ANGER
Anger is often seen as a problem. But anger is not the problem. It is the way one expresses anger, or fails to express it, that can be problematic.
In our society there are few, if any, places or opportunities to be angry while having difficult yet productive interactions. It is from the suppression and fear of anger that it eventually erupts into rage and violence, damaging lives and ruining relationships, causing loneliness and misunderstanding. You need a safe place to put and express your anger.
The healthy embodiment of anger is sometimes necessary as a protective and creative force. Without anger, or in denial of it, you round and lose the edges that fill you out and make you unique, creative, energized, productive, and relaxed. In relationships, without acknowledging and working through conflict, things flatten out. Paradoxically, there can be little stability unless you make your way through the uncertain terrain of anger. Anger tends to obscure the source of pain. Without expressing and working through it, there can be no resolution of the cause of suffering, which is the hidden ocean of sadness, alienation, and grief. I offer a space in my San Francisco – Pacific Heights office to safely engage with anger, come to know it, and learn to express it in ways that liberate and create openings, ways that invite deep contact with yourself and others. |