Emotions are our first intelligence. On a basic level, they tell us when we are safe and when we need to run away. It’s our emotions that allow us to “go with our gut” and make the right decision, even when we lack certain information. Deeper still, our emotions help us to process experiences so that we can integrate the good and discard what is no longer serving us. Needless to say, emotions are powerful and an essential part of a healthy and vibrant existence.

Despite the rich information and insight that our emotions can provide us with, if they’re unable to flow within the body, it will be difficult for us to hear what they are trying to say. More than that, trapped or stagnant emotional energy can lead to more externally felt conditions—such as chronic pain. Pain is the body’s way of telling us that something is wrong. Sometimes it’s a purely physical sensation; the result of a sprained ankle, for example. Other times, however, outwardly felt pain can be the result of unresolved emotional history.

This is something that Somato Emotional Release therapist Dixie Bennett knows all too well. Having lived with chronic pain most of her life, she turned to alternative therapies when more traditional treatments proved ineffective. It didn’t take long for Dixie to discover that her pain was more than just physical pain. In her words, “I know what it feels like to be trapped in a body that isn’t working.” She also knows what it’s like to finally find relief from her pain—both physical and emotional—and has made it her life’s work to help others experience the same healing that she did.

To learn more about Dixie Bennett and what she does to help people just like you find relief from chronic and emotional pain so they can get back to living full, joyful and pain-free lives, listen to this interview that Dixie did with host Kathryn Eriksen on Heart Dancing Radio.