Crying Emotional Release Wave Recipe (5–7 minutes)

This recipe helps you safely let tears move through your body so you can process tenderness, grief, overwhelm, or relief—and come back to connection, clarity, and choice without stuffing it down or spilling it onto others.

Disclaimer:
This is an emotional embodiment and self-reflection practice. Strong feelings, memories, or physical reactions may arise as you explore your experiences and your relationships. You are responsible for your own emotional and physical safety. Go at your own pace. Take breaks when needed. If you have a trauma history or feel overwhelmed, pause and ground yourself: feel your feet on the floor, notice 5 things in the room, place a hand on your heart, and breathe slowly. This practice is here to help you unpack emotional baggage and move toward connection, not blame, shame, or re-enact harm. Always listen to your body first. READ FULL DISCLAIMER BEFORE YOU START IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY

Use this when
When you feel tender, heavy, lonely, overwhelmed, griefy, or emotionally “backed up,” and you sense tears near the surface (lump in throat, watery eyes, tight chest) or you wish you could cry but feel blocked.

Crying often requires a foundation of safety. If crying doesn’t come easily (or at all) at first, nothing is wrong with you—your body may still be rebuilding trust and learning that it’s safe to soften. Doing this exercise with a friend or trusted partner can increase your sense of safety, and with repetition over time, your body can rebuild that safety so tears come more naturally.

Ingredients

• Journal + pen (or notes app)

• 5–7 minute timer

• Water + tissues (optional)

• Something comforting (tea, blanket — optional)

• A sad song playlist (optional; try Martin Czerny — “Red Clouds”, or any song that reliably helps you tear up)

Safety
If you feel flooded and overwhelmed with emotions, shorten this to 2 minutes, slow your exhales, and orient to the room (Name a few colors, shapes and sounds. Notice your feet on the ground. Get up and shake your body or any other exercise that brings you calm). If it still feels too intense, stop and reach for support.

Opening: Soften + Permission
Before you begin, take a moment to look around and name three things you can see.

Now, feel your feet on the floor (or notice your body supported by the chair) and take three slow breaths, only as deep as feels comfortable.

Place one (or both) hands over your heart and quietly say:
“It is safe to soften, just for these few minutes.”

If it helps, relax your face: unclench your jaw, soften your tongue, let your shoulders drop.

Remember: you’re in charge. You can pause, skip steps, or stop at any time.

To finish, place your hands on your heart and say: “Emotions are welcome here. I am willing to meet myself with compassion, and I can stop at any time.”

The 3-Step Experiment

Step 1: Name the moment (2 minutes)
Set the timer for two minutes and then write in your journal or note pad and then fill in the blanks. Write from your heart. Don't worry about spelling and grammar. When the time is up move to step two.

“Right now my body feels ________ (heavy, tight, aching, numb, shaky, tired, tender).”
“Right now I feel ________ (sadness, grief, overwhelm, loneliness, fear, relief).”
“What I need most in this moment is ________.”

Step 2: Let the wave move (2 minutes)
Set the timer again for 2 minutes. As the timer runs, let crying be allowed—but not forced.

If it feels supportive, turn on your sad song playlist now (try Martin Czerny — “Red Clouds”, or choose any song that reliably helps you tear up). You get to choose.

Try this simple “tear invitation” (repeat gently):

• One hand on heart, one hand on belly.

• Inhale through the nose (comfortable).

• Exhale through the mouth like a quiet sigh.

• On the exhale, whisper: “This matters.”

If tears come, let them come. If they don’t, that’s okay—your body may be thawing slowly, and that is still release.

Then answer from your heart (you can write a few words while you pause):
“What hurts the most right now?”
“What am I carrying alone?”
“What do my tears want me to know?”

Step 3: Anchor it (1 minute)
Lastly, write down the below sentence and spend 1 minute making a sentence that captures what you’re choosing as you come back to connection.

“I am allowing tears to move through me because ________.”

I invite you to write this statement down and allow it to be your guiding light as you practice feeling and releasing. It can serve as a touchstone on the days that feel hard.

Closing: Warm Containment + Gentle Return
To end this practice, it can be supportive to let your nervous system know the emotional processing is complete for now.

First, slow everything down. Let your breath settle. Place one hand on your heart and one on your belly. Take three slow breaths, longer exhales than inhales.

Now imagine placing whatever came up into a container. You don’t have to solve it right now—you’re simply letting your system know: “Noted. Held. Contained.”

Do a gentle “senses reset” to return to the present:
Notice five things you can see.
Notice four things you can feel (feet on the floor, clothing on skin, the chair under you).
Notice three things you can hear.
Notice two things you can smell (or two smells you like).
Notice one thing you can taste (or one thing you’re looking forward to tasting later).

If emotions are still releasing, allow your body to do what it needs to do—shaking, crying, sweating, yawning, or laughing—and let the wave move through you without forcing it or stopping it, if you have the time and space.

To close, place a hand on your heart and say, “That was one small step toward choosing connection.”

Nurture and Integrate
Can you offer yourself something warm and regulating today—right now or later? A warm drink, a blanket, a shower, or simply sitting with a hand on your heart for one full minute.

Over the next week, notice what shifts for you—maybe you feel lighter, more present, less reactive, or more able to name what you need. It’s not your fault; you’re learning, and your kids are lucky to have you as their parent.

Affirmation: (Optional)
Choose one affirmation to take into your day or week. Write it on a sticky note and post it somewhere you will see it. Read it as many times as you can remember each day.

“My tears are allowed. They help me return to connection.”
“I can soften, feel, and come back.”
“I am doing my best and taking responsibility to support myself more and more each day.”

Want to go deeper?
This is just a taste. In the FREE guide, you’ll go deeper by learning the five pathways of emotional release and how to practice them safely—so you can build trust with your body and keep moving toward connection.

Understanding Emotional Release (FREE GUIDE PDF)

Peace & Love, Julie
Emotional Release: The Missing Peace