The Emotions in Traditional Chinese Medicine

One of the core beliefs of traditional Chinese medicine is that emotional and physical health are inseparable. Emotional imbalances can lead to physical symptoms, and equally, physical symptoms can impact our emotions.

Here’s how Chinese medicine views the emotions and how they influence our physical health.

Healthy Expression of Emotions

In Chinese medicine, all emotions are considered healthy and useful, when expressed appropriately at appropriate times. This is in stark contrast to many Western cultures, which have long suggested that certain emotions, such as sadness and anger, are “negative” and should be suppressed at all costs.

Resisting specific emotions can cause them to linger, and from a Chinese medicine perspective, holding onto one emotion for a prolonged period is one of the most significant causes of disease.

Therefore, it is seen as beneficial to allow ourselves to experience the full range of human emotions, even those that feel incredibly uncomfortable in the moment. It can be helpful to sit with these emotions for as long as necessary, trying to develop an acceptance of their presence and understand their messages in order to let them go and move forward with life.

Modern psychology is finally catching up to the idea that emotional suppression affects both mood and social function, and recently, the Jungian quote, “what you resist not only persists, but will grow in size,” has become widely used in these circles.

However, sitting with uncomfortable emotions can be challenging and is something that many of us need time to learn. In order to more readily accept our emotions, regulate them, and move on, it can be helpful to understand what purpose they serve. Reflective practices like journalling and talking therapy can be immensely helpful with this.

I personally find it particularly beneficial to view the emotions through a Chinese medicine lens, which offers a simple yet relatable model for their purpose. It also helps us to understand how they can impact our bodies and influence physical health.

The Emotions in Traditional Chinese Medicine

In traditional Chinese medicine, each of the five zang organs (the Heart, Spleen, Lung, Kidney, and Liver) is associated with a particular emotion. How this manifests will depend on whether the organ is in or out of balance. Let’s take a look at each one in turn:

The Heart – Joy

The Heart is primarily associated with the emotion of joy. It is also responsible for our ability to communicate authentically, form relationships, and experience intimacy and love. We are social beings, and when the Heart is in balance, we are able to form the close connections that we innately need to feel safe, secure, and happy.

When the Heart is imbalanced, we can become closed off, unable to express ourselves, or mistrusting of others. This is often due to past relational or developmental traumas, although communication difficulties can also arise from neurodivergence and learning differences.

Over time, a Heart imbalance can lead to low mood and an inability to experience joy, even when life is good. In some cases, people with Heart imbalances can oscillate between feelings of extreme energy and excitement and deep depression, for example, in conditions such as bipolar disorder.

On a physical level, Heart imbalances could lead to circulatory disorders, such as high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Anxiety with palpitations, poor sleep, and memory issues are also possible manifestations.

The Spleen – Sympathy

The Spleen is primarily associated with sympathy, another emotion that is crucial for our social connections with others. It allows us to offer comfort in times of need and is closely associated with empathy and compassion, both of which have a proven impact on our mental health.

When the Spleen is imbalanced, sympathy can turn into worry and overthinking. This might manifest as an overconcern for others’ wellbeing and feelings, putting others’ needs before our own, poor boundaries, and people-pleasing behaviours.

Conversely, people with Spleen imbalances may struggle to understand others’ feelings or display a lack of empathy or compassion. Being “self-centered” or inconsiderate could very well be due to an imbalance here.

Spleen imbalances can also result in obsessive thinking, becoming “stuck” on a particular idea or worry, and turning it over and over in our minds. The Spleen is one of the primary digestive organs in Chinese medicine, and “rumination” is the key word here. It has the dual meaning of thinking deeply about something and an animal chewing the cud. It conjures the image of someone chewing a thought, turning it over and over in their mind while looking for a solution.

On a physical level, Spleen imbalances often result in digestive issues and metabolic disorders, as well as symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, muscle aches, and weakness.

The Lung – Grief

The Lung is primarily associated with grief, an emotion related to loss. This may be the loss of a person, a job, an object, or an aspect of the self. Grief can be uncomfortable, but in Chinese medicine, it is not viewed as a negative emotion. Rather, it is seen as a necessary aspect of the cycle of life, a release of the old to make way for the new.

When the Lung system becomes imbalanced, it can result in clinging to the past or an inability to let go of old hurts and heartbreaks and move on. This can lead to bitterness and resentment.

Conversely, a person might seem to deal with grief very quickly and move on in a way that perhaps seems disproportionately easy. In these cases, it may be that the person is avoiding feeling their grief fully as a way of subconsciously holding on.

On a physical level, the Lung is responsible for respiration, and imbalances here can lead to breathing problems, chest tightness, and coughing.

The Lung is also closely related to the skin and plays a crucial role in regulating the exterior of the body. Therefore, Lung imbalances can cause skin conditions and other issues like spontaneous sweating.

Finally, the Lung has a close relationship to the Large Intestine, which can result in a physical expression of holding on too tightly or letting go too fast; constipation or diarrhoea.

The Kidney – Fear

The Kidney is associated with fear, a primal emotion that is designed to keep us safe and well. It is no coincidence that the adrenal glands, which are heavily involved in our “fight, flight, freeze, fawn” response, sit directly on top of the kidneys. In a balanced state, the Kidney system helps us develop wisdom about what is good for us and what is not.

An out-of-balance Kidney can lead to anxiety and phobias, which, in extreme cases, could prevent us from leading a fulfilling life. At the other end of the scale, someone with a Kidney imbalance may lack appropriate fear, possibly becoming an “adrenaline junky” with an affinity for extreme sports or other potentially risky activities.

The Kidney is also strongly associated with our drive and willpower, and imbalances here could manifest as a lack of motivation and apathy or becoming excessively driven and tending to over-exercise or overwork.

On a physical level, the Kidney is seen as the source of all yin and yang in the body, as well as storing a substance called jing (essence), which is intrinsically linked to our overall health, reproductive function, and lifespan. Therefore, Kidney imbalances can result in a host of symptoms ranging from fatigue and low libido to premature ageing.

The Liver – Anger

The Liver is primarily associated with anger, which is generally viewed as a “negative emotion” in the West. Indeed, when anger turns to rage, it can be hugely destructive. However, anger plays a crucial role in helping us recognise when we are unhappy with something, often a perceived injustice or boundary violation.

Being able to sit with our anger and understand where it is coming from allows us to develop assertiveness and make positive changes in our lives. On the other hand, suppressing anger can lead to frustration, resentment, and a whole host of physical and emotional problems.

Liver imbalances might manifest as an explosive temper and an uncontrolled expression of anger. Conversely, it could mean a person becomes timid, unassertive, and unable to stand up for their rights.

The Liver is also associated with hope; an imbalance here could lead to feelings of hopelessness about the future or a lack of vision.

On a physical level, anger causes us to tense up, and some of the most obvious symptoms of a Liver imbalance include muscle tension, joint pain, and headaches. Liver imbalances can also indirectly impact the digestive system, causing issues like indigestion, heartburn, and IBS.

Balancing the Emotions for Physical and Mental Wellbeing

If any of the situations described above resonate with you, you may be wondering how to remedy them and restore a state of balance.

There are many different ways to approach these emotional challenges. What they all have in common is that they aim to identify and address the root cause of the imbalance.

Talking therapies can be a useful way to examine how past and present experiences have shaped your psyche and why you might express specific emotions in a certain way. It can help you understand and recognise unhealthy patterns and develop strategies to change them.

Chinese medicine is another excellent way to balance the emotions, particularly if there are also physical symptoms present. Whether it be through herbal medicine or acupuncture, these time-honoured traditions maintain a strong focus on regulating the body and mind.

If you would like to learn more, check out our other resources or book in for a holistic health coaching session today.