Our body, mind, and spirit are interconnected in profound ways. We see these connections reflected in patterns of “seven”: seven chakras, seven glands, seven bodily tissues, seven-year planetary cycles, and more. Each breath is a chance to align with these elements, shaping our physical and emotional experiences. Here, we’ll explore how chakras, breath, and emotions intertwine and impact our overall well-being.

Understanding the Role of Breath in Chakra and Gland Alignment

Our chakras, the energy centers of our bodies, interact with our glands—our body’s chemical messengers—with each inhale and exhale. Every time we breathe, we choose how to move forward, moment by moment. Through this dynamic, we can decide how to feed our body or release energy that no longer serves us.

• Inhale: Represents what we’re experiencing, drawing in what’s present around us.
• Belly Breaths: Expand our lungs, collecting oxygen and aligning our energy with the world around us.
• Exhale: Represents how our body communicates emotions, releasing hormones through the glands. “Hormone” means “to spur on,” reflecting how emotions become physical attribute

The Exhale: Choosing to Release or Retain Energy

Our exhale can be a powerful tool for releasing energy or internalizing experiences, impacting the body’s physical systems:

• Releasing Negative Energy: On exhale, we can choose to release negative emotions as toxic experiences out of the crown chakra, through the head’s orifices—eyes, ears, mouth, nose, and crown chakra—to be dispersed rather than manifesting physically.
• Sending Positive Energy to the Body: Alternatively, we can exhale energy through the physical glands, from the pineal to pituitary, thyroid, thymus, pancreas, adrenals, and reproductive organs, spreading positive energy through hormones that maintain our body’s health.

When we exhale negative emotions back into the body, imbalance symptoms may arise. By collecting how we feel with each inhale, we can choose to release negativity or, if it brings balance, send positive energy into our glands.

The Link Between Emotions and Organs

There’s a deep correlation between our emotional states and physical health. Emotions don’t immediately manifest as physical dysfunction, yet their repeated presence can shape how our cells respond and adapt:

• Genetic Impact: Emotional experiences affect our RNA/DNA, making genetic codes stronger or weaker.
• Cellular Habits: Cells mimic patterns. Repeating emotions becomes cellular, forming behavior patterns. Negative emotional patterns require positive, opposite actions to alter this cellular trajectory. This means we can change old habits.

Recognizing this connection allows us to address negative patterns and strengthen our physical health with positive emotional experiences.

The Foods We Eat and Emotions We Hold

Our dietary choices often mirror our emotional states, forming another link between body and mind:

• Emotional Eating Patterns: Different emotions correlate with food choices. Anger often leads to spicy foods, anxiety to dry foods, and grief to oily or junk foods.
• Childhood Correlations: Reflecting on childhood emotions and eating patterns can provide clues about how our body has learned to process emotions physically.

Even our ancestors’ experiences influence us. For example, a family history of behaviors like anger or alcoholism can weaken the liver’s function over generations. But positive experiences can also strengthen cellular patterns, allowing us to move forward and build healthier habits.

Connecting to Our Organs and Emotional Patterns

Ayurveda offers insights into the emotions held within each organ and the Doshas that influence balance. Ask yourself which emotions from this chart are present in your life and what organs they may be affecting.

Exercise: Practicing Breath to Release and Nourish

1. Choose an Emotion and Organ: Begin by identifying an emotion and an associated organ.
2. Belly Breaths: Take deep, belly breaths, expanding outward to meet the world and noticing your feelings.
3. Releasing through the Crown: As you exhale, release energy through the crown if it no longer serves you, visualizing it leaving the body.
4. Nourishing the Body: Once you feel released, begin to exhale energy into the body, directing it toward the chosen organ with love and acceptance.

Repeat this practice as needed. Sometimes we may need to release energy before we can nourish the body. Be patient and trust your body’s intuition.

Conclusion: Embracing Emotional and Physical Health