Grief in Chinese Medicine
Chinese Medicine connects emotions to organs of the body, and the delicate lungs are connected to grief and sadness. I’m sure we can all relate, in a minor or major way to the way grief affects our breathing and our posture, both which affect the lungs function.
Grief can be felt in many different ways.
There is no right or wrong.
From the Chinese Medicine perspective the lungs initiate the production of Qi, the energy which fills (anything that lives) and brings us to life. Circulating through the many channels and collaterals, taking blood and nutrients with it.
Grief and sadness primarily weaken the heart and the lungs suffer in consequence, resulting in shallow breathing and fatigue. The lung Qi can also stagnate, with signs of chest and throat tightness and frequent sighing alongside the sadness.
We all know how important the physical act of breathing is, but did you know also that our natural constitutionally strong or weak lung Qi, derived at birth, could impact how easily or not we do cope with loss or change. A normal healthy expression is to cry, and this originates from within the lungs, encouraging deep breathes ad expulsions of air, helping the lungs to keep functioning.
The power of deep focused belly breathing, mindful meditation, whether sitting , standing or moving, help to quieten the mind and relax the lungs. Chinese Herbal Medicine and acupuncture equally can calm the shen, nourish the heart, and descend Qi in the body to initiate relaxation, this will not alone heal the loss of a loved one, but will simply help to nourish the body with vital energy and initiate the natural healing response inside us all.
