Worry relates to the Lung and consumes the Lung Qi. The Lung governs the breathing thus consumed Qi by worry will manifest in breathlessness, shallow or irregular breathing.
The physical sensation of worry resembles “having a knot” in the stomach. Thus worry also relates to the Spleen/Stomach partner organs. Long-term worry may cause digestion-related problems such as poor digestion, gas, bloating, gastritis, ulcer, etc.
Note: In Traditional Chinese Medicine the concept of the Spleen largely differs from Western medicine understanding of this organ. The symptoms of an imbalanced Spleen in TCM point to imbalance in the digestion. So in order to avoid confusion whenever we refer to the Spleen in this project we will think about the collective work of some organs and systems that participate in the digestion rather than what we know about this organ from Western science.
Worry can be counteracted by tonifying both the Lung and the Spleen. To learn more review the materials about the Spleen and the Lung in the Physiology chapter.
Another way to counteract worry is to generate confidence in oneself and the world as a whole.
YS
Liangyue, D., Yijun, G., Shuhui, H., Xiaoping, J., Yang, L., Rufen, W., Wenjing, W., Xuetai, W., Hengze, X., Xiuling, X., Jiuling, Y. (1987). Chinese acupuncture and moxibustion. Beijing: Foreign Languages Press
Maciocia, Giovanni (1989). The Foundations of Chinese Medicine. Edinburgh: Harcourt Publishers Limited
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