Gall Bladder: Wood Yang Chi (Masculine Energy)
The gall bladder is in charge of the 'Central Clearing Department'. It secretes the pure and potent bile fluids required to digest and metabolize fats and oils, and its energy provides muscular strength and vitality.
It works with the lymphatic system to clear toxic by-products of metabolism from the muscular system, thereby eliminating muscular aches and fatigue. In the Chinese system, the common tension headache is caused by obstruction in the gall-bladder meridian, which runs up over the shoulders and back of the neck to the top of the head and forehead. Hence such headaches are usually accompanied by neck and shoulder tension.
Gall Bladder: Psycho-Emotional Aspects
The Gall Bladder is responsible for making decisions and judgments, as well as providing courage and initiative. This organ is sometimes called the Court of Justice or The General's Advisor. Although the Kidneys control drive and vitality, the Gall Bladder provides the capacity to turn this drive and vitality into decisive action. The Gall Bladder has an influence on the quality and length of sleep. If the Gall Bladder is Deficient, the patient will often wake up suddenly, very early in the morning, and be unable to fall asleep again. Patient's who are timid, indecisive, and easily discouraged by slight adversity, are said to have a weak Gall Bladder; conversely, decisive and determined patients are said to have a strong Gall Bladder.
Liver: Wood Yin Chi (Feminine Energy)
The liver is called the 'General' or 'Chief of Staff' and is responsible for filtering, detoxifying, nourishing, replenishing, and storing blood. The liver stores large amounts of sugar in the form of glycogen, which it releases into the blood stream as glucose whenever the body requires extra infusions of metabolic energy. The liver receives all amino acids extracted from food by the small intestine and recombines them to synthesize the various forms of protein required for growth and repair of bodily tissues.
The liver controls the peripheral nervous system, which regulates muscular activity and tension. The inability to relax is often caused by liver dysfunction or imbalance in Wood energy. Liver energy also controls ligaments and tendons, which together with muscles regulate motor activity and determine physical coordination. Liver function is reflected externally in the condition of finger- and toenails and by the eyes and vision. Blurry vision is often a result of liver malfunction rather than an eye problem, and even Western medicine recognizes the symptomatic yellow eyes of liver jaundice.
Liver: Psycho-Emotional Aspects
Through its association with Wood energy, the liver governs growth and development, drive and desires, ambitions and creativity. Obstruction of liver energy can cause intense feelings of frustration, rage, and anger, and these emotions in turn further disrupt liver energy and suppress liver function, in a vicious self-destructive cycle.
The Liver is responsible for planning and creativity, as well as instantaneous solutions or sudden insights; it is therefore considered The General in Charge of Strategy. The Liver houses the body's Hun and governs fright. Its positive psycho-emotional attributes are kindness, benevolence, compassion, and generosity; its negative attributes are anger, irritability, frustration, resentment, jealousy, rage, and depression. The Liver is also called the "root of resistance to fatigue." Whenever the Liver is not functioning properly (stagnate or excessively Hot due to suppressed emotions) the patient can experience fatigue as well as physical weakness.
Essential Oils to Balance Wood Meridians
Because the liver is the powerhouse of the body, with its wide reaching functions, it is especially important to keep it balanced and working well. The liver is responsible for the distribution and regulation of Qi throughout the entire body, and if weakened or toxic, general health and vitality are diminished. When the wood element is weak, people can feel indecisive and stuck. They may have anger, expressed or unexpressed, and may be controlling, arrogant and short-tempered. Imbalanced liver people can be workaholics, or indeed, because of their addictive natures be alcoholics or drug addicts. They may also have digestive problems and experience bloating, gas and heat. With gall bladder imbalance, there is a tendency to be emotionally frustrated, resentful and irritable.
Many people who have liver/gall bladder challenges will experience headaches and migraines. Essential oils that help relieve tension headaches are chamomile, lavender, marjoram, peppermint, rose, and rosemary. Oils that assist migraines are anise, basil, eucalyptus, jasmine, lavender, lemon, melissa and rosemary. These oils can be either inhaled on a tissue or in aroma lamp, or can be mixed in a little almond oil and massaged around the temples (avoiding the eyes) and down the neck. This can be done in conjunction with other headache relieving methods like lying down, darkness, increased H2O hydration, and deep breathing.
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