Gratitude And Your Body
We often hear the message this time of year to give thanks, give to others and to generally be kind and grateful. Have you ever thought about what this means physically? We may offer up gratitude, but how do we come about that feeling in our physical form? In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) we often talk about what organ is responsible for a certain emotion, feeling or physical sense. What area of the body is responsible for gratitude and true thanks giving?
Physical-Emotional Harmony
In TCM, the organs have many characteristics and emotions are one of these. When there is an extreme version of one emotion, an organ system is said to be out of balance. When I give an acupuncture treatment, I work to balance the emotional state while relieving physical complaints that you are experiencing. When the physical and emotional systems are in harmony there is good appetite, good elimination, sleep is uninterrupted, mood is even, and there is adequate energy for all of your daily pursuits. In TCM, gratitude brings balance to the meridians and their respective organs. The organ systems that are most affected by practicing gratitude are the kidneys and the liver. When you are feeling harmonized, your liver, an easily unsettled organ managing all of the body’s emotions, is in good health. This is also a sign that your digestive system is working well.
The body begins to find balance with the most basic of functions, that of digestion. When digestion is strong, you intake nutrients and turn them into energy and blood, increasing essential blood flow. When this occurs, you begin to achieve balance, and you literally can better see the world around you. The herbs in TCM recommended for vision issues are blood tonics—when blood flows more freely, eyesight improves. You still see the bad and the ugly along with the good, but with the liver in a flow state, you can make sense of everything emotionally and intellectually while maintaining harmony.
The stomach and spleen, the main organs of digestion, are earth elements. When you feel grounded, you are figuratively saying that the earth is holding you steady. When you are grounded and feeling balanced, your most basic function, digestion, is in proper order. Every other aspect of your health and wellness can then be aligned. You won’t feel nervous or anxious, no excessive anger or frustration exists, and you don’t have noticeable fear or sadness. You can look around and see the world in its beauty and abundance and regain a sense of joy and wonder with a feeling of gratitude.
Joy from the Stomach to the Heart
Have you heard the saying “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach”? One of the internal pathways of the stomach in TCM penetrates the heart and emerges at the mouth. Joy is the emotion of the heart. When you’ve had a hard day’s work and refuel with a meal, you feel relaxed and satiated, and your heart feels full. On a food-oriented holiday like Thanksgiving, we put a lot of energy into preparing a feast with special foods that take a little more time and have a little more meaning than our daily fare. When your holiday guests say “This is delicious!”, your heart fills with joy and you are grateful for friends and family and all the abundance you have been given. Balance is achieved, your belly is full and goodness abounds.
As an acupuncturist I always inquire into my patients’ diet and digestive health, and incorporate that information into a diagnosis and treatment. Digestion is key to your happiness and achieving a state of harmony. Acupuncture is dedicated to helping you find balance through correcting and fortifying the digestive process. When this is achieved it’s as sweet as pumpkin pie!
Try the 30 Days of Thankfulness Challenge and enjoy the holiday season less stressed and more at peace. Send us your thoughts, observations and ways in which this challenge helped you.