Anger and personal power

In a 1:1 Deep Dive session (parts work/intention method), a couple of weeks ago, I held space for a client that could only feel anger while getting in touch with one of the parts.
The part was angry and that was the only emotion on display.

I rejoiced in this progress! When one has spent many years or decades in fragmentation and in Dorsal shutdown, starting to feel anger and other suppressed emotions and/or tension in the body is something to be celebrated.

As Peter Levine says: “Anger and rage can turn into strength and purpose”, a term he coined as “healthy aggression”.

When you start to feel anger, this is one of the signs that you are making your way back in the Polyvagal ladder.

You need to go back the way you came. Before arriving in shutdown you went through sympathetic (fight/flight - mobilisation). When these were not sufficient to keep you safe, freeze and shutdown (immobilisation) are the next options on the ladder. Remembering that these are reflexive actions, meaning they are autonomic involuntary responses from the body to keep you safe.

When you heal you are walking this path in reverse.

You most probably will feel uncomfortable, as feeling these suppressed emotions and tension can be something unusual for you, but these are imperative steps for you to regain autonomy, a sense of agency; restoring flow and health to your system.

It’s important to note that this trajectory is not always so linear, the psyche and the body heal in non-linear ways, and you may go back and forth in the ladder for awhile during your healing journey.

Next time you feel afraid of feeling your strong emotions, remember that they are the glue that brings things together, leading you back to yourself.