Taiji Qigong Shibashi book

This excerpt is from a book-in-progress I have the privilege of co-writing with a clinician who specializes in qigong, acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Drawing on his direct training with the founder of Taiji Qigong Shibashi, the book explores both the practical applications and deeper philosophy of this healing art. My role has been to translate complex scientific, anatomical, and cultural concepts into accessible, heartfelt language that honors the depth of the tradition.
(Shared here with permission.)

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Liver/Wood/Anger

The next layer associated with the emotions is the liver, and this is the organ in which anger can get activated. This occurs especially if fear is already operating in the kidneys. When fear doesn’t get processed properly it moves towards anger and contention, sometimes even going so far as to provoke fighting. It’s the classic fight, flight, freeze, or collapse response to stress if there isn’t enough healthy Qì support through the kidneys. We need that stress energy in order to survive and live in relationship with the world, but it needs to be a little softer. If it’s too harsh, we’re overly sharp and combative. Ultimately, we end up becoming isolated through that aggression. 

In order to have a better understanding of this, we need to look at the origin of the word “aggressive.” In Latin it’s “aggressare,” which means moving forward, and that forward energy is useful in our survival. The baby needs to climb, to be able to reach its mother’s breast and suckle, in order to receive nourishment. We need to bite, eat, and chew for sustenance so that we can live. Clearly, we need that forward energy, but it shouldn’t become violent. 

When the energy becomes violent, there’s an imbalance between the yin Qì of the kidney that gathers and supports the rootedness that makes us feel safe and secure, and the yang Qì that maintains calm presence. In fact, the people who are most fearful are usually the ones who flex their muscles to show how strong they are. They’re also the ones with the shortest fuses, and they often become the biggest bullies. People who keep a cool head don’t feel the need to respond to threats with anger or aggression because they aren’t coming from a place of fear. The bigger the bully, the more fear someone contains. 

Naturally, if someone’s being violent, we need to speak up, but if they’re just being loud and obnoxious, the best thing to do is to stop paying attention to them, because they’re looking for confrontation. That’s how they exchange energy, and the anger in their liver is the barking dog that “protects” them. This is why we need the kidney to be unimpeded by fear so that the Qì there can be strong and rooted, which allows calm energy to move forward from the kidneys to the liver. If it’s properly rooted and healthy, it won’t become diffused and create the sparks of fear energy in the liver that develop into anger.

In order for the energy to be strong in the kidneys, it needs to be able to gather and grow, becoming the cooling water that rises and soothes the liver Qì. This calm, refreshing energy allows “plants to grow,” which makes sense when you understand that the liver is associated with wood element energy. It’s the crocus flower—the little seed lying dormant in frozen soil during winter that sprouts and blossoms in the spring, pushing through ice and snow to become a flower. 

In order for the blossom to grow it needs a lot of strength, as well as a lot of energy to keep it from freezing to death. This is healthy liver energy, which is associated with wood and springtime. It’s strong, allowing it to keep moving forward, but it’s soft and subtle rather than forceful or pushy.

 

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