According to the popular saying "you reap what you sow", every event that happens to us is the result of actions for which we are the decision-makers: "I worked hard, so I got a raise", "I ate too much, so I gained weight", "I saved, so I can afford this trip", etc.
However, life cannot be reduced to this seductive logic, which remains incomplete without the introduction of a random dimension. Indeed, whether we talk about luck, human factor, or even accident... our individual journeys have largely shown us throughout our existence that the probability of an unforeseen event is never zero!
What if everything doesn't go "as planned"?
The fear of this uncontrollable and unpredictable element is the root of worry. And worry means thought...
The ability to think is a formidable human aptitude, but when excessive, it can be destructive for its host, who becomes overwhelmed by an incessant flood of useless images/ideas/reflections, isolating them and hindering their ability to live in harmony with their environment here and now.
This feeling can take various forms depending on its degree: a passing preoccupation, temporary stress, or incessant worries, hassle, anxiety, anguish, even obsession, intellectual overwork... Behavioral psychology has taught us that we are indeed not all equal in terms of risk aversion, and that we therefore manage such a painful factor differently, one that continues to "impose itself" on us, despite all the technological advances and comfort of life at our disposal.
This phenomenon particularly affects our Western societies, where continuous thought is the daily lot of many people who literally live in their heads, which have become a refuge, unable to let go of their situation and their surroundings. This explains:
- On the one hand, the success of addictive artificial paradises due to their hold on the mind: social networks, video games, alcohol, drugs, etc., which become escape routes.
- On the other hand, the relatively recent rise of disciplines and works aimed at teaching the art of letting go, mindfulness, acceptance.
TCM Vision
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), worry is the emotion of the Earth element, whose season is Intersaison, the organ is the Spleen, the climate is dampness, the movement is maturation, and the opening is the mouth.
The presence of worries directly affects the Spleen but also the Stomach, an entrail connected to it. A person who systematically worries about nothing will have a weakness in the energy of these viscera, causing disorders related to them. This will also be the case for a person whose financial, personal, or family situation is very exposed, causing them worry.
The primary function of the Spleen being mainly the "transport and transformation of things" on both the physical and psychological levels, a disturbance of the Qi of this organ will cause significant disturbances in this sphere of production and digestion (Cf. the Spleen for more details).
While a slight worry (such as stress) related to a given situation can be a formidable engine of productive reaction, it is, however, destructive for the individual who does not escape it, or even adopts it as a way of life. Constantly worrying (literally) causes a significant blockage of Qi, while excessive cogitations provoke agitation of the Spirit! This disturbance thus causes an implacable sensation of nebulousness, with all that this implies in terms of loss of bearing. The effort of letting go and acceptance only becomes more complicated for the person concerned, unable to evolve serenely in their space and time... We observe here a very close link with Fear!
The practitioner, through the care provided (Cf. "Care" section for more details), will be able to promote this return to balance by working on calming the Spirit and helping it regain the clarity that the being needs to calmly digest life's events and flourish.
