The Heart in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is known as the ‘Emperor’ of all the internal organs. Its main function is to govern the blood and it is associated with the mind. However, it has many other characteristics and responsibilities that make it a unique organ according to TCM.
Governing the Blood
By governing the blood, the Heart helps circulate it throughout the body, just like in Western Medicine. Good blood circulation keeps a person strong and also keeps the body warm. On the other hand, if the blood is deficient and not circulating well, your hands or feet may tend to be cold.
Heart and Mind
The heart is associated with the mind. In Western Medicine we think of the brain, but in TCM the mind, or Shen, resides in the heart. Shen is the mental and spiritual aspect of being a human. For example, when the heart blood is healthy and abundant then our emotions will be balanced, we will have a clear conscious, good memory, and good sleep. The opposite is the case when the Heart Blood is deficient. Things like poor memory, insomnia, depression, anxiety, or mental-emotional problems arise.
Feeling Rosy?
The Heart manifests in the complexion of the face. A rosy and lustrous complexion indicates a healthy Heart blood flow. A pale or dull complexion indicates deficiency of Heart blood. Also, the organ relating to the Heart is the tongue. The Heart controls the color, form, and appearance of the tongue. It also controls your speech, talking, and laughing. Someone who excessively talks or laughs uncontrollably may have a disharmony of the Heart organ.
My Emotions!
The emotion relating to the Heart is Joy. While joy can be a good thing in a person’s life, too much can injure the Heart. Things like excessive excitement, cravings, and mental stimulation do this. Sleep is strongly affected by the Heart. A strong Heart allows a person to fall asleep easily and stay asleep easily. If it is deficient then there will be difficulty falling asleep, disturbed sleep, or excessive dreaming.
Other Characteristics:
Controls: sweat
Smell: scorched
Color: red
Taste: bitter
Climate: heat
Sound: laughing
Keep the Heart Healthy
To keep the heart healthy try out the Heart 7 point. Known as the Spirit Gate, Shu-stream, Yuan source, and Earth point on the Heart channel, this point calms the spirit, regulates the heart, and tonifies the Heart. It’s a great point for stress and anxiety because of how it nourishes the Heart Qi. It can also help with insomnia, poor memory, mania-depression, and fear and fright. It can also help relieve heart pain, palpitations, and pounding of the heart. Gently press on this acupuncture point the next time you are experiencing any of these things and see how it makes you feel!
Also, incorporating more red foods in your diet. These types of foods tend to nourish the Blood and warm the body. Foods like beets, tomatoes, beef, cherries, strawberries, rhubarb, red dates, and radishes are good choices. Another thing to do is stretching and exercising your arms. The Heart channel runs from your armpit down to the tip of your pinky finger. Chest and arm stretches help open the Heart channel and get the Qi and Blood moving through the channel. Lastly, having a joyful life and expressing our emotions freely will help keep the Heart healthy and strong.
