In the fifth episode of Facing Dementia, Dr. Michelle Greenwell and Laurin Wittig open a conversation many people quietly avoid: the emotional reality that comes with illness and the anticipation of change. A diagnosis — or even the possibility of one — does not arrive in isolation. It brings fear, anger, grief, uncertainty, and a deep questioning of the future.

These emotions are not weaknesses. They are natural responses to disruption. Yet when emotions are not acknowledged or supported, they can become trapped in the body, settling into tissues, organs, and energy systems where they quietly influence health, mood, and resilience over time.

This episode invites a different approach — one grounded in bioenergetic wellness, where emotions are not suppressed or analyzed away, but gently experienced, balanced, and released.

Why Emotions Get Stuck

From both a physiological and energetic perspective, emotions are meant to move. When we feel fear, anger, or grief, the nervous system activates, the body responds, and ideally, the emotion completes its cycle and resolves.

However, with illness — especially conditions that carry stigma or uncertainty like dementia — emotions are often held back. People are told to “stay positive,” “not dwell on it,” or “wait and see.” Over time, this creates internal tension. The emotion does not disappear; it simply relocates, often embedding itself in muscles, fascia, organs, and energy pathways.

Bioenergetic wellness recognizes that unprocessed emotion creates disharmony across systems — physical, neurological, emotional, and energetic.

Calming the System Through Active Energy Balance

One of the core themes of this episode is that emotional healing does not require reliving trauma or forcing catharsis. Instead, it begins by calming the system.

Through gentle bioenergetic techniques — such as balancing the Switches for orientation in space, connection of the nervous system to the electrical system, and harmonizing directions in the body — the body receives signals of safety. When the nervous system shifts out of fight-or-flight, emotions no longer feel overwhelming or threatening.

This is the moment where change becomes possible.

Rubbing the Gait points on the foot, from the Feet First System Set 1, the body is able to open blocked areas in the body and in coordinating across dimensions as well as the brain-body connection. Rather than being trapped in the past or stored in tissue memory, emotions can be experienced in the present, acknowledged for what they are, and allowed to move through the system, as we step forward with an ease and grace in our step.

Naming Emotions as an Act of Empowerment

In this episode, Laurin shares wisdom passed down from her aunt many years ago — a simple insight that became a lifelong mantra. This teaching reminds us that when we name what we are feeling, we reclaim agency. Emotions no longer control us from the shadows; they become information.

Naming anger, fear, or uncertainty does not intensify them. It brings clarity. It allows the body and energy systems to reorganize around truth rather than tension.

This is one of the most powerful aspects of bioenergetic work: emotions are not judged or categorized as “good” or “bad.” They are welcomed as messengers, then gently integrated.

Tea as Emotional Ally: Releasing the Warrior

The featured tea for this episode, Releasing the Warrior, supports this process beautifully. With anise and cardamom, the blend offers warmth, softness, and grounding. Spiritually, these herbs invite the nervous system to release hypervigilance — the constant readiness to fight, brace, or defend.

The “warrior” here is not about strength through armor, but strength through presence. Through ritual — sipping tea, breathing, pausing — the body is reminded that it is safe to soften.

From Trapped Emotion to Lived Experience

When bioenergetic wellness techniques harmonize the systems, emotions are no longer stored as unresolved tension. They become lived experiences — felt, understood, and released.

This is especially important for those navigating illness or caregiving. Emotional harmony supports clearer thinking, better sleep, improved digestion, and a greater sense of peace — all of which directly influence overall health and quality of life.

Ways to Continue the Journey

If this episode resonates with you, there are many ways to explore emotional release and energetic harmony with Dr. Michelle Greenwell:

• Awakening Inner Resonance – Sound Retreat with Ann-Marie Boudreau
  A restorative experience using sound, vibration, movement, and frequency to calm the nervous system and release emotional buildup.
• Artfilled Wellness Retreat (August)
  A multi-sensory immersion combining movement, music, art, nature, and creative expression to support holistic healing.
• Stories We Tell Ourselves with intuitive and medium, Theresa Stone
  A powerful workshop exploring the narratives we carry, how they shape emotional patterns, and how rewriting them supports wellbeing.

Each offering provides a different doorway into healing — because there is no single path. There are many ways to gently release trapped emotion, restore balance, and move forward with clarity and compassion.

Naming the hard emotions is not the end of the journey.
It is the beginning of living more fully, honestly, and in harmony with yourself.