The Liver and Anger

In the wellness community it is commonly known that the Liver is the emotional seat of Anger. A good reference for this is Louise L. Hay's book, Heal Your Body.

Ancient cultures seem to know this as well; in Chinese Medicine organs are associated with specific emotions. You guessed it- the liver is associated with anger. The liver is also the regulator of blood- a symbol of emotion. Our modern habits; lacking in exercise and laden with hard to digest food, further tax the physical and energetic flow of the liver. This concept is very foreign to our modern cultures. I hope to meld it with our western understanding of this amazing organ.

To us, the liver is the major filtering organ of the body (as well as to produce and excrete bile, break down hormones, metabolise in certain functions, break down toxins, and much more).

I can't help but notice the break down of the word- Live-r. Yes, it's literally the organ that helps you to live. You cannot survive without it! It is also an organ that can regenerate itself! It is a Liver- a survivor!

This post is an extension of my book, You-niversal Self-care: Improved Health Through Self-Understanding, in which I teach the ancient concept of Body-typing and the foods and habits that helps us to balance our lives.

Each Body-type can be affected by an imbalanced liver. Here are some primary reason that people's physical and energetic livers become unhealthy:

1. Most prescription, over-the-counter medications, and illicit drugs tax the liver as it is a filtering organ that works to rid the body of foreign substances.
2. Alcoholic beverages similarly stress the liver, as do drugs.
3. Herbs can affect the liver as well. Some like Kava Kava can weaken an already taxed liver; others like dandelion, agrimony and burdock have healing effects, each with it's own specific benefits.
4. Repeating thought patterns create subsequent stress in the body, causing unhealthy liver patterns.
5. A woman's menstrual cycle, related to the liver and blood storage/flow in Chinese Medicine, will affect her emotional state. It is normal to have a release of emotion at this time, but if you find yourself unreasonably emotional, an Acupuncturist and Chinese Medicine specialist can be of great help.

An Earth-type with a well-functioning liver will be like a large tree, rustling from the encompassing winds of nearby summer storms symbolizing the challenges of life. The large, round tree is firmly grounded yet moves with the strong winds. An out-of-balance Earth-type withdraws and resists; breaking in the currents. In the human sense he or she is depressed. Earth-types tend towards stagnancy. They need to stay in movement and keep things light to keep a healthy liver, flowing emotional pattern.

Fire-types, as usual, are easy to spot with their liver patterns.. A healthy-functioning-liver Fire-type is an active person who freely expresses his or her emotions with tempered expressions of anger (which is true for any Type). One with a liver in need of some conditioning will spout off like a flame struggling for fuel- bursting in flame one second and gasping the next. It is especially important for Fire-type to exercise regularly to keep this flow moving.

Air-types can have a pattern of liver/emotional imbalance repression also, but it is a bit different from the Earth-types which is more visceral and emotional. An Air-type out of balance is more due to stuck, repetitive thoughts although like all other Body-types, regular exercise is a wonderful remedy. So is maintaining good digestive health with the liver with herbs like dandelion or remedies like agrimony.

Finally, the Water-type, moving among states of being: liquid, solid and gas; can show liver imbalance and anger in a very diverse ways. One moment, a Water-type with blocked liver energy may be frigid and closed off, later a puddle of tears, and later yet a spouting spigot of emotion. 

Maintain a healthy liver by drinking plenty of clean water daily, getting regular exercise and being mindful of the medicine, herbs and foods you take into your body.

Take the Body-type assessment and learn more about the body-types in my book, You-niversal Self-care. It includes details of the balanced state and  imbalances; and simple food, exercise and life habits recommendations for balanced.

Wishing you Well-ness!