Introduction to the Liver organ system in Oriental Medicine
Now that we are into the full swing of Spring…let’s learn about the Liver organ system.
In Oriental Medicine, the Liver is considered the General. It is in charge of moving the Qi and Blood in all directions through the body. It’s like a traffic cop directing the traffic through busy intersections.
The Liver correlates to the Spring season and its color is green. Its flavor is sour and the emotion it expresses is anger. The sound it makes is shouting. It is moving, like the wind moves in the spring. Its energy is like a tree growing in all directions.
When the liver organ system is balanced, we feel energized, have an abundance of creativity and are able to accomplish multiple tasks easily. When the liver organ system is out of balance, we feel sluggish, irritable, depressed and stuck.
Lifestyle choices can be a major source of maintaining balance for our Liver. The following are recommendations for keeping our Liver organ system happy.
1) Regular exercise—walking is best for the liver.
2) Eating all things green, in particular bitter greens, fermented or sour foods. Pickled foods such as pickled eggs or beets are good choices.
3) No eating after 7 pm at night. The Liver organ system cleanses all of our Blood and Qi from 1-3 am in the morning. It is important to give the body and digestive organs 6-7 hours of rest before the Liver does the cleansing. (Clients will typically wake between 1-3 am when the liver is out of balance).
4) Get at least 8 hrs of sleep per night if possible. Most of the body’s regeneration and restorative functions happen during sleep.
5) Practicing a form of meditative movement, such as Tai Chi or Qi Gong. Tai Chi and Qi Gong focus specifically on building and maintaining our Blood and Qi for the body. There are specific movements that address each organ system and how to keep it in balance.
For more information on the 5 elements of Oriental Medicine, including the Liver organ system, you may want to review the following list of books:
-Wood Becomes Water, Chinese Medicine in Everyday Life, Gail Reichstein
-Between Heaven and Earth, A Guide to Chinese medicine, Harriet Beinfield and Efrem Korngold
-Power of the 5 Elements, The Chinese medicine Path to Healthy Aging and Stress Resistance, Charles A Moss, M.D.
