By Azusa Segawa, Wellness Practitioner, Chi Nei Tsang Specialist and Visiting Master at AyurMa
In today’s fast-paced and stressful world, many people are seeking alternative therapies and practices that can help them relax, reduce stress, and improve their overall wellbeing.
Chi Nei Tsang offers a non-invasive and holistic approach to health, focusing on the connection between the mind, body, and spirit. Its popularity may be attributed to its potential benefits in promoting relaxation, improving digestion, relieving stress, and supporting emotional healing.
Chi Nei Tsang is a holistic healing modality that originated in China and is based on Taoist principles and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It is a form of abdominal massage that focuses on the internal organs and energy pathways of the body. The term “Chi Nei Tsang” translates to “working with the energy of the internal organs.” The belief is that emotional and physical blockages can accumulate in the abdomen, leading to various health issues.
You’ve gut a feeling
In TCM, there is a strong belief in the connection between emotions and organs.
Here is a general overview of some of the connections between emotions and organs in TCM:
Liver: The liver is associated with anger. Excessive or repressed anger is believed to affect the liver’s energy and function. Conversely, a stagnation or imbalance in the liver energy can lead to emotional symptoms such as irritability, frustration, or depression.
Heart: The heart is associated with joy and emotional well-being. When the heart energy is
balanced, it can promote happiness, love, and mental clarity. However, excessive joy or lack of joy can disrupt the balance and impact the heart’s function, potentially leading to insomnia, anxiety, or restlessness.
Lungs: The lungs are connected to the emotion of grief. Experiencing prolonged or unresolved grief can weaken the lung energy. On the other hand, a weakness in lung energy can make a person more prone to sadness, grief, or a sense of loss.
Spleen: The spleen is associated with the emotion of worry and overthinking. When the spleen energy is imbalanced, it can lead to excessive worrying, overthinking, and obsessiveness. Likewise, chronic worry and overthinking can weaken the spleen energy and impact its functions, such as digestion.
Kidneys: The kidneys are associated with fear and willpower. Excessive fear or prolonged periods of fear can deplete the kidney energy. Similarly, a weakness in kidney energy can manifest as feelings of fear, insecurity, or lack of willpower.
Negative emotions cause serious damage to one’s health. Especially these days, many people have digestive issues, which is not only caused by what food they eat, but also from emotional indigestion such as stress, worry, and anxiety. When we face stress, first breathing changes, then we get muscle tension and emotional blocks—all the flow stops, which indicates everything is connected.
Second Brain
In the Chi Nei Tsang massage system, most of the work is done in the abdominal area, the so- called “second brain”. The navel is of particular importance; after conception, the first cell of the embryo is formed in the navel, then all parts of the body develop in a spiral from this first cell. Since the navel is directly related to every other part of the body, therapeutic work in this area reciprocally influences the whole body.
Taoist Grand Master Mantak Chia said, “The navel has karma. It’s connecting to your ancestors, and it’s a lifeline with the mother during fetal development, so the mother and the grandmother, and so on and so forth.”
Cultivating energy
Ancient Taoists practised self Chi Nei Tsang as part of their overall Taoist cultivation practices.
Here is a simple practice to activate energy on the abdominal area, your Tan Tien, or energy centre:
For men: They collect the energy by spiralling outwardly from the navel 36 times clockwise (small to big). Then they spiral inwardly 24 times counterclockwise, ending at the navel (big to small).
For women: They collect the energy by spiralling outwardly from the navel 36 times counterclockwise (small to big). Then they spiral inwardly 24 times clockwise, ending at the navel (big to small).
Gather, collect, and store energy by asking Qi (life force), “Qi, be with me.” When you have respect, honesty, and gratitude, and you ask the Qi to stay with you, then Qi stays.
*Chi Nei Tsang does not directly heal illnesses and acute or chronic problems. However, it helps to stop the degeneration of organs and tissues, and to improve and strengthen their condition.
Visiting Master Azusa Segawa will be in residence at AyurMa at Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru from October 15 to November 15, 2023. To view her bio or explore her services offered at AyurMa, click here.