Acupuncture for Emotional Balance
Autumn is a time for reflection and getting back into routine, but sometimes the come down from the high of the summer months can take a toll on our mental well-being. As we head into the colder months, just as there are cozy nights ahead, there is also an increase in SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). Luckily, acupuncture and Chinese medicine can support your mental health and ease the transition into routine and the hustle and bustle that the school year and a heightened workload brings.
The Energetic Organ Systems & Emotion
There are 12 primary acupuncture channels in the body where “qi” or energy flows through the body. These channels follow a structure much like the cardiovascular or the lymphatic system. The channels are classified as Yin or Yang channels depending on the organ they are associated with. The Heart, Spleen, Lung, Liver, and Kidney are five of the primary acupuncture channels that are all considered Yin in nature. They each have a set of energetic properties, including an associated emotion.
The Heart channel belongs to the fire 🔥 element, which has the association with the color red, the summer season, bitter taste, burnt smell, laughing sound, & joy emotion.
The Spleen channel belongs to the earth 🌎 element, which has the association with the color yellow, the late summer season, sweet taste, fragrant smell, singing sound, & worry emotion, often seen as rumination & overthinking.
The Lung channel belongs to the metal⛓️ element, which has the association with the color white, the autumn season, pungent taste, rotten smell, sobbing sound, & grief emotion, often seen as depression.
The Liver channel belongs to the wood 🪵 element, which has the association with the color green, the spring season, sour taste, rancid smell, shouting sound, & anger emotion, often seen as frustration, irritability & PMS.
The Kidney channel belongs to the water 🌊 element, which has the association with the color black, the winter season, salty taste, putrid smell, groaning sound, & fear emotion, often seen as anxiety.
What this means for your treatments with acupuncture & herbal medicine
The beauty to Chinese medicine is every patient is treated individually, with a thorough intake on what your thoughts and experiences everyday outside of the acupuncture office are. This means that one person coming in to the office with anxiety might get a whole different set of acupuncture points and/or a different herbal formula than another person coming in with anxiety. Components related to what type of food you crave, what color your tongue and/or complexion are, & the feeling of your pulse all can help an acupuncturist diagnose what type of imbalances you may be experiencing and what channels are affected in order to achieve proper homeostasis.
In Western medicinal terms, when an acupuncture needle is inserted it triggers the release of various hormones and chemicals known as neurotransmitters. Of these neurotransmitters, serotonin and dopamine are released to regulate mood, sleep, and appetite. By regulating these neurotransmitters, acupuncture can positively impact your mood and mental wellbeing.
Whatever is troubling you, I hope to hold a safe space for you to air your grievances and feel listened to during treatment 🤍 Always feel free to reach out if you have any questions regarding treatments via email or we can do a quick over-the-phone consult.
