“Life is a balance between holding on and letting go.”

Rumi
It’s a Balancing Act:

I invite you to become aware that these 2 phases are not absolute (you don’t have to be all in 1 or all in the other) and they fluctuate from minute to minute or week to week.

A well balanced thinking/emotional brain is:
  1. “Internally regulated” meaning that there is a natural fluctuation between the phases of expansion and contraction both throughout the day and from day to day.
    • We all go through a process of being “up” and being “down” and riding this wave is absolutely normal. Some days you will be more out-going, more creative, and more lively and other days you will be more quiet and reserved or more relaxed and “passive.” This happens not just day to day but moment to moment throughout each day.
    • When the thinking/emotional brain is not “internally regulated” you can find yourself getting stuck is 1 phase for days, weeks, or even months at a time.
  2. “In balance with the other parts of the brain” meaning that the thinking/emotional brain works well with the the body brain and the self-aware/conscious brain.
    • The self-aware/conscious brain regulates the extreme behaviors of the thinking/emotional brain.
    • If this balance between the thinking/emotional brain and self-aware/conscious brain is not in harmony then…
      • Your “ups” become manic. You might find yourself completely lost in thoughts, ideas, and creativity and cannot sit down, be calm, or stay “passive” for any length of time. It can be very difficult to do well in school and you may find it very difficult to focus enough to function well at your job. ADHD is a great western example of this concept.
      • Your “downs” become depressive. You might find yourself completely “listless” or depressed with no desire to engage with others. It becomes a tremendous chore to maintain any relationship in life, and you might find it very difficult to care enough to attend school or excel at your job. Depression is a great western example of this concept.
So How Is This Balancing Act Accomplished?

There are 4 primary ways that the body accomplishes this balancing act. All 4 you can help or hinder by your lifestyle choices so I invite you to take advantage of that.

1) A strong and healthy self-aware/conscious brain:

The most important way this balance is achieved is through the strength of the self-aware/conscious brain. When it is well exercised and maintained it has a powerful ability to “regulate the coming and going of the mind.” This power of the self-aware/conscious brain is responsible for #2 listed above (keeping the thinking/emotional brain in balance with the other parts of the brain.)

Why is this the most important?

It is the most important part of the balancing act because it prevents the extreme swings of the thinking/emotional brain. If you try and force yourself to be outgoing and extroverted when you are naturally in a state of contraction (in which case it would be more natural to be quiet and self-reflective) then the most common side effect would be feeling irritated or “off balance.” Compare this effect on your daily life to the affects of swinging far into depression or manic behavior caused by a weak self-aware/conscious brain and you can see why regulating the extremes are so important.

How do you strengthen your self-aware/conscious brain?

If you found yourself on this page then you are already familiar with 1 of the basics mentioned throughout this blog; mindful meditation. On the last page of this topic I will be guiding you though a particular type of mindful meditation I have found to be very helpful for my clients!

2) A thinking/emotional brain that is allowed to freely flow and express itself:

From the perspective of TCM we have no control over how the waves of the thinking/emotional brain flow. It naturally alternates between phases of expansion (when your mood is up and you feel creative) and phases of contraction (when your mood is more subdued and you feel passive and relaxed). When this process is allowed to happen on its’ own then there is a natural ebb and flow of these 2 states.

When however we grasp after and try to force ourselves to be extroverted and excited when we are not, or push away and avoid resting in a state of self-reflection because we feel “bored” this upsets the natural ebb and flow. The side effect of this is often becoming “stuck” in 1 phase for long periods of time, sometimes weeks or even months.

How do you “go with the flow”?

  1. Allow yourself to become aware of when there is a natural desire to express your creativity, reach out to others, and get moving.
    1. When you notice this state it can be very helpful to take some time to go out and engage in this behavior; take a few minutes away from what you are watching on tv, take a break from your meditation and stretching ritual, step away from the video game or book.
  1. Allow yourself to become aware of when there is a natural desire to be passive, look inside yourself, and pull away from your relationships with others.
    1. Many people find this state “boring” and will tune out by watching tv or try and “push through” by drinking alcohol, coffee, and sugary drinks to “elevate their mood.” Please remember that this phase is completely normal and should be embraced.
    2. When you notice this state it can be very helpful to take a brief break from your social life and creative projects and simply BE. You might try yoga, meditation, reading a book, sitting quietly over a meal, or maybe even going for a drive in the country if this is an option.
    3. The important thing here is to allow yourself to be with and feel whatever comes up during this time without pushing it away or trying to ignore it. (More on that on the digesting your emotions pages here and here)
3) The physical health of the body plays a role:

As mentioned throughout this blog the physical and mental/emotional body are interconnected and influence each other in a variety of ways. All three main parts of the brain (body, thinking/emotional, and self-aware/conscious) recieve support from different physical parts of the body and are therefore affected by dis-ease in these specific areas.

In TCM each major organ provides support for a particular mental/emotional function. The liver organ is responsible for providing support for the thinking/emotional brain. This is perhaps why physical functions that are also affected by the liver organ such as menstration, digestion, and muscle stiffness are all so strongly affected by our emotional states. Anyone who has ever struggled with a “nervous stomach” or felt tension in their neck when under stress can easily become aware of this phenomenon in their own personal experience.

Healthy eating habits can lay a great foundation for the free ebb and flow of the thinking/emotional brain and can help encourage it to move when it becomes “stuck.” This is a complex issue and so will be covered in detail in the relevant “pick your struggle” however I will offer a few simple guidelines here:

In general the liver organ requires vegetables to function normally. It does also depend on meats and grains but for the average client I work with in the clinic (unless they are a vegetarian/vegan) they eat enough meat and grains for liver health and need to increase their vegetable intake.

Raw vegetables such as fresh pressed juices and salads can be remarkably helpful for keeping the balance.

4) De-Story Yourself:

Perhaps the most important and effective way to restore the normal flow of contraction and expansion of the thinking/emotional brain is to learn through practice to see a thought as a thought rather than a truth.

Wait, What?!…

  1. Remember from page 1 that the thinking/emotional brain is often referred to as “the coming and going of the mind.”
  2. Notice (if you can) that what we are calling as “state of contraction” is either the lack of thoughts and emotions or getting stuck in a particular emotion or train of thought. Where-as what we are calling a “state of expansion” is a flood of thoughts and emotions often jumping from 1 to the next.

In the same way that the body brain contracts around undigested experiences (somatic energy); the thinking/emotional brain contracts around thoughts (stories) that are seen as something true (believed).

This gets confusing if you try and intellectually “figure it out” since that all happens WITHIN the thinking/emotional brain (arguing with yourself) so lets’ try this as a meditative exercise instead. (see podcast below) (part 1 and part 2)

Learning to see thoughts as thoughts (de-storying yourself) is incredibly valuable in restoring the natural flow of contraction and expansion of the thinking/emotional brain. It is also incredibly valuable in the process of emotional digestion and healing the body brain. For that reason this is covered time and again in the “emotional digestion” area, the “pick my struggle” area as well as offered in 1 on 1 sessions virtually via zoom or in person at the Colorado Springs office.

Up Next: Balancing the Self-Aware/Conscious Brain with the Thinking/Emotional Brain; Meditation Practice

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