Cheryl Burke Says 'Being Alone' Has 'Been the Best Thing' for Herself Following Split from Husband

"Really feeling my feelings is new to me," said Cheryl Burke, who filed for divorce from husband Matthew Lawrence in February

By

Nicholas Rice

Published on March 7, 2022 01:57 PM

Cheryl Burke is finding the beauty in being alone.

The 37-year-old Dancing with the Stars pro opened up about being on her own following her split from husband Matthew Lawrence in a candid Instagram post on Sunday evening.

"I've realized that whenever I am at a point in my life where I have some big emotions to process, the best thing for me to do is to spend some time alone - other than being with [my dog] Ysa of course, but I truly feel like she is a part of me, so she doesn't count," Burke began her post. "If I'm being honest, really feeling my feelings is new to me."

Noting that she has spent her "entire life up to this point trying to numb" her feelings, the dancer continued, "I'm learning that really going through them is A LOT harder."

"There's an obvious reason it's hard - that the emotions I'm experiencing right now are complicated and aren't exactly happy," she added. "But the less obvious reason is that I'm realizing I have a tendency to judge my own feelings and if I'm with other people that magnifies."

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Continuing her post, Burke wrote, "I get so focused on other people's perception of how I'm dealing with my emotions - which then in turn leads me to question if I am feeling things the 'right way.' "

Though she knows she "shouldn't do that," Burke noted, "I also know I can't be the only person who does."

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Burke then concluded her message, writing, "I guess all of that is to say, to truly experience my feelings, whatever they may be, being alone for a few days has been the best thing for me."

The dancer added: "I would highly encourage anyone else out there to try it and not feel guilty for needing that space."

RELATED VIDEO: DWTS's Cheryl Burke Returns to Wedding Venue to 'Reflect' amid Divorce from Matthew Lawrence

Last month, Burke filed for divorce from Lawrence, 42, whom she wed in May 2019.

Burke and Lawrence's official date of separation is listed as Jan. 7 in court documents obtained by PEOPLE. The papers cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split, and indicated that they signed a prenuptial agreement.

Last week, Burke opened up about "trying to feel my feelings for the first time" in an Instagram video, which she captioned: "I wanted to take a minute to talk about what's going on lately."

In the two-minute clip, filmed at Fairmont Grand Del Mar — the San Diego, California, luxury resort where Burke married Lawrence nearly three years ago — the podcast host revealed that she has started a new program focused on somatic experiencing to help heal from past traumas.

Burke said in the video that working on herself "has been very uplifting but very sad at the same time."