Regulate emotions, soothe the liver, and resolve constraint

As the The Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic (Huáng Dì Nèi Jīng) says, “Keep the mind free from avarice. In this way, genuine qi in the body will be in harmony, and essence-spirit (Jingshen) will remain inside. How can diseases occur?’’

Hence, spring is the best season to nourish the liver. The liver governs the free flow of qi. When the liver qi is hyperactive or stagnant, people’s emotions will be affected and this manifests as easy irritation or depression.

When liver qi is stagnated, or even flows in an opposite direction, this will lead to chest tightness, hypochondriac pain, stomach and abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, headache, dizziness, and facial spots. Therefore, it is important to keep the mind cheerful and deal with any depression or irritation.

From the point of view of health preservation, people’s health is dependent on both physical and mental wellbeing. It is important to keep a good mood and be lenient with others for maintaining physical and mental health. If one person often has conflicts with colleagues and neighbors, arguing over small things and being angry, restless, and irritated, or deliberately planning how to harm others, it will not be helpful for maintaining good relationships or the normal functioning of the body systems. Furthermore, poor physical and mental health mutually affect each other, weakening the body’s ability to resist diseases, and opening the door for invasion of illness. 

Try to be more tolerant and open-minded; the restlessness will then will abate, and the yin and yang, qi and blood will reach a state of balance, resolving the conflicts and relieving the negative emotions.