The Wellness Inspired Podcast
The Wellness Inspired Podcast
What Your Shen Says About You: Sleep, Anxiety & Emotional Health
Discover how Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) views the heart as more than just an organ—it's the Emperor of the body, governing emotions, clarity, and connection. In this episode of The Wellness Inspired Podcast, we explore the Shen, the spirit of the heart, and how it influences joy, anxiety, sleep, and overall well-being. Learn practical TCM strategies to nourish your Shen and restore emotional balance with acupuncture, herbal medicine, breathwork, and heart-supporting foods. If you're feeling restless, disconnected, or overwhelmed, this episode will help you understand your heart’s energy and how to bring it back into harmony. Tune in now and start your journey to a calmer mind and a healthier heart!
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Wellness Riverboat Cruise
Magna On The Danube: https://www.amawaterways.com/destination/europe-river-cruises/2025/magna-on-the-danube
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Tami Hiroka
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Hello Wellness Warriors. Welcome back to another episode of the Wellness Insp inspired podcast, a place where you can find inspiration, motivation and empowerment in the pursuit of a wellness lifestyle. I'm your host, sherry Davidson. I'm a wellness coach, acupuncturist, trail runner and former interior designer in Houston, texas, and I am deeply passionate about health and wellbeing. And, as always, I'm here with my co-host, vin, and if you're new to the podcast, vin is my terrier mix, rescue dog, trail runner and loyal companion. He is also a therapy dog and greeter at Element 5, acupuncture and Wellness, and we have an exciting episode for you.
Speaker 1:Today we're diving into the heart, emotions and something called shin. Shin is a concept in traditional Chinese medicine that explains why your heart is so much more than just an organ. I have a few questions for you. Have you ever felt restless, anxious, or like your mind just won't slow down, or have you struggled with sleep or feeling emotionally off balance? We've all been there. Well, that's your shin talking, and in TCM, the shin lives in your heart, influencing your emotions, clarity and your connection to yourself and others. I know that is. This is nothing like Western medicine. Eastern medicine is so poetic. So, in the spirit, talking about poetic, in the spirit of Valentine's Day, love, self-care and emotional wellness. Let's talk about how to strengthen the shin and bring your heart back into balance.
Speaker 1:But before we jump in, for all those avid listeners who've tuned into the podcast over the past year, you likely caught wind of the wellness river cruise. Well, the past year you likely caught wind of the wellness river cruise. Well, friends, the moment has arrived. Mark your calendars for April 20th 2025, as we set sail on an unforgettable seven night cruise along the Danube river. We'll traverse the picturesque landscape of Austria, germany, hungary and Slovakia. Prepare for many active sightseeing adventures, including invigorating hikes, scenic bike rides and even a few brisk runs. Alongside these activities, indulge in the serenity of yoga sessions, engage in enlightening wellness discussions and savor the flavors of locally sourced cuisine. Excitement is already brewing, as several enthusiasts have secured their spots. For those intrigued, I'll put the links in the show notes and in episodes 63 and 64, a Journey of Wellness and Wonder on the Danube with Amal Waterways. I had the pleasure of having Laurie, a representative from Amal Waterways, and Tammy, a seasoned travel concierge, on the podcast to discuss the full river cruise experience. Feel free to check those episodes out for more information. This all has to happen quickly. The cruise is around the corner. So if you're interested, put down your deposit.
Speaker 1:It's not a lot to hold your spot, the shin, your heart, spirit and emotional compass. In TCM we call the heart the emperor because it's the ruler of all things in the body. But it's real magic comes from something called the shin, which you can think of as your inner light, wisdom and emotional presence. When your shin is strong and anchored, you feel joyful and emotionally stable. You're clear headed and focused, you're connected to yourself and others, you're rested, relaxed and at peace. But when the shin is disturbed or weakened it can show up in some not so fun ways Anxiety, restlessness or racing thoughts, insomnia or trouble staying asleep, forgetfulness, brain fog, feeling emotionally sensitive or disconnected and a deep sense of emptiness, like something's just off. Any of that sound familiar. Our modern world is full of stress, overstimulation and nonstop to-do lists, all of which can weaken the shin. The good news there are ways to bring it back into balance. So first let's talk about how emotions affect the heart and the shin.
Speaker 1:Each organ in TCM is connected to a specific emotion. So for the heart, that emotion is joy. But here's where things get interesting Too much joy or too little joy can both cause problems. You're probably asking too much joy, who can have too much joy? But it's true. Balanced joy is happiness, warmth and emotional stability.
Speaker 1:Now, too much joy think, overstimulation, excessive excitement or chronic stress can scatter the shin, leading to anxiety, restlessness and burnout. And too little joy from grief, loneliness or stress can drain the heart's energy, leaving you feeling disconnected and emotionally numb. And it's not just joy. Other emotions can affect your heart's energy too. So let's just take grief and sadness.
Speaker 1:While grief is mostly tied to the lungs and TCM, deep sorrow, deep sadness, weakens the heart, making you feel emotionally heavy and withdrawn. And unprocessed grief can lead to insomnia, fatigue and a deep sense of disconnection. Also, worry and overthinking the emotions related to the spleen. So if you've ever laid awake at night with a racing mind, that's excessive worry, scattering your shin and making it impossible to relax. There's also fear and shock. Fear is the emotion related to the kidneys in Chinese medicine. So sudden fear or trauma sends a shock wave to the heart, disturbing the shin and causing long-term anxiety or panic attacks. So if your emotions are all over the place, your shin might need some love.
Speaker 1:So I want to give you some practical tips today on how to strengthen the shin and restore emotional balance for Valentine's day this year. I bet you will never guess what. My first one is Acupuncture. Bet you never guessed that. Acupuncture for emotional stability. If you're feeling anxious, restless and just not yourself, acupuncture can be a game changer. I have seen it happen so many times in my practice. It is like one of the most wonderful things to see. They come in feeling one way. They walk out feeling completely different. They are a completely different person. It's amazing to see. And here's how it works. So it anchors the shin by activating the parasympathetic nervous system. It can also help clear emotional blockage and restore balance and it improves sleep and reduces stress.
Speaker 1:And certain acupuncture points like yin-tong that's the point between the eyes. It's probably one of the most common points photographed for any kind of marketing material. But there's also pericardium-6. We use pericardium-6. It's on the wrist, on the inside of the wrist. We use that one also a lot for nausea. So a lot of people know it for nausea. They'll do acupressure on that point for for nausea. These two points have amazing abilities to calm an overacting mind. There's also a lot of other points that I like to use as well. But those are. Those are two of the most common points. Okay, onto the next one. So you probably are never going to guess what I'm going to say next.
Speaker 1:Herbal medicine is one of the best ways to support emotional balance. I want to share some TCM formulas with you because I think it'll be fun, but just remember, it's always best to consult a practitioner. All of these formulas I'm going to mention, they're gentle formulas, so none of them are going to hurt you. You just might not get the results that you want, and we want you to see results. So many times, I think people take herbs and then they think they don't work. But herbs are super powerful. You just have to get the diagnosis right. Okay, so here are a few shin nourishing formulas. So I'm going to start with Tianhua Buxendong. It is the emperor of heaven's pill. I love how they name uh, the the formulas that again, they're so poetic.
Speaker 1:Um, this is great for insomnia, heart palpitations and anxiety from a yin deficiency, and it's best if you have night sweats, irritability and wake up frequently, so this might be good for somebody a woman going through menopause who's having night sweats. It could be appropriate for somebody like that. The next one is swanzao rentong. Swanzao rentong helps with falling asleep, staying asleep and excessive worry. So if you wake up between 1 and 3 am feel irritable or have a racing mind, this formula could be for you, okay.
Speaker 1:The next one is one of my absolute favorite ones. It's Genmai Datsutong. This is perfect for emotional instability, sadness and excessive crying, and it's best if your emotions feel out of control, overwhelming or unpredictable. It's best if your emotions feel out of control, overwhelming or unpredictable. So this one I give a lot for people going through, let's say, a breakup, like I took it for a breakup. I broke up with my boyfriend, I was crying, I was upset and this formula was amazing and I've had success with it over and over and over again. So it's a really great formula. It's a super simple formula, one of my favorites, okay. The last one I want to share with you is Anxin Ding Jiruan. This is calm the shin and settle the will pill, so it helps with high stress, nervousness and feeling on edge. Okay, so those are a few formulas that are very commonly prescribed in traditional Chinese medicine, but because TCM is all about treating the root cause, working with an herbalist or acupuncturist ensures that you get the right formula for your unique needs. So so please remember that.
Speaker 1:Okay, number three you guys know how much I love breath work and meditation, so breath work is an instant way to calm the shin and bring your heart back into balance. It's a great way to activate the vagus nerve. So breathe, people breathe. So try this. I'm going to give you a just a simple shin soothing uh, breath work practice. What you want to do is you want to place your hand over your heart and you want to inhale deeply through your nose for four seconds. You want to hold for four seconds and you want to exhale slowly for six to eight seconds through your mouth. Repeat this five to 10 minutes, focusing on relaxation and connection to your heart. Now, if you are just getting started doing breath work, the exhale slowly for six to eight seconds through your mouth can be kind of challenging. In fact, it can kind of stress some people out. I know it stressed me out when I first started doing it, and still does sometimes, because I feel like I can't catch my breath. So you can do what they call a box breathing and you can inhale for four seconds, hold for four seconds and then exhale for four seconds, that one works as well. The exhaling slowly for six to eight seconds. It has more of an effect on your, on your nervous system, but both of them um work really well. So, anyway, and it's just an, you can do this before bed and if your mind just won't shut off, this is a great way to to get your body and your, your shin, just to just to relax a little bit.
Speaker 1:Okay, the next one is heart nourishing foods. In TCM, food is medicine and certain foods help stabilize emotions and support heart health. So what foods can you eat to support your Shen? Well, foods like red foods, so cherries, goji berries, beets, pomegranates, anything red. It sounds a little simplistic, but it's true. You can also eat whole grains, so oats, quinoa, brown rice, warming spices like cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and chamomile and rose hip tea are also really great teas to calm the shin and promote relaxation. I don't know if I've ever seen them together, but I've definitely tried them. I've tried chamomile and I've also tried rose hip or rose tea. Both of them are really great. My favorite is chamomile. I've been drinking chamomile since my teens, I think, or maybe twenties, I'm not sure.
Speaker 1:Okay, the next one that you can do and the last one is journaling and a gratitude practice. So journaling is a powerful way to anchor the shin, so try this. So what I want you to do is I want you, at the end of the day, I want you to write one thing that brought you joy, one thing that made you feel connected and one thing that you're grateful for. Over time, this habit can rewire your brain for emotional resilience. Habit can rewire your brain for emotional resilience. You wouldn't think, but a gratitude attitude can really change your life.
Speaker 1:Okay, well, let's wrap things up here on this Valentine's episode and I just want to recap some final thoughts on nurturing your heart and shen. Your heart isn't just a physical organ. It's the center of your emotional world. In TCM, the heart is the emperor of the body and it's shin, your spirit, guides your emotional balance, clarity and connection to life. So take a moment today to check in How's your sleep, how's your emotional balance, and do you feel connected, calm and joyful, or restless and scattered? The key takeaways that I want you to walk away with today is that a balanced shin brings joy, mental clarity and emotional resilience, and when your shin is out of balance, you may experience anxiety, insomnia, overthinking or emotional instability. And the last takeaway, and the most important takeaway, is that you can support your heart and shin with acupuncture, herbal medicine, breath work, nourishing foods and a gratitude practice. So there is light and there is something that you can do to nourish your shin. Your heart matters, so take time to care for it, listen to what it needs and if you're feeling off balance, you have some tools here to nurture your heart and shin. Okay, well, until next time, stay well, stay connected and keep exploring the adventure of wellness. I'll see you next time on the wellness inspired podcast, and happy Valentine's day to you all.
Speaker 1:If you like what you hear, please subscribe to the podcast and share with your family and friends. You can also give me a rating and review. Wherever you listen to your podcast, it helps others find me as well. To get updates on new episodes and wellness inspiration in your inbox, please join the wellness inspired community. Go to the wellness inspired podcastcom to sign up. I'll put the link to the website in the show notes so you can click and join. Also, there's a Facebook community at the wellness inspired and you can follow me on Instagram at wellness underscore inspired If you're in the Houston area or just visiting and interested in our services acupuncture, herbal medicine, cupping, zinchiatsu or dry needling therapy contact us.
Speaker 1:You can find out more on our website at element5omcom. That's element5, the number five, omcom, and again I'll put the link in the show notes. If you're interested in health and wellness coaching, we can connect in the clinic or on zoom. Reach out to us and we'll get you on the schedule and, as always, I would love to hear your feedback. I am dedicated to bringing you great content that is inspiring and informative, with an artsy fun, edgy spin. Thank you so much for listening. We'll meet here again next time and remember, never stop exploring, learning, loving and being you Bye.