“He didn’t mind how he looked to other people, because the nursery magic had made him Real, and when you are Real shabbiness doesn’t matter.”

Margery Williams (Velveteen Rabbit)

1: You’re human: Human beings are emotional creatures. If we allow ourselves to open our hearts to the world around us, yes, we will become more vulnerable, but we will also become more compassionate.  It is through touching our own pain that we learn to meet the pain of others with deep caring.

2: Feelings are not facts. You may FEEL like the world is ending when you’re sad, but trust me, it’s not. The glory and the shit show will still be there when you stop feeling your feelings. You can’t cry yourself to death, despite your best efforts. When we give ourselves permission to cry or laugh, we are practicing this wisdom that understands life as a process not as stagnation, which is what will ultimately make our connections with those around us softer and kinder. Compassion is the only wise response to suffering.

3. Tears are cleansing: Tears are a release. Tears heal. Humans are amazing: we are the only species who cry emotional tears.

Biochemist and “tear expert” Dr. William Frey at the Ramsey Medical Center in Minneapolis discovered that reflex tears are 98% water, whereas emotional tears also contain stress hormones which get excreted from the body through crying. After studying the composition of tears, Dr. Frey found that emotional tears shed these hormones and other toxins which accumulate during stress. Additional studies also suggest that crying stimulates the production of endorphins, our body’s natural pain killer and “feel-good” hormones.”(via Psychology Today)

4: You’re vulnerable: Vulnerability allows others to SEE us. Vulnerability cultivates trust. Vulnerability sheds the armor around the heart. It may be scary but it’s so worth it when you begin to see how deep your relationships can go.

5: It makes you feel better!: Cry and you will feel lighter. Cry and your heart will feel lighter. Cry and you will find some emotional freedom. You may not look like a tough guy, but most tough guy I know has some tears under the veil of toughness; some even let them out.

My yoga mat is weathered by my sweat and tears. I am grateful for that. If it wasn’t for my willingness to LET IT OUT, I would suffer a lot more. My meditation and yoga practices have supported me as I faced my demons and invited them in for tea, catching me when I fell and nurturing me back up again. And again. And again. There is no greater freedom that the hot tears burning down my face, heart pressed to the sky, breath flowing freely. Let go.

Love,
Sarit