We often speak of feeling emotions—joy, fear, grief, anger, love.
But what is truly happening in those moments?
Are we feeling something?
Or is the emotion itself the feeling?
There’s a subtle but important distinction.
Emotion: Energy in Motion
Emotion is energy in motion—a vibrational wave arising in the field of the Heart and Body. It can be triggered by an event, a thought, a memory, or a deep imprint (samskara).
Emotion has its own qualities:
A vibration—light or heavy, soft or sharp
A direction—pulling us in or pushing us away
A physical presence—a tight chest, trembling hands, heat in the face
Emotion moves through us. We don’t create it—it arises.
Feeling: The Awareness of Emotion
Feeling is the experience of that emotional wave.
It is the moment we become aware of what’s happening inside us.
We may feel:
Heat rising in anger
A collapse in grief
Expansion in love
Restlessness in fear
Feeling does not cause the emotion.
Feeling is the recognition of the emotion as it flows through.
In this way:
Emotion is the movement.
Feeling is the awareness of that movement.
Becoming the Emotion—or Witnessing It
When we are unconscious, we become the emotion.
We are swept away in its movement—reacting, defending, clinging, collapsing.
But when we are present, we can feel the emotion without identifying with it.
We can observe:
“This is sadness.”
“There is anger moving.”
“Fear is rising, but I do not need to follow it.”
This is the path of conscious awareness.
This is how emotion becomes insight instead of reaction.
Why It Matters
If we confuse emotion with feeling, we may believe we are what we feel.
But when we see clearly:
Emotion is temporary.
Feeling is a gift of awareness.
Consciousness is what holds both, without being either.
The next time emotion arises, pause.
Feel it fully.
Observe it gently.
Let it pass.
In that stillness, you return to peace.