exhaling pt. 2
tension, emotions and the exhale
the exhale is very profound, though not for its rarity.
according to some study, we exhale on average about 20,000 times per day. thats only an average— imagine a day you’re running or heave crying or laughing or singing…
we exhale a lot, so i feel its worth looking into:
we talked in pt. 1 about the diaphragm. i highly suggest reading that post here if you haven’t already. we talked about the physical act of breathing and stress responses. in pt 2., we will touch on the energetic side of things.
as many of you have studied through yoga, chinese medicine or any internal arts, the blueprint of the physical body is energetic— the unseen develops and affects the seen.
there are many systems in which to study and try to understand this blueprint, but for today, let us think of it like this:
when vapor turns into water it becomes visible, seen. when water turns into ice, it becomes solid. is the vapor gone? does it no longer exist? or has it taken on new form?
this is an interesting way in which to think about the physical and energy body. as i wrote in one of my first posts, we use these metaphors and imagery to help point us in the direction of understanding. don’t stay stuck on the process of condensation. zoom out.
because we aren’t so different: energy (or call it atoms and molecules) congeals together to form a visible, moveable, usable form that we call the human body.
this is fascinating, and important to mention. like pt. 1 outlines, we don’t just exhale co2. we release emotions.
we release tension. pain. beliefs. judgements. separation. isolation. grief. sadness. anger. blame.
we release so much of what is unseen, yet profoundly affects our physical body and the ways in which we relate to ourselves and the world around us.
the same way we have physical anatomy to describe structures and functions that keep us alive, we have energy anatomy to describe how everything relates and lets us live:
in chinese meridian theory, the heart is the emperor. this imagery points us to the organ’s energetic function of a ruler, one in which all the other parts support, protect and serve. from an emotional view, the heart is the ruler of all emotions— it feels everything, but no ruler stands without protection. so it is true with the heart, and here we are introduced to the pericardium.
the pericardium in physical anatomy is literally a sac around the heart. its function both physically and energetically is to protect the heart. it does this by governing the flow of emotions to the heart— governing what we feel and what we don’t. just like any barrier or boundary, we run into some issues if too much or too little gets through.
anyone who has studied physics knows that energy is in motion. this is no different in our body. there is a famous saying in chinese medicine, “where energy is stuck, there is pain.”
but what is stuck energy? stuck emotions.
in this medicine, the smooth flow of energy— keeping things un-stuck— is governed by the liver. the energetic function of the liver governs the flow of emotions in the whole body. as we know, the energetic body is the blueprint for the physical. if stuck energy is stuck emotions, and stuck energy creates pain/tension in the body, one might wonder— where is my pain really coming from?
ok, so how does this have anything to do with the exhale? because the blueprint works two ways. you can affect the energetic with the physical, and the physical with the energetic.
let’s look a little deeper:
physically, the pericardium and the liver both attach to our dear friend the diaphragm. when the diaphragm contacts— on the inhale— so does the pericardium and the liver. when the pericardium and liver contract, like any muscle in the body, tension is created.
when we exhale, however, the diaphragm relaxes, and everything follows. because of its attachment to the liver, the flow of energy in the whole body is soothed. because of its attachment to the pericardium, the heart is soothed. your breath can create and release tension in your whole body.
when we hold our breath in times of fear or intense emotions, or we never exhale all the way, the diaphragm stays contacted. the liver stays contracted. the pericardium stays contracted. the flow of energy is disrupted and stagnated and from that, tension and pain can develop not just in the diaphragm, but in the hips, jaw, shoulders, back….
again one might ask: where is my pain really coming from?
the heart is the emperor not only because it feels all emotions, but it also houses our true nature. our shen, our atman in yoga, our individual soul. if energy stagnates— aka tension remains— then our emotions stagnate and we get confused about who we are. we think we are our emotions rather than experiencing them, witnessing them. the barrier is too thick… we feel far from ourselves.
so you see, we don’t just exhale co2. we release emotions.
we release tension. pain. beliefs. judgements. separation. isolation. grief. sadness. anger. blame.
we release what blocks us from seeing ourselves and the world around us clearly.
what can we do to help? we can exhale.
beginning:
exhale more with sound:
take a deep inhale then open your mouth wide and make an “Ah” sound long and loud
take a deep inhale and make a “Sh” sound long and loud
laugh, sing, scream
these are all done on the exhale. it will help your diaphragm relax
pigeon pose
3 minutes each side, focus on the exhale
press liver 14 acupressure point:
right underneath the nipple in a tender spot between the ribs
helps release stress/tension from emotions, relieve pain, and relax diaphragm
press liver 3 acupressure point:
on top of foot between long bones of first and second toe
helps soothe the flow of energy in the whole body
i hope this was interesting and/or helpful. this exhale series really requires 490 parts, but i will definitely make a pt. 3. please let me know if you have any questions or want more details on anything in these pieces or that you stumbled upon out in the world.
happy breathing!
Sooo good💜