Don’t Let Chaos Get Trapped: Why Moving Your Emotions Is Incredibly Necessary in Stressful Times
In the spiritual world, there’s a saying: emotions are just energy in motion—electrical impulses triggered by circumstances, designed to help you respond.
These impulses show up as physical sensations:
tears
a racing heart
adrenaline spikes
But when we don’t move this energy with care, it gets stuck in the body.
(Art work titled: Energy in Motion, by CanDace Johnson)
And I’m not just saying this—science backs it up.
🧠 A recent study mapping emotions in the body found:
“Basic emotions trigger elevated sensational responses in the upper chest, affecting breathing and heart rate. Anger and happiness activate the arms. Sadness reduces limb activity and creates reluctance to move. Disgust shows up in the digestive system and throat. Interestingly, happiness increases sensations throughout the entire body.”
Source
What Happens When We Don’t Move Our Emotions?
They get trapped.
They calcify—energetically and sometimes physically.
They begin to disrupt both our physical and energetic systems.
From my own experience, stagnant emotional energy doesn’t just linger in the auric field or chakras (causing spin-outs, sluggishness, or blocks)—it can show up as very real physical symptoms.
Medical research confirms this too:
Trapped emotions can cause physical sensations such as:
Muscle tension or tightness
A lump or choking sensation in the throat
Heaviness, fatigue, nausea, or knots in the stomach
Pain or aching in specific areas of the body
These sensations can even mimic chronic illness, especially when tied to long-term stress or emotional suppression.
Source
So, with everything going on in the world—how are you making sure your emotions don’t get trapped?
Move the Emotion, Not Just the Body
Here are some of the ways I’ve found to move energy through the body and keep emotions from settling in:
🌀 1. Deep Somatic Stretching
Somatic stretching is a form of intentional movement targeting fascia, tendons, joints, and the body’s stored memory. It’s not just about flexibility—it’s about emotional release.
You might cry.
You might remember.
But most importantly—you move the energy.
I’ve personally felt the echoes of high school fights in my legs. I’ve carried responsibility so long my shoulders forgot how to rest. Consistent stretching brought those stories to the surface—and helped me finally let them go.
💆🏽♀️ 2. Lymphatic or Fascia Massage
The body keeps the score—literally.
Emotional trauma behaves like fluid:
It flows through the system.
It influences your microbiome, digestion, hormones, even ovulation.
The fascia is the web holding everything in place. When one part is injured or holding trauma, other parts compensate—that’s why pain often shows up on the other side.
The lymphatic system is your internal plumbing, moving interstitial fluid, immune cells, and yes—emotional energy. When it’s backed up, emotions have nowhere to go.
Massage, rebounding, dry brushing, and body oiling help keep the channels clear.
Whether you see a professional or perform gentle treatments yourself, this is key for resetting your internal system. It loosens muscles, releases knots, reduces joint swelling, stimulates detox, and restores cellular energy—especially if you’ve been holding onto pain or stress for a long time.
✨ 3. Make Time for Intentional Self-Care
If you’re not carving out time to stop, breathe, and reset—you’re probably running on fumes.
Prioritizing self-care is not selfish.
It’s the equivalent of putting on your oxygen mask first.
It ensures you are calm, stable, nourished—so you can show up fully for yourself and others.
Deep Breathing Exercises
Dedicate 5–45 minutes (or start small) to breathwork.
Longer sessions (over an hour) exist but should be approached with guidance.
Deep breathing taps into the natural DMT in the brain, releases endorphins, eases tension, relieves stress, and calms emotional turbulence. The afterglow is real—you’ll feel lighter, clearer, more connected.
✨ My favorite? [Breathe With Sandy on YouTube] — free classes that deliver powerful release.
Women Rage Studios: Smash, Scream, Heal
Feel like breaking some sh*t?
You’re not alone.
Women Rage Studios have been popping up all over the country, offering a unique and powerful form of healing—a way to release decades (or lifetimes) of suppressed anger, frustration, and grief.
These aren’t just gimmicks—they’re sacred spaces where women can break free from the “be nice” conditioning we’ve been fed for generations.
Depending on the studio or event, you might find:
Rage rooms — go into a room, smash plates, break things, tear, rip, and roar.
Guided classes — movement, embodiment, and cathartic release practices.
Art events — channel your anger into creation.
Screaming rituals in the forest — yes, really.
Each offering provides a magical release point—a space to honor what’s been silenced, to move the energy through your body, and to come out on the other side lighter, clearer, more powerful.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re carrying a storm inside you, this is your invitation to let it pour.
Throw yourself a dance party
When was the last time you cranked the music, kicked off your shoes, and danced like it was the 99’s or early 2000s? (I know my audience—hehe!)
When was the last time you belted out your favorite song, full passion, no apologies?
This, my friend, is pure magic.
It opens the throat chakra.
It clears the sacral center.
It re-energizes the body and leaves you buzzing.
Recently, when I’ve felt sadness, art has been my escape. (Which is why I have included the artwork you see at the top of the page.
It gives me a place to focus, to pour the energy outside of myself.
But I’ve also moved that energy through gardening, rearranging my home, deep cleaning—and you know what?
Maybe that’s the point.
What if all these emotional impulses are actually potential energy—waiting to be transformed into creation?
Happy movement.
