The 7 emotions of TCM - and what you can do about them

The 7 emotions of TCM - and what you can do about them

Here you will find a simple exercise for each of the 7 TCM emotions to get them flowing again. Because everything is allowed to flow - anger, sadness and joy.

1. JOY (Xǐ) - Harmonize the heart energy 💓

The heart loves joy - but too much excitement can overstimulate it, while too little joy dries it out.

💡 Exercise: The inner smile
➡️ Sit down comfortably and close your eyes.
➡️ Imagine how a warm smile appears in your heart.
➡️ Let this smile radiate through your whole body like sunlight.
➡️ For 2-3 minutes, feel how this inner smile reaches every cell.

Why does this help?
This exercise harmonizes your heart qi and gives you balanced joy - without overexcitement. A healthy heart can feel joy without being overwhelmed by it.

👇 This meditation you might like:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdVlnKXlHRk

2. anger (Nù) - free the liver energy 🌱

Anger is not an enemy - it is a sign of vitality. If it is allowed to flow, it cleanses. If it stagnates, it burdens your liver and creates blockages.

💡 Exercise: The tree shaker
➡️ Stand up straight, feet firmly rooted like a tree.
➡️ Gently start to shake your body - first your arms, then your whole body.
➡️ Release pent-up anger with every movement.
➡️ After 2-3 minutes: Pause and feel the new lightness.

Why does this help?
Shaking releases blocked liver energy and frees pent-up anger. The liver loves movement and space - which is exactly what you give it with this exercise.

👇 You can find video instructions here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQRDfumJyUg

3. worrying/greeting (Sī) - nourish the spleen energy 🧠

Circling thoughts and constant brooding deplete your spleen energy and make you heavy - physically and mentally.

💡 Exercise: Grounding through centering
➡️ Rub your hands warm and place them on your stomach (below the navel).
➡️ Breathe deeply into your stomach, 4 seconds in, 6 seconds out.
➡️ With each exhalation, let heavy thoughts flow through your feet into the earth.
➡️ After 5-10 breaths: Feel the new clarity in your head.

Why does this help?
This exercise centers your energy in the dantian (energy center) and grounds thought spirals. The spleen loves clarity and structure - so it can transform food into energy again.

👇 This video could be helpful:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjZ2w6ixXDs&t=59s

4. mourning (Bēi) - free the lung energy 🕊️

Grief shows your ability to love and let go. If it builds up, it burdens your lungs and dampens your life force.

💡 Exercise: The breath bloom
➡️ Place one hand gently on your chest.
➡️ Take a deep breath and imagine your lungs opening up like a flower.
➡️ With each exhalation, consciously let go of a small part of your grief.
➡️ After 9 breaths: Gently tap your chest for 30 seconds.

Why does this help?
Deep breathing opens the lungs and releases trapped grief. The gentle tapping releases stagnant energy in the lung meridian - you can breathe more deeply again, both physically and emotionally.

👇 This meditation can help you with this:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9ZGxFsUbpc&t=31s

5. ANGST (Kǒng) - Strengthen the kidney energy 💧

Fear is a protective reflex - but when it becomes overwhelming, it depletes your deepest source of life: your kidney energy.

💡 Exercise: The inner haven of peace
➡️ Rub your hands warm and place one hand on your lower back (kidney area).
➡️ The other hand rests on your lower abdomen.
➡️ Breathe deeply and imagine how warm, blue light envelops your kidneys.
➡️ Repeat softly: "I am safe, I am carried."

Why does this help?
This exercise nourishes your kidney essence (Jing) and anchors you in the here and now. The kidneys store our basic power - with this exercise you activate your deep inner security.

👇 HARA meditation is ideal for this:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwHzP1vzSr8&t=891s

6. SHOCK (Jīng) - Collect the Qi ⚡

A sudden shock can scatter your heart energy - like birds flying out of a tree.

💡 Exercise: Collecting Qi from all directions
➡️ Stand shoulder-width apart and relaxed.
➡️ Breathe in and raise your arms in front of your chest.
➡️ Exhaling push your arms out to the side with your palms up.
➡️ Turn your palms upwards, inhale and bring your arms over your head.
➡️ Exhaling lower your hands to your knees in front of the center of your body.
➡️ Repeat the movement 3-7 times and imagine how you gather scattered Qi again.

Why does this help?
This Qi Gong exercise specifically collects the heart energy dispersed after a fright. It connects heaven (yang) and earth (yin) and brings you back to your center - exactly what is needed after a fright.

👇 You can find detailed instructions here:
www.meine-tcm.com/qi-gong-uebung-qi-sammeln

7. KUMMER (Yōu) - Calm the mind 🌫️

Sorrow covers your heart and lungs like a veil.
It makes you feel heavy, tired and tight - as if you were breathing through fog.
But your heart longs for space. And your mind for light.

💡 Exercise: The wide sky
➡️ Close your eyes and breathe in and out deeply
➡️ Imagine your heart opening up to a wide, clear sky
➡️ With every breath: let the inner fog gently evaporate

Why does this help?
✨ When your mind expands again, you will find your way back to your inner clarity.

👇 This breathing meditation supports you 💫:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCF8oaabvkE&t=281s

🔎 Discover your personal emotional pattern

Each of us carries the 7 emotions in a unique pattern.
Would you like to know which emotions have a particularly strong effect on you?

Our free TCM analysis provides you with the following information
about your personal energetic situation. You will find out which herbal products are particularly suitable for you and which acupuncture points can support you.

👉 Click here for the analysis: www.meine-tcm.com/fragebogen

✨ Remember that: Emotions are like water - they want to flow. Not fighting against them, but giving them a channel - that is the path to balance.

"Anger, sadness, joy - everything is allowed to flow."