Physical Emotion

Emotions. We have them. They're beautiful. We love them. We hate them. Everything. 

They also affect our well-being. How we process, digest, and deal with emotions can manifest in different ways physically in our body. 

From an Ayurvedic perspective, our emotions are linked to different organs in our body. If there are a few organs that we should take especial care of right now.

In Ayurveda, the heart and lungs are linked to grief, while the kidneys are linked to fear. While studying, my teacher would often talk about how a lot of disease starts with our inability to process certain emotions, and ultimately it begins to lodge and manifest in the organs they are related to. 

So, why is it important to take care of these? Love them a little extra? It's easy for added stress and anxiety to our normal day-to-day life to take a toll on our bodies. Let's take the kidneys for example. We all know that "normal" stress already can be taxiing on the kidneys as it is. When we tack on the uncertainty, panic, anxiety of being stuck in a house 24/7 and being overstimulated by the news, most of which is scary information being thrown at us, it can lead to fear. 

When there is added fear that we are operating from consciously or unconsciously, a myriad of anything can take place physically. Maybe it starts out as feeling a little more dehydrated than usual, maybe it manifests as some sort of kidney pain, maybe our ability to handle stressful situations begins to diminish. A lot of it depends on the individual. 

Our organs play a crucial role in processing outside stimuli and appropriately digesting the information so that we can remain in our healthiest states, closest to our true selves. It's important to take care of them. Don't underestimate the power our organs have to bring us to a healing state.

Knowing that we will ultimately be taken care of can ease the burden of grief and fear. Knowing that ultimately everything happens for a reason, surrender to that thing that is bigger than you in which you believe. Remember that all we truly have control over is our reaction to different situations, that's it--not the situation itself. 

A few more practical things that you can do (all from the comfort of your self-quarantine and social distancing!): 

• Repeat affirmations to your heart, lungs, and kidneys, letting them know you love them and will take care of them. 
• Hydrate! Y'all know my stance on proper hydration, but when major cleansing is taking place (right now, planet earth is really really cleansing)...hydrate. Drink more water than you usually do. 
  
• Gratitude journal. This can help ease the fear and grief, reminding us of all the joy that IS in the world. 
  
• If you are going through a period of grief and fear, live into it. My teacher says to let that emotion blossom fully, but then, let. it. go. Don't hold on to that which doesn't serve you. 
  
• Express your love for someone in your life. Let them know that they mean a lot to you. 
  
• Kidney Taps! Having someone vigorously and with gentle force tap your kidneys can help to just wake them up. You can even do it on yourself. Just gently tap the kidneys 7 times, and then rub them up and down to show that you love them. 
  
• Heart chakra meditations can also be a great resource to help cleanse the heart and lungs of grief. 
  

May this season pass. May we see that humanity is strong and triumphant. May we maneuver through with grace and compassion. May we all heal with stronger bonds. 

Much love to you all, ​always.