Many times we feel hurt, angry or resentful toward others and do not know how to resolve these feelings. We leave incomplete experiences or avoid closing cycles, thus generating a waste of physical and psychological energy necessary to start new cycles or face new situations.
To close a cycle and open another one again, for example: end a loving relationship to start another, forgive the couple to continue the relationship, forgive our mistakes to start being better, say goodbye to our friends and family before doing a trip, overcome the mourning of the death of a loved one, it is necessary to let go of the past. If we are still stuck in the past we must become aware of the need to change our attitude. According to Gestalt therapy to close an emotional cycle we must first feel a need for change and be willing to release the repressed feelings.
Leaving cycles open is a process basically produced by unresolved situations from the past. Some situations can be: anger not expressed to parents, siblings, partner or other person, love not expressed, guilt, past situations not accepted, child abuse, duels or traumatic situations. Many times we are not aware of the psychological disorders that affect us and begin to appear in our body consequences called psychosomatic disorders such as: ulcers, back pain, headaches, asthma crisis among others. Everything that we repress sooner or later usually appears in some way preventing us from initiating a new emotional cycle.
One of the therapies of the Gestalt is to ask the patient to imagine the person for whom resentment or anger is felt in an empty chair, to express feelings, internal and external sensations, thoughts and point of view to be able to resolve the conflict and change the perception of the situation in a positive way. This therapy must be developed under the guidance of a professional specialist.
However, there is much we can do on our own to close the emotional cycles. Starting by talking with a friend, a spiritual guide or someone you trust about the internal experiences of the past that overwhelm us, identifying what situations or people we should forgive or let go. Another strategy is to confront the conflict directly by talking or writing a letter to the person who hurt us without expecting to recognize or show empathy with the situation, this way we will initiate the unblocking that will allow us to focus on solving new situations with greater enthusiasm giving meaning to our life.
Close some cycles may take a long time, therefore we must have patience and go forward little by little, with an eye on the purpose of our existence: happiness. So start today to close your emotional cycles free of the ties that prevent you from being happy.
Photograph taken with the telephone in 2015 in the Merida State of Venezuela