Emotions are funny things. Like thoughts, they come and go, but sometimes our emotions get the best of us. We react from an emotional place that sometimes gets us in trouble. We say or do things we regret. Generally speaking, emotions are good. They hold messages within them. Emotions are healthy to express rather than repress, but emotions are sometimes irrational and illogical and we don’t want them running the show. We need to develop emotional intelligence. We need to learn how to control our emotional impulses. So, how do we control our emotional impulses?
We need to learn how to detach from our emotions and become the witnessing presence. We can learn how to do this through meditation. The more we meditate, the more we develop awareness around our thoughts and emotions. This awareness and presence of mind allows us to learn how to use our emotions for good. (Read more in Meditation 101.)
Slow Your Thoughts
When we practice yoga or meditation, we slow our thoughts to a pace where we can observe them more easily. Without these tools, there are too many thoughts to consciously perceive and it's easy to get lost in our thoughts. Our inner Self is more connected to our intuition — the still, small voice within. Our true nature isn't our thoughts or our emotions. (Learn more about Listening to Your Inner Voice.)
Get Grounded
If we’re really in touch with our inner Self, we can live from this place of groundedness and authenticity. This is a far more authentic place than living from our thoughts or emotions. In addition to meditation and yoga, you can tap into your intuition by meditating on your third eye. Your third eye is the chakra of intuition. Controlling your emotional impulses is an advanced spiritual practice that’s not easy to attain, but with conscious attention, you’ll advance faster than you might have imagined! (Read on in You Are a Spiritual Being.)