Weekly NeuroDivergence & Autism Meetup - Unmasked, Unsilenced, and Unrated

## 🪞 What Is Shame? — Exploring the Most Powerful and Misunderstood Emotion 💫

## A gentle inquiry into the emotion that both protects and imprisons us.

Dear Seekers of Authenticity,

This evening, we’ll explore one of the most powerful and least understood of all regulatory emotions — shame. 🌊

> What is shame — really?

> Where does it live in the body?

> What is it trying to regulate or protect?

> And how can awareness transform it from paralysis into connection, self-understanding, and freedom?

Shame is often the emotion we run from — that quiet tightening in the chest, the sudden urge to disappear, the whisper that we are “too much” or “not enough.” Yet it’s also one of the most intelligent regulators of human behavior and belonging.

Instead of allowing shame to stand between us and others, we can learn to understand the message it’s sending — to receive it, listen with curiosity, and meet it with care and healing. ❤️‍🩹

Regulatory emotions such as guilt, pride, humility, embarrassment, gratitude, compassion, curiosity, and love help us modulate our inner world and sustain connection. But shame, when understood rather than feared, can become a gateway to profound authenticity, empathy, and growth.

Together, we’ll explore how shame shapes identity and relationships — especially for those who experience the world with heightened sensitivity, insight, or neurodivergence.

You’re warmly invited to share, observe quietly, or simply be present. There’s no pressure to perform — only an invitation to presence, curiosity, and genuine connection. 🌱

🕕 Thursday at 6:00 PM (Eastern Time)
📍 Zoom (link shown on the group page after you mark “Going”)