Emotions And Elements: What's The Connection?

Elemental emotions are a tool to promote emotional awareness in children. Structured around the power of the four natural elements, they give kids a fun and creative approach to understanding their feelings. The concept is also explored in the 2023 Pixar film, 'Elemental', which follows a love story between two characters with opposing elemental compositions. The film's director, Peter Sohn, drew from his own life experiences to create the emotionally resonant story, which serves as a tribute to his parents and their sacrifices.

Emotional love vs elemental love

Emotional love is a complex experience that involves changes in body chemistry and impacts social relationships. It is a positive, high vibrational emotion that feels good and has many aspects and versions. Emotional love can be felt for a partner, family, and friends, with each type being unique. It can evoke emotions ranging from joy to heartbreak. Emotional attraction is built on fundamentals like love, value, care, respect, and trust. Emotional love can also be differentiated from physical love, which is a biological drive and a primal need for humans.

Elemental love, as explained by Archangels, is not the kind of love known by people on Earth. It is associated with the four major elements: fire, water, air, and earth, and their respective energies and vibrations. While fire, water, and earth are visible, air is not, and similarly, while people may not see the vibrations and energies of the elements, they know of their existence.

Differences between Emotional and Elemental Love:

Emotional love is a feeling experienced by humans, whereas elemental love is a concept explained by Archangels, which is sent to humans, the Earth, and other entities. Emotional love is a human emotion that can be felt and seen in various relationships, whereas elemental love is associated with the elements and their invisible vibrations and energies. Emotional love, as a human experience, can be differentiated into various types, such as romantic love, friendship, and familial love, whereas elemental love is a singular concept associated with the elements.

While emotional love is a human emotion with various facets and relationships, elemental love is a concept explained by Archangels, relating to the elements and their energies. Both types of love are distinct in their characteristics and manifestations.

The importance of emotional male leads

Emotional male leads are important because they help to break down gender stereotypes and redefine masculinity. For generations, men have been conditioned to believe that expressing their feelings is a sign of weakness and that they should instead be strong and stoic. This toxic cultural norm can have detrimental effects on men's mental health, with many channelling their emotions into anger and aggression, or suffering from depression and anxiety.

Emotional male leads in films and TV shows can play a crucial role in changing societal perceptions of masculinity. For example, the Pixar film, *Elemental*, features an emotional male lead, Wade, who is brave, strong, and lovable because of his emotional openness. Mamoudou Athie, the actor who plays Wade, has spoken about the importance of showing male leads in touch with their emotions, particularly for boys and young men. Athie himself felt shy about expressing his emotions when he was younger and wishes he had seen a character like Wade when he was growing up.

By portraying emotional male leads, media can help to normalise the expression of emotions by men and boys, and challenge the idea that they need to hide their feelings. This can have a positive impact on mental health and reduce the risk of suicide among men. It also highlights that being emotional is not a sign of weakness but rather a healthy and powerful way to connect with others.

In addition, emotional male leads can help to break down gender stereotypes and promote equality. By acknowledging that men can be emotional, we can move towards a society where all individuals, regardless of gender, are free to express themselves authentically and vulnerably. This can foster greater empathy, understanding, and connection between people of all genders.

Elemental emotions as a tool to promote emotional awareness in children

Elemental emotions are a powerful tool to promote emotional awareness and understanding in children, giving them a creative and fun approach to exploring their feelings. This concept is structured around the four natural elements – fire, water, wind, and earth – and aims to help children identify and transform challenging emotions.

Understanding Elemental Emotions

Elemental emotions provide a framework for children to recognize and make sense of their feelings. When children feel angry, for instance, it is likened to a "Fiery Blaze." This visualization helps them identify their emotion as anger and encourages them to explore why they are feeling this way. By personifying these emotions, children can develop a healthier relationship with their feelings and learn to manage them effectively.

Benefits of Elemental Emotions

This approach to emotional awareness offers several advantages for children:

• Creative and Fun: By associating emotions with the four elements, children can explore their feelings in a creative and enjoyable way, reducing the sensitivity and seriousness often associated with the topic.
• Improved Emotional Understanding: Elemental emotions provide a simple and memorable way for children to identify and label their feelings. This vocabulary of emotions helps them make sense of their experiences and promotes self-awareness.
• Emotion Transformation: Through elemental emotions, children learn that they have the power to transform their feelings. For example, recognizing and understanding their anger can help them let go and become calm again, known as a "Bright Spark."
• Self-Regulation: Children are taught to ask themselves why they are feeling a certain way. This introspection encourages self-regulation and helps them develop strategies to manage their emotions effectively.
• Enhanced Emotional Resilience: By understanding the transient nature of emotions, children can develop emotional resilience. They realize that feelings like anger, sadness, fear, and loneliness can be balanced and transformed into positive states.
• Positive Behavior: When children are overwhelmed by their emotions, it can lead to challenging and destructive behavior. Elemental emotions aim to prevent this by giving children the tools to identify and address their feelings constructively.

Implementing Elemental Emotions

To implement this approach effectively, several strategies can be employed:

• Holistic Approach: Create a safe and supportive environment for children to explore their emotions. This can be achieved through play, art, music, or storytelling, providing a fun and non-threatening way to engage with their feelings.
• Emotional Vocabulary: Build children's emotional vocabulary by introducing them to a variety of emotion words. This helps them differentiate between emotions and express their feelings more accurately.
• Modeling: Adults play a crucial role in modeling emotional regulation. By expressing their own emotions in a healthy manner, children can learn to identify and manage their feelings effectively.
• Emotional Check-Ins: Regularly check in with children to create a safe space for them to share their feelings. This can be done individually or as a group, encouraging emotional expression and providing an opportunity to practice emotional regulation.
• Breathing and Relaxation Techniques: Teach children simple breathing exercises and progressive muscle relaxation techniques to help them calm their bodies and minds when experiencing intense emotions.
• Social-Emotional Learning: Use role-playing and scenarios to help children practice identifying and responding to emotions. This allows them to apply their understanding of elemental emotions in social contexts and develop their emotional intelligence.

Elemental emotions offer a unique and effective approach to promoting emotional awareness in children. By drawing on the power of the natural elements, this method provides a creative framework for children to understand and transform their feelings. With the right tools and support, children can develop emotional resilience, self-regulation, and positive behavior, setting them up for success in their personal and academic lives.

The Archangels' view of elemental love

The Archangels have a unique perspective on the nature of love, distinguishing between the emotional love experienced by humans on Earth and what they refer to as "elemental Love". According to them, earthly love is just another emotion among many, a positive and uplifting feeling with numerous facets. However, they emphasize that this type of love is not the same as elemental Love, which they associate with a higher form of energy and vibration.

Archangels view elemental Love as a fundamental force, akin to the four classical elements: fire, water, air, and earth. Each element, they believe, possesses its own distinct power and vibration. While fire, water, and earth are visible and tangible, air, like Love, is invisible yet no less real. Most people cannot perceive the vibrations and energies of the elements, yet they recognize their existence and influence. Similarly, elemental Love is a subtle yet powerful force that operates beyond our senses.

In their explanation, Archangels draw a parallel between the elements and Love. Just as fire embodies the energy of passion and transformation, so does elemental Love possess a transformative power that can elevate and purify. Water, known for its fluidity and adaptability, reflects the nurturing and healing aspects of elemental Love. The element of air, associated with freedom and communication, suggests that elemental Love is a force that connects and harmonizes. Lastly, earth, symbolizing stability and growth, indicates that elemental Love provides a foundation for personal development and evolution.

Archangels see elemental Love as a higher form of love that transcends the emotional realm. It is a force that permeates and sustains all life, guiding us towards our highest potential. They believe that by embracing and embodying elemental Love, we can align ourselves with the universal energies of the elements, fostering a deeper connection with ourselves, others, and the Earth itself.

Elemental Love, as described by Archangels, serves as a guiding light on our journey towards personal and collective evolution. It is a love that transcends the limitations of human emotion, inviting us to tap into a deeper wellspring of compassion, understanding, and unity. By recognizing and embodying this form of love, we can bring about positive change in our lives and contribute to the greater good.

The impact of elemental emotions on behaviour

Emotional intelligence is a crucial aspect of personal development and well-being. Understanding and managing one's emotions effectively, also known as "elemental emotions," can have a significant impact on behaviour and overall quality of life.

Elemental emotions are a creative approach to promoting emotional awareness, particularly in children, by drawing on the power of the four natural elements: fire, water, wind, and earth. Each element is associated with a specific emotion and its corresponding behaviour. For instance, when the "fire within" burns too intensely, it can lead to feelings of anger. However, by recognising and addressing this anger, individuals can calm themselves and transform their emotion into a positive force, becoming a "Bright Spark" instead.

Similarly, an imbalance in the "water within" can result in feelings of sadness, or a "Soaked Sorrow." By acknowledging and understanding the root cause of their sadness, individuals can begin to let go and transition into a state of happiness or "Abundant Joy."

The wind element is associated with fear, and when it is out of balance, individuals may experience a "Stormy Fear." However, by facing their fears and understanding their source, they can regain their confidence and become a "Rich Courage."

Lastly, an imbalance in the earth element can lead to feelings of loneliness or a "Dry Separation." By addressing and processing their loneliness, individuals can reconnect with others and find their "Natural Flow" once again.

By utilising the framework of elemental emotions, individuals can develop a deeper understanding of their feelings and learn how to effectively manage and transform challenging emotions into positive ones. This awareness and ability to self-regulate emotions can have a profound impact on behaviour, leading to improved emotional well-being and overall resilience.

Furthermore, the impact of elemental emotions on behaviour can be observed in popular media, such as the Pixar film "Elemental," where the male lead, Wade, displays emotional openness and vulnerability. By portraying a male character who is unapologetic about expressing his emotions, the film challenges traditional stereotypes of masculinity and encourages a healthier perception of male emotional expression.

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