Have you ever noticed what happens to your body when you get super angry? Or when you get scared? The body releases stress hormones, your breathing patterns changes. And according to holistic medicine, your emotions influence certain organs.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) talks about how emotions affect the movement of Qi, and connects certain emotions to certain organ systems. Ayurveda associate certain emotions with certain organs, but also with doshas – which can be either of the body or of the mind. Regardless of the associations, it is a fact that the way we feel has a direct impact on our body and health.
Any emotion in excess can impair the function of the associated organ.
TCM talks specifically about seven emotions (七情 in chinese), they are: joy, anger, melancholy, anxiety, grief, fear, and terror ( 喜、怒、憂、思 、悲 、恐 、驚 ). But since two of them are similar, mainly five emotions are mentioned.
Anger:
- Both Ayurveda and TCM correlate anger with the Liver. It goes both ways: being angry may affect your liver function, and having liver disorders can lead you to becoming angry more easily.
- In Ayurveda, anger or irritation is usually associated with a pitta aggravation, which is strongly associated with the fire element. Fire and heat tends to move up, and in the body, the upper part is the head.
- Similarly to Ayurveda, TCM says excess anger will induce the Qi to ascend (it is not for nothing that people use terms like ‘hot-headed’).
Grief:
- Both Ayurveda and TCM correlate grief with the Lungs.
- TCM says excess sadness and grief weakens the Qi (sometimes what you need to heal yourself is to let yourself cry)
- Grief in Ayurveda can be associated with an imbalance of vata, according to Dr. Robert Svoboda.
Fear:
- Both Ayurveda and TCM correlate fear with the Kidneys.
- Easily getting scared is especially associated with a vata imbalance.
- TCM says excess fear can make Qi descend (ever wondered why you pee your pants when you are scared?)
Worry:
- While TCM associates worry and anxiety with the Spleen organ, Ayurveda associates spleen more with attachment and greed. Ayurveda associates worry with the heart.
- TCM says excessive worry can stagnate the Qi
Joy:
- TCM associates joy with the heart.
- TCM says excessive joy can slow down and scatter the Qi
Modern science will talk about it in terms of the biochemistry of stress hormones.
Every emotion has a function. Pay attention to them and try not to label them, and remember that emotions come and go, do not get lost in your emotions or hold on too tight to them, but observe them and use them as an opportunity to better understand why you feel a certain way and what it is that triggers you.