Our bodies have always known how to feel; we were just taught not to listen.

What We Were Taught About Emotions

So many of us were taught that when we feel angry, frustrated, sad, overwhelmed, or emotional in any way, we should push it down.

“Why are you crying?”
“You’re fine.”
“Toughen up.”
“Get over it.”
“There are people who have it much worse than you.”
“Why do you cry so much?”
“Stop crying or we have to leave.”

This attitude is used by parents, grandparents, friends, teachers, and mentors all over the world. It’s so normalised to suppress our emotions that crying or expressing feelings outwardly is often seen as a sign of weakness.

Feeling Deeply Is a Gift

But feeling deeply is not a flaw … it’s a gift.

Crying does not make you weak. It does not make you “too much.” And it is not something you need to apologise for.

Happy tears.
Sad tears.
Overwhelmed tears.

Your body is releasing emotion for a reason. Let them out.

Many of us instinctively say “sorry” when we cry, as if our emotions are an inconvenience to others. But tears are one of the body’s most natural regulation tools. When we suppress them, we interrupt the release. When we allow them, we honour what the body is trying to do.

The Long-Term Cost of Suppression

This learned behaviour has resulted in generations of adults who are anxious, depressed, irritated, chronically ill, people-pleasers. Always tense, always rushing, always holding it together.

Our bodies were never meant to carry this much.

Emotions Need to Complete Their Cycle

Every emotion has a purpose. Try to think of your feelings and emotions as a cycle.

When a feeling comes up, we have two options. We can squash it down, preventing the cycle from completing. When this happens, the emotion stays within the body, literally.

Or we can allow the feeling to come up. We can recognise it, acknowledge it for what it is, and release it, allowing it to move through us.

When an emotional cycle is completed, when we fully feel what needs to be felt even traumatic events can move through the body the way nature intended, leaving no lasting imprint. When emotions are suppressed, they don’t disappear. They settle into our fascia, remaining there until we allow ourselves to release them.

A lifetime of this creates an enormous load for the body to carry.

Grief, Trauma, and Acceptance

This isn’t to say that feeling your feelings means you’ll never feel sad again.

When we lose a loved one or experience something deeply traumatic, grief can feel overwhelming. We don’t forget. We continue to miss them. We remember what happened.

But when emotions are allowed to move through the body, rather than being pushed down, they no longer consume us. Over time, we find acceptance. We find peace.

What About the Emotions We Never Released?

So, what about all the emotional cycles we never completed? Do they live in our bodies forever?

Absolutely not. They can be released. All of them.

We can complete these cycles and give both our minds and bodies some much-needed relief. We can heal from anything.

A Gentle Note for Parents and Carers: It’s Safe to Feel

Most parents tell their children to stop crying, often every single day. Not because they don’t care, but because they’re overwhelmed, unsure what to do, or were never taught another way.

This isn’t about blame. It’s about awareness.

Children need help moving through their emotions, not being forced to shut them down. We can hold boundaries while still honouring feelings.

Some gentle alternatives might sound like:

• “It’s okay to feel frustrated, but it’s not okay to be unkind.”
• “I’m so sorry you’re feeling sad, let’s go for a little walk together.”
• “It’s okay to be sad. You can cry. You are safe.”

When we allow children to feel their emotions with support, we teach them that feelings are safe, temporary, and manageable, not something to fear or suppress.

In doing this, we’re not only supporting our children to recognise and regulate their emotions, but we’re also giving ourselves permission to move through our own and heal alongside them.

How Do We Release Emotions?

Through meditation, breathwork, deep reflection, movement, pressure, load, and intention.

It might sound like a lot, but it’s something we’re already wired for. At first, it can feel uncomfortable or unfamiliar. You may need to consciously choose it. But once you begin to feel the release, it becomes second nature.

Fascial manoeuvres combine all of these tools, helping calm the nervous system and reduce stress, pain, and discomfort. Everyone heals differently, and parts of the healing process can feel uncomfortable, but integrating this practice into your life is something you won’t regret.

Continuing the Journey

Our blog post “Fascia: Where Trauma Lives & How We Can Release It” dives deeper into what fascia is and how grief and trauma are stored within it.

We’re currently developing our own resources to guide you through this process, but in the meantime, we’re excited to confidently direct you to humangarage.net.

Through The Human Garage, their teachings and their community, we’ve experienced profound personal growth and release. The work they’re doing is truly life-changing, and we encourage you to explore it for yourself.

Your feelings are not the problem; they are the pathway.

Trust your body. Trust yourself.
Let’s heal the world, together.

Lisa x