You eat right, you do regular exercise, you take the correct supplements, heck you don't even smoke or drink but yet you became severely ill! Why? You did everything right but your emotions ran wild....
“The seven emotions give rise to chaos, which leads to the formation of mucus.”
“Shock, fear, worry, and pensiveness are the roots that produce mucus.”
The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Medicine 黃帝內經
These observations are grounded in the ancient wisdom that recognizes the subtle interplay between emotions and the body’s internal balance. Emotions—particularly those that are intense and unresolved—are the source of qi stagnation.
This stagnation manifests in the body’s most vital systems, especially the lungs and liver, disrupting their natural functions.
The lungs, which are responsible for the downward movement of qi, and the liver, which governs the upward flow of energy, become obstructed.
“Strange and difficult diseases come from mucus,” Huang Di Nei Jing (Yellow Emperor's Classic of Medicine).
Allow me to translate this understanding into the language of Western medicine.
YOUR EMOTIONS CAN MAKE YOU ILL
Strong emotions—such as anger, fear, grief, and stress—create a dysregulation in the body's delicate balance.
For example when the liver is overworked for example processing too much alcohol or toxins such as nicotine or drugs - the person manifests this as easily angered.
Overthinking and overworking taxes the spleen and disrupts the digestive system leading to constipation or diarrhea. In traditional Chinese medicine, a weak spleen may lead to blood leaving its vessels, which can manifest as easy bruising, and it can also be associated with a low iron count (anemia).
Specifically, they interfere with the production and function of gasotransmitters (such as nitric oxide and hydrogen sulfide) and elevate cortisol levels.
QI (CHI) STAGNATION
This is the manifestation of qi stagnation. This disturbance leads to an imbalance in the gut and respiratory microbiomes—what the West refers to as dysbiosis—which further impedes the body’s natural water metabolism.
As the body attempts to deal with the dysregulated water, it accumulates in inappropriate areas, creating what we call dampness.
This dampness becomes a fertile ground for pathogens—molds, vaginal yeasts, bacteria (bacterial vaginosis), and viruses (HPV, Hepatitis, Herpes Simplex 1 & 2)—which trigger a low-grade systemic inflammation and create biofilms to shield themselves from the immune system.
This is the mucus, the thickened, protective barrier that obstructs the flow of energy, impeding circulation and contributing to further stagnation. This results in tender and blocked meridians that need to be treated with medical Acupuncture and emotional regulation.
A vicious cycle emerges, a loop that strengthens itself over time, leading to the slow decline of health, vitality, and a gradual process of aging.
Sadness & Lung Health
When a person is sorrowful, their lungs often become weak. In Chinese medicine, sorrow is linked to the lungs, both of which belong to the metal element. So, how does one treat a patient with weak lungs caused by sorrow?
A mediocre physician might prescribe herbs to strengthen the lungs directly. A more knowledgeable physician might strengthen the stomach to improve digestion and nourish the lungs, following the inter-creativity principle (earth creates metal). While this is a more thoughtful approach, it still addresses only the symptom.
USING EMOTIONS TO "TREAT" EMOTIONS
To treat sorrow, the physician must work on the emotion. The Chinese saying “emotional illness is best overcome by using emotions” holds the key. Sorrow corresponds to metal, and metal can be countered by fire—joy. By cultivating joy in the patient, the sorrow is diminished, and the weakness in the lungs gradually resolves.
This is the inter-destructivity principle: joy (fire) destroys sorrow (metal). But the real skill lies in the physician’s ability to bring joy into the patient’s life. The practitioner must invoke the emotion of joy to restore balance, not just focus on physical symptoms.
GOING BEYOND TREATING JUST THE SYMPTOMS
In true healing, the master physician treats the cause, not the symptoms. By addressing the root emotional imbalance, the body’s natural harmony is restored.
Here is a STORY that illustrates how a deep understanding of emotional theory in Chinese medicine can lead to powerful healing—though not in the way most would expect.
An emperor fell ill. Despite the best efforts of his imperial physicians and the finest delicacies prepared by palace chefs, he could not recover his appetite. No treatments worked. (In hindsight, one might wonder whether the physicians could not cure him—or dared not.)
One day, a renowned physician who had long declined palace service in favor of helping the common people offered to treat the emperor.
“I’m glad you’ve finally come to serve the court,” the emperor said.
“This will be my final act of loyalty,” the physician replied. “But I ask only one thing: allow me to roam freely within the palace grounds.”
“Of course,” said the emperor. “Wander as you please.”
Days later, the emperor entered his beloved concubine’s chambers and, to his shock and fury, found the physician appearing to assault her.
“Seize him! Behead him immediately!” the emperor roared in outrage.
And not long after—the emperor was cured. His appetite returned.
Why did this work?
In Chinese medicine, worry corresponds to the earth element. Excessive worry weakens digestion and appetite. To counteract worry, one must engage the wood element—its controlling counterpart. And the emotion of wood is anger.
By provoking intense anger, the physician used the emotional force of wood to destroy the stagnating influence of earth, thereby restoring the emperor’s appetite and internal balance. This was not madness or disrespect—it was a calculated act, rooted in deep medical theory and an understanding of how emotions govern the organs.
This is the power of treating the root cause, not just the symptom. True healing often lies in the unseen, in the emotional landscape that shapes the flow of qi.
An ingenious doctor may invoke certain emotions to cure certain disorders!
Dr Khoo Lee Seng
