Use music to access your emotions.

She's got eyes of the bluest skies, as if they thought of rain.
I’d hate to look into those eyes and see an ounce of pain.”
The Guns N’ Roses lyrics above can absolutely bring me to tears. Why? Well, at one time, it brought feelings of protectiveness toward my youngest, Adam, who does indeed have eyes of the bluest skies. Lately though, the meaning in the lyrics has flipped for me and seems to represent my own inner child, little Ann, or Dot, my childhood nickname from my father. “Her hair reminds me of a warm safe place where as a child, I’d hide. And pray for the thunder and the rain to quietly pass me by.” Compassionate love given to our own inner child, as pop culture-ish as it may sound, is actually extremely helpful in our quest of creating a sense of safety for mind/body healing. Remember that our mind can not easily differentiate a true physical threat versus a repetitive emotional trigger. Understanding our emotional thought patterns gives rise to greater safety and less chemical responses in the body.
“Maybe it’s not too late to learn how to love and forget how to hate.” Ozzy Osbourne
Try it!
Music has been used for millennia to provoke and express emotions. Put on your absolute favorite gut wrenching or joy producing song and free-write what emotions arise. If you dislike writing, just jot down one-word answers that are the emotions with no story attached. Cry or dance as appropriate. Praise yourself if you do the homework. Burn or shred your paper.
Lather, rinse, repeat...tomorrow.
“Don’t let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy.” The Eagles
www.pathsbeyondpain.com