Anxiety and depression

DO YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW SUFFER FROM ANXIETY AND/OR DEPRESSION?

In Chinese medicine, emotions are viewed as an integrated aspect of organ function, and sometimes the root cause of disease. Fear relates to the Water Element and the Kidney energetic organ system. Each of the organs is assigned an emotion and the Heart ‘houses the mind’ in Chinese medicine; it is the origin and the center of all emotions.

The Spleen is related to obsessing and over thinking; the Kidney is related to fear and phobias; the Lung is related to grief, self esteem, and the inability to let go; the Liver is related to anger, frustration and feeling stuck. Imbalances in any or all of the energetic organ systems can be part of the imbalance depending on how anxiety manifests in a particular individual. Kidney Deficiency is almost always a core issue with anxiety.

With anxiety a person can have excessive energy, also referred to as heat or energy (qi), in the head. Symptoms of anxiety due to this ungrounded energy include insomnia, racing thoughts, and excessive worry.

Depression, on the other hand, can be described as stagnant energy within the body. This stagnation can create imbalances that lead to symptoms of depression, such as an inability to focus, melancholy, anger, fatigue, and a lack of inspiration. 💡

The Western approach to treating depression and anxiety involve prescribing drugs.. More natural minded approaches would include diet changes and herbal supplements. But both of these approaches work on the BIOCHEMICAL LEVEL- and do not address the ENERGETIC component of this ungrounded and stagnant BIOENERGY in the body. Using, herbs, supplements, diet changes and drugs all take 3-6 weeks of implementation to actually see changes. Traditionally in Chinese medicine, acupuncture with needles would be used once or twice a week for 3-6 months to help stabilise this flow of energy thru the body.

But now with new advancements in technology, it has become possible to stimulate acupoints on the body continuously for 24 hours to achieve results within minutes and hours to GROUND and MOVE this stagnant energy. The best part is that this can be done at home, safely without needles.

🩸 Spleen 21: The Great Embrace & The Capacity to Rectify the Qi: The Spleen's Primary Channel

If you’re feeling like there is a lack of comfort, support and love in your life, this ones for you.

Your spleen is used to filter blood, produce red blood cells and provide lymphocytes and antibodies for your immune system. This is of the most important channels to nourish for anyone with circulatory issues or MTHFR where there is present an abnormal or lack of functioning of red blood cells and its protein, haemoglobin. If there are any deficiencies in the production or functioning of red blood cells and haemoglobin, we can expect to see a reduction of oxygen being transported around the body, especially to the cells where it is used in various metabolic pathways.

A lack of oxygen in the body and organs results in fatigue. Digestion is a key function of the Spleen since it is responsible for transforming food into Qi and transporting it to the four limbs. When this doesn’t happen, a person feels tired. The Spleen keeps fluids within the channels.

A person with a healthy Spleen feels content and relaxed with an excellent ability to focus on the matter at hand without becoming overwhelmed or confused.

Called dabao 大包 in Chinese, and translated to Great Enveloping or Great Embrace in English, it is the final point on the Spleen meridian. This meridian is responsible for processing food for digestion and promotes thought for wisdom.

We think of Spleen 21 particularly when one is feeling weak, notices pain all over the body, and feels fullness in the chest.

You can find this point by feeling around in this area. Spleen 21 is often very tender or achy on most people!

Sp21 is a place "where we put our unresolved junk into storage" which becomes "….unresolved material that the chest is unable to release”.
~Nicholas Sieben

SP-21 helps to strengthen and balance left-right sides of the body and brain. It connects to the pancreas, liver, and digestive system, so it helps stabilize blood sugar levels, digestion and PMS symptoms.

SP-21 also relates to our ability to receive unconditional love from our mother as a child, and to receive love from the universe as an adult.Caffeine and coffee cause damage to SP-21, acting like False Qi in the body, which stagnates the SP-21 nerve periphery, leading to high blood pressure, agitation, depression, heart palpitations. Slow damage from just 1 cup of coffee per day may take years for the negative effects to show up.

In both classical Chinese texts and modern anatomical research, this area is cited to be dense with connective tissue and fascia that connects to the limbs, internal organs, and the postural muscles of the abdomen. The tissue network channels emerging from this point “represent the distribution of nourishment to all parts of creation” and as we empower this point and meridian, it becomes more possible to recognize that “enduring [the] fullness [of life] comes from embracing the whole as one, and as one’s self.” (Jarrett, 2008)

Li Dong Yuan is the most famous clinician to emphasize the importance of the Spleen. He asserts that all health and healing is dependent on a strong Spleen. If we are able to properly transform our thoughts, we can transport them and let them go. They will not accumulate and create disturbance. This is dependent on the ability of the spleen qi to manage the blood (our thoughts and emotions) and transport them to the Heart and Lungs where they can be circulated and/or eliminated. The Spleen's Primary Channel can therefore be seen as a manual for dealing with mental-emotional disturbance and maintaining a healthy mind.

In Chinese Medicine, physical and mental functions are seen as inseparable, occurring simultaneously and synergistically. The Spleen is a channel that is intimately related to blood. It is said to "manage" the blood. The Shen circulates through the blood. Therefore movement of the Shen is part of the Spleen's physiological discussion. Spleen-8 is a point that is said to "rectify the blood."

"Rectification," is a strategy introduced by the Spleen Channel through the points Spleen-4, Spleen-8, Spleen-12, Spleen-17 and Spleen-18. The word "rectify" means to make something right: to correct or fix. Spleen-8 is the only point that "rectifies the blood." All other points with the function of rectification do so through the qi.

Spleen-4 is named "Gong Sun" translated as "Grandfather Grandson," suggesting its function in rectifying the actions of our ancestors. Spleen-12 has the word "Chong" in its name, also suggesting a relationship to the family line via Chong Mai, the blueprint. It is also a point included in the trajectory of Yin Wei Mai, suggesting a strong relationship with the past. The name of Spleen-17 "Shi Dou" is translated as "Container for Food," suggesting rectification of lifestyle choices: mainly diet.

Spleen-18 "Tian Xi" - "Celestial Ravine" suggests rectification of ones relationship to "heaven." All of these points relate to aspects of our life which we have relationship with: family, food/lifestyle choices, our past, heaven. We can be haunted by events and actions from the past. The Spleen Channel helps to transform and transport any sense of guilt or regret we may have accumulated: areas of our lives we've felt stuck with. If we can transform the meaning, and transport it into the chest, we can begin to let go - to be "forgiven" via the virtues associated with the lungs and heart.

Spleen-8 however "rectifies the blood," which can be seen as relating more to thoughts than action: guilt about ways of thinking. The nature of the Spleen is to ascend. It likes a dry environment. It likes to move: distributing its qi throughout the body, as represented by the highest points on the channel: Spleen-20 "Zhou Rong": translated as "qi that is flourishing." A role of the Spleen is to distribute qi to the limbs so we can move freely in the world. The channel travels from the legs and abdomen into the chest where qi and blood are circulated. Accumulation of guilt, regret and fixated thoughts are like dampness or blood stagnation, impeding the Spleen's ability to ascend and distribute. To freely distribute qi and blood cultivates a sense of "home" and community, as communicated by Spleen-19 "Xiong Xiang" - "Chest Village," easy movement in the social world.

The process of remaining stuck is illustrated by the point Spleen-21. The Spleen Channel ascends throughout its entire trajectory. However, the last point descends, sinking into the side of the chest: into the Shao Yang region of the body. Shao Yang is a concept from the Shang Han Lun school where a condition is stuck half way between the interior and exterior of the body. The image of Spleen-21 is unresolved material that the chest is unable to release. The body is trying to keep it from penetrating deeper. It remains in limbo. The fact that this point is situated along the Gallbladder channel also suggests it is threatening to go into the constitution, into latency. Spleen-21 introduces the concept of the "Great Luo," classically associated with latency in the blood and the point Gallbladder-22.

Spleen-21 is a point that treats "wei atrophy": heat consuming the anatomy of the body. Heat is created from stagnation in the chest: all the material we have not found resolution with. As the "Great Luo," Spleen-21 is an entrance into the constitution. At the end of the Spleen Channel is a return to the image of Spleen-4: that which we cannot resolve in this life becomes the seed of our next incarnation, or gets passed on to our offspring. Spleen-4 represents inheritance of unresolved material from our ancestors; Spleen-21: where we put our unresolved junk into storage for our own children and grandchildren.

The uppermost acupuncture points on the Spleen Channel present a summation of what the channel is trying to do. The lowest points are like introductions, setting the themes; developing the mechanics. The middle points, situated on the abdomen, describe accumulations resulting from faulty function of the lower points.

In SP 21 we have the Great-luo point, the mother of all connecting points. In this role it treats the whole network of connecting channels and their Blood, thereby nourishing the whole body. In this way, it treats muscular pain that moves throughout the body as well as looseness of the joints.

Another major function of Dabao is as the exit point of the Spleen meridian. From here, the Qi moves into the entry point of Heart meridian at Heart 1 – Utmost Source, which lies in the centre of the armpit. Here is another way that Spleen nourishes the Heart, through the wei-qi cycle.

Spleen 21 needs to be open in order to serve the Heart and Heart 1 needs to be open to receive the nourishment.
When Qi becomes blocked at points of exit or entry, an entry-exit block occurs and poses a significant impediment to effective treatment.

The Spleen/Heart block is one of the most common of these blocks. Symptoms of such a block can include fullness of the chest, palpitations, pain in the ribcage, pain in the armpit, skin eruptions at or between the points, appetite disorders, fatigue and depression.



Symptoms Signifying A Spleen Imbalance

Overthinking/Overanalyzing Situations leading to an inability to get restful sleep
Weak Limbs
Joint Pain
Intolerance to cold and raw foods
A feeling of oppression, apathy and depression
Feeling closed off
Having a lack of drive or motivation
Anemia
Weak immune function
Fatigue
Muscle wasting or obesity
Dampness
Fibromyalgia
Candida overgrowth
Feeling ungrounded
Worry
Swollen tongue with teeth indentations

Supporting The Spleen

Hugs and being held nourishes the spleen - embracing yourself also works
Warming, drying and cooked foods
Dried fruits such as dates
Root vegetables such as sweet potatoes
Try not to eat while stressed
Chlorella
Ginger tea

Some daily recommendations for nourishing and cleansing the spleen:

Eat warm, cooked meals: Food that is warm and cooked decreases the work of the digestion system, which must warm up food and break it down. Precooked and warmed foods, such as soups, stews, daal and curries, are more easily absorbed and create less work for the Spleen.

Raw foods are cooling and should be avoided while nourishing the spleen. A body must heat a food to body temperature in order for the Spleen to extract the Qi from the food. If the Spleen is already deficient, eating raw food will take up precious energy that the body can’t afford. By the time the food is heated up, there is even less digestive power.

Very few foods are eaten raw in Chinese cuisine. Partly this is from agricultural methods that make raw food more likely to carry parasites, but partly it is because of the wish to keep the Spleen strong. Raw foods are typically fermented before being eaten. Western diets include many salads. While it would be a shame to give up fresh greens, if the person has a large Spleen Qi deficiency, sticking to cooked vegetables would be a better choice.
Eat slowly and mindfully: Taking the time to relax during meal times and properly chewing food reduces the amount of work that the digestion organs must do in order to break down food. Relaxing the mind and body during meal times activates the "rest and digest" parasympathetic nervous system, which optimizes the body's ability to properly digest food.
Eat carbohydrate-rich vegetables: Seasonal, well-cooked root vegetables such as winter squash, carrot, rutabaga, parsnip, turnip, sweet potato, yam, pumpkin, and legumes such as garbanzo beans, black beans and peas are easily digested and nurturing to the digestive system.
Stimulate the Spleen: The TCM Spleen is stimulated by sweet taste, as is the pancreas, which is stimulated to release insulin by rising blood glucose levels. However, too much sweet taste will damage the Spleen over time (consider how elevated blood sugar can cause insulin resistance). Small amounts of sweeteners and cooked fruits can provide a little bit of stimulation and energy to the Spleen, aiding in digestion and mental power. Add some rice syrup, barley malt, molasses, stewed cherries and dates to your snacks or for small desserts after meals.
Eat small amounts of protein: If Spleen Qi deficiency is already present, eating small amounts of protein frequently can help regenerate the Spleen's ability to digest and absorb food and provide energy and strength to the body.
Eat fatty fish, beef, chicken, turkey or lamb. Try to avoid dairy products except for organic butter (ghee) and raw goat's milk. Vegetarians can add more legumes, grains and non-animal sources of protein to their diet.
Practice mindfulness and other centering exercises: Practicing mindful meditation or deep breathing exercises (breathing slowly and intentionally into the abdomen) help relax the body, reduce stress, mental exhaustion and burn-out, which are common at this time of year.