Anger, Acupuncture and the Ascension of Calm

If you’re like me, you wonder a lot. Why is the sky blue? Where do all those missing socks go? How do they get those stripes on a candy cane? My more serious side has always been very curious about emotions—what provokes someone to a fit of anger that would make another person weep? Why do we sometimes cry with joy? Can we learn to control these emotional outbursts that seem to come out of nowhere?

I’ve discovered the answers to some of these questions through the practice of Chinese medicine. Having treated thousands of clients for emotional and mental wellness at Acupuncture by Andrea, I’ve witnessed firsthand how astoundingly successful acupuncture is at helping to manage our emotions. This article is the first in a series I will be sharing with you on the efficacy of Chinese medicine in treating emotional disharmony.

Spring—The Season of Growth  

Let’s start with anger. Why do we get angry? In Chinese medicine, all of the organ systems are assigned specific tastes, smells, foods, emotions, and seasons. Springtime is governed by the liver and linked with the emotion of anger. Everything begins in the spring, with a growth towards eventual release. Seeds that are buried in the darkest depths of the ground, waiting, begin to burst forth and grow. Every spring humans, animals, bugs, and of course plants and trees acquire new growth and begin to renew themselves on all levels.   

Long dormant emotions that have been buried will also burst forth and begin moving upward and outward in an attempt at release. Emotional aspects that started in childhood that were never worked through seemed forever stifled and forgotten. Suddenly, these emotions surface and demand to be attended to. A flare of passion, seemingly out of nowhere—He flew into a blind rage! She totally just lost it!  This is the liver, heated and ready to fight after a long, dormant period of repressed emotions. 

The Liver’s Vital Flow

The liver regulates the smooth flow of qi in the body. It is responsible for over 400 functions that keep us at optimal emotional, mental, and physical health. When there is compromise to the liver through emotional upset such as the building of anger, the flow of energy/qi is disrupted and all 400+ functions begin to go awry.

What we eat and drink also has a direct effect on the liver’s maintenance of our vitality and emotional stability. The liver plays a major role in metabolism and what we put into our bodies will affect the liver and over time will contribute to its healthy functioning or inhibit its ability to regulate the vital flow of nutrients, negatively affecting our emotions. 

Foods that assist in liver health

• Artichokes

• Apples

• Black sesame seeds

• Cherries

• Lemons

• Oysters

• Poultry

• Radishes

• Red Wine

• Vinegar

• Watermelon

Foods that may weaken liver function

• Alcohol

• Caffeine

• Hot/ spicy foods

• Sour foods

• Very fatty or greasy foods

• Excessive amounts of nuts

• Overeating in general

Consult your Chinese medicine practitioner for foods recommended to intake or avoid for your specific health needs.

Chinese medicine is built on the foundation that a poor diet and unregulated emotions are the root cause of our emotional, mental, and physical health problems. Because the liver is responsible for processing our emotions, and this process is slowly denigrated by continuous stressors such as unhealthy food and repressed emotions, when we overtax the liver, we see a decline in health and an increase in emotional instability.

The Ascencion of Calm

Wouldn’t it be great to release your emotions gradually and appropriately rather than totally blow your cool? Chinese medicine can help you control your emotional response. Consistent, targeted acupuncture treatments will dispel the accumulated emotions held in the liver. Anger-specific treatments can lower blood pressure and enhance weight loss and initiate a state of calm. Acupuncture plus herbal medicines will help to soothe the liver and nurture its spring release, allowing increased blood flow. The liver can then initiate a regulated and peaceful flow of energy and emotions, carrying nutrients and blood to all organ systems while enhancing their function, cooling the blood, and quelling the inner storm.

Have you suffered from uncontrolled and uncontrollable anger? Did you seek acupuncture treatment and find relief? Leave a comment below and let us know about your experience with anger, acupuncture, and achieving calm.

 Read the second article in our series Chinese Medicine and Your Emotions.