No Worries

October 2024

Chinese medicine teaches us that the emotion of worry is associated with the Earth Element and directly impacts the energetics of its yin organ, the spleen. The spleen organ system is responsible for digesting thoughts and feelings (in addition to transformation and transportation of food). When the spleen is healthy and balanced, knowledge gained from processing information turns into wisdom used to navigate and move forward in life. Yet imbalanced spleen energy causes a person to get stuck in their thoughts and in their tracks. A prime example is when they can’t stop worrying about something to the point of becoming anxious and unable to decide on what to do.

The emotion of worry is a form of extreme concentration stemming from intellectual stimulation, over-thinking, and excessive mental effort. It includes pensiveness (preoccupation and obsessive thinking) along with a tendency toward anxiety. When excessive, worry causes stagnation of qì which interferes with the spleen’s ability to transform and transport food within the body – typically resulting in poor appetite, indigestion, bloating, and loose stool. Fatigue, lethargy, and difficulty concentrating ensues when excessive worry becomes chronic due to the knotting up of qì and even more stagnation.

Prolonged spleen deficiency results in accumulation of fluids and dampness which is known in Chinese medicine as “spleen dampness” – associated with abdominal distention and digestive disturbance. It further weakens the spleen and weighs a person down physically, mentally, and emotionally. Excessive spleen dampness further impairs capacity to focus and think clearly, leaving a person susceptible to more worry. It is interesting to note that symptoms become noticeably worse during damp weather conditions.

Chinese medicine dietary recommendations include consuming more warming foods and drinks as it helps strengthen spleen energy and allay spleen dampness. Chewing foods carefully and completely also helps as does being careful not to overeat. Overloading the spleen with excess food is no different from overloading it with too much information. Big culprits include excessive television watching, surfing on the web, perusing social media, and even listening to a tale of woe.

Be mindful of inner cues and always be honest with yourself about how much bandwidth you actually have for such information. Then take responsibility and create healthy boundaries for yourself around these sorts of activities. Keep self-control as a priority so that you are able to refrain from over-indulging, otherwise your spleen’s ability to govern digestion will become impaired.

Acupuncturists have many point combinations to build and balance Qi (vital energy) of the spleen. Furthermore, practicing the ancient Chinese exercise of Tai Chi and Qigong helps with clearing, calming, and sharpening the mind. It empowers a practitioner to focus on one thing at a time while supporting the spleen’s ability to digest information completely before moving onto the next. This keeps energetics of the spleen filled with free flowing and balanced Qi – strengthening one’s ability to gain infinite wisdom from daily life experiences.

Qigong Exercise to Release Excessive Worry

• Prepare: Sit up straight on a comfortable chair with your feet flat on the floor and palms resting on your lap. Look downward and rest your eyes as you center yourself.
  
• Breathe through your nose with mouth closed and take a deep breath into your lower belly. Simultaneously concentrate your mind on your spleen below your ribs on the left front side of your body. Upon doing so, apply your mind to bathe your spleen in the color yellow.
  
• Next, exhale through your nose with your mouth closed. Simultaneously, vocalize the sound “whooooo” and release excessive worry from your spleen, sending it downward into the earth.
  
• Repeat 12-36 times.
  
• Lastly, take a moment to sit quietly and reflect on your experience. Allow yourself to feel your feelings. You may sense a change in the way energy is flowing within your spleen system. And when you are ready, begin to move and stand up.
  
• Then brush yourself off to release any kinks and get on with the rest of your day.
  

Integrate this Qigong exercise into your daily meditation and exercise protocol. Become more conscious about how you use your time and engage your mind. Know that establishing a strong mind body connection is essential for long-lasting health. And that the more you truly embrace a life filled with “no worries” the happier your spleen will be.