The mind/body functions as unit, each supporting the other to accommodate our perception of reality. The Chinese describe the internal causes of disease as emotions. A very common misunderstanding of Chinese medicine is that the experience of the emotion alone is cause for distress, this is simply not true. Just as the experience of cold or hot weather is not cause alone for imbalance in the body. The experience of emotions is a simple movement of chi in the body in response to what appears to the senses. What causes distress is when a specific emotion occurs over a prolonged period of time or if the other energetic factors of the body are not able to maintain a proper balance. As an example, worry knots chi and is related to the earth element. A person who worries over much will eventually experience distress with spleen, the vital organ associated with the earth element and will most likely experience digestive distress. Over a long period on time this will impact all of the vital organs and functions of the body. Or, when a person experiences sadness over the loss of a loved one which dissolves chi and notices that over the period of grief they experience catching more colds, flu, etc.

In Tibetan medicine it is not so much emotions that can lead to difficulty but rather states of mind, our conditioned beliefs or attitudes, basically the way we think. These states of mind are the basis of our emotional responses, which are as stated above simply fast moving movements of chi. Unlike emotions though these delusional states of mind alone will lead to distress on every level.

The Chinese Emotions

• Anger – Rising chi and effects the liver
• Joy (excessive excitement) – Slows chi and effects the heart
• Sadness – Dissolves chi and effects the heart and lungs
• Worry and Pensiveness – Knots chi and effects the spleen and lungs
• Fear – Descends chi and effects the kidneys
• Shock – Scatters chi and effects the heart and kidneys

The Tibetan States of Mind

• Desire - the primary cause for wind disturbances
• Aggression - the primary cause for bile disturbances
• Ignorance /Delusion - the primary cause of phlegm disturbances