Each emotion has a specific influence on the movement of Qi or vital energy:
Joy: Slows down or relaxes Qi.
Anger: Causes Qi to rise.
Sadness: Depletes or dissolves Qi.
Worry and Pensiveness: Knots or stagnates Qi.
Fear: Causes Qi to descend (acutely) or stagnate (chronically).
Shock: Scatters Qi, leading to sudden disruptions.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), there are traditionally five key emotions, each associated with a specific organ system. These emotions are considered to have a significant impact on the flow of Qi and overall health. Here are the five primary emotions in TCM and their corresponding organ systems:
Joy (Xi, 喜):
- Associated Organ: Heart
- Effect on Qi: Slows down or relaxes Qi. Excessive joy can lead to a dispersion or slackening of Qi, affecting the Heart’s function.
Anger (Nu, 怒):
- Associated Organ: Liver
- Effect on Qi: Causes Qi to rise and move upwards. Prolonged anger can lead to Liver Qi stagnation or Liver Yang rising, manifesting as headaches, dizziness, and hypertension.
Worry/Pensiveness (Si, 思):
- Associated Organ: Spleen
- Effect on Qi: Knots or stagnates Qi. Excessive worry or overthinking can impair the Spleen’s function, leading to digestive issues and fatigue.
Sadness/Grief (Bei, 悲):
- Associated Organ: Lung
- Effect on Qi: Dissolves or depletes Qi. Prolonged sadness or grief can weaken Lung Qi, leading to respiratory issues and general Qi deficiency.
Fear (Kong, 恐):
- Associated Organ: Kidney
- Effect on Qi: Causes Qi to descend. Acute fear can lead to Qi descending abruptly, while chronic fear can disrupt the Kidney’s function and lead to Qi stagnation.
Additional Emotion
Shock (Jing, 惊):
- Associated Organ: Heart and Kidney
- Effect on Qi: Scatters Qi. Sudden shock or trauma can cause an immediate scattering of Qi, affecting both the Heart and Kidneys.
Summary
In TCM, these five primary emotions—joy, anger, worry/pensiveness, sadness/grief, and fear—are integral to understanding the mind-body connection. Each emotion’s impact on its corresponding organ can lead to various physical and emotional health issues if not balanced properly. For maintaining health, TCM emphasizes balancing these emotions and their effects on Qi and organ systems.