How does Energy Flow Impact our Mental Health?
“Does Qi (vital energy) flow influence mental health?” a client asked me. The short answer is yes. From the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), it absolutely matters. Qi is the central concept of TCM – it permeates everything and connects all things, from our cells to the universe itself. Everything is manifestations of Qi.
Rather than delving into philosophical ideas about the relationship between Qi and mental health, I thought I would share my personal experience. I hope this provides a more intuitive understanding, rather than just an intellectual one.
I was at a low point when I decided to visit a meditation centre in Korea. At the time, I was a mother to a four-year-old son, but I didn’t feel mentally or emotionally steady enough to be the mother he needed. Intense anger, frustration, and exhaustion constantly consumed me. Above all, I felt disconnected from everyone especially myself. This wasn’t just the exhaustion of motherhood; something deeper was embedded inside me, but I couldn’t understand or truly feel what it was.
A longtime friend of mine, who had become a Buddhist monk at the age of 23, was studying at a meditation center and suggested I visit. I took a leap of faith and decided to go by myself. What could be worse than what I was already experiencing? And just like that, my journey began.
During my stay at the centre, I had the opportunity to sit at the same table as the Guru for lunch. We exchanged a few words but mostly ate in silence. After the meal, she stared at me and sighed. She told me that all my energy channels were blocked and that I was barely holding it together. Her exact words were: “How can you even function like this? It must be hard for you to feel any joy. If you continue living like this, everything will fall apart for you.”
Boy, how I hated hearing her words! It felt extremely shameful and critical.
Physically, I felt fine. My recent test results came back with no issues. I had no symptoms of illness. To be honest, I seemed to be in better shape than she was, at least on the outside. My inner voice yelled at her, “Who do you think you are - Master Yoda?”
But something about her words lingered beyond the initial shame and the bruised ego. I decided to dedicate myself to this journey. Maybe it was to prove her wrong, or maybe I just needed an outlet for the suffering I was experiencing at that time. Either way, it felt like an opportunity for a real change had been presented.
As I began what I now call “cleaning up my inner world,” I started noticing changes not just mentally and emotionally, but physically as well. The first few years were mostly filled with pain that I didn’t even know existed in my body. Tension I hadn’t realized I was holding began to surface - tightness in my back, joint pain, and sometimes inexplicable headaches, coughs, or bouts of diarrhea. It felt as though my body was trying to speak to me in a language I hadn’t been listening to - “Feel me! This is what’s here!”
As I continued my inner work, I became more attuned to the sensations in my body. I realized that my body was holding onto suppressed emotions and traumas of my own but also generational experiences. With each shift and realization, I began to feel more space opening up within me.
One thing led to another, and I began studying acupuncture. Through constant self-acupuncture practice, everything clicked. I could literally feel the difference between when my energy was flowing and when it wasn’t. Acupuncture helped unblock stagnant energy, and as I worked more consciously with my body, mental and emotional blockages became easier to notice and process as well. I started to sense the interconnectedness between mind and body in a way that felt almost magical. It was like I had opened a door to a part of myself I had forgotten - familiar, yet completely new.
Looking back after ten years on this journey, I can say with certainty that becoming aware of my energy flow has made all the difference in my mental and emotional health. The physical and emotional shifts I experienced and still am experiencing don’t just heal my body. They heal my mind too. The more I became aware of how energy moved within me, the more easeful and lighter I felt.
There’s no doubt I still face life’s inevitable challenges, just like everyone else in this world. But a major difference between who I am now and who I was ten years ago is that I’ve become more comfortable with who I am. I have more clarity about my intentions and the choices I make. I’ve learned to embrace the present moment with gratitude. Of course, I still make lots of mistakes, but even those feel more purposeful, like valuable lessons, making it easier to accept them.
Going back to the Guru I met in Korea - yes, she was right. My energy channels were all blocked, and my inner world was like a smelly sewage with no flow. I am grateful for her words now for making me motivated to do the inner work.
The beauty of this inner work is that anyone can do it. As we all face the constant shifts and changes in life, our energy channels require intentional, conscious clearing so that the energy can flow freely from the universe to our inner selves, as well as within ourselves. By doing this, the beauty of the world, in all its complexity and simplicity, feels more intrinsic. We will know in our hearts that we are part of this vast universe, here and now, contributing to the flow of life in our own unique ways. And the deep peace within us will pervade our entire being.
If you resonated with a piece of my story, and would like to begin your inner work–don’t hesitate to reach out to see if Acupuncture could be a helpful tool to help you along your mental health journey. Learn more about me here, schedule a consult, or your first appointment.
