Liver, Laugh, Love
Do you have a case of the grumpies? Do you have trouble with irritability and frustration? For all you men out there do you struggle with erectile dysfunction or libido problems? Ladies do you have menstrual problems or are struggling with menopause?
If you can answer yes to any of these questions or even a few of these questions it may be the result of what I like to call a grumpy liver. In traditional Chinese medicine these all can be signs of an imbalance in the energetics of your liver system.
The liver meridian is responsible for smoothly circulating qi through the body. The meridian, or energy channel, runs up the legs and actually circles the genitals making it a key player in some sexual problems. It is emotionally connected to frustration and anger and is related to blood, making it very important to women's health and sleep in TCM.
So you may be wondering what you can do to improve you liver health and calm that ol’grumpy liver so that you can get back to living, laughing and loving once again.
Some of the best things that you can do for the liver meridian are very simple and really quite effective. You may have heard of some of these and that is because they are effective.
Start your day with a cup of lemon water. Simple but effective!
In TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) lemon is sour which is connected to the wood element of which the liver is part of. In the westerns sense lemon helps to detoxify and repair liver damage. It is thought that the vitamin C, flavonoids, essential oils and pectin contained in lemons contribute to its beneficial properties.
Have a cup of liver detox tea.
There are many really nice store bought herbal liver detox teas. Make sure that the brand you are buying is organic, we don’t want to put more toxins in when the goal is to be removing them. Look for herbs like chicory root, dandelion root, milk thistle and burdock root. Your liver will thank you.
Get enough sleep ….I know, I know, easier said than done.
Sleep is important for liver function in both TCM and wester medical principles. The liver is not only important for detoxification in western perspectives but plays a role in regulating the release of melatonin. In TCM the liver has two important functions with regards to sleep. First off it regulates the smooth flow of qi through the body and without adequate rest this function can be disrupted. Without the smooth flow of qi we are susceptible to things like irritability, frustrations and pain.
Second the liver “stores the blood” at night and it is in this special fluid that our spirit “shen” rests at night and helps us obtain a good night sleep.
Qigong Exercises
There are some really great videos out there of simple Qigong exercises that focus on the liver and balancing the energy of this meridian. The exercises are gentle, easy and oftentimes quite beautiful.
Work with an acupuncturist
It had to be said. Acupuncture is one of the best ways to calm a grumpy liver. Another advantage of working with an acupuncturist is that they can help you really develop a comprehensive plan, figure out if there are underlying health concerns that may be causing your liver stagnation. Also if they are an herbalist they can get you an herbal formula to support liver function.
I hope that some of these suggestions may be helpful and realistic for you to implement into your daily routine.
Here’s to saying goodbye to the grumps.
Warms wishes & Acu love
Serena