In the western medicine world, we have lost touch with the basic concept of true healing. We substitute a band-aid for a cure and wonder why we don't feel better. People get ill for many reasons, but each diseased state tells us that we are ignoring some part of the self, and that change is necessary. While many factors can contribute to disease, and healing can happen on many levels, ignoring negative emotions will make healing more difficult, and will not result in long-term good health.
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The physical symptoms of illness communicate that there is a disturbance in the emotional fabric of our being. Negative emotions like anger, fear, doubt and worry interrupt the normal flow of energy. These emotions can undermine us, and, over the course of our lives, can cause conditions and diseases that end up controlling us.

Recent studies have shown that our emotions can sabotage us, not only mentally, but physically. The physical body falls apart because we fall apart emotionally; when we don't care for and acknowledge the emotional self, the body mirrors that neglect.

Negative emotions can take their toll. A constant string of repetitive, negative words and thoughts can weaken and actually exhaust the physical body. Long-standing negative emotional beliefs deteriorate the entire physical being. To heal, we must identify the root emotional cause of disease. Identifying and releasing negative emotions establishes a new foundation for good health.

How do we identify negative emotions?

One of the easiest way to identify our own negative patterns is to see them in family members and friends. Examine the behavior of those around you. Notice all the things you like about them and all the things you don't like. The people in your life are actually reflections of you - what you see in another person that bothers you or angers you represents a part of yourself that has not yet been loved and healed. By doing this practice of looking at the faults of friends and family, you can get in touch with the parts of you that are out of balance and seek healing. This simple exercise offers you an opportunity to look deeply at your own emotional concerns and patterns. Once you locate a personal limitation, it's time for change.

Refrain from judgment

Emotional patterns are created when you place a judgment upon an emotion or experience without consideration. To change, we must stay conscious of our feelings whenever possible, stay calm, and make no judgment. For example, let's take anger, because anger is one of the most profound emotions and is easily felt: Imagine yourself in an anger-producing situation. Stay completely present and allow yourself to feel the anger. Don't judge it - simply feel it. If you can, find a way to appreciate that anger. Anger can be motivation. It can be passionate. Once you change the negative charge that anger produces, you can begin to embrace the feeling of anger instead of attempting to repel it.

Have a dialogue with your anger

Strike up a conversation with your anger. Ask it questions like, "What are you teaching me?" or "Why are you with me so much of the time?" Relax enough to allow the answers to come into your conscious mind. As they do, you will realize what the nature of the true issue. Sometimes, in that moment of realization, the anger subsides and the pattern is broken. Other times, it might take a few more conversations for the anger to subside. This method allows the energy constriction caused by anger and other emotions to be released. At that point, any blocked energy can begin to flow, giving the physical body a chance to heal.