Emotional Alchemy: The 3-Stage Process to Transform How You Feel
- Zoe Carey
- Apr 29
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 30
Have you ever felt stuck in a loop of emotions you couldn’t explain, let alone shift? Maybe you’ve tried to “stay positive” or “move on,” only to find yourself more disconnected, frustrated, or exhausted. I want you to know something: You’re not broken. You’re just human. And there’s another way to meet your emotions, one that invites empowerment instead of avoidance.
In my own journey through grief, identity shifts, and inner rebirths, I’ve discovered a grounded, compassionate process that helps you move through emotional overwhelm without bypassing the truth of your experience. I call it Emotional Alchemy.
This practice isn’t about fixing yourself. It’s about remembering that your emotions carry wisdom, and when you learn how to be with them safely, they become fuel for transformation. Let’s explore the three stages of emotional alchemy: awareness, acceptance, and transformation.
1. Awareness: The Power of Naming
The first step in emotional alchemy is simply noticing what’s present.
We often live in a fast-moving world that rewards distraction and numbing. But when we pause even just for a moment, we begin to feel the subtle cues of emotion in our bodies. Tight chest. Shallow breath. A lump in the throat. These sensations are clues.
Bringing awareness to what you’re feeling creates the first thread of connection between you and your inner world. You don’t need to analyse or fix anything. Just ask:
“What am I feeling right now?”
“Where do I feel this in my body?”
“Can I breathe into it gently?”
When we name an emotion, it loses some of its power over us. We step out of reactivity and into conscious presence. This is where the alchemy begins.
2. Acceptance: Making Space Without Judgment
Once we’re aware of what we’re feeling, the next step is often the hardest: letting it be there.
So many of us have been taught to judge, suppress, or reject our emotions — especially the “messy” ones like anger, grief, or fear. But acceptance doesn’t mean you like the feeling. It simply means you stop fighting it.
This is where emotional safety starts to build. When you give yourself full permission to feel, your nervous system begins to relax. Your body says: “Okay, I’m safe. I can soften.”
“This feeling is here, and I’m allowed to feel it.”
"I don’t need to understand it all right now.”
The truth is, resistance often intensifies emotion. Acceptance lets the energy shift.
3. Transformation: Letting the Emotion Move
Transformation happens not when you push harder — but when you allow.
Emotions are energy in motion. When we meet them with awareness and acceptance, they begin to move organically. You may cry, exhale deeply, shake, or feel a sudden wave of clarity. These are signs that the emotion is releasing.
This isn’t a dramatic explosion. It’s often soft, like your body whispering: "Thank you for listening."
Transformation doesn’t mean you never feel that emotion again — it means you relate to it differently. You no longer fear it. You trust yourself to hold space for it. And that’s emotional sovereignty.
Feeling Safe in Your Body
At the heart of emotional alchemy is the ability to feel safe in your body.
You can support this process with small somatic tools like:
Placing your hand on your heart or belly
Taking a slow, audible exhale
Gently rocking your body side to side
Noticing the contact of your body with the ground
These tiny rituals remind your system: It’s safe to feel. I don’t need to escape myself. This is why I created my Safe to Feel self-paced course — to guide women through this exact process with nervous system tools, audio practices, and gentle support.
Ready to go deeper with this process?
Safe to Feel is my self-paced course that gently guides you through the emotional alchemy journey; from overwhelm to empowerment, using somatics, guided practices, and grounded wisdom.
Best of luck on your Emotional Alchemy journey
Sending you heaps of love,
Zoe | Founder of Oasis State
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