Last week we looked at anger and where it manifests in the body musculoskeletal-wise . This week we will look at a supplementary part of the body that is well known for its relationship to anger and where it is stored- the liver.
The liver is a very busy organ indeed. By comparison, when we look at parts of the musculoskeletal system, representations are pretty straight forward.
If it were a formula, it might look something like this (with apologies to you math purists):
IF, a particular muscle does X (action), and
represents Y (meaning),
THEN
X + Y = Z (message).
With the liver, due to it having so many functions, things get much more complicated.
Drawing from the formula example, the formula for the liver might look more like this:
Uh-huh… “riiiiiiiight!”
(please note: this equation is for example purposes only, and is not related to the liver)
So, let’s break it down as simply as possible.
As a matter of fact, to “break it down as simply as possible” is one of 2 major functions of the liver. It has many more, but we’ll start with 2.
But first, let’s have a quick look at blood…
Why? Because blood is the primary substance the liver deals with.
Blood, both oxygenated and deoxygenated, comes into the liver, and is processed in two ways:
1) elimination – to extract and eliminate what is toxic to the body, and
2) synthesis – to synthesize and create what is needed for vitality in the body, such as albumin, which helps regulate blood volume.
Blood represents your personal identity.
It takes into consideration where you come from, but doesn’t limit you to it. It holds all the information about your lineage, yet the lesson from blood asks:
“What does it take to truly be yourself without feeling obligated to your past?”.
To embody the ability to be grateful for what allowed you to be here, without feeling obligated to it (such as your lineage/family), is to live with freedom. The healthiest family experience comes when someone knows where they came from, but are not defined by it. They don’t feel obligated or dependent to the family that raised them.
Rather, they feel grateful for whatever family experience growing up brought them.
When there is an imbalanced relationship to family and ancestry, a co-dependency arises, and the individual loses sight of what is good for them. When a family dynamic uses tools like guilt and fear to tether a child to the family tree, an unresolved anger will often ensue.
This anger about where one came from transports in the blood and will travel to the liver for processing. It is here where it concentrates and the function of elimination occurs as the liver discerns what is toxic to the body and what isn’t.
Imagine this… if your liver decides what is toxic to the body and what isn’t, and removes those toxins, only for you to fail, neglect or refuse to stop putting those toxins back in your body, what would be the result?
You would force the liver to continue to expend energy on fixing the problem, instead of creating the optimal, right?
Right!
The other major job of the liver I mentioned is synthesis. Once again, the order of the day is discernment.
“What does this [meaning your] body need in order to build and support itself?”
How does this reflect in your life?
Do you find yourself more often than not dwelling on, and trying fix what’s wrong (elimination) vs. focusing on what brings you vitality and health (synthesis)?
If you answered ‘Yes’ to that, do you have any feelings of anger and/or resentment about your situation? I would guess ‘yes’. And that’s ok – awareness is the first step.
The solution for this is to implement discernment, and act on your discerning what needs to stay, and what needs to go.
Exercise: (complete the following Discovery Statements)
1. What it is that I know that needs to (go /stop /be removed) in my life but I haven’t is ________________________.
a) The reason why I have not done so is because ______________________.
b) The real reason why I have not done so is because ______________________.
2. What it is that I have not implemented into my life, yet know I need to is ________________________.
a) What has prevented me from implementing this into my life is ________________________.
b) The reason I am attached to this story is because ________________________.
3. What I’m willing to do about these for the next 7 days is ________________________.
Ultimately, the liver decides what is “fit for human consumption”, as Dr. Michael Lincoln would say.
It decides what is toxic to the body and what isn’t, and takes steps to eliminating the former.
It decides what proteins need to be created to support strength in the immune system and circulatory system.
It does many many other functions, but sticking with these two will get you far down the path of what it can help you with.
If you continue to refuse or neglect to eliminate activities that are toxic to your life experience, and don’t synthesize (incorporate) that which strengthens you, you will end up angry and resentful… period. Not to mention sick.
But the great news is, you can always choose again – starting today.
Namaste amigos,
