Stress – An Eastern Perspective

Although stress seems to be just an accepted part of everyday living in our modern society, it certainly is nothing new. In fact, one of the oldest Chinese medical textbooks, written over 2,000 years ago, was advising people on how to lower their stress levels so that they could live healthier and better lives.

In Eastern medicine, stress can be roughly categorized into 2 types – physical and emotional – although there is quite a bit of overlap between them because Traditional Oriental Medicine views the body, mind, and spirit as being inter-related to each other.

Physical stress can be caused by many factors, including overwork, not enough rest, environmental toxins, and simply pushing the body too much.

In terms of acupuncture theory, it is the Kidney system which is mostly affected by prolonged physical stress. In Eastern medicine, when talking about the Kidney meridian system, it relates not only to the urinary and reproductive organs, but also encompasses aspects of the entire endocrine system, including the adrenal glands.


Adrenal burnout is a relatively new medical term, but the symptoms are very similar to those classically described in Chinese medicine as “Kidney Deficiency“:

  • chronic fatigue
  • poor memory & concentration
  • blood sugar imbalances
  • lower back pain
  • blood circulatory problems
  • weight gain / loss
  • hormonal imbalances

On the other hand, the second main type of stress – emotional stress – affects mostly the Liver meridian system, which in Eastern medicine includes not only the liver organ, but other related functions including blood circulation throughout the body, as well as the connective tissue and tendons.

Symptoms of this emotional stress on the Liver system can include things such as:

  • anxiety & depression
  • anger & irritability
  • poor blood circulation
  • menstrual problems
  • headaches
  • neck & shoulder pain
  • digestive issues

Unfortunately, stress will always be a part of our lives, although efforts should be made to reduce it whenever possible. However, helping to regulate and strengthen the Liver and Kidney systems can be useful in allowing us to better cope with our stress and stay healthier.

Tips for dealing with Stress

  1. Eat some seaweed – regularly adding moderate amounts of various seaweeds to your diet can be useful in strengthening the Kidney system. Some varieties commonly available include kelp, dulse, nori, and wakame, which can easily be added to soups and other recipes.
  2. Breathe deep – besides being useful in calming down the mind when stressed, slow and deep abdominal breathing has other health benefits in regulating the Liver & Kidney systems. Focused breathing into the lower abdomen can help reduce neck and shoulder tension as well as improve overall blood circulation. One simple method that can easily be done at night when lying down in bed is to place both hands, one on top of the other, just slightly below the navel. Concentrate the mind on where the hands are places. On the inhale, imagine the sensation of a balloon gently inflating beneath the hands, and on the exhale, it should be a feeling of gently deflating. Let the inhalation last for approximately 4 – 6 seconds, and the exhalation for 6 – 8 seconds. Even just 5 or 10 minutes of daily breathing practice can have noticeable and beneficial results.