The 5 element correspondences helps us to understand the virtues and challenges that our emotions have on our health. We all have emotions. The ways in which we deny, bury or store them can lead to certain patterns. Our culture is slowly starting to see the value in teaching our young about our emotional range rather than denying our nature. Lots of children's books present coping strategies to help oneself understand and regulate intense emotions. There’s a great line of children’s books from Conscious Bedtime Stories. Even adults can benefit from them.

Depending on your constitution, one or several emotions may come up more often for you. Let's explore the ranges.

• Fire: Compassion/Joy ↔ Hatred

• Earth: Trust ↔ Worry

• Metal: Courage ↔ Grief

• Water: Gentle Stillness ↔ Fear

• Wood: Generosity ↔ Anger

Emotions & Organs

Emotions have an affect on our qi. Each element also corresponds to organ systems and meridians of our bodies. If an extreme emotion is experienced for too long, it can lead to patterns of disharmony. When we allow our emotions to ebb and flow, we can help ourselves acknowledge and then move through them? I like using the six healing sounds to help process emotions. What do you do?

Below are how some of our emotions moves our qi and their organ correspondences:

• Hatred hardens the qi of the Heart; a fire organ

• Worry taxes the qi of the Spleen; an earth organ

• Grief consumes the qi of the Lungs; a metal organ

• Fear descends the qi of the Kidneys; a water organ

• Anger rises and stagnates the qi of the Liver; a wood organ

I’m an Earth constitution with Wood tendencies so the emotions that come up often for me are over worry and irritability. My practices and rituals help me to build trust and releasing tensions. This might look like making sure I eat and nurture myself through the day so that I feel safe. It might also look like dancing and massaging my body. What are some of your practices and rituals to help nurture the movement of strong emotions?

Deep bows & Blessings,

Kris