🌿 Folk Prescriptions

TCM holds that humans experience seven emotions: joy, anger, worry, thought, grief, fear, and shock—also known as the "seven emotions." Among them, anger, joy, thought, worry, and fear are the five emotions, closely linked to the five zang organs. The *Inner Canon* states: "Anger injures the liver, grief overcomes anger," "Joy injures the heart, fear overcomes joy," "Thought injures the spleen, anger overcomes thought," "Worry injures the lungs, joy overcomes worry," "Fear injures the kidneys, thought overcomes grief." This concept has been applied in health preservation by later physicians, playing an invaluable subtle role in emotional regulation, disease prevention, and longevity.
We know humans are complex organisms; emotions like joy, anger, sorrow, and worry are natural mental activities beneficial to health. But abnormal emotional states can cause emotional instability, leading to nervous system dysfunction, internal yin-yang imbalance, resulting in myriad diseases, premature aging, and even early death. Thus, good health cultivators should pay attention to emotional regulation. Excessive emotions can disrupt internal functions, affecting the five zang organs.
Emotional damage to the liver: Anger is common. Anger causes qi to surge upward, harming the liver, causing irritability, frustration, dizziness, and blurred vision. It is also a major trigger for hypertension, coronary heart disease, and gastric ulcers.
Emotional damage to the heart: Joy promotes blood circulation and muscle relaxation, aiding recovery from fatigue. But excessive joy harms heart qi. As *Huainanzi. Yuandao Xun* says: "Great joy leads to collapse." Excessive yang damage causes heart qi to surge, leading to scattered spirit and invasion by pathogenic factors. Symptoms include palpitations, insomnia, forgetfulness, and senile dementia. In *Rulin Waishi*, Fan Jin, an elderly man who passed the imperial exam, suffered sudden madness due to overwhelming joy and sorrow—classic evidence of joy harming the heart.
Emotional damage to the spleen and stomach: TCM believes "thought causes qi stagnation." Excessive thinking disrupts nervous system function, reducing digestive secretions. Symptoms include poor appetite, reduced food intake, emaciation, shortness of breath, fatigue, and depression.
Emotional damage to the lungs: Grief and sorrow are closely related to the lungs. Intense sorrow can injure the lungs, causing dry cough, shortness of breath, hemoptysis, voice loss, and severe disruption of digestive function. *Dream of the Red Chamber* portrays Lin Daiyu, melancholic and sorrowful, whose health was ruined by grief—perfect proof.
Emotional damage to the kidneys: Fear and shock disturb the nervous system, causing tinnitus, deafness, dizziness, and impotence—potentially fatal. Reports of people being frightened to death by fearful words are not uncommon. Thus, the danger of "fear causing qi to descend" is evident.
In summary: Emotional activities are closely tied to internal organs. Elderly people, with declining organ function and reduced adaptability, struggle to cope with intense emotional changes, making them prone to illness. As Chen Zhi said: "The frail are like candles in the wind, easily attacked by all diseases." This shows intense emotions are a major factor in disease onset. Life is filled with joys, sorrows, and emotions. The best way to avoid emotional extremes is to remain calm and composed when facing complex situations. Afterward, don't dwell on them, avoiding self-inflicted distress. Cultivate an optimistic outlook, enhance psychological resilience, broaden your horizons, and maintain a cheerful mood. Be content and tranquil, happy with what you have. View life's ups and downs, honors and humiliations, labors and gains as fleeting clouds. Seek only peace of mind, maintain inner spiritual stability—then longevity follows. Additionally, cultivating various beneficial interests and finding spiritual fulfillment can actively prevent emotional excess and ensure organ harmony.