Emotional Expression is a form of self love and care
Happening September 4th: Emotional Expression Workshop - learn more and register below.
Hi beautiful friend,
I hope you’re feeling surrounded by warmth and care as you read this. Last week, at the Invitation of Pain workshop with Hillary McBride, she shared a quote from one of her teachers:
Holy crap did that hit me hard! It made me reflect on how, from a very young age, I learned to swallow and stuff so many of my feelings and emotions. So many feelings were simply “not allowed” in my home. Of course, those emotions didn’t disappear—they just found other ways to manifest, showing up as chronic pain, depression, neurological issues, and more. Even now, I find myself retreating to my phone or a book to avoid confronting those intense feelings—loneliness, fear, anxiety, depression, grief, and so on.
I've always been a big feeler, and my instinct is often to shut those feelings down because they can be overwhelming for my nervous system. When we're not taught to handle emotions from a young age, they can feel like a threat to our system. Lately, I’ve been working on giving myself regular opportunities to express my emotions through various methods. My favorite has become hitting a pillow with a plastic bat!
A couple of weeks ago, I discovered that a traumatic root canal I went through a month ago was unnecessary. The expense, the trauma, feeling let down by the medical system, and the ongoing pain made me feel so much anger. I came home, let out a scream, beat the hell out of a pillow, and yelled a lot. After letting all those big feelings out, I felt a sense of relief and space. By expressing my anger safely, I avoided letting it spill over onto my partner or manifest in other ways. I was genuinely amazed and proud of how I felt afterward—acknowledging and moving through my emotions instead of burying them, as I often used to do.
Were big emotions welcomed in your home growing up? What beliefs or messages about emotions are you now working to unlearn? I’d be interested to hear about your experiences.
This month’s event for all my paying newsletter subscribers ($6/month) will focus on emotional expression. I’ll be sharing some tools, and we’ll dive into practicing them together. We’ll journal, dance, and much more. Remember, your emotions are never bad, wrong, or sinful; they simply reflect how you feel in the moment. Shaming ourselves for our emotions only adds to our pain. This is a daily journey for me, too—unlearning emotional suppression and embracing emotional expression as something positive and sacred. We all deserve this powerful shift!
I’d love for you to join me on September 4th, at 1 PM Central for a time dedicated to being with your emotions with deep care and compassion.
Looking forward to connecting with you tomorrow, dear friend.
Keep reading for:
Love’s Invitation Monthly Event: Emotional Expression Workshop
Mind + Body In-Person Workshop
Invitation of Pain In-Person Event
Love’s Invitation Monthly Event: Emotional Expression Workshop
We all know that the body keeps the score, yet many of us were never taught how to feel, process, or express our emotions—let alone feel safe doing so. We were often told that certain emotions were bad, dirty, or sinful.
Join Ruthie on September 4th from 1 PM to 2 PM CT for a session dedicated to processing and expressing emotions through journaling and release practices.
This event is exclusively for paid subscribers ($6/month). If you're not yet a paid subscriber, you can subscribe below. Once you've subscribed, return to this post to register for the event. If you're already a paid subscriber, you'll find the registration link at the bottom of this newsletter.
In-Person Mind + Body Workshop
Jed and Ruthie are teaming up in Nashville, Tennessee from September 21st to the 22nd for a weekend writing and embodiment workshop.
The 2024 Mind and Body Workshop will focus on addressing our past, present, and future, as well as understanding what our bodies are telling us about it. Click the link below to learn more and purchase your ticket!
The Invitation of Pain In-Person Event
When we experience pain, we are instructed to medicalize our pain to make it go away. We learn to see our bodies as the enemy and forget the identity outside of the pain. But we can learn to experience and understand pain differently, even coming to see pain as the route back home to who we really are. In this way, the pain becomes the invitation back to our bodily selves - reminding us how to love ourselves more fully, teaching us that we can heal regardless of whether the pain goes away or not.
Explore a new perspective on pain with Ruthie Lindsey and Hillary McBride. On November 16th, 2024, this event in Nashville offers a chance to rethink how you relate to pain and discover new pathways to wellness. Connecting with ourselves through our bodies is valuable, and experiencing this together in person can enhance that connection to another level. We hope you’ll join us for this meaningful experience. Click the link below to learn more about this event and purchase your ticket.