“We are addicted to our thoughts. We cannot change anything if we cannot change our thinking.”

Santosh Kalwar, Quote Me Everyday
Overview of This Page:

All 3 parts of the brain (from the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine) must be in balance both individually and amongst each other in order to truly thrive in our lives.

In western culture we so often want to be able to say “this is good” and “this is bad;” this habit of looking for “right” VS “wrong” overlooks that life is often a balance between extremes. Although this is an eastern concept it is also easy to verify or recognize in your own personal life experience.

Just a few examples you can notice in your own life illustrate this point:
  • Is it better to spend ALL your money, save ALL your money, or somewhere in between?
  • Is it better to spend ALL your free time with friends, ALL your free time by yourself, or somewhere in between?
  • Is it better to exercise ALL the time, rest ALL the time, or somewhere in between?

The point I hope to illustrate here is that life, in your own personal experience, is an act of balancing between extremes. This page and it’s companion pages “the body brain” and “the self-aware/conscious brain” are shared with you so that you can become aware of how this balancing act is accomplished in the brain, how it affects your everyday experience of life, how to recognize the extremes in yourself, and finally how to use this knowledge to empower your life and move you closer to a state of THRIVING.

What Does Your Thinking/Emotional Brain Do?

Your thinking/emotional brain or “Hun” in TCM is often referred to as “the coming and going of the mind.” It is responsible for all your thoughts, emotions, ideas, creativity, dreams, goals, and aspirations. When you use phrases such as “I am thinking,” “I want,” or “I feel,” you are referring to your thinking/emotional brain.

This part of the Mind has 2 major phases that it attempts to balance between:
  1. A process of expansion or a natural outflowing of itself.
    1. In this phase you often feel the desire to reach out to others and be social. You may become aware of many ideas, thoughts, goals, or feel the desire to create and express yourself.
    2. You might feel “up” or in an extroverted mood or feel the desire to experience new things.
    3. When this state of expansion becomes excessive (either by itself or in relation to the other 2 aspects of the Mind) manic type behavior can present itself. Examples of this would include:
      1. Difficulty or inability to calm your thoughts. This is very common when you find yourself constantly “lost in thought” or in general thinking about life rather than living it.
      2. An overwhelming flood of creative inspiration or goals and plans. You might find yourself obsessed with the need to complete tasks, accomplish goals, or create in the form of writing, dancing, painting, etc.
      3. Anxiety and a state of worry are very common in this state as the “Mind” literally becomes flooded by an overwhelming amount of options.
      4. You may find yourself strongly desiring to be active and engaged with other people around you to the point that you feel uncomfortable sitting still or simply being with yourself without the option to occupy your mind with things like TV, drinking, or exercise.
      5. You may find it difficult to fall asleep, stay asleep, or sleep restlessly because of excessive or vivid dreams.
      6. You might find yourself emotionally “reactive,” irritable, or easily frustrated.
  1. A process of contraction or a natural pulling inward of itself.
    1. In this phase you often feel the desire to stay home and be alone. You may find yourself feeling “aimless” or “directionless” in life.
    2. Your projects may get put on hold or you find it difficult to force yourself to continue to engage in things that used to be joyful and easy.
    3. You might feel “down” or “withdrawn” in an introverted mood. Don’t be surprised if you want to “stick to the routine” for a while in this phase
    4. When this state of contraction becomes excessive (either by itself or in relation to the other 2 aspects of the brain) depressive type behavior can present itself. Examples of this would include:
      1. A feeling of aimlessness or a lack of purpose in life. The feeling of “zest” not being present in life is a good indicator here.
      2. Depression either very mild or very severe is common here. Struggling with thoughts such as “why bother,” or “I don’t care enough to do something about it” are examples I hear in private practice.
      3. You may find yourself strongly desiring to be “lazy” or inactive and withdrawn from other people and activities in life. You may find yourself tired or worn out for no obvious reason and relying on things such as caffeine to “get you going” or “get motivated.”
      4. You may find yourself “moody,” getting stuck in an emotional state for long stretches (for hours, days, or even longer)

Up Next: It’s a Balancing Act

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