Published on June 22, 2026 · Reading time 5 minutes · Written by Marta Coelho
You feel sadness arriving. And right away, you prepare your escape. You put on music. You call a friend. You dive into work. Anything to avoid feeling it.
Or anger overwhelms you. And you do something you regret to shut it down quickly.
Or anxiety paralyzes you. And you search for a distraction, comfort, something to make the sensation go away.
This is called emotional suppression. And it's probably one of the most costly habits you carry.
Because emotions you refuse to feel don't disappear. They store up. They accumulate. They create chronic tension in your body and heaviness in your psyche.
In French-speaking Switzerland, we have a culture of self-mastery. We value rationality, control, efficiency. Difficult emotions are seen as weaknesses to overcome.
But this is a fundamental misunderstanding.
An emotion isn't an enemy to defeat. It's information your body is trying to convey.
And when you flee from it, you miss the message.
Emotional welcoming is simply this: allowing the emotion to exist in you without fighting it, without judging it, without trying to make it disappear.
It's like saying to a wave: "I see you. I know you're here. And it's okay that you're here."
Instead of: "Go away. I don't want you. Disappear."
When you say "you can be here," something remarkable happens. The emotion starts to move. To transform. To dissolve naturally.
It's not magic. It's simply the nature of emotions. They're energy in motion. When you stop blocking them, they flow and release.
First, you must name it. Don't minimize it. Don't say "it's not a big deal" or "I'm too sensitive."
Simply say: "I feel sadness." Or "I feel fear." Or "I feel anger."
The mere act of naming it creates a small distance—you're not the emotion anymore, you're FEELING it.
Emotions live in your body, not just your mind.
Close your eyes. Where do you feel this emotion?
In your chest? Like tension or heaviness? In your throat? Like a blockage or lump? In your belly? Like knots or agitation? In your limbs? Like fatigue or vibration?
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Stay with the sensation. Observe it without judgment.
What you're doing here is creating a friendly relationship with your sensation. You're studying it. You're understanding it.
Once you've located the emotion, give yourself permission to feel it completely.
And breathe. Breathe deeply into this part of your body. Exhale while releasing any contraction.
Continue. A few breaths. Or more.
What's happening is your conscious breath is telling your nervous system: "It's safe to be here with this emotion. This isn't danger."
Imagine you just received criticism at work. Shame and doubt surge.
The Usual Way (Suppression):
With Emotional Welcoming:
See the difference? In the second case, you have your power. In the first, you'd lost your power to the sensation.
Neurobiologically, here's what happens:
When you flee an emotion, you activate your amygdala (the fear region in your brain). You're in "danger" mode.
When you welcome an emotion with conscious breathing, you activate your prefrontal cortex (the judgment and wisdom region). You're in "safety" mode.
And when your brain senses it's safe, even with the difficult emotion, the emotion can self-regulate naturally.
When you become someone who can welcome your emotions, several things change:
This practice is simple, but not always easy at first. You may have spent decades running from your emotions. It takes practice to learn to welcome them.
But each time you do, you strengthen this new habit. And gradually, your relationship with your emotions transforms.
Instead of being your enemies, they become your guides toward a more authentic and freer life.
At MC-TERRA, I accompany people in Rolle and throughout French-speaking Switzerland to develop this capacity to welcome and regulate their emotions. Whether through mindfulness, emotional coaching, or other tools, we work together to transform your relationship with your emotional life.
Are you ready to stop running from your emotions and welcome them with compassion? Schedule a session with me to learn these practices and find the inner peace you deserve.
