Body and Soul Reconnection

Most of us cry when we are happy, sad, inspired, angry, melancholy, over an event, over a loss and for many other varied reasons.   However, all tears are not equal.  There was a study completed with a control group of 100 people.  They were divided into two groups.  Fifty people watched a very funny, tears-of laughter type movie the other 50 watched a very sad and tears of compassion type movie.

At the end of the sessions researchers collected the “happy tears” and the “sad tears” with eye droppers.  They found that “happy tears” are made up of brine which is basically salt water.  However, the “sad tears” were found to contain the chemicals and enzymes that are found in tumors, ulcers and other lumps which create sickness throughout the body.

This test concluded that the body, when crying because of sadness, is literally flushing out all of the toxic-chemicals that accumulate and are a part of the sadness/heartache experience.  So it seems that if you  hold back tears which have a strong emotion attached to it, those toxic-waters will find somewhere else to deposit themselves and a holding-back of crying-release will guarantee that the body will accumulate large amounts of toxicity that could have been released through the tears.

“Protest” Crying -vs- “Surrender” Type Crying

Other studies have discovered that if the crying is happening out of “protest”, meaning you do not accept a loss or situation, then there is no soothing, comfort or release from the tears because the resistance and anger continues even after the crying.  Conversely, sad crying that is a call for comfort from a loved one can lead to closeness and healing.   Research also concluded that crying has important effects on healing and that it improves the mood of 88.8% of weepers.  Also, crying with just one other “safe” person present was significantly more likely to produce a therapeutic effect than doing so in front of a larger group.

I have come across two clients which I recommended they cry.  One client flashed back to an experience at 8 years old of having been told about her grandfather’s sudden death from an accident.  At first when she was told she thought it was a joke and because she expressed her disbelief her mother slapped her (she didn’t come from a supportive environment).    Later her mother and other relatives decided that the children should not go to the funeral.  She was very upset that others made that decision for her.  She recalls that she never cried over her grandfather’s death; not because she didn’t feel sadness but because she was “protesting” how she was treated by the others.   The idea of crying over this incident and the way in which she was treated appeals to her and she is considering releasing the “toxins” and “energy blocks” associated with this experience. UPDATE: The above client informed me that she did allow herself to cry off and on for three days.  The following is what she reported,   “It was healing and I had great clarity afterward.  I feel so much more clear and calm.  I have been able to maintain an observation like attitude with my husband and it is amazing.  I am not getting caught up in trying to reason with him.  I just let him express what he feels and thinks and I go on.  I think he appreciates it and it is so much more healthy than all the drama.   All that chatter is wasted energy.  I am still having pain in my back and leg but the other night when it had been really bad all day I was laying on the sofa and suddenly there was this little pop of energy out of my right sacroiliac area (lower right back) with immediate relief of the pain in that area. It has made walking easier and uplifted my mood considerably.  It was really neat.”

The second client did cry over being sexually abused by her own brother when she was about six years old.  Additionally she cried deeply over so many sad times in her childhood and marriage.  After about 3 weeks of off and on crying she reported to me that the release of all these pent up tears has allowed her to breathe more easily and deeply.  She noticed tightness in her muscles release.  More importantly her “spirits” are up and she feels more hopeful about her life.

It seems that “crying tears” release the original chemical reaction of the emotions – emotions which in some cases have been suppressed for years.   Next time you feel like crying DO NOT hold back.  If you don’t feel “safe” or comfortable in the moment, release the tears later.  If you know you have held back many tears over some past experience, then consider releasing all that exists within this “holding back”.  Even if it takes weeks or months to feel like you have cried your last tear (over an experience), the freedom, peace, joy and positive health benefits that will be yours is worth every drop.