The link between denied, unexpressed emotion and physical illness is not yet understood by western medicine. Chinese medicine, however, has long understood this link, which Dr. Kim Liu discusses with me on this episode of Leading with Health.
Dr. Kim Liu is a multicultural and multi-lingual physician who trained as both an MD and Doctor of Oriental Medicine. She specializes in mental health, women’s health, and chronic and terminal illnesses using a holistic approach. Kim is an avid advocate of Oriental medicine who actively works toward including integrative medicine in our health care system. She volunteers her time and expertise in Latin American countries, outreach and educational programs in LGBTQ communities and literacy programs for children of low-income families. You can find her at Miami Acupuncture.
Highlights include:
6:01 – KL – “I see emotions as a way that either your body or your subconscious is trying to give you information.”
6:10 – KL – “Most of the time people tend to either block emotion, push it out or externalize it. They just blame it on something else. And when you do that, you’re not in touch within yourself. You’re not in touch with what is the information that your body and your brain is trying to get to you.”
13:36 – KL – “Whatever feeling and emotion you have, allow it to course through your body. Feel it internally but also feel it in your body.”
19:30- KL – “Recognize the emotion and don’t be afraid of it. Nothing bad is going to happen for feeling it.”
20:00 – KL – “Sit for a minute and recognize what the feeling is and see what comes up. And ask questions. This is so important. We’re not used to asking questions of ourselves about what we want, what are we feeling, why this, why that. Ask questions and you’ll be interested to see what comes up. A lot of people, their first reaction is anger for some reason. And if you sit with it long enough, you realize that it wasn’t anger, it was grief or it was anxiety or it was fear.”
22:30 – KL – “The sympathetic nervous system brings up cortisol, but it’s supposed to be for a short amount of time. It’s not supposed to be a chronic condition. We should not be in the fight or flight mode all the time.”
24:48 – KL – “Keep asking questions and then take a minute to feel it and then see what will make it feel better. Because I’m sure most people never get asked, ‘What can I do to make you feel better?’ And if we start that within ourselves, we ask ourselves, because you know, some people don’t have anyone around them. Ask yourself, what would make this feel better? Would it be resting? Would it be eating something? Would it be crying? Would it be dancing? You know, whatever it is, whatever comes up, go with that because your subconscious knows, your body knows, what it needs.”
Leading with Health is hosted by Jennifer Michelle. Jennifer has a Master’s in Public Health and Epidemiology and is a certified EMT. As President of Michelle Marketing Strategies, Jennifer specializes in healthcare marketing. She is on a mission to help women find their voice so they can create a stronger, more responsive healthcare system.