Understanding emotions in Chinese medicine

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, emotions aren't separate from the body, they live in it. Each of the five elements ties an emotion to a pair of organs, and when that emotion runs to an extreme it tends to show up physically. Tap or hover any petal on the wheel below to see which feeling belongs to which organ, then read on for what each one means in practice.

JoyHeart AngerLiver SadnessLung WorrySpleen FearKidney

Five Elements

Heart and small intestine: joy

Think of the Heart and Small Intestine as the keepers of joy. When it's flowing, it lifts the spirits and brightens the day. But even joy has a tipping point, too much of it, oddly enough, can scatter the mind and disturb sleep. People with a strong Heart connection tend to be warm and cheerful, though when that energy runs high they can tip into restlessness, insomnia or forgetfulness.

Liver and gallbladder: anger

Drive and ambition live in the Liver and Gallbladder, the fire that gets things done. When anger takes over, though, it can surface as headaches, dizziness or a flushed, hot feeling. Those closely tied to the Liver are often determined and ambitious, but they can slide into irritability or a short fuse when that fire isn't kept in check.

Lung and large intestine: sadness

Grief settles in the Lung and Large Intestine. A little sadness can be nourishing, even necessary, but left to pool it weighs the body down into lethargy and flatness. People aligned with the Lung tend to be thoughtful and deeply empathetic, which is a gift, though it can also mean sadness lands harder and lingers longer than they'd like.

Spleen and stomach: worry

The Spleen and Stomach are where the mind chews things over. Turn that over too much, into worry or obsessive thinking, and it can show up as digestive trouble, poor sleep and a tired, foggy head. Those in tune with the Spleen are usually practical and grounded, but they can get stuck circling the same thought when overthinking takes hold.

Kidney and bladder: fear

Our deepest fears are held by the Kidney and Bladder. When fear takes the wheel, it can register as lower back pain, urinary issues or a low hum of dread. People aligned with the Kidney are often wise and quietly resilient, though they may move through life more cautiously than they need to when fear gets the upper hand.

Bringing it back into balance

None of this means an emotion is bad. Feeling the full range of them is simply part of being alive, and TCM never treats joy or grief or fear as something to eliminate. The idea is gentler than that: notice how a feeling is affecting you, and tend to the imbalance while it's small, before it settles into the body as a physical complaint. That noticing is where acupuncture and Chinese medicine can quietly help.

If any of this resonates and you'd like to explore it, you can read more about my background or the full treatments I offer.

Warmly,
Sandra de Catalina
Naturopath specialising in acupuncture