Some of you may have noticed I have slacked on the whole “monthly” blog deal. Well, there’s “eb and flow” in life, and I’m hoping to get back on the “flow” of blogs. I’ve been having a blast helping new people every day! So, the Spleen and Stomach are what’s on tap for this specific blog.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Spleen Channel (Yin organ) and Stomach Channel (Yang organ) is responsible not only for digesting food and drink, but also for digesting your emotions and thoughts, keeping what nurtures your spirit and letting go of what doesn’t! So, to not belabor diet, let me just say you are what you eat. Try to eat real, whole foods the majority of the time. Your body will thank you for it. From an emotional perspective, the Spleen and Stomach is most affected by chronic worry, anxiety, or overthinking. The mouth is the sensory organ related to the Spleen and Stomach, so if you have any mouth issues, such as bleeding gums or bad breath, it may be a sign that your Spleen and Stomach channels are out of balance. The muscles are the tissue associated with the Spleen and Stomach. If your muscles are weak and underdeveloped, or if they cramp or tire easily, you may have a Stomach or Spleen dysfunction. Another sensation that is often associated with the Spleen and Stomach is “a feeling of heaviness.” This means you have somewhat of a dragging sensation due to fatigue. It could be you’re an over-trained athlete, overworked employee or student, or your diet isn’t the best.
We’re going to get “touchy-feely” here. As mentioned earlier, worry, overthinking, and anxiety are the emotions associated with the Spleen and Stomach. I know, personally, I am prone to overthinking, worry, and anxiety. In this day and age, there always seems to be something that needs doing. Pick what the essential task is that absolutely needs to be done, and do that. Those other tasks that are not essential, I promise you, will be there tomorrow. You can do them then or another day. For me, meditation has helped a great deal in managing the worries of life. Check out the app, Headspace, if you want to find out more. I was the student and person who knew he was anxious and worrying, chose to acknowledge that he was anxious and worrying, and then proceeded to get anxious and worried about being anxious and worried. You see the problem? So, please check out that app.
In Health,
Adam Gloyeske, L.Ac.