Nourishing the Five Organs Starts with Regulating the Heart

The heart governs human emotions. Therefore, one's state of mind must first be stabilized and harmonized for a person to live a long life. The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon states, "If the ruler is not clear, the twelve officials will be in danger." This means that if the heart is not at peace, all the organs in the human body will fall into peril.

The heart is the sovereign of the five organs and the central hub of the body's blood circulation. In real life, any negative emotion can affect it. Thus, the heart is both the most diligent and the most vulnerable organ.

The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon states, "When the ruler is clear, the lower organs are at peace; nurturing life in this way leads to longevity." Here, the "ruler" refers to the heart. Since the heart governs emotions, one's state of mind must first be stable and calm for a person to live a long life.

Another passage from the Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon states, "If the ruler is not clear, the twelve officials will be in danger." This means that if the heart is not at peace, all the organs in the body may fall into peril. As long as the heart is functioning well, the other organs will generally remain in their proper roles, and the "spirits" of joy, anger, worry, thought, sadness, fear, and fright will not be disturbed.

Insufficient Heart Yang Leads to Kidney Essence Deficiency

In the Five Elements theory, the heart belongs to fire, residing above and associated with yang. The kidneys belong to water, residing below and associated with yin. Traditional Chinese Medicine often speaks of "balancing yin and yang" and "harmonizing fire and water," meaning that the communication between the two should be as smooth as a highway. For example, heart fire must descend at all times to deliver yang energy to the kidneys, preventing them from becoming cold. Conversely, kidney water must ascend to nourish heart yin; otherwise, heart fire will become excessive.

The relationship between the heart and kidneys is like that of the sun and glaciers. The sun must appear daily to melt the glaciers, irrigating fields and nourishing all living things. Conversely, the existence of glaciers allows the sun's heat to be absorbed; otherwise, the earth would become a desert.

Therefore, if heart yang is insufficient, it cannot deliver adequate yang energy to the kidneys, leading to kidney essence deficiency. For example, when our heart rate increases, it is clearly a heart issue, yet many people describe it as "heart panic." This "panic" corresponds to the emotion of fear, which is associated with the kidneys. Thus, when the heart is troubled, it affects the kidneys.

An Overburdened Heart Harms the Spleen

It is well known that the spleen governs transformation and transportation. The food we consume is digested and absorbed by the spleen, turning into nutrients that are transported throughout the body via the blood. However, without heart yang, the spleen's transformative functions cannot be carried out.

For example, many thin individuals take numerous tonics but see no improvement. Medical examinations reveal no issues. Why is this? It is because these individuals are burdened with too many worries, constantly overthinking unnecessary matters, which disperses heart yang. Excessive overthinking can harm heart blood, and insufficient heart blood, in turn, affects the spleen's transformative functions, leading to symptoms of "heart-spleen deficiency," such as poor appetite, bloating, and fatigue.

Heart and Lungs Coordinate for Proper Exchange of Turbid and Clear Qi

The heart governs blood, while the lungs govern qi. Blood is the carrier of qi. The clear qi inhaled by the lungs must be distributed throughout the body via blood circulation, and turbid qi must also rely on blood to reach the lungs and be expelled through respiration. Therefore, only when the heart functions normally can blood circulation remain smooth, allowing the proper exchange of turbid qi within the body and clear qi from nature. This is the principle behind the TCM saying, "Blood is the mother of qi" and "Blood carries qi."

A Troubled Mood? Massage the Liver Meridian for Relief

The relationship between the heart and liver is even simpler to explain. The heart governs blood, while the liver stores blood. When we are emotionally distressed, the liver is needed to regulate these emotions. For instance, some people feel tightness in the chest and pain in the rib area when emotionally suppressed. This is due to heart blood stasis impairing the liver's ability to regulate. Since the rib area is where the liver meridian circulates, liver qi stagnation can cause rib pain and discomfort.

In summary, heart discomfort can affect the liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys. The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon uses vivid metaphors to describe the five organs: the heart is like the monarch, the liver like the general, and the lungs like the prime minister. If the general or prime minister encounters problems, it will affect the monarch's decisions. However, if only the general is troubled, the prime minister is less affected. The one who must never falter is the monarch. If the monarch is "enraged," neither the general nor the prime minister will fare well.