Emotions in Traditional Chinese Medicine: The Wind Within
- Aleksandra Boj
- May 28
- 3 min read
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), emotions are not separate from the body — they are the body. They are seen as natural, internal movements of Qi, the vital energy that flows through us. Much like the wind in nature, emotions arise, move, and settle. When this movement is smooth, we experience emotional health. When it becomes stuck, excessive, or imbalanced, illness may arise.
🌬️ Emotions as Wind: A Daoist Perspective
Zhuangzi, one of the great Daoist philosophers of the 4th century BCE, offers a beautiful analogy. He compares a human being to a tree on a mountain — deeply rooted in the earth, yet exposed to the winds of the world. As the wind passes through the branches and hollows of the tree, it creates an “earthly music.” After the storm passes, the tree returns to stillness.
In this way, emotions are like winds of the spirit. We are meant to move with them, not resist. Healing, then, lies not in avoiding emotional experiences, but in returning to a state of inner calm after being stirred.
🔄 Emotions as Movements of Qi
Classical TCM texts describe emotions as specific movements of Qi:
Emotion | Movement of Qi |
Anger | Makes Qi rise |
Joy | Slows or scatters Qi |
Sadness | Dissolves Qi |
Fear | Causes Qi to descend |
Fright/Shock | Scatters Qi suddenly |
Worry/Pensiveness | Knots or stagnates Qi |
These movements are not inherently pathological. Emotions are normal responses to life. Problems arise only when they become chronic, suppressed, or overwhelming, or when our Qi is already weakened.
💓 The Heart and the Shen
In TCM, every emotion is connected to an organ and an element:
Emotion | Organ | Element |
Anger | Liver | Wood |
Joy | Heart | Fire |
Pensiveness | Spleen | Earth |
Sadness/Worry | Lungs | Metal |
Fear/Fright | Kidneys | Water |
All emotions, however, ultimately affect the Heart, which houses the Shen — the mind or spirit. The Heart is considered the ruler organ of the body, and when emotions overwhelm us, the Shen becomes disturbed, which often shows up as insomnia, anxiety, emotional instability, poor concentration, or a dull, lifeless look in the eyes.
🌀 When Emotions Cause Illness
TCM recognises emotions as the main internal cause of disease. According to the Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic (the foundational text of TCM, written over 2,000 years ago), when emotions are intense, prolonged, or not expressed healthily, they disrupt the natural flow of Qi, leading to imbalance and eventually disease.
The process usually follows these stages:
Short-term changes in Qi flow – reversible with rest, reflection, or treatment.
Chronic disruption – Qi becomes misdirected (e.g., Liver Qi stagnation, Spleen Qi sinking).
Consumption of Qi and Blood – leading to deficiency and stasis.
Organ impairment – deeper pathology involving Heat, Phlegm, or Internal Wind.
Additionally, TCM acknowledges that the relationship goes both ways: an imbalanced organ can also generate an emotion. For example, a weakened Liver may lead to irritability, just as persistent anger may damage the Liver.
🧘♀️ Emotional Resilience in TCM
Emotional health in TCM is not about suppressing feelings or striving for constant calm. As Claude Larre said:
“We are not supposed to ask people to be emotionless, but to come back to a state where the emotions can be felt inside their quietness.”
This return to emotional balance can be supported through:
Acupuncture – to regulate Qi flow and calm the Shen
Herbal medicine – to nourish affected organs and restore harmony
Qi Gong & Tai Chi – to move Qi and process emotion through the body
Mindfulness and breathwork – to gently guide awareness inward
Dietary therapy – to support the organ systems involved
🌿 Final Thoughts
In TCM, emotions are seen as natural expressions of life, not problems to be fixed, but patterns to be understood and harmonised. Like the tree on the mountain, we must learn to bend with the wind, move with its force, and return to stillness when it passes.
Emotional healing is not about perfection — it’s about flow. When your Qi flows freely, your emotions become music, not noise.
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Based on my thesis "Liver Qi stagnation as the cause of Irregular Menstruation" (2018)
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