Say hi there to feelings–all of them. Study how trapped feelings can maintain you again in life, affecting your bodily, emotional and psychological well being, and what to do about it.
Feelings are among the physique’s most distinguished messengers. And, though they serve an vital goal and may be extremely useful, they’ll typically get trapped, resulting in an array of bodily, emotional, and psychological well being considerations that may wreak havoc on our day by day lives. “When you could have an intensely tough expertise, the feelings you’re feeling ought to fade with time, however typically they’re simply an excessive amount of so that you can deal with and your physique might maintain onto these destructive energies within the type of what many name ‘emotional baggage,’” says Dr. Bradley Nelson, a veteran holistic doctor, bestselling creator, and creator of the Emotion Code approach. In keeping with Dr. Nelson, the destructive energies we stock from these experiences are known as trapped feelings, which may be launched by way of his Emotion Code approach in addition to on a regular basis practices, akin to mindfulness, expression, connection and extra.
What Is The Emotion Code?
The Emotion Code is an energy-based approach that’s centered across the notion that feelings are comprised of power and every has its personal frequencies — which is what you actually really feel while you really feel feelings — and centered on releasing trapped feelings (aka, trapped low-frequency power), which is thought to create bodily, psychological, and emotional misery, and result in ache and discomfort that disrupts day by day life. With steerage from Dr. Nelson’s e-book, The Emotion Code: Methods to Launch Your Trapped Feelings for Plentiful Well being, Love, and Happiness, you possibly can study to let go of trapped feelings which, “can allow emotional therapeutic and enable you to really feel higher after enduring traumatic or tough emotional experiences, even when they occurred a few years in the past,” he explains.
As people, we expertise feelings consistently. And, whereas we’re most frequently capable of really feel the emotion, course of it, and transfer on, some feelings linger and get trapped, particularly if the power of the emotion feels too intense. These feelings typically result in bodily, psychological, and energetic imbalances attributable to low frequencies that accompany sure feelings akin to anger, disappointment, grief, and frustration. The Emotion Code teaches you the best way to establish trapped feelings (together with, whether or not they come from your self or had been inherited by a mother or father). As soon as the trapped feelings are recognized, the strategy focuses on releasing every emotion, one after the other, by way of a technique that entails utilizing sway testing primarily based on the approach’s Emotion Code Chart and swiping a magnet throughout the physique’s Governing Meridian, which begins on the lips, runs up the nostril, over the middle of the brow, again of the top, and all the way in which all the way down to the tailbone.
The Penalties of Trapped Feelings
Trapped feelings can manifest in a wide range of methods and have an effect on your bodily, psychological, emotional, and religious well-being. That is notably true for some widespread psychological well being considerations, together with resentment, anxiousness, despair, anger, and even lack of readability, says Jacqueline Gilmer, MS, LPC-S, LCDC, the Scientific Director at Restoration Unplugged, positioned in Austin, TX.
- Resentment: Once we are unable to establish and tackle feelings, Gilmer says we would start to really feel resentment, whether or not that be towards an individual or a state of affairs that triggered these emotions. “This will lead us to behave in methods that aren’t constructive or helpful to ourselves or others,” she explains.
- Nervousness: Feeling anxious is one other widespread facet impact of trapped feelings, and Gilmer says this will even result in the bodily signs related to anxiousness, “akin to problem sleeping, complications, speedy heartbeat, shortness of breath, and muscle rigidity,” along with emotions of panic and worry, which intervene with day by day functioning.
- Despair: “Unresolved emotional points might contribute to despair by leaving you feeling overwhelmed and powerless,” Gilmer explains. Feeling overwhelmed and powerless are destructive feelings that Gilmer says can over time create a cycle of despair, which may be tough to interrupt with out skilled assist.
- Anger: Suppressing feelings by way of anger is a standard approach for folks to specific feelings, however this will manifest in outbursts of rage or aggression. Gilmer says the sort of facet impact of trapped feelings just isn’t solely damaging to relationships however also can have long-term well being penalties, which embody anxiousness, hypertension, and complications.
- Lack of Readability: “When we aren’t capable of establish and course of our feelings, it turns into tough to clarify choices and take motion in our lives,” says Gilmer. Due to this, we would find yourself feeling caught and even energetically paralyzed by indecision, making us unable to maneuver ahead with confidence.

The psychological and emotional uncomfortable side effects of trapped feelings aren’t the one issues that may impair our well being. Along with these penalties, “trapped feelings might manifest as bodily signs of hysteria, akin to problem sleeping, complications, speedy heartbeat, shortness of breath, and muscle rigidity,” Gilmer explains. Amira Martin, LCSW-R, a psychotherapist primarily based in New York Metropolis, says trapped feelings also can end in abdomen points since the gastrointestinal tract is delicate to emotion, and signs akin to heartburn, cramps, and unfastened stools are widespread indicators of stress within the intestine.
Methods to Launch Trapped Feelings, Following The Emotion Code Approach
The Sway Check
Via The Emotion Code approach, you cannot solely establish the trapped emotion but additionally launch it by way of a easy at-home energetic methodology. To start out, establish a difficulty you might be experiencing — it might be bodily akin to a headache, or psychological like anxiousness. As soon as you already know what difficulty you wish to give attention to, stand along with your toes shoulder-width aside along with your palms by your facet for the sway check. To conduct a sway check, take a deep breath and attempt to calm down the physique, getting into a extra meditative state. Ask your self: “Do I’ve a trapped emotion that may be launched now that’s contributing to my [insert issue here]?” Give your physique a second and see whether or not you sway ahead or backward. In the event you sway ahead, the reply is sure. In the event you sway backward, the reply is not any and Dr. Nelson recommends specializing in a distinct difficulty and attempting once more.
Test The Chart
Subsequent, check out the Emotion Code Chart, which is separated into six rows and two columns. Via one other few sway exams and the steerage of this chart, you possibly can establish what the trapped emotion is. Start by standing nonetheless along with your arms by your sides and your toes shoulder-width aside. Enter that relaxed and meditative state once more after which ask your self if the trapped emotion is in column A. In case your physique sways ahead, the reply is sure and the trapped emotion is a type of listed in column A. In case your physique sways backward, the reply is not any, and the trapped emotion is a type of listed in column B. To slender it down additional, you’ll subsequent give attention to the rows. Start by asking your self if the trapped emotion is in one of many odd rows (aka, rows one, three, or 5). Must you sway ahead, the reply is sure and you’ll then ask if the trapped emotion is in every particular odd row. In the event you sway backward, the reply is not any and you’ll transfer ahead with the even rows, asking if the emotion is in every even row till the physique sways ahead, indicating a “sure.” As soon as you already know what column and row the emotion is in, you’re left with simply 5 feelings. Following the sway check once more, spend time asking in case your trapped emotion is every emotion. When you sway ahead, you’ll know which emotion is trapped.
The Magnet Check
When you already know what the trapped emotion is, it’s time to launch it. In keeping with The Emotion Code methodology, this entails swiping a magnet — a fridge magnet will work — or your fingertips alongside the Governing Meridian. Start by passing over the lips, up the nostril, and throughout the middle of the brow. Then, run the magnet or your fingertips throughout the highest and again of the top and down the neck, till you attain your tailbone. In keeping with Dr. Nelson’s methodology, this can launch the trapped emotion, nevertheless, you’ll wish to discover out for certain. To search out out whether or not or not the emotion has been launched, conduct yet one more sway check and ask for those who launched the trapped emotion. In the event you sway ahead, the unconscious thoughts is indicating that the reply is sure.
Different Strategies for Releasing Trapped Feelings
Along with The Emotion Code, there are different strategies for releasing trapped feelings or low-frequency energies to achieve a way of reduction bodily, mentally, and emotionally.
Determine and Expression Your Feelings
A key a part of the Emotion Code approach is studying to establish your trapped feelings, and Gilmer says this is a wonderful approach to start therapeutic. “Take time to take a seat with your self and observe any bodily sensations or emotions that come up inside you,” she explains, including that it helps to ask your self what these feelings are telling you and to be sincere in regards to the ideas and feelings that come up with out judgment. “After you have recognized them, it may possibly assist to speak to a trusted pal or write down your experiences in a journal in order that they don’t stay trapped inside you.”
Transfer Emotion Via Breathwork
Conscious respiration by way of breathwork practices also can enable you to launch trapped feelings. “Take a number of deep breaths into your stomach and give attention to permitting every breath to go by way of your physique, releasing rigidity as you exhale,” Gilmer says. “This apply may also help to shift destructive power away from the physique in order that it’s simpler for us to course of our feelings constructively.”

Apply Mindfulness
In keeping with Dr. Nelson, mindfulness implies that you’re absolutely current and aware within the second, which might have a profound influence on releasing emotion. “Analysis has discovered that individuals who apply mindfulness can have deeper relationships and revel in life extra,” Dr. Nelson explains. To spice up your emotional well being, he recommends attempting a meditation apply, spending extra time in nature, or just placing your cellphone down whereas interacting with household or pals. “Deal with being really current and concerned in no matter is in entrance of you proper now, and see how a lot richer your expertise of that state of affairs turns into.”
Deepen Relationships
Having folks in your life you could depend on also can work wonders for emotional well being, says Dr. Nelson. “Whereas being content material alone is vital too, understanding you possibly can name somebody up while you’re having a foul day or share your successes with another person may be actually helpful to your psychological well being,” he explains.
Work With a Therapist
“One of the vital efficient methods to launch trapped feelings is thru remedy,” says Martin. Remedy is a wonderful and secure place for people to discover and course of their feelings in a supportive setting. “Therapists also can educate coping expertise and supply instruments for managing tough feelings,” Martin provides. Dr. Nelson additionally recommends looking for skilled assist, particularly for those who discover it difficult to convey your feelings and want steerage on the best way to categorical your emotions.