I sat on the bed and cried. Tears fell down my face and onto the crisp white sheets, leaving a stain. I tried to wipe them away, but they kept falling. I was having a power cry, and there was nothing that was going to stop it — I value the power of tears.
I am a highly sensitive and emotional person. I find myself crying often. I used to hate this about myself. I would try to hide the tears or will myself to not cry. It wasn’t until I realized what a powerful gift the tears were that I began to embrace my propensity to weep and began calling them power cries.
In working through my current season of depression I have found myself crying more often. Sometimes for no apparent reason, other than tears are the only response I can muster at the time. I have learned quite a bit about the power of my tears.
Sometimes our tears are healthy ways to process a situation or circumstance. Emotional tears are cleansing and healthy, especially for those going through a depressive episode. There are actually several benefits to crying for physical, mental, and spiritual health reasons.
Physical Healing Power of Tears
The tears we cry enable us to literally see. Healthy eyesight depends on the lubrication of our eyes beneath our eyelids. Babies sometimes have blocked tear ducts after they are born and have to be treated so they can produce tears to help protect and clean their eyes.
Tears are actually nature’s antibacterial soap, as they can kill up to 95 percent of living bacteria within minutes of contact. How’s that for self-sustaining healing powers?
In addition to being bacteria killers, they also help the removal of toxins from the body. In a recent study, it was discovered that emotional tears contained more toxic byproducts than tears caused by irritation of dust in the eye. Tears caused by pain or grief remove toxins built up in our body from stress.
Emotional Healing Power of Tears
Most often we link crying with the cause of and worsening a depressive mood, but crying can actually elevate your mood. Because of the release of stress toxins through our tears built up in our body over time, our mood actually improves after an emotional cry. Just another reason to let the tears flow.
Actually, holding back tears heightens our stress levels. This is due to extra hormones produced when we try to suppress a natural emotional response to a problem or physical response to trauma. Crying actually is our body’s way to help equalize our hormones for us to have healthy emotional responses within our relationships.
Crying actually helps us process grief and keep our hearts open and softened to new possibilities rather than closed off and hardened. Crying is an incredible gift which sets us apart as human. Crying is liquid strength. It is wise to embrace the emotional benefits of crying.
Spiritual Healing Power of Tears
Feelings were created to be felt. Our tears are veritable gifts. From our tears springs joy. Just like during childbirth pains we may cry in pain or frustration, but the end result is joy with the arrival of a new babe. Tears cleanse our souls.
Crying in public is often a fear for many, but in actuality, tears create community. There is a certain level of intimacy shared when we allow others to see our tears. It is an invitation to say, “me too,” which most often produces the most genuine and authentic relationships.
There are many benefits to crying. Power cries allow us to become strengthened through many different angles physically, emotionally and spiritually. When we give ourselves permission to cry we give ourselves an opportunity for growth and healing. Our tears are not wasted — they are purposeful and powerful. Do not be ashamed of crying, for it is your strength.
Image via Thinkstock.
Brianna George is a speaker, teacher and Missionary currently living in middle Tennessee with her husband of 12 years, two spicy little boys and their rescue dog, Bosa the Boxer. She recently has been published and featured in the nationally syndicated Huffington Post. You can find more of her writing in collaborative blogs such as The Glorious Table, as well as her personal blog Unveiled and Revealed.
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