The wisdom of ancient Chinese books to understand our emotions and wholeness

Posted on July 15, 2021 by Alessia Barbieri de Pierini, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.

One of the most ancient books, the Neijing, says about the Five Emotions…This is one of the most important subjects in Chinese Medicine and Qigong, since we observe health as a holistic result of good balances of many factors.
In these paragraph beneath, there are some tips for reflection about us, about our emotions, how to manage them, and how to stay healthy.

For a long time I have been researching the field of emotions in Qigong and Traditional Chinese Medicine. In the field of Asian holistic vision, the human being is observed in his integral context. Consequently, emotions and their harmonious flow, emotional blocks or trauma can cause imbalances of various kinds and levels. One of the first things that are taught in TCM is knowing how to recognize one’s emotions in order to manage them. The ability to detect when an emotion is about to arise, observe it and counter it with a compensating emotion represents a high level of internal practice.

There are various ways to observe and manage emotions. When I teach Zhineng Qigong, the practitioner’s attention is turned within. Not everyone wants to deal with what goes on deep within themselves, so through Qigong practice they are led to where they are willing to. In any case, like it or not, the calm of the mind and the space available within the still mind, produce surprising effects even at the level of awareness. What happens, however, within the coaching sessions, is a more decisive step towards a responsible and targeted improvement. The customer comes because he/she has a goal, or because he wants to find a goal, and wants to work actively and responsibly toward that direction, that most of the time is an inward seeking.

What prevents him or her from achieving that goal? What part of him / her prevents him from getting out of the pattern of cultural, social or family reference? Is she able to decipher those repetitive or recidivist behaviors? The secret is to deeply understand. Once we understand we can choose among many alternatives.

Among these alternatives there is also acceptance. True acceptance produces an internal energy flow that should not be underestimated, and acceptance itself is a powerful solution in itself. I share with you one of the passages I love the most from the Neijing, hoping that its millenary wisdom and wisdom can be food for thought.

“Overindulgence in the five emotions—happiness, anger, sadness, worry or fear, and fright—can create imbalances.
Emotions can injure the qi, while seasonal elements can attack the body.
Sudden anger damages the yin qi; becoming easily excited or overjoyed will damage the yang qi. This causes the qi to rebel and rise up to the head, squeezing the shen out of the heart and allowing it to float away. Failing to regulate one’s emotions can be likened to summer and winter failing to regulate each other, threatening life itself.

“During spring the subtlety and vastness of the universe, the intelligence and intuition of the human being, the ability of the earth to produce the ten thousand things, the natural movement of the wind, and the upward motion of all plants, collectively produce the movement of the tendons, the color green, the shouting of the voice, the spasms and convulsions, the eyes, the sour taste, and the angry emotions.
These are all associated with the liver, since the liver is responsible for maintaining the patency of the flow of energy, and its nature is movement and expansion. “Anger can injure the liver, but sadness can relieve anger. When wind invades with dampness, it can injure the tendons, although dryness may eliminate the dampness and wind. Excessive consumption of sour foods can make the tendons flaccid, but this can be neutralized by the pungent taste.
“In summer the weather is generally hot, and when there is extreme heat it produces fire, which can burn and char things, producing the bitter taste. Bitter-tasting substances can clear the heart. The heart governs the blood, the fire of the heart produces the earth, the heart opens to the tongue, and therefore subtle changes in the heart can be reflected in the tongue. “The hot weather, the fire on the planet, the blood vessels, the color red, laughter, and joy are all related to the heart. The heart, or fire element, manifests emotionally as joy, but too much joy can cause a depletion of the heart qi. This can be counterbalanced by fear. Pathogenic qi can invade the heart via the pericardium, injuring heart qi.

“In the center we find dampness and humidity, which can nourish and lubricate the soil, preparing it to produce strong earth. During the season between summer and autumn, late summer, the fruits ripen and turn yellow.
When they ripen they taste sweet and can nourish spleen qi. The spleen qi is then able to nourish the muscles and flesh. From the supple flesh and muscles the lungs are generated; these correspond to the metal element. The spleen (pancreas, actually) opens to the mouth, and diseases of the spleen can enter through the mouth and will be reflected on the lips.
“On earth the weather correlation would be damp and humid conditions. The spleen manifests in the muscles and flesh; the color yellow is associated with the spleen, as is a singing, melodic voice. Pathologic conditions of turbidity indicate spleen imbalance. Melancholy and over worry will manifest. Excessive worry will deplete spleen qi, but anger can restrain this worry.
Dampness can damage flesh and muscles, but wind can dry the damp. Too much sweet taste can injure the flesh by creating fat, but sour can neutralize the sweet.
“In the western direction the deserts are rich in metal ores; the dry desert sands are white, and this dryness affects the lungs, skin, hair, and pores of the body. The sound of crying and the emotion of sadness and grief are associated with the metal element.
The pungent taste can ventilate the lungs and open the pores. Extreme grief can injure the lungs, but may be counteracted by the emotion of happiness.
Intense heat can damage the skin, hair, and lungs. In this case, coldness is required to control the pathogen. Excessive consumption of the pungent taste may injure the pores and skin, but this can be counteracted by the bitter taste.
“In the northern direction there are vast snow-covered mountain ranges, and beyond, dark and cold seas whose ocean waters provide the salty taste. All of these conditions are connected with the kidney energy and enable it to develop strong, healthy bones and marrow.
The kidneys are associated with the ears, the color black, fear and fright, and the sound of moaning. While fear and fright will damage the kidneys, understanding, logic, and rational thinking will enable one to defeat the fright.
Coldness will slow down and stagnate the blood, but dryness will temper this harshness. Excesses of salty flavor can harm the blood, but the sweet flavor will neutralize it.

“Thus, the body of one who understands the Tao will remain strong and healthy. The one who does not understand the Tao will age.
One who is careless will often feel deficient, while one who knows will have an abundance of energy. 
Those who are knowledgeable have clear orifices, perceptions, hearing, vision, smell, and taste, and are light and strong. Even though their bodies are old, they can perform most of life’s activities.
 “Those who understand the principles of wholesome living tame their minds and prevent them from straying. They do not force anything upon themselves or others, are happy and content, tranquil and quiet, and can live indefinitely. These are the ancient methods of self-maintenance.”