📍 A 5-Minute Practice to Flip Chaos into Clarity
STOP TREATING YOUR FEELINGS LIKE A PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED
by Suzii Chan
“The body says what words cannot.” — Martha Graham
“Feelings are fluid. They move through you when you let them.”
Your body knows before your mind does.
Lately, every conversation seems to be about the healing journey, processing emotions, or regulating the nervous system.
There’s nothing wrong with that—it’s just that somewhere along the way, we’ve tried to make the intangible obey reason.
“Feelings are fluid. They are weather. They move through you when you let them. They rot when you don't.”
I've spent too many mornings trying to tidy my insides, turning my body into a self-help machine where every action and inaction is analyzed to death. Somewhere between my second coffee and forcing "good vibes only," I forgot what it feels like to feel.
Not think about feeling.
Not name it, journal it, or meditate it.
Just feel.
Raw.
Messy.
Alive.
We analyze, categorize, and filter our feelings before we've even fully felt them.
“Your feelings aren’t problems to be solved. They are energy—raw, potent, alive.”
And when we channel that energy through art, it transforms.
It becomes clarity, release, insight.
The Lost Language of Sensation
Sensation is the physical root of every feeling—the body's first language of raw, unfiltered data before the mind constructs a story. It's the chill of air on damp skin, the pulse in your fingertips, the vibration in your throat when you speak, the pressure of your heart against your ribs, the sound of your own breath when the world finally goes quiet.
Neuroscience tells us sensation precedes labeling, before the brain declares "tree," "red," or "danger." It is honest. Factual. Unwavering.
“The body doesn’t lie—it keeps score long before the mind writes the narrative.”
But in our hyper-efficient, hyper-optimized world, we skip that first language. We jump straight to logic, prioritizing understanding what we feel over simply meeting the sensation it lives in. We turn our emotions into tasks: fix, reframe, transcend.
“When we encounter real, unprocessed feeling—our own or others'—we can't hold it. Our systems break down, and we conclude that we are broken.”
We outsource the repair—to yoga, supplements, psychedelics—hoping something out there can soothe what feels untouchable in here.
But feelings aren't problems.
They're pathways.
And the map is already in your body.
The Practice: From Sensation to Expression
This is simple. Accessible. Five minutes.
It works for anyone—even if you've never made art in your life.
Step 1: ARRIVE (1 minute)
Sit somewhere quiet. Close your eyes.
Feel your feet on the ground. The weight of your body. The air on your skin. The faint vibration of your heartbeat. The tiny shiver in your spine.
Turn your attention inward. Scan your body for the physical sensations of your feelings.
“Don’t look for the story of anxiety—look for its signature in your body.”
A tightness in your chest, restlessness in your hands, a hollow ache in your gut, a flutter in your belly.
No need to name it or be curious. Don't analyze it.
Just notice it. Breathe into it. Let it be seen by your own awareness.
Step 2: EXPRESS (3 minutes)
Pick up a pen, crayon, charcoal—anything that leaves a mark.
Keep your eyes closed if you can. Let your hand move as your body dictates. Let it surprise you.
- A knot? Circle it tight, press hard, let your wrist ache.
- Frantic energy? Scratch jagged, rapid lines like a thunderstorm on the page.
- Heaviness? Drag slow, thick, dark strokes like wet mud dripping from your hands.
“This is not art to be judged. This is your body translating itself.”
This is your body translating itself. Your hand is the interpreter.
If you feel awkward or silly—that's perfect. It means you're doing it right. Let your inner child giggle at the absurdity.
Step 3: SEE (1 minute)
Open your eyes. Look at the page.
This is not about beauty, skill, or perfection.
It is your inner world made visible. Your chaos contained. Your feeling, witnessed.
“You didn’t fall apart—you held it. You gave it form.”
Let yourself linger here. Notice shapes, lines, textures. Feel the resonance of your energy on the page.
Step 4: PLAY (Optional, 1–2 minutes)
If you can, linger. Add color, a word, a swirl. Smudge it. Tear it. Scribble something ridiculous. Invite your inner child to join.
Play softens the edges. Sensuality sneaks in. Texture becomes a language. Movement becomes pleasure.
“From sensation to expression. From moment to movement to metamorphosis.”
Why This Works
The brain relaxes when it thinks it's "just playing."
Meanwhile, the body metabolizes what's been stuck—stress, anxiety, trauma, unprocessed emotion.
The practice works because it bypasses the labeling mind.
“You’re not drawing your sadness; you’re giving form to the substance of it.”
—the tightness in your chest, the hollow ache in your gut, the tremble in your hands.
In five minutes, you've done more than meditation or journaling alone.
You've given feelings a place to land.
You've converted energy into form—not to fix it, but to witness it.
This builds navigational trust: the ability to hold your own chaos without being undone, to meet the storm and notice the light.
“Art doesn’t fix the world. It fortifies your witness.”
It doesn't make life easier, prettier, or neat.
But it gives your feelings somewhere to land. A field. A witness. A place for them to exhale.
And you?
You grow the capacity to hold more of your own life.
Art doesn’t fix the world. It fortifies your witness.
A Gentle Reminder
Slow down. Stop treating sensation as a symptom to be healed.
The tightness is not a problem. The restlessness is not a flaw.
They are data. They are energy. They are the raw material of being alive.
“Feeling isn’t a project of betterment. It’s a practice of returning to the wisdom of your body.”
—and letting that truth permeate your existence.
Your body remembers. It carries the map. Let yourself follow it.
About Suzii Chan
Suzii—with two i’s—because the “I” in her sees the “I” in others. She’s an artist and coach where sensation meets soul. Her paintings are raw, layered, and sensual—places where feelings find form and chaos becomes color.
Her work isn’t about fixing yourself; it’s about feeling alive. Art doesn’t solve your problems—it gives them a place to land. Her canvases are anchors for those who feel deeply, offering a companion for your inner life.
Through workshops, coaching, and creative experiences, Suzii helps people grow resilience and presence, translating raw emotion into visible, living landscapes of the self. You can explore her paintings, offerings, and immersive experiences on her Stan Store, follow her on Instagram, and dive deeper on her website.
From feeling to form—moment, movement, metamorphosis.
www.suziichan.com | @suziichan | Stan Store
