i am not my emotions

Last night's practice included a talk by Trish Thomson whom is a member of the order of interbeing since the mid eighties about habit energies. She talked about how we all have the seeds of different emotions in us, and that we sometimes respond from habit energies formed when we were younger from our family and our environment. I was thinking about how I have responded to being alone in Vietnam with loneliness whilst in fact I have chosen to be here on my own, I haven't been abandoned here and I do have people to speak to. I am not my sadness or loneliness, and now being aware that I have responded like that the feeling has almost dissipiated. I missed sangha practice for a week and have found coming back to it revitalising and energising. When I hear the bell it is like something in my soul settles down and I've come back to my true home of mindfulness.