Our body is truly remarkable. Most of us have experienced how a headache rarely stays confined to the head, often bringing stomach discomfort along with it. Donguibogam did not simply lump these phenomena under the vague label of stress; rather, it viewed them as issues arising when the flow of qi within our body becomes blocked and tangled. It is much like how a traffic jam on a highway spills congestion onto other roads, leaving you frustrated and uncomfortable all the way to your destination.
In particular, when stress accumulates, the qi of the liver becomes congested, a state called liver qi depression. The liver plays a crucial role in circulating qi throughout our body. When liver qi stagnates due to stress, trapped, hot energy builds up like boiling water trapped in a kettle. As this energy surges upward, it can cause a throbbing headache, much like an erupting volcano.
Furthermore, when liver qi fails to circulate smoothly, it affects the spleen and stomach, which oversee digestion. The spleen and stomach act like an engine that digests food and absorbs nutrients, but liver depression prevents this engine from running smoothly. As a result, food is not properly digested and stagnates inside, generating waste known as phlegm-fluid. Moving through the body like sticky mud, this phlegm-fluid causes various problems: rising to the head, it can induce headaches, while in the stomach, it can cause bloating, burning, and reflux esophagitis. It feels almost as if a thick mist has enveloped the entire body.
Ultimately, a headache paired with stomach discomfort does not stem from stress alone; rather, it unfolds within a complex cycle where stress blocks liver qi, overburdening the digestive organs and accumulating phlegm-fluid, which in turn travels back up to affect the head. Donguibogam warmly reminds us that no part of our body exists in isolation—everything is intimately connected. Understanding this complex loop allows us to pursue fundamental solutions rather than simply chasing individual symptoms.
