The Biology of Emotion

Human beings are designed (evolved) to be emotional creatures of love, joy, pleasure and play. The emotional brain is our limbic brain. It has a series of small control centers reponsible for different moods and cross-wired with one another. Our emotions and moods control our bodies through chemicals, adrenaline, cortisol, serotoninm!

Being profoundly visual animals, human beings read hundreds of subtle signals, body languages, hand gestures, flickers of facial expression. Millions of mirror neurons in limbic brain pick up emotions of others and mirror them. Emotion literally precedes thought at the neural level. A positive emotion generates a positive thought which loops back through the limbic system to generate a positive feeling. By reaching out to good stimuli: exercise, decent sleep, rational diet, love and play, we create positive emotions.

While troubled with our emotions, we need to have the courage to make space for our emotions and have the wisdom to pursue what we care about even when our mind says no. When we have doubt about ourselves, keep in mind "Never mind our mind". Shift our focus to a bigger picture, have peace in mind. Write is out gives me pleasure to express my feelings. Peaceful movement, such as relaxed stretching, yoga, tai chi, are helpful to keep our mind in peace.

Another way to gain balance and stability in life is to focus on the center of gravity, the geographic middle of our physical body, a spot an inch or two behind and two or three inches below the navel. Imagine drawing in all scattered energy and concentrating it at the gravity center. Focus the energy at the gravity center for a few minutes till life is in balance.