This is Part 3 of a 6-Part guest post series on Emotional Anatomy by Steven Horne.
I first met Steven at the LDS Holistic Living Conference where he was teaching a class on herbal remedies. His class was completely full and after hearing him teach I understood why. I recently participated in a free preview of Steven’s Emotional Anatomy webinar and following the webinar contacted Steven to see if he would be willing to submit a guest post on the topic of Emotional Anatomy. I am grateful and humbled that he accepted.
Steven is offering the complete, seven-session Emotional Anatomy Webinar for only $127. The complete webinar goes into greater detail about the various types of emotional wounds and tools you can use to help people heal from them. On his Tree of Light Publishing website, you’ll also find a free preview class that explains the entire emotional map he uses and his technique for healing emotional wounds. I hope you enjoy the following Emotional Anatomy – The Physical World by Steven Horne.
In my previous post, I laid out the fundamentals of my system of emotional anatomy, including the three “worlds” of our being. In this post I will discuss the lowest of these three worlds, the physical world of our abdomen or guts. There are four energy centers in this world, which are numbered on the accompanying diagram as 8 – 11. They are:
11. Root Energy – located over the pubic area between the legs.
10. Navel Energy – located over the belly button.
9. Liver Energy – located on the right side of the abdomen
8. Pancreatic Energy – located on the left side of the abdomen
The location of each of these four energy centers is depicted in the diagram. A weakness in the energy in any of these areas will be related to unresolved emotional “wounds” in that part of our being. These wounds will manifest in our personality and may also make us prone to certain physical health problems. Here’s an explanation of each energy center, what it means, and some tools you can use to promote healing in that center.
Root Energy
As it’s name implies, the root energy is the energy that allows us to put down “roots” or have a sense of home and belonging in the physical world. This energy travels through our legs and helps us be “grounded” and “stand firm.” Our sexual organs are also located here and allow us to form an intimate connection with a partner and create a family, which is also part of our sense of having a home or “place” in the physical world.
This energy develops through a sense of safety and belonging in childhood, and primarily grows out of our relationship with our father and other significant males in early childhood. The masculine energy of father represents protection. Father makes the “nest” or “home” feel safe and secure. If father is abusive or absent, we may not develop a strong root energy. This can lead to a general feeling of insecurity and a lack of stability in life. It can increase fearfulness and make it difficult for us to form loving connections with others, especially a sexually intimate one.
Physically, a lack of root energy can manifest as reproductive disorders, such as PMS, uterine fibroids, etc. in women and prostate problems and erectile dysfunction in men. It can also be linked with being physically awkward, weak knees, weak legs, and a lack of graceful movement. Tension in the pelvis and weight in the pelvic area are often signs of root energy issues.
Practicing feeling one’s legs and feet and breathing into one’s abdomen can help one feel more grounded. Getting counseling to deal with issues of abuse or to help one let go of toxic shame surrounding the body and/or sexuality is also helpful. Flower essences can also be helpful, such as baby blue eyes, sweet pea, scarlet monkeyflower, and golden ear drops. Grounding essential oils such as sandalwood, ylang ylang, and jasmine are also helpful.
Navel Energy
The navel, or belly button is where we were joined to our mother in the womb. Through this opening, we received nourishment from our mother’s blood stream. After birth, we hopefully were able to nurse and continued to receive our nourishment directly from our mother’s body. As an adult, the small intestines, which sit under this area, are where we assimilate all our nutrients.
Thus, the navel energy represents being nourished or nurtured, and is directly connected to our relationship with our mother and other significant females in childhood. So, while father represents protection, mother represents nurturing. If mother was not nurturing to us or we lacked feminine nurturing as a child, we can have wounds that make us feel unworthy of the things we need to sustain our physical life, such as food, money, and companionship. This can lead to either self-denial (the inability to receive these things) or to feeling “starved” for affection, which can lead to overeating and being needy and clingy.
Emotionally, people with a navel energy wound tend to take care of others, but neglect their own emotional and/or physical needs. Physically, a lack of navel energy can manifest as digestive disorders, such as gas, bloating and difficulty breaking down protein and minerals. Belly-fat is often a sign that we are trying to “feed the need” for affection and love through food.
Again, counseling to deal with feelings of neglect or abandonment are helpful for healing navel energy center wounds. One of the flower essences I find very helpful here is mariposa lily (also known as sego lily, the state flower of Utah). This flower essence helps to heal issues of mother-infant bonding. Other flower essences that can help here include tiger lily, Easter lily, quince, and star tulip. Essential oils that stimulate digestion like clove, ginger, and mandarin may also be helpful.
Liver Energy
Sitting on the right side of the abdominal area, the liver is the “yang” or masculine side of the physical world. Physically, the liver is our primary internal detoxification center. It protects us against environmental toxins and builds up the blood that nourishes the body. In other words, it “protects and provides.” Emotionally, the liver energy has been associated with anger, as in the “gall of bitterness.”
Anger is the emotion that allows us to protect ourselves physically. It allows us to say “no” to what we don’t want and to push away people and situations that cause us pain or physical harm. When a child is overly controlled, they develop a dysfunctional relationship with this energy. They may become hyper-defensive, easily angered, and even abusive or they may become too passive and unable to stand up for themselves. They may even vacillate between these two extremes. The inability to forgive past hurts and trespasses also affects the liver energy.
Physically, issues with the liver energy can lead to liver and gallbladder problems of all kinds, including hepatitis, gall stones, and even cirrhosis of the liver. Other health problems associated with this area include constipation, chronic tension in the neck and shoulders, headaches (especially migraines), depression, and even cancer. One can cool down the energy of anger with flower essences like impatiens, snapdragon, and holly. One can increase the energy in this area with flower essences like mustard, sagebrush, scarlet monkeyflower, and willow.
I formulated two flower essence blends that can help people with extremes of anger. Keep Cool helps to keep people from losing their temper and Find Strength helps those who tend to not stand up for themselves to speak up for themselves. Forgiveness work and learning to set healthy boundaries help these issues, too. I describe these tools in my book, The Heart’s Key to Health, Happiness and Success, which is available on both Amazon.com and at http://www.treelite.com/.
Pancreatic Energy
On the left side of the abdomen is the pancreatic energy center. This is the “yin” or feminine side of the physical world. The pancreas helps us digest our food and balance our blood sugar. In other words, it helps us absorb what we need to sustain life and energy. Emotionally, this area of the body is connected with sweetness, play, laughter, and joy. I think of it as the home of the playful inner child, of “sugar and spice and everything nice.”
Being deprived of the right to play as a child or having to grow up too fast and take on adult responsibilities at a young age damages this energy center. This can lead to a craving for sweets, which results in hypoglycemia and mood swings. It can eventually lead to diabetes, where the “sweetness” goes out of our life.
Taking more time for recreation and play helps this energy center. My favorite flower essence for healing this energy center is zinnia, which helps one get in touch with one’s playful, inner child. It’s a remedy for people who are too serious and lack humor and joy in their lives. Other flower essences helpful here include nasturtium, honeysuckle, and California poppy. Aromatherapy for this energy includes coconut, honeysuckle, and anise.
Look forward to Part 4 of Emotional Anatomy coming next week, when I’ll cover the four energy centers of the emotional or heart world.
Steven Horne is professional member and recent past president of the American Herbalists Guild (AHG) and a professional member of the International Iridology Practitioner’s Association (IIPA). He has also served on the board of directors of both organizations. An herbalist, natural health teacher, author, and consultant, he is a popular speaker and students find what he teaches is practical and easy to understand and apply. Steven is the author of numerous books and course on natural healing. He has been a consultant and product formulator for several herb companies and the founder Tree of Light Publishing, an educational organization dedicated to helping people to heal themselves on all levels. Recently he started the School of Modern Herbal Medicine, which is dedicated to “excellence in herbal education.” He also offers personal health consultations through ABC Herbs in St. George, UT.
Other articles in this series include:
- Emotional Anatomy – Introduction
- Emotional Anatomy – Overview
- Emotional Anatomy – The Heart World
- Emotional Anatomy – The Mental World
- Emotional Anatomy – Conclusion
