“All negativity is caused by an accumulation of psychological time and denial of the present.
Unease, anxiety, tension, stress, worry - all forms of fear - are caused by too much future, and not enough presence.
Guilt, regret, resentment, grievances, sadness, bitterness, and all forms of non-forgiveness are caused by too much past, and not enough presence.”
All of us really want to alleviate discomfort in the body by almost any means possible, like shifting our position, rubbing our neck, or choosing medicinal or not-so-medicinal options. But, the discomfort of emotions are different in that the bodily sensations that arise are "velcroed" together with our stories about the them. Emotions are also tied either to the past or the future -- not the present. So, unlike physical bodily discomforts, where we work get rid of them or distract ourselves from them, we need to be willing to investigate and understand our emotions directly for what they are. We have to be willing to invite them into the present moment and, with care and compassion, separate the stories from the sensations. And, since our emotions are really an ally to and serve the Separate Self, our freedom comes from recognizing that they are obscuring our True Self -- our open, aware and peaceful nature.