Have you ever heard the expression "you wear your heart on your sleeve"? It's commonly known to describe a person who is open about their feelings and their emotions.
Did you know in Chinese Medicine there's a similar belief? Instead of wearing them on your sleeve, you instead store them in your organs! Mind blown!
There is a common connection between our emotions and the many diseases our bodies deal with. It comes back to that whole mind and whole body principle.
To break down each emotion and organ connection they are as follows:
Grief is attached to the lungs/large intestine
Fear is attached to the kidneys/bladder
Worry is attached to the spleen/stomach
Anger is attached to the liver/gallbladder
Joy is attached to the heart/small intestine
Have you ever thought your emotional health can actually be causing a disease in your body?
Most people know I struggle with anxiety and I'm actually pretty open about that too. I will literally share all about my anxiety anytime! It wasn't until recently, I started connecting it to fear. Many times, I am fearful of the unknown, fearful of the outcome, and so many other things! A great example would be this past week, where I had a huge meeting to attend. All day I was fearful of what could go wrong and once again it was nothing! The meeting went above and beyond what I expected in a good way.
The more open I become, the more I notice how many other people struggle as well. I thought I would share some of my tips of trying to heal my anxiety with diet and lifestyle.
1. Clean eating!
This one is huge and so needed. I'm a sugar monster and I even have a theory that everyone should eat dessert before dinner. But I've learned when I cut out the sugar, I feel better! This can go for multiple things in our diet. For some it can be dairy, gluten, sugar or even less red meat. Try to find a nice balance in your food and you'd be shocked how good you feel! Nourish the organs! This is a little more advanced, but something I'm very passionate about. I started looking at my emotion of fear and began to focus on things that were hard on my kidneys. I started incorporating more decaf coffee in the week, as caffeine can be taxing on the kidneys. I started drinking a boatload of water. I incorporated more mushrooms and black colored foods that nourish the kidneys. We can totally talk more about eating to nourish each organ! Send me a message anytime!
2. Meditation
This can look different for every person. It could be prayer, meditation or even journaling. I find focusing my breath and getting out of my head really changes how the rest of my day goes. I can feel a difference when I skip my meditation. I have heard from people how hard it is to sit there and meditate. My advice is begin super small and even incorporate some music into it. Start with 2 minutes of focused breathing and be gentle on yourself.
3. Movement
My favorite part of the day is when I get on my mat to practice yoga. I let go of the day and all that happened. When in doubt, just flow it away on your mat. Maybe that means taking a jog, a walk or a session at the gym. Be active and always be moving! I personally love getting upside down in inversions to clear my thoughts. Change in perspective is good!
4. Just saying no and sometimes just saying yes.
Sometimes I say no to that party and rest. Realizing you don't always have to stare fear in the face. But there are situations where it is healthy to move past your comfort zone and just do it. The key is to be gentle to your body and yourself. Don't bash yourself for sometimes saying no and pat yourself on the back for the days you did go to that party! ;-)
Those are some ways I personally try to manage my anxiety. Let's talk! Contact me if you have any questions, tips or just want to say hi! Let's hear your passions and your concerns!
Pōmaika`i, Blessings,
Leilani Nelson (Founder of LunaLei)