I have recently spent a good amount of
time with an older woman who has spent much of her life steeped in anger,
colored by fear and grief, and it has poisoned her. It’s a really a
tragic situation.
According to Chinese Medicine bottling
up our anger causes stagnant Liver Qi. The Liver, aside from its
western responsibilities of filtering toxins and such, is
energetically responsible for our smooth flow of emotions –
specifically anger and kindness. It’s in charge of our muscles &
tendons, our ability to handle details, planning, &
follow-through. As part of our Wood energy – the Liver provides
motive force – similar to that which pushes the bulb up out of the
ground in Springtime. It fuels our vision through our eyeballs and
through our mind’s eye. Our hope for the future, our creativity –
all come from this same energetic.
So, when we bottle it up, it stagnates.
Like a plant kept in a glass jar. It struggles to reach the light and
ends up balled up on itself and trapped. In a worse case scenario, it
rots, destroying itself.
And in humans, not only can it affect
our health, it can become infectious to others, if we’re not
careful.
After prolonged exposure to the woman I
mentioned above, I found myself getting angrier and angrier. And
since I didn’t act on that anger to move it forward into something
productive, it got heavier and heavier to carry. I could feel it in
my joints. I was getting more frequent headaches. My ability to plan
for the future was impaired. I was sighing a lot and lacking
motivation and worst of all, I was sharing it with everyone around
me, griping and unhappy.
Our society does not know how to get
angry effectively – especially women. Anger, in & of itself, is
not a bad thing – as long as it fuels growth towards the light. As
long as it supports and rectifies the idea that “something is wrong
here and I need to do something about it.”
Practicing directing
that aggressive urge into productive growth is one of the healthiest
things we can do for ourselves and it could save our lives.
So, what did I do with all that bottled
up Liver Qi? I took action. I took myself for a walk and then I spoke
my mind, clearly and concisely. I was specific about what was and was
not acceptable and what needed to change for things to continue in a
healthy manner. I did not rage at her and yet, I let her know that
things could not persist the way they were, they had to change.
I feel a lot better. My body is
moving easier and suddenly, there is more room in my head for other
things. I am able to move forward in partnership and kindness with
this woman and sincerely mean it.
Did she like it? No. It made her mad.
But it also seemed to lance a boil of anger for her. It allowed her
to go ahead and feel it outright and release at least a little bit of
the pressure building up inside her.
My next goal: talk her into
acupuncture. It could relieve more of that stagnation and help her
live more smoothly in her own skin, reducing her negative effect on
those around her.
We all get toxic sometimes, even during
Summer, the time of joyful partnership in the Fire energetic. Being
able to move smoothly from that sudden urgent push of Spring into the joyous partnership of Fire isn’t always easy for some people.
So, if you’re feeling
pent up or frustrated, take yourself dancing – even if it’s in
your own living room. Find ways to act on those impulses that allows
for more creativity and joy and partnership in the world.
And call me for some acupuncture, if
you need a little help getting started. I’m here to help.
Happy Summer Everybody!
(and please share this with anyone you
think will benefit)
peace,
Janice
