Energy Meridians and Emotions
by Rivka Levy
Energy Meridians and Energy of Emotions
Energy Meridians and Ancient Body Health
Energy meridians were first mapped in the human body around 3,500 years ago by Chinese physicians. They understood that some sort of subtle energy (what we would call the soul) was animating the body.
When the energy was flowing around the body correctly, the person stayed healthy. When the energy was stuck, stagnant, weak or blocked in some way, the person would get sick.
These early practitioners of Chinese medicine mapped the energy flow around the body. They identified 14 leading energy ‘pathways,’ which they called meridians. Each meridian was named for the main organ or physical system, it governed or regulated in the body.
They then developed the systems of acupuncture (using small needles inserted into particular points along each meridian) and acupressure (using light pressure from the fingers on certain points along each meridian) to help energy flow better and to help release the energetic ‘blocks’ in the body. From the beginning, Chinese medicine recognized that the energetic blocks in the body were usually caused by the person’s emotions.
The Energy of Emotions
Whenever we get sick in some way, our emotions usually contain all the information we need to work out why that may be happening.
For example, you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to know that eating bad food makes a person ill. But our interest is to find out what draws the person to the bad food in the first place. What emotion are they repressing, or reacting to unconsciously, when they’re reaching for the chips? And that’s where the meridians can help us.
Say you already know that you have a physical problem or a physical weakness in a particular area of your body. You can go straight to the relevant meridian, and see what emotions are hiding underneath. For example, one-sided migraine headaches, sciatica or gallbladder issues all suggest there is a problem blocking the gallbladder meridian. The emotions that connect to the gallbladder meridian include anger, harsh judgment and rage.
Once you get that crucial piece of the puzzle, you can start working on releasing the negative emotional state that’s causing your physical illness. Deal with the underlying emotion, and nine times out of ten, the physical problem will resolve without any further intervention.
All this stuff can sound so strange to we Western types. We like to think that germs and genes are the prime movers behind all our illnesses and health issues. But until the advent of modern medicine, holistic health principles were the foundation of nearly every historical healing tradition around the globe.
So next time you get a cold, or a headache, don’t just reach for the pills; pause and ask yourself what emotional stimulus might have caused it. The answers we get to these questions don’t just improve our health, they can also transform our lives.
About the Author
Rivka Levy is the founder of the Jewish Emotional Health Institute (JEMI). JEMI promotes God-based holistic healing. She is also the author of ‘The Happy Workshop: an eight-week journey to real, lasting happiness.’ Visit her at http://www.jemi.website
