In Chinese medicine, emotions are one of the indicators by which the health of the body is judged. If a person is completely healthy, harmonious and strong, he adequately perceives the environment — that is, he rejoices in it. But if he regularly experiences certain negative emotions, this is a signal: something in the body is out of balance and is collapsing. Anna Vladimirova, an expert in Chinese medicine, talks about the subtle relationships between emotions and the body.
From the point of view of classical Chinese medicine, in a healthy, emotionally stable (and therefore happy) person:
— correct body structure — or, to put it simply, a beautiful posture. The spine is the axis of the body, and the health of all organs depends on its condition. And Western evidence-based medicine confirms this: all organs and systems are controlled by the brain, and it transmits signals “to the periphery” through the spinal cord located in the spinal column. Nerves depart from the spine, through which the signal is transmitted to the organs, and through them the brain receives feedback — how are things on the ground? If the posture is broken, communication is not carried out correctly, and this leads to imbalance, emotional instability and, as a result, to illness. Therefore, the leading role in the healing of the soul and body in China is occupied by qigong — gymnastics, thanks to which the correct body structure is built.
— active blood circulation — according to Chinese medicine, blood carries qi energy throughout the body, nourishing all organs and systems. Western medicine also recognizes the importance of good blood circulation: according to one of the WHO reports, most diseases develop due to circulatory stagnation. Hence the conclusion: as one of my Chinese masters said, self-love is regular cardio loads.
In the East, many breathing exercises have been developed aimed at obtaining additional energy.
— energy storage — or, speaking in more understandable Western terms, a sufficient amount of strength for all the deeds and feats that you want to accomplish. Unfortunately, in the Western tradition there are no special exercises that allow you to radically increase your stamina. In the East, many breathing exercises have been developed, aimed at obtaining and accumulating additional energy. According to Chinese medicine, we get strength from three sources: sleep, food and breath. If the first two sources are balanced (you get enough sleep and eat right), you can study breathing techniques that will fill the body with additional forces.
I’m nervous: what does that mean?
So, we found out what an emotionally and physically balanced person looks like and does: he practices qigong, loves cardio, and studies breathing practices. What do our mood swings, periodic bouts of aggression or constant sadness mean — and how are they related to health? In the Chinese tradition, every emotion is directly related to the work of a particular organ. Here are some examples:
— anger, aggression — emotions of the liver; The relationship between emotion and organ, according to Chinese doctors, is bidirectional. That is, a person who has liver disease will regularly get angry at others. If the liver is healthy, and a person is regularly angry, this is a signal that there is an imbalance in the body that directs the body to destroy the liver — and this emotion only brings the disease closer.
Chinese doctors claim that the kidneys are the organ that is responsible for communication with past generations
— love of introspection and reflection — a signal that there are problems with the spleen or, if we continue in the same spirit, they will appear soon. Such a person is inclined to solve all problems within himself, constantly being in a painful and dense internal dialogue, and this vicious circle can be broken by treating the spleen — preferably in combination with mastering meditative practices that will help stop internal conversations and speed up recovery.
— conflicts with parents — it would seem that a purely psychological problem that Western experts directly associate with traumatic childhood events. Chinese doctors, on the other hand, say that the kidneys are the organ that is responsible for communication with past generations. If there is a constantly maintained conflict with older relatives, this experience signals problems with the kidneys or purposefully destroys this organ. Therefore, contrary to modern psychotherapy, Chinese medicine recommends not looking for the causes of discord with parents, but nourishing these relationships, looking for ways to communicate harmoniously with them and thus receive additional energy to move forward.
An exercise against sadness
In Chinese medicine, the emotion of sadness is directly related to lung function. Oriental doctors usually work not with the disease, but with the imbalance that this very disease will cause over time (perhaps even after a few years). So, few people can feel the imbalance of the lungs until it develops into a disease: we all breathe and do not notice which parts of the lungs are fully involved in the process, and which are not enough. If a person, in the literal sense of the word, does not breathe fully, the tops or lower lobes of the lungs are not involved in the active process of breathing, this responds in the body with a chronic state of sadness. And only after years this deviation can lead to certain clinical manifestations.
How to give the lungs more air and get rid of chronic sadness? To do this, there is a simple exercise from the qigong arsenal.
Sit on a chair with a back, lean on it, throw your head back, and spread your arms to the sides (arms are relaxed, comfortably bent at the elbows, elbows look down, and palms look up to the sky). Now remember the situation that has saddened you in recent days. Take three soft deep breaths. And notice how that sad memory dissolves. I am absolutely confident in the positive result of this experiment, because in this form the body is almost unable to contain sadness. If the sad emotion returns, repeat the exercise, again dissolving the unpleasant memory and allowing the body to breathe deeply.