Have you ever worried so much that you feel sick to your stomach? Maybe you have felt grief or sadness that feels like a weight on your chest, or heaviness in the lungs?
The Five Element theory within TCM shows us the following correlations between physical organs and emotions.
| Element | WOOD | FIRE | EARTH | METAL | WATER |
| Emotion | Anger | Joy | Worry | Grief | Fear |
| Organs | Liver/Gallbladder | Heart/Small Intestine | Spleen/Stomach | Lungs/Large Intestine | Kidneys/Bladder |
We want to allow ourselves to feel and process through our emotions. Becoming stuck in one emotion, or avoiding your emotions, circumvents the natural process and will eventually begin to have negative effects on the physical body. It’s important that we don’t judge any of the emotions as a “good” emotion or a “bad” emotion, and allow ourselves the time to complete our emotional process. Unfortunately in our current culture, it is becoming more commonplace to numb ourselves and we are feeling less and less. We tend to not want to experience the “bad” emotions like grief and anxiety. Emotions become trapped in the body and can literally make us sick.
What can we do if we feel stuck in our emotions? Maybe we worry all the time, or frequently experience anxiety/fear? TCM therapies like acupuncture, acupressure and Shiatsu can be very helpful in addressing imbalances in our emotional states. These therapies all use the TCM meridian and point system to affect energetic points on the physical body. Each point has different qualities and indications for use. Acupuncture uses very fine needles inserted into various points to help balance the flow of energy (chi). Acupressure and Shiatsu are massage modalities that use the hands and fingers to apply pressure on the points. Both modalities are very gentle and very effective.
I have had clients come in struggling with grief and we were able to provide relief by working acupoints relating to the lungs and large intestines. Those organs correspond to the Metal element which correlates to the emotion of grief. One client immediately felt “lighter” and felt like she could cope more easily with her grief.
I have also had clients who tend towards anxiety and fear and worked points relating to the kidneys and bladder. Clients report being able to sleep better and felt calmer in general.
It is so important that we each become aware of our emotions, and understand that it is okay and necessary to allow the emotions and feelings to run the course. It is also important that we seek help if we find ourselves stuck in a chronic state of one emotion.
