Consider our body as a bustling city. The commander in charge of that city is none other than the liver. In Donguibogam, the liver is referred to as the general official, meaning that, like a military commander, it oversees major planning and execution in our body while keeping the circulation of qi, the vital energy of life, moving smoothly.
What happens, then, when this general comes under attack from ongoing stress, overwork, and anger? Just as a battlefield commander becomes overwhelmed and enraged under excessive strain, the liver loses its ability to function properly. When the liver, which should clear and unblock the flow of qi throughout the body, stiffens due to stress, qi circulation begins to stagnate. In Korean medicine, this is called liver qi stagnation.
When qi becomes blocked, various problems arise in our body, much like traffic congestion on a busy roadway. The very first thing to emerge is fire. Like a tightly sealed pressure cooker, stagnant qi turns into heat and surges upward. When this fire rises to the head, it causes headaches, migraines, and eye fatigue; when it reaches the chest, it brings a suffocating tightness along with a sensation of pent-up anger syndrome erupting.
It also significantly affects the digestive organs. Because the liver helps regulate digestive fluid secretion and intestinal motility, blocked liver qi makes gastrointestinal peristalsis irregular and disrupts digestion. Consequently, symptoms such as nervous gastritis with heartburn or bloating, or irritable bowel syndrome with recurring abdominal pain, diarrhea, and constipation arise.
Donguibogam gently reminds us that the irritability and discomfort we often brush aside ultimately stem from an imbalance in the liver. It carries the timeless insight that only when the liver is at ease can the body's qi flow harmoniously and the mind find true peace.
