My Liver What!?
๐ฟ How to ensure Healthy Liver Qi with Chinese Medicine ๐
What is the Liver anyway?
The liver is a vital organ tucked under your right ribs, you might not even realize itโs there, but itโs constantly working hard and you canโt live without it! What is it doing you might ask? Well, itโs filtering about 1.4 litres of blood per minute, filtering metabolic waste, toxins, hormones, digestive and microbial by-products, and performing over 500 biochemical reactions around the clock. What Western Medicine fails to directly recognize, is that the Liver also processes stress and emotions; however most Doctors will agree that Liver problems are connected to stress and lifestyle factors. The liver is also a producer, creating up to 1 litre of bile per day, and processing and converting carbohydrates, proteins and micronutrients. It also stores nutrients which are crucial for things like metabolism, hormones, energy levels, and quality sleep. Can you see how important a healthy liver is???
It is my understanding that modern living does not support Liver health due to the massive load of artificial input, biologically perverse stressors, and a lack of nutrient-dense food and hydration. So much of modern life isnโt compatible with our biology, from artificial lighting that disrupts our sleep/ wake hormonesโto concrete jungles that block natureโs electromagnet frequenciesโto living through screens and battling financial, social, and political pressures that can be off-the-charts stressful for our bodies. Our food is also depleted in nutrients and the quality of food that the average North American has access to is suboptimal. When your liver is overburdened โby stress, environmental toxins, processed foods, medications, or even unexpressed emotionsโits capacity to keep your whole system in balance gets compromised.
๐ฟ The Liver in Traditional Chinese Medicine
In Chinese Medicine, the Liver (่ Gฤn) has a broader meaning than just the anatomical liver. Itโs a functional system with physical, emotional, and energetic roles corresponding to the organ itself and the meridian pathways.
According to Chinese Medicine, the Liver is responsible for:
A Smooth flow of Qi (life-force energy) throughout the body
Emotional regulation, especially stress, anger, frustration, and resentment
Storing Blood and ensuring healthy menstruation
Detoxifying and transforming both physical and emotional stagnation
Governing the sinews and tendons, influencing flexibility and joint lubrication
A balanced Liver system promotes creativity, flexibility, vision (both literal and metaphorical), and emotional ease. A stagnated Liver can lead to many imbalances including PMS, migraines, digestive discomfort, insomnia, and mood swings.
๐ฅ Signs Your Liver May Be Out of Balance
Irritability or quick to anger
PMS or menstrual irregularities
Tight shoulders or neck
Digestive bloating, especially after eating
Headaches, especially behind the eyes or at the temples
Fatigue or heaviness in the body
Waking up between 1โ3 AM
Eye issues (blurry vision, floaters, dry eyes)
Feelings of being โstuckโ or emotionally blocked
๐ ๏ธ Tools to Support Liver Function & Detox Naturally
1. Nourish Your Liver with Food
๐ฅฌ Bitter greens (dandelion, arugula, mustard greens): Help stimulate bile flow and reduce heat.
๐ฅ Beets, carrots, and radishes: Help thin bile and support detox pathways.
๐ Lemon water in the morning: Gently stimulates liver and gallbladder movement.
๐ฅฆ Sulphur-rich foods (garlic, onions, cruciferous vegetables): Aid phase II liver detox.
๐ฆด Bone broth or blood-building soups: Nourish Liver Blood, especially important for menstruating women, pregnancy and postpartum.
2. Herbal Allies (Western & TCM) ๐ฟ
Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum): Protects liver cells and promotes regeneration
Schisandra (Wu Wei Zi): A TCM adaptogen that supports liver function, clarity, and beauty
Chai Hu Shu Gan San (Bupleurum Powder to Spread the Liver): A famous TCM formula for emotional stress, PMS, and Liver Qi stagnation
Xiao Yao San (Free and Easy Wanderer): Another classic for stress, mood, menstrual issues, and digestive issues
Please consult a qualified herbalist or practitioner before starting herbal formulasโTCM works best when personalized.
3. Move Your Qi Daily ๐
The Liver governs the smooth flow of Qi. Physical stagnation often leads to emotional stagnation so daily exercise is important for mood and emotional health too.
Daily gentle movement: Walking, stretching, yoga, Qi Gong or Fascial Maneuvers โmovement doesnโt have to be intense.
Twisting poses: Stimulate the liver and gallbladder meridians with twisting movements and stretches
Dancing, jumping, shaking: Move stored tension and regulate your nervous system with physical release
4. Sleep, Especially Before Midnight ๐
The Liver performs its deepest cleansing between 1โ3 AM. Sleep before midnight helps your Liver store Blood and regenerate cells, otherwise you may feel exhausted or โhungoverโ in the mornings.
5. Emotional Hygiene ๐
Liver stores unexpressed anger, frustration, and resentment. Emotional suppression = energetic stagnation.
Journaling, breathwork, therapy and other forms of expression help release stored emotions
Screaming into a pillow, primal yell, or "rage dancing" = valid tools for anger release!
Forgiveness and finding peace is deeply liver-healing. It may sound silly, but try visualizing a happy smiling liver ๐
6. Castor Oil Packs!!!
Warm castor oil applied to the right rib cage area can stimulate lymphatic flow, detoxification, and ease inflammation. Use a hot water bottle over a soaked cloth or flannel for 30โ60 minutes.
Final Thoughts
The Liver isnโt just an organโitโs a modulator of energy and emotions in your body. In Chinese medicine, itโs the springtime organโthe force that pushes life forward. It wants to be free, flowing, and unburdened. Even though itโs a complex organ, the way to keep it healthy is relatively straightforward. By focusing on movement, nutrition, mitigating toxins and stressors, and emotional expression โyour liver will be just fine.
Supporting your Liver is not just about detoxing. Itโs about clearing space for clarity, creativity, and emotional freedom. If you feel heavy, stuck, or have any of the symptoms mentioned above, try out some of these tips and let me know your results!
I have much more to say about Liver health, so I will be sharing more soon!
Morven
๐ฟ Acupuncturist, Holistic Health Practitioner, Healing Guide