Balancing Emotions for Well-Being
Balancing emotions
The idea that mind and emotions are important in illness, is integral to Chinese medicine. In this medicine, emotions are considered to be generated in the body and transmitted through Qi Energy.
Thoughts, attitudes and beliefs, impact our Qi flow. With balanced energy flow we can improve our health and well-being.
Emotions have impact on how we feel, how much enthusiasm and appetite we have for life, and how healthy we are in general.
Where do Emotions happen?
It may sound strange at first, but emotions are directly connected to, and happen in the body.
The word “passion” would convey the idea of mental suffering better than “emotion” also because it implies the idea of something that is “suffered”, something that we are subject to.
Indeed, feelings such as sadness, fear and anger become causes of disease when they take over our mind, and we no longer possess them but they “possess” us.
Emotions are mental stimuli which influence our life.
Under normal circumstances, they are not a cause of disease. Hardly any human being can avoid being angry, sad, aggrieved, worried, or afraid at some time in his or her life but those states will not lead to long lasting disharmony.
The emotions become causes of disease only when they are either long-lasting, or very intense.
There are seven main emotions:
Anger - affects the Liver
Joy - affects the Heart
Sadness - affects the Lungs and Heart
Worry - affects the Lungs and Spleen
Pensiveness - affects the Spleen
Fear - affects the Kidneys
Shock - affects the Heart
Read more about the seven emotions...
The idea that emotions are somatic - or body events - is more and more accepted even in 'main stream' medicine. It makes sense.
Acupressure is an ideal tool for balancing emotions.
Feelings and their locations
Although everyone is different, many people share the same association between what they feel and where they feel it.
|
Location of Emotion Pelvic bowel Lower abdomen Upper abdomen Chest |
Balanced Emotion Safety Pride Personal power Love/ Happiness |
Unbalanced Emotion Fear/terror Shame/guilt Anxiety/Anger Grief/Sadness |
Emotions and the Meridians
Each meridian is generally named after the organ it governs. Each organ generates, stores an distributes an emotional quality.
When out of balance the organs generate the following emotions - one organ generates the other expresses it:
Liver: Generates anger, frustration, irritability and resentment.
Gallbladder: Expresses anger and depression
Lung: Generates grief and sadness
Large intestine: Expesses grief
Kidney: Generates fear
Bladder: Expresses fear
Spleen: Generates worry and pensiveness
Stomach: Expresses worry
Heart: Generates joy as well as anxiety and shock
Small intestine: Distributes emotions of the heart
Pericardium: Protects the heart from excess and shock
Triple Warmer: Distributes emotions of the heart
Balancing emotions
Look at what is generating the emotion and how it is being expressed.
For example:
If you are worried and anxious, check the balance of stomach and spleen meridians.
Source Points for Emotional Well-Being
The meridians have special points with balancing effect over the entire meridian. They are called source points and balance a meridian whether it is empty or full.
It is potent any time.
All source points are located on the hands and feet, making it easy to give ourselves a good self-balancing session.
Balancing emotions
Balancing Emotions - Source Points
LU9 - Source Point for the lung meridian. Regulates and tonifies lung Qi and Yin Qi.
LI4 - Source point for the large intestine meridian. Regulates large intestine qi and moistens the colon. Stimulates downward flowing energy.
SP3 - Source Point for the spleen meridian. Regulates and tonifies the spleen and clears heat.
ST42 - Source Point for the stomach meridian. Regulates the stomach and calms the spirits
HT7 - Source Point for the heart meridian. Regulates and tonifies the heart. Calms he spirit and balances emotions.
SI4 - Source Point for the small intestine. Invigorates Qi.
KI3 - Source Point for the kidney. Tonifies, regulates and stabilizes kidney Qi
Balancing emotions
BL64 - Source Point for the bladder. Regulates the bladder and calms the spirit.
PC7 - Source Point for heart protector - Pericardium. Regulates and clears excess fire from the heart. Calms and sedates the body and mind.
TW4 - Source Point for the gall bladder. Regulates and transforms bladder Qi
GB40 - Source Point for the gall bladder. Regulates and transforms gall bladder Qi
LV3 - Source Point for the liver. Regulates and tonifies liver Qi. Provides an overall calming effect.
CV17 - Meeting Point for the conception vessel. Calms the spirit and harmonizes yin Qi
GV14 - Meeting Point for the governing vessel. Facilitates and invigorates Qi flow and harmonizes yang Qi.
To balance the points, press in circular motion until you feel a change. Then pulse pressure on the point for another while.
If a 24-point session is too long, find each point but treat only the one that are sore.
End your session with CV17 and GV14.
These two points promote great relaxation.
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