Feelings....Stuck?

The mind body connection

The body functions as an integrated whole. No trauma, emotion, or experience occurs in only one part of the body … the load is always shared. If you are struggling with stress, or overwhelmed with an intense emotional experience, the body can temporarily shoulder that burden for your mind. The body is constantly striving to find balance and function optimally… and it will for long periods of time. However, you cannot spend a lifetime absorbing tensions and trauma and expect to thrive. Ideally throughout your lifetime you will find ways to release stored trauma and resolve injuries.

In the previous blog, I discussed the role of Visceral Manipulation in resolving and releasing restrictions in the fascia. I also mentioned that it’s possible to create a restriction in the fascia through the internalization of strong emotions or emotional trauma. Although many eastern cultures have long acknowledged the inseparable nature of mind and body, the West has been more reluctant. In both Visceral Manipulation theory and traditional Chinese medicine, each organ is associated with particular emotions, sentiments, personality traits and stressors.

Some mind body connections are readily understood by most of us and even feature in our everyday speech with comments like; “I had a nervous tummy before my competition” or “I carry my stress in my shoulders”. Some people are even able to observe the trend of certain strains surfacing or worsening in their bodies when they are stressed.

Where do our emotions go?

Different organs or areas of the body can be associated with certain emotions or types of stress. Not only can an emotional experience trigger a physical injury, but a physical injury can make you more prone to feeling certain emotions. Here are some very simple associations to provide some basic understanding:

The Gall Bladder

The gall bladder stores the bile we need for the digestion of fats. It is typically the first place we internalize stress, of any kind, when we are overwhelmed. Its primary function is to deal with somewhat trivial frustrations. That is, day to day frustrations and minor disturbances to our sense of peace and order: “I can’t find my keys”, “not another red light”, “will that dang dog stop barking”, “and why does this person think we all want to listen to their music at the beach”. Remember that relationships work in both directions; if you have physical restrictions around the gall bladder then you may be more irritable and more prone to worry. Likewise, if you have had more than your fair share of frustrations of late you might find yourself with a right sided rib or back pain, headaches and left sided neck pain ( Barral,85-89).

The Liver

The liver and the gall bladder are intimately connected both physically and emotionally. The liver is positioned above the gall bladder and produces the bile that the gall bladder stores. Yet, that’s not all. Most well known for its role in eliminating toxins from the bloodstream the liver also plays a role in regulating cholesterol, hormones and is involved in the production of certain proteins and vitamins. Emotionally, the liver is associated more with anger than frustration. But again, it is so much more than one emotion. The liver is concerned with your deepest and truest self, your ego, your self esteem, your moods and attitudes. Restrictions at the liver often manifest as pain and dysfunction at the right shoulder or can leave you feeling depressed, pessimistic, angry and low on energy (Barral 102-110).

The Stomach

The stomach and stress have a clear connection for most of us. Almost everyone has had a nervous stomach at some point. It’s commonly understood that we develop ulcers under extreme stress. The stomach is responsible, in particular, for taking on the burden of performance and work related stress. Unlike the liver, the stomach is not so concerned with our true self but rather the image we project to others. Tension in the fascia surrounding the stomach can manifest in stomach pain, cramping, burping, reflux and feelings of fullness or nausea after eating (Barral 122,123) However, it can also extend to the left shoulder and cause pain and dysfunction in the absence of any physical trauma.

These are only a few of the possible visceral-emotional connections. If you are interested in learning more about the connections between the organs and visceral system, there is an excellent resource written by Jean Pierre Barral: “Understanding the Message of Your Body”*. The book provides a fascinating look at the function of each organ, emotional and physical symptoms that arise when they aren’t optimally functioning and how to care for them. Another good resource is Gabor Matte's: "When the Body Says No*" which investigates the connection between internalizing emotions and the development of illness in the body.

Releasing emotions from the Body

If you are wondering if your physical discomfort is being caused by an emotional disturbance there are a few cardinal signs. Firstly, if the discomfort seems worse or only appears at times of greater stress. Secondly, if the physical sensation occurs simultaneously with the emotion, then the emotion is triggering the physical sensation. Lastly, if you have had no physical injury in the area and it’s very hard to link the physical sensation or pain to any identifiable activity, posture or movement.

There are many ways to rid our bodies of stress. Emily & Amelia Nagoski have written an excellent book called “Burnout”* that addresses and summarizes this concept well. They introduce the concept of “completing the stress cycle”; the notion that on a daily basis we need to do something that will signal to our nervous systems that we are not facing any imminent danger or threat. They suggest a daily method to rinse stress out of the body. This can be accomplished with rituals and activities like: exercising, spending time in nature, mediation, yoga, taking a bath, reading a book, hugging someone you love. However, more complex, prolonged or intense emotional experiences can become intertwined with the tissues of the body. This is when Visceral Manipulation is appropriate.

Visceral Manipulation aimed at resolving emotional restrictions is still a manual therapy, it does not require, necessitate or encourage the discussion of the emotion itself. The resolution of the physical restriction often alleviates a large component of the emotional injury, as the physical pain is a source of stress. The remainder of the treatment is essentially to engage the nervous system; creating awareness of the emotion being stored and allowing the nervous system to discharge that forgotten tension. The process can often elicit an emotional response, or even trigger some memory associated with the emotion.

*Barral, Jean-Pierre D.O, Understanding the Messages of Your Body: How to Interpret Physical and Emotional Signals to Achieve Optimal Health, North Atlantic Books, 2007.

*Mate, Gabor, When the Body Says No: The cost of HIDDEN STRESS, Vintage Canada, 2004.

*Nagoski, Emily & Amelia, Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle, Random House Publishing Group, 2020.