The Peace Environment: An Afternoon of Gentle Reflection, Journaling, and Exploring How to Process Emotions

The Peace Environment: An Afternoon of Gentle Reflection, Journaling, and Exploring How to Process Emotions The Yoga Dance Co

Yesterday afternoon, The Yoga Dance Co gave space for families to come together for some special reflection time - with a guided journaling session, quiet reading in the hammocks, and conversation around how we process emotions and express our feelings. Hammocks gently swayed. Books were opened. Pens moved across journal pages. Moms and kids gathered around the studio on yoga mats or in comfy seats or swings, and Ms. Auburn led us through a time of soft reflection on how we carry ourselves when things get heavy.

This new monthly workshop isn’t about fixing feelings or finding the “right” emotional response. It’s about learning to notice what’s happening inside our bodies, understanding the difference between emotions and feelings, and practice healthy, compassionate ways to process what comes up — side by side, adult and child alike.

From the moment families arrived, the energy shifted. Shoes came off. Voices softened. Children climbed into hammocks with books or journals while moms settled in nearby — some in their own hammocks, some on the floor, some shoulder-to-shoulder with their kids. By the end of our time together, there  was a collective exhale.

Emotions vs. Feelings: Language That Empowers

One of the central teachings of the afternoon was understanding the difference between emotions and feelings — a distinction that can be incredibly empowering for both kids and adults. Ms. Auburn shared that emotions are the body’s immediate response. They are physical and automatic — a surge of energy, a tight chest, a warm face, a knot in the stomach. Emotions happen to us.

Feelings, on the other hand, are how we interpret those emotions. They’re shaped by our thoughts, past experiences, and beliefs. Feelings are the story we tell ourselves about what’s happening.

This distinction can make a big difference. When kids understand that emotions aren’t something they choose — and that they aren’t “bad” — it reduces shame. When moms hear that they don’t need to control emotions, only learn to respond to them, something softens.

We talked about how emotions move through the body like waves. If we don’t fight them or push them down, we get to let our bodies experience emotions in a healthy, present way. We explored how naming what we’re experiencing can be a powerful first step toward regulation.

And we practiced doing this by noticing where sensations show up in the body, identifying emotions, and gently exploring the feelings connected to them. 

Processing Emotions in Healthy, Accessible Ways

Rather than offering a long list of rules or techniques, we focused on simple tools families can actually use in daily life.

We explored:

• Grounding through the body, like pressing feet into the floor or wrapping arms around the torso

• Breath awareness, without forcing or changing it

• Movement as release, including gentle shaking or swaying in the hammocks

• Journaling and drawing as a way to process without needing perfect words

• Shared reflection, where kids and moms could listen without fixing

Ms. Auburn emphasized that processing emotions doesn’t mean making them go away. It means letting them move, be seen, and eventually settle. We did this by drawing shapes or colors that matched how something felt inside. We explored what options we have in moments of overwhelm, grief, joy, or exhaustion that rarely get airtime in everyday life. Almost all of the children had an idea to share.

A few families shared reflections aloud — about learning that anger can be protective, that sadness isn’t weakness, that joy can feel big and overwhelming too. Others listened quietly, absorbing the collective experience.

There was no comparison. No right answers. Just presence. This kind of communal reflection is rare — especially across generations. It reminds us that emotional work doesn’t have to be heavy to be meaningful. It can be gentle. It can be spacious. It can even be peaceful.

Moms and Kids Learning Side by Side

One of the most powerful parts of the evening was watching moms and kids engage in the same practices together — without hierarchy, without perfection. Kids saw their moms pause, breathe, and reflect. Moms saw their kids articulate feelings with honesty and clarity.

Both learned that emotions are something we experience, not something we have to hide.

This shared experience sends a quiet but profound message: emotional awareness is a lifelong practice. It’s not something we expect children to master while adults stay disconnected from their own inner world. When families learn together, it normalizes emotional expression. It builds trust. It creates a shared language that can carry into car rides, bedtime routines, and hard moments at home.

Reflection, Journaling, and Gentle Sharing

As the afternoon continued, families moved into a period of reading and journaling. Some simply rested in the hammocks and let their thoughts wander. Some families chose quiet reading together. Others reflected silently, drawing in their notebooks or journaling. Some moms closed their eyes and sat still for the first time all day.

Why This Work Matters

We live in a culture that often tells kids to “calm down” and adults to “push through.” Emotions are either minimized or pathologized, rather than understood. Events like this one are about changing that narrative.

When families learn to recognize emotions as information rather than problems, they build resilience. When kids grow up seeing adults regulate and reflect, they internalize those skills. When moms are given space to feel without judgment, it impacts the entire family system.

At The Yoga Dance Co, we believe movement, mindfulness, and emotional awareness belong together.

Carrying It Forward

As families packed up journals and slipped out of the studio, there was a noticeable sense of groundedness. Not because everything was resolved — but because something important had been acknowledged.

The tools shared yesterday aren’t meant to stay in the studio. They’re meant to show up in daily life:

• In moments of big feelings

• In quiet mornings

• In transitions and changes

• In conversations that feel tender

The Yoga Dance Co is honored to hold space for this kind of work and deeply grateful to every family who joined us with openness and curiosity.

Yesterday wasn’t about teaching families how to be calmer.

It was about reminding them that they already have what they need — awareness, connection, and the capacity to express themselves in a healthy way.

If this sounds like something you want for yourself or your family, please join us next month for The Peace Environment, where we’ll continue to learn about ourselves and find peace together. To check out our other upcoming studio sessions and workshops, click here.