Overcome Anxiety with TCM

The Fire Element of joy is often considered a positive emotion, but it can also lead to over-excitement in the body, which can lead to anxiety. According to the generating cycle in Chinese Medicine, emotions arise into the next emotional state. When there is a block along the cycle, we may see excessive emotions, being stuck, and we aren't experiencing an emotion properly, or there is an absence of it entirely.

The Wood emotion can feed anxiety and cause frustration and anger. When the Wood element grows and continues to fuel the Fire element, it can push us past joy and into anxiety. To help reduce anxiety, we need to move the liver Qi, which can start to release and remove the Wood-fuel from the Fire.

Anxiety can also feed overthinking in the Earth element. When we use our Qi to worry, it is a pointless way of using Qi. Anxiety is a concern about the future, which can remove us from the present moment where we have the most power.

At the foot of all this lies the emotion of Fear, which is associated with the Water element and the Kidneys. When Fear is out of balance, it can affect our ability to process emotions fully and can cause anxiety.

Compassion is the virtue of the Fire element, and a healthy expression of anger is setting boundaries. This allows us to embody compassion. Compassion is the act of holding our space with an open heart while allowing others to have their reality. The virtue of assertiveness and the ability to set appropriate boundaries are necessary to embody compassion.

Compassion Fire feeds sympathy Earth. When our hearts are open and we come from a place of peace and joy, we can authentically connect, hear the other person, see where they are coming from, and hold space for their reality. Compassion is the ability to hold our space and allow another to have their reality.

In conclusion, it is essential to feel and process all emotions fully to avoid blocks in the generating cycle, which can lead to anxiety and other negative emotions. To release anxiety, we need to move the liver Qi and set appropriate boundaries to embody compassion. 

Questions to contemplate:

What emotions or experiences have you not fully felt into or released?
(It is important to take the time to process and release all emotions to promote balance and overall wellbeing.)

Where can you set boundaries in your life?

In what ways can you show yourself compassion ?

The 5 Chinese Elements in TCM