GreenSpot Tea House & Art Gallery
A weblog of topics and events at GreenSpot

1. Introduction

In recent years, as technologies advance in lightning speed, the world gets smaller.  More and more often, we hear the phrase, “We are all connected.”  These words often referred to the Internet, which linked data, information, and people together.  Other times, people were referring to the environment, as what happens in one area profoundly affects another area, regionally and globally.  Some spiritualists refer the connections as the linkage between people and all other living beings and planets on a spiritual level.  In all of the above references, people were talking about the linkages outside our body.  However, if we turn our attentions inward, we would find that we have an Internet of our own.  In fact, there is a strong connection between our mind and our body.  Whatever happens in our mind would have profound impacts to our body.  In other words, emotional well-beings are directly linked to our physical health.

It is common knowledge that emotional stress affects physical well-being.  Stress can cause headaches, backaches, indigestion, weight gain/weight loss, heart conditions, etc.  Loneliness often leads to symptoms of or actual illnesses.  Happy people seldom get sick, while the depressed ones are often ill.

The western physicians now recognize that the mind-body connection is an important linkage to health.  More and more medical studies are being conducted to explore this relationship.  For instance, it was found that emotional arousals can enhance memory.  Music (eg. Mozart) could stimulate growth in babies and even plants.  Colors can affect health.  Physical touch could heal emotional scars. New therapies such as hug therapy, laugh therapy, dog therapy in hospital, etc. have become growingly popular. The linkage between body and mind is now acknowledged by mainstream professionals in the medical, psychological, and physiological studies.

In the practice of Chinese medicine, it is well accepted that emotions lead to sickness.  Therefore, the emotional state of the patient is a key part of the diagnosis; as important as the physical symptoms.  In the Chinese culture, in both Buddhism and Taoism, the mind-body connection is even more pronounced.

2.  Story

Years ago, I had a co-worker who was in the Army Reserves.  He was called to serve during the first Gulf War, the Desert Storm.  He was there for 8 months, and returned to his old job afterwards.  Naturally, we were all very interested to know about his experience.  He mentioned one incident that he would never forget.  It was during the first or second month of his deployment.  His battalion was guarding the entrance to a remote base.  A few days earlier, they received intelligence report that a suicide bombing appeared eminent, against this very encampment.   They were put on high alert. This day, the sun was high and hot, and the visibility was perfectly clear.  There in the distance, they spotted a fast-moving truck approaching the base.  The typical practice was for the truck to stop at a checkpoint several hundred yards from the main gate; use the phone there to call for permission to proceed closer.  However, this time, the truck ran past the checkpoint, and coming straight toward the gate.  My co-worker and the other soldiers immediately saw it as the suicide bomb truck.  They all jumped behind cover, and used the loud speaker ordering the truck to stop.  The truck kept coming in high speed, and the soldiers were ready to open fire.  Then, literally just seconds before the soldiers opened fire, the truck stopped.  It turned out to be a new driver who was so nervous that he forgot the protocol.  He jumped out of the car, waving his arms, and apologizing for his driving.  It was actually a supply truck, delivering water and other food items.  The soldiers relaxed and had a good laugh afterwards.

The interesting aspect of this incident was that, according to my co-worker, most of them, who were facing battle for the first time, wet their pants as they were ready to open fire.  He said that they were all nervous, scared, and thought that it could be their last day on earth.  It was fear that caused them to lose control of their bladder.  Their emotional state manifested itself into a physical state of the body.  As we explore this subject a bit further, you will see that mind and body have a very direct connection.

3.   What is emotion?

Wikipedia:

• A mental and physiological state associated with a wide variety of feelings, thoughts, and behavior. Emotions are subjective experiences, or experienced from an individual point of view. Emotion is often associated with mood, temperament, personality, and disposition.
• A person’s internal state of being and involuntary physiological response to an object or a situation, based on or tied to physical state and sensory data.

In other words:  Emotion is a creation of the mind, as the mind reacts to people, events, environment, etc.  The mind is affected by past memories, education, morals, culture, and personalities; triggering emotions accordingly.

4.   Where do emotions come from?

Scientific Physiology: In their simplest form, they are products of chemical and electrical reactions in the limbic system brought about by certain experiences.  The limbic system is part of the brain that is already fully formed in early childhood (before the age of 5) unlike the cerebral cortex, that deals in logic and reasoning, which is fully formed by early adolescence.  The amygdale is the part of the brain that allows us to feel fear and anger.  The neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin are the chemicals responsible for feelings of well being, contentment and happiness.

In other words:  Emotion is something produced chemically and electrically by the brain as the brain reacts to different stimulus.

Tao Physiology: There are primarily two components in the universal energy, the Ying and the Yang.  The Ying dominates the physical essence, while the Yang dominates the spiritual essence.  The spiritual essence consists of the consciousness, wisdom, mind, emotions, etc.  The imbalance of either or both of the essences causes chaos in life.   It is through the unification of both, in perfect harmony, that the path to enlightenment becomes possible.

In other words:  Emotions must be well balanced in order to achieve harmony with the physical body.

Buddhist Physiology: Each person has eight consciousnesses.  The first five have to do with the physical senses (seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and feeling).  The sixth is mind/consciousness.  The seventh is the “I”, the ego.  The eighth is the seed consciousness which is the basis of the other seven, creating the karma which dominates our lives.  In this model, mind is on a higher level of consciousness over the  physical senses.

In other words:  Mind dominates over physical well being.

5.   Cycle of Elements

Wood–>Fire–>Earth–>Metal–>Water–>Wood

6.   The mind-body connection.

7.   Biological Clock

8.    What do emotions do to us?

• Dominate our perceptions, logics, and behaviors.
• Motivate or deflate
• Judge and execute
• Affects our physical health

9.    Should we manage our emotions?

Recognize that emotions are chemical and electrical reactions created by the brain/mind as stimulated by external circumstances.   They are illusions created by our minds.  Yet, they often dominate our behaviors, taint our judgment, and influence our physical well-being.  If we want to live a balanced life, it is critically important that we be able to manage our emotions.

10.   How do we manage our emotions?

• Recognize that emotions are illusions, not permanent, and changeable.
• We are not our emotion.
• Quit the guilt trip.
• Emotions are disguises of something deeper.
• Rationalization helps temporarily, but not permanently.
• Suppression of emotion is unhealthy.
• Clarity of oneself leads to greater awareness of the truth.
• Truth leads to freedom.
• Freedom creates balance.
• Balance brings forth harmony.

11.   Path forward

• Honesty – Take a look at ourselves honestly, and note our deficiencies and strengths.  Accept them without further judgment.  Clarity begins here.
• Activism – Take pro-active steps to improve ourselves.  For example:  Take up WALKING  (Mayo Clinic has a study showing that regular walking can induce gradual buildup of endorphins in our body.  Endorphins is a class of neurotransmitters produced by the body that relieve stress, makes one feel happier and even strengthens our immune system.  As endorphins start to remain in our body, the body becomes less susceptible to diseases, infections as well as chronic pains and depression.)  Physical health enhances emotional health.
• Celebration – Reward ourselves for each small victory as we overcome ourselves from our emotions, and become more aware of our truth.