09/02/2022
The spirit of late summer "Yi"
In Chinese medicine theory, every organ and element “houses” a spirit, which corresponds to a certain aspect of our psyche. Our thoughts and mental capacity relate to the spirit of the Earth element, called the Yi (which translates to Intellect). The Yi influences our capacity for studying, concentration, memorizing, awareness, etc.
All of the information you take in from the outside world, and all of your life experiences, are part of your mental “information diet.” Like your physical diet, the quality and nutrition of your mental, emotional and spiritual diet impacts your well-being throughout your entire life span. The energy of the Earth Element within the body, mind and spirit governs how we process information and experience, just as it governs how well we digest our food.
All of these life experiences impact our emotional well-being, as well as our cognitive ability to think and reason clearly. In other words, conscious thought process is closely tied in with our emotional states, and the physical body.
Problems of the Yi, the spirit of the Earth element, like problems with thought, concentration, or lack of awareness – are actually problems of mental-emotional-spiritual digestion. You can have obsessive thoughts, projection of responsibility and blame, insomnia, worry, martyrdom, resentment, frustration, anger and mental fatigue. If ongoing, this starts to play out in the body, with chronic muscle spasms, digestive and appetite disturbance, epigastric discomfort, IBS, abdominal pain, bloating, distention, and physical fatigue.
That is why it’s vital to be intentional about what you consume physically, mentally and spiritually. Of course, we all deal with digestive trouble sometimes, but if you are chronically worrying or feel bloated after every meal, Amma Therapy can help! Send me a DM or sign up for a free consult to find out more.
