In TCM, each organ system has an associated emotion. For example, anger and frustration can negatively affect the liver, creating stagnation and constriction. Worry, stress and overthinking can impair the spleen’s digestive function, causing heaviness and lack of mental clarity. A buildup of toxic emotions can be as deleterious as an overindulgence in food, drugs and alcohol. Conscious and appropriate emotional expression is necessary for optimal health, but the body will become unbalanced when any emotion becomes chronically discordant.
So, what do we need to detox—which actually means “to dispel poison”? Maybe what’s needed is “disciplined wildness” and beneficial ways to nourish—not only our body, but also our spirit. Laugh, dance and be in harmony with nature. These may be the best medicines to help cultivate joy and our innate wisdom of being.