ease my neck and shoulders after a long day of sitting, it also helps to open my heart.

As a kid I was very shy. It took me a long time to make friends because I was not comfortable sharing my feelings, my thoughts, or any aspect of myself. I was too worried about what people would think; I was worried about their judgment. Over time, and through much practice, it has become easier for me to open my heart and share who I am with the world. While I have opened up to the world in may ways, I still struggle to share my feelings especially when my feelings are not positive or happy.

I love the above quote as it reminds me that we are all human and one of the characteristics that differentiates humans as a species is our ability to feel an endless array of emotions. We feel for a reason; we feel to better understand our own Truth and even to understand the Truth of others' experiences. I often need to remind myself that it's OK to feel sad sometimes. It's part of the human experience. It's OK to feel impatient, anxious, jealous, and frustrated. These emotions are all aspects of ourselves. Our emotions provide the insight that allows us to discover what we need to do to take care of ourselves. Emotions also help us to interact with the world and with the people around us. In essence, emotions are the tool that the world has given us to aid us in making decisions as we shape our lives.

Is there an emotion that you haven't allowed yourself to feel? What would it be like if you opened up to all aspects of your self? Can you give yourself permission to feel all that you are feeling without judgment or restraint?