In keeping with this month’s themes of love, I figured it was time to write a little about how acupuncture can help with emotional imbalances of all kinds. In fact, one of the first theories we learn in TCM school is that emotions are the root cause of almost every condition and symptom we’ll treat.
In the realm of acupuncture, we learn about the basic substances of the body being Qi (Vital Force), Blood, Essence, and the Shen. We’ll get more into essence another week, because that’s a complicated one. But what’s this Shen you speak of? “Shen” is used to indicate the whole sphere of emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of a human being. It can be translated as “Spirit” or “Mind”, and implies our consciousness, mental functions, mental health, vitality, and our “presence”.
The Shen as a whole can be understood in different manifestations, and these manifestations each belong to a particular element/organ as part of TCM’s 5 Element Theory.
- Fire (Heart) – Shen – Mind – mental activity, emotions, consciousness, memory, thinking, sleep
- Wood (Liver) – Hun – Ethereal soul – the spirit or soul that exists outside of the body
- Metal (Lung) – Po – Corporeal soul – the somatic expression of the soul that moves in the body
- Water (Kidney) – Zhi – Will Power – mental drive, ambition, and short term memory
- Earth (Spleen) – Yi – Though Power – Applied thinking, studying, mental stamina, long term memory
Treating the Shen is an incredibly intricate process, and I could literally write a novel on the subject (I might even do that one day!). I will break it down as simply as possible though…
Sometimes individuals will come in directly looking for help with emotional imbalances, which makes treating the shen a little more direct. We can look at the underlying pattern of which element is most likely out of balance by looking at which emotions are largely imbalanced. In TCM, there are seven major emotions that affect the flow of Qi and Blood in the body, and each has a different effect.
- Anger (Wood/Liver) – Makes Qi Rise (Think of how you get red in the face when you get super angry!)
- Joy (Fire/Heart) – Makes Qi Slow Down (Think of the person who makes your heart stop!)
- Pensiveness (Earth/Spleen) – Makes Qi Stagnate (Think of how you get knots in your stomach when you’re thinking too much)
- Grief (Metal/Lung) – Makes Qi Dissolve (Think of how after a nice crying session, you feel exhausted and need a nap)
- Fear (Water/Kidney) – Makes Qi Descend (Think of how you may wet your pants when someone jumps out and scares you!)
- Fright – Makes Qi Scatter (This is more like when a person goes into shock)
There are also more contemporary emotional imbalances like anxiety and worry, which involve elemental pairs. Anxiety usually involves an imbalance between Fire and Water, while Worry usually involves an imbalance between Earth and Metal. An unbalanced emotional state with any of these emotions ultimately leads to damage of the emotion’s pertaining organs. When we’re constantly dealing with anger or frustration (Stress!), the Liver Qi becomes stagnated and can lead to migraines, headaches, PMS, even heart problems . Liver Qi that is stagnated can also invade the Earth element and cause irritable bowel syndrome, or insult the Metal Element and lead to chronic sinus and bronchial infections. I remember while in school, when I was about to start working in the clinic my supervisor told me “When in doubt of your diganosis, Liver Qi Stagnation is always your best bet!”. The reverse can also be true; when Qi in a certain organ becomes stagnated from other factors, emotional imbalances can set in. One great example of this phenomena is the Winter Blues or Seasonal Affective Disorder. In the winter time, your Metal element can get out of whack because winter’s Element (The Kidneys) are constantly seeking nourishment from it’s mother Metal, which is associated with your lungs and the emotion of Grief. Another great example is the irritability some women feel during their Pre-Menstrual time. Liver Qi is almost always stagnated at this phase, so it’s almost no wonder that some women feel incredibly irritable during that time. (Tip: Unsweetened Dark Chocolate cures almost anything, I learned that watching Harry Potter)
The good news is that through proper acupuncture treatment and herbal medicinal both the physical and the emotional component of the disorder may be addressed, even certain spiritual issues can be resolved when treated by a practitioner who truly understands the whole nature of acupuncture points. If you want to learn more about Emotions and 5 Element Theory, let us know and we’d be happy to chat!
In the mean time, the best way to keep your emotions balanced is to be aware of them. Take time each day to check in with yourself and see where your emotions are at (we’ve got some great previous blogs about this). Partaking in activities like meditation, yoga, journaling, and other are also great for keeping your emotions happy. And of course, don’t forget to take care of yourself and get regular healing treatments like acupuncture, massage, reiki, and whatever else makes YOU happy!
