How emotions can affect the physical body

Chinese medicine believes that Chi controls your emotional and physical wellbeing, meaning that your life force directly impacts upon your body as well as affecting your emotional state. It also maintains that the mind controls Chi – that is, your thoughts and beliefs govern the way in which your Chi affects your body.

For example, anger impacts on the liver, causing a stagnancy of Chi flow and possibly generating heat in the body. This is because anger is the imbalanced expression of Liver Chi. This can result in headaches, ulcers, indigestion, period pain and premenstrual tension among many other things. Whereas choosing to let go of angry thoughts (and thoughts are all they are) and moving into positive liver emotions such as kindness, trust and responsibility, changes the internal environment from toxic to healthy – or from low-grade energy to high-grade energy.

This is not to suggest that you will suddenly be healed and never experience negative emotions or illness again, nor is it about condoning other people’s poor behaviour. I am simply saying that if you choose to stay with the balanced emotions you will have more chance of being healed and having happy, harmonious relationships than if you were to stay with the negative.

The above affirmations show how to use your mind to control your Chi in moving from low-grade energy into high-grade energy by shifting your focus from points (a) to (b). Now I want to show some of the physical effects these negative emotions can have on the physical body.

Note that these symptoms relate to the Energetic connections of each of the categories. Although in the West we have named the meridians according to the organs to which they are connected, the energetic influences of each of them is much greater than simply affecting the related organs.

Lungs and Large Intestine: Persistent or chronic coughs; colds/flu-like symptoms; asthma; bronchitis; sinus; mucous problems; constipation; diarrhoea; eczema; psoriasis [as the skin is considered the third lung]; pain along the lateral border of the arms.

Kidneys and Bladder: Chronic cystitis; bladder or kidney infections; chronic low back pain; weakness and pain in back, legs or knees; cold feet; painful feet; infertility/impotence; chronic fatigue; no stamina; no vitality; poor memory; poor concentration; ringing in ears; hearing loss, greying hair.

Liver and Gall Bladder: Indigestion; heartburn; nausea; vomiting; ulcers; stomach pain; alternating constipation and diarrhoea; premenstrual tension or PMS; headaches and migraines; neck and shoulder tension and pain; weak finger nails; vision problems; sore/dry/tearing eyes; pain around ribs and sides.

Heart and Small Intestine: Palpitations; angina; panic attacks; insomnia; mind hyperactive at night; mouth ulcers; stuttering; circulation problems; spasmodic pain in intestines; pain back of shoulder and down little finger side of arms.

Spleen and Stomach: Puts on weight easily and can’t lose it; problems with nutrient absorption; poor circulation; cold hands; sluggish digestion; cellulite; varicose veins; forgetful; “foggy” feeling in head; period pain; menstrual bleeding problems [too little too much]; habitual miscarriage; pain and weakness medial aspect [inside] legs and feet.

These are just some of the more common signs and symptoms you may experience when your emotions [or your diet and lifestyle] cause the Chi to dysfunction.

The Loving Inner Smile

Finally, I want to give you one more technique you can use to help your internal organs in maintaining their energetic balance. It is an integral part of the above practice to be performed simultaneously with repeating the affirmations. This is practise of Taoist Inner Alchemy. It is very versatile, and can be done anywhere, at any time. You can add it to your own daily exercise or meditation practise. Do it before going off to sleep or when you first wake up each day. I do encourage you, however, to do it in conjunction with the above affirmations, as it greatly enhances their effectiveness.

To begin, take some deep breaths to centre yourself and calm your mind. Then think of something or someone that makes you feel really happy and loving. This can be anything, just so long as you can get that joyful, loving feeling. Now hold this thought in your mind and allow the feeling it generates to flow through to your face. Feel how your eyes soften and your lips turn up slightly at the sides in a gentle smile, as if you are looking at your created image.

Now, still holding the thought and the feeling it generates direct your attention to each of your internal organs. Don’t be concerned about their exact location or shape. Trust that your own body knows where to send this loving, happy Chi. All you need to do is name each one, then mentally direct your loving inner smile to that organ. Let it know you appreciate all that it does for you without you having to control it. If you are visually inclined you may visualise the entire process; if not simply imagine that each of your organs are receiving your love and each one smiles back to you.

You can use this process to send love and joy to every part of your body. Particularly if you have an illness, ache or pain somewhere. Instead of saying, “I have a bad ……….[you fill in the blank]” and infusing it with even more negative, low-grade energy, send it a loving, inner smile every time you think about it or feel its presence. In time you will begin to notice a shift in discomfort levels as you help your body to find its power to heal itself.

By giving the mind this positive food on a regular basis you will allow yourself the opportunity to experience bliss and ecstasy in each of your present moments. You will become conscious and in control of yourself and your emotions and your balanced energy will flow out into your life, relationships and creative expressions.

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