Honoring All of Your Emotions: Emotional Awareness and Healing Through Yoga

We do not create lasting shifts with forced positivity by “putting on a happy face” and turning a blind eye to any emotion that’s not considered “positive.” We create lasting shifts by honoring our full range of emotions, sitting with emotions, and navigating uncomfortable emotions with awareness and compassion.

When we honor our full range of emotions, we are also honoring many components of the first two limbs of yoga, the Yamas and Niyamas, namely Ahimsa (non-violence), Satya (truthfulness), Tapas (self-discipline), and Svadhyaya (self-study in yoga).

We practice Ahimsa, non-violence, by allowing ourselves to explore all that we are feeling with self-compassion and honesty, rather than judging or pushing away uncomfortable emotions. We practice Satya, truthfulness, by acknowledging the full truth of what we are feeling, even when it’s messy or difficult. Tapas, self-discipline, comes into play when we lean into uncomfortable feelings instead of avoiding them, building resilience through consistent presence. And Svadhyaya, self-study, invites us to investigate the deeper roots of our emotions—exploring why we feel what we feel and what these emotions are trying to teach us about ourselves.

By practicing these principles, we create a compassionate container for our emotions, allowing us to engage more fully with our experiences and open the door to emotional healing and emotional resilience.

In addition, when we acknowledge all of our emotions and practice emotional awareness, we strengthen our ability to navigate our emotions and bounce back from uncomfortable emotions more effectively.

Yes, cultivating positivity is important—but not at the expense of denying other emotions. Forced positivity creates shame around natural feelings like anger, sadness, or fear. It’s time to shift away from this and instead practice sitting with emotions with curiosity, compassion, and kindness.

Work on getting comfortable with the uncomfortable. Work through difficult emotions rather than running from them, because it is in these moments where growth and emotional healing begin. By integrating mindfulness and emotions, somatic healing practices, and the guidance of the Yamas and Niyamas, we create space to feel fully and live more authentically.