Anger has an incredibly bad rap in the world of emotions.   That is because most of us know intimately the experience of imbalanced anger while not understanding the balanced energy of anger.  So let’s talk about Anger’s role.  Angry anger has one main purpose. That is to tell us we are taking actions from a victim reality where we have little to no power. (We all carry many unconscious beliefs that are grounded in victim reality; anger is here to change direction and move us to a creator reality.) Anger also tells us that something is unfair, or we are being manipulated, or a boundary has been crossed.  But it’s main purpose is to say “you have no power on this path, let’s change direction”.  Angry anger has the energy to change direction, leading us to a creator reality where we DO have power.  Once we are there, angry anger will transform itself to the true power of the Warrior.  It is no coincidence that so many movies are being released about super heroes.  Our Warrior energy stands in a place of compassion and integrity and never fights for personal gain, only for justice, truth and fairness.

And that brings me to evolved anger.  Have you ever been in a position where you stood in absolute conviction that you were right about something, and others were obliged to agree with you because you stood in the place of sacred truth?  That is the experience of balanced anger. 

I remember my first teacher saying to me, “Balanced anger is never angry.”  I did not understand what that meant and was intrigued. Then, as I was training with her, I began to notice what triggered my anger.  And as I worked with this information I found that angry anger was a message that I was walking a path of victimization, and that when I found a way to express my anger by myself, and with integrity, it took me to an “ah-hah” moment - an awakening of how something I believed was keeping me powerless and a victim.  That awakening showed me how I was co-creating my experiences and showed me how to shift to a creator reality. 

Angry anger is a message from your Warrior.  Are you being subtly manipulated to do something you would not agree to in a direct request?  Are you experiencing/seeing inequality or injustice? Are you being unfairly blamed for something not your fault?  Are you angry at yourself for being out of integrity?  Are you furious that you have followed all the rules and the rewards keep being just out of reach?  Are you angry because the rules of your culture seem designed to keep you powerless?

The key to transforming angry anger into power is simple.  The body is hardwired to strike or hit when angry.  Rather than repress that wiring, I learned to go into my anger. First I declare a structure such as, “I choose to transform and understand my anger in this sacred space.  No energy will leave the room.”  This insures that my anger does not go winging off energetically to hurt someone (which it can do if it is repressed, but then it comes back to you threefold so beware!!)  Then I take my rage doll and bash it about, screaming non-verbally for however long I can manage before running out of steam.  Sometimes I have to repeat this several times throughout the day, or even for several days.  This exercise has  always lead me to my ah-hah moment, that point where I see how I am co-creating the experience that is making me angry.  My anger then transforms to the appropriate energy to either confront someone with calm and compassion or to take an action of integrity to change my direction from victim to co-creator. 

Angry anger needs to be right.  If you are angry, you are not in an evolved place to have a conversation, as both parties will spend energy trying to prove they are right.  By expressing angry anger privately and with sacred intent, we evolve ourselves to calmness.  With this will come a truth about our own participation in what has triggered us.  That truth sets us free and on the path of creator.

Trust your anger, give it a sacred space to express and inform, and you will find yourself living in a much more magical world.

©2019 Cat Thompson

Here is a short video I did with Monique Dubos, my editor. She needed to make a one minute video for a class, and chose to do one on rage work. I was skeptical we could get our message across in only 60 seconds, but I was very pleased with how it came out. I laugh every time I watch this! Click on the rage doll.

Testimonial for Anger Workshop

Dear Cat,

I have thought about writing this letter for a long time now.  How and where do I begin I’m not sure.  I do know that the intent of this letter is to express my profound gratitude for what you have taught me.

I attended your “Rage” workshop about 7-8 months ago, although it feels like a couple of years have passed.  At the time I had prepared myself and made a decision it was time to face my rage and heal.  I had spent many years doing emotional work for I’ve had a lot to heal.  Ten years ago I hit the wall when I came face to face with my rage.  It was the most powerful thing I had ever experienced coming from within myself.  I was terrified and did not have the skills to deal with it.

I had been in therapy at the time and although my therapist had helped me with a lot of areas, she had little guidance for me with the rage.  So here ended my “therapy”.  The next 10 years I grew as a person in many areas, but it always hung over me that I had not finished my emotional work.  I needed to face my rage.

I came across your ad in the Edge and I couldn’t get to the phone fast enough.  We had a nice conversation and I trusted you.  The information and skills that you taught me are invaluable!  The impact of our workshop is more powerful to me today than it was 7-8 months ago when I attended.  You see, all the ingredients were there.  I was ready, your teachings were the catalyst, then I did the work.  I was so empowered by you I fearlessly faced my rage.

I remember the first 2 days after your workshop.  I went through the motions you taught me, and on the 3rd day I tapped into the real thing.  I let it take me and I went for a ride.  The power of it was beyond belief.  I blasted energy through myself, and out, with such force I thought my entire system was going to explode.  I hung in there and let it flow, just as you taught me.

I have since been through this process numerous times.  I’m actually getting quite skilled at it.  I find myself describing my rage work, that it is like having the flu and needing to throw up.  It’s the last thing I want to do, but the waves of nausea are so intense I am forced to make a decision.  When I decide to go ahead and throw up I always feel better afterwards.  The relief does not always come right away, but it does always come.

It is interesting to have done this so many times I can observe a cycle I go through.  It can take me anywhere from 15 minutes to several days.

There is usually a stimulus

The energy builds

I release it, expressing the rage

I then cry and sob

Then I’m quiet and often move into a depression

Then I cry some more

Then the relief comes

The Healing!

I have at times received insights during this process.  I don’t always have any specific issue or topic I’m working on, and it does not matter in the least.  I’m healing!

There is no way I could do this work in a therapist’s office.  I can’t imagine ever exposing anyone else to the vileness coming out of me.  What in the world would a witness to this even do?  I find the work comes spontaneously and as you teach – it needs to be faced alone.  I have now healed enough of the rage to see some of the other emotions that need expressing, processing and healing.  For these areas I have found the support and guidance of a skilled and blessed Spiritual Counselor.

I have been able to take your concepts, directly and actively apply them to my life, and the results have been really fun to witness.  I have now found my life path as a result of this process.  I have moved so much energy, my life changes and unfolds literally everyday now.  It is so exciting I can’t wait to see what magic will unfold each day.

My emotional work continues, but I now see the rainbow.  Thank you so much!

Love and peace, Joy H.