“The wound is the place where light enters you.” Rumi
What’s The Emotion?
When you get a pain the neck, is it really a problem with your cervical vertebrae, your anterior neck flexors, your posterior neck extensors or have you simply gotten stuck in your emotions?
As a medical intuitive healer, one of the first things I do is empower you to understand how your emotions have been affecting your physical body.
You and I will set a goal – for example, to get rid of that nagging pain in your neck – and the very second thing I will do is ask one simple question.
What’s the emotion?
You can download one of the many charts of emotions I use at this link.
Your Body Speaks the Language of Emotions
We have to understand that our physical bodies simply respond to what’s happening to our energy system, our emotions, our thoughts and our spiritual experience.
I think of your body like one big hologram with each aspect reflecting what’s happening inside and out, above and below, from the cell level to the macro level.
By the time you experience discomfort on the physical level, you’ve been grappling with the emotion behind it for some time – even if you have not been consciously aware.
You may not realize how emotional your body really is until you start to connect the relative ease or discomfort you have been experiencing with the emotions you have been feeling.
Pain in and of itself is an emotion. Can you understand the language of what your body cries for?
You Can Understand Yourself Better
Here’s a brief summary you can use when you’re trying to understand why you have been suffering so much.
Because you may not know your anatomy as well as I do, I’m including links to images and charts so you can see these muscles more clearly. Just click on the name of each muscle to be connected to an image where you can study it more carefully.
The linked name of each muscle precedes the name of the acupuncture meridian that governs the muscle followed by a list of the emotions that affect its functioning.
The Emotions Affecting Each Major Muscle
Central Meridian
Supraspinatus. Central acupuncture meridian. Self respect. Overwhelm. Shyness. Success. Shame.
Governing Meridian
Teres Major. Governing meridian. Embarrassment. Support. Harmony. Trust. Truth.
Stomach Meridian
Pectoralis Major Clavicular. Stomach meridian. Unreliable. Criticism. Contentment. Disappointment. Deprivation. Hunger. Nausea. Greed. Empty. Sympathy. Empathy. Harmony. Disgust. Doubt. Bitter.
Levator Scapulae. Stomach meridian. Unreliable. Criticism. Contentment. Disappointment. Deprivation. Hunger. Nausea. Greed. Empty. Sympathy. Empathy. Harmony. Disgust. Doubt. Bitter.
Anterior Neck Flexors. Stomach meridian. Unreliable. Criticism. Contentment. Disappointment. Deprivation. Hunger. Nausea. Greed. Empty. Sympathy. Empathy. Harmony. Disgust. Doubt. Bitter.
Posterior Neck Extensors. Stomach meridian. Unreliable. Criticism. Contentment. Disappointment. Deprivation. Hunger. Nausea. Greed. Empty. Sympathy. Empathy. Harmony. Disgust. Doubt. Bitter.
Brachioradialis. Stomach meridian. Unreliable. Criticism. Contentment. Disappointment. Deprivation. Hunger. Nausea. Greed. Empty. Sympathy. Empathy. Harmony. Disgust. Doubt. Bitter.
Spleen Meridian
Latissimus Dorsi. Spleen meridian. Rejected. Assurance. Indifference. Disapproval. Faith in the future. Anxiety re: the future. Consideration. Recollection. Confidence. Alienation. Sympathy. Empathy. Brooding. Cynicism. Envy.
Middle and Lower Trapezius. Spleen meridian. Rejected. Assurance. Indifference. Disapproval. Faith in the future. Anxiety re: the future. Consideration. Recollection. Confidence. Alienation. Sympathy. Empathy. Brooding. Cynicism. Envy.
Opponens Pollicis. Spleen meridian. Rejected. Assurance. Indifference. Disapproval. Faith in the future. Anxiety re: the future. Consideration. Recollection. Confidence. Alienation. Sympathy. Empathy. Brooding. Cynicism. Envy.
Triceps. Spleen meridian. Rejected. Assurance. Indifference. Disapproval. Faith in the future. Anxiety re: the future. Consideration. Recollection. Confidence. Alienation. Sympathy. Empathy. Brooding. Cynicism. Envy.
Heart Meridian
Subscapularis. Heart meridian. Forgiveness. Compassion. Self confidence. Self esteem. Self worth. Self doubt. Insecure. Secure. Anger. Hate. Love.
Small Intestine Meridian
Quadriceps. Small intestine meridian. Joy. Shock. Sorrow. Sadness. Internalization. Unappreciated. Nervousness. Over excited. Discouraged. Assimilation. Nourishing. Hurting.
Abdominal muscles. Small intestine meridian. Joy. Shock. Sorrow. Sadness. Internalization. Unappreciated. Nervousness. Over excited. Discouraged. Assimilation. Nourishing. Hurting.
Bladder Meridian
Peroneus. Bladder meridian. Fear. Anxiety. Peace. Dread. Terror. Panic. Resoluteness. Frustration. Impatience. Inner direction. Confidence. Inadequacy. Courage.
Sacrospinalis/Erector Spinae Muscles. Bladder meridian. Fear. Anxiety. Peace. Dread. Terror. Panic. Resoluteness. Frustration. Impatience. Inner direction. Confidence. Inadequacy. Courage.
Tibialis Anterior. Bladder meridian. Fear. Anxiety. Peace. Dread. Terror. Panic. Resoluteness. Frustration. Impatience. Inner direction. Confidence. Inadequacy. Courage.
Tibialis Posterior. Bladder meridian. Fear. Anxiety. Peace. Dread. Terror. Panic. Resoluteness. Frustration. Impatience. Inner direction. Confidence. Inadequacy. Courage.
Kidney Meridian
Psoas. Kidney meridian. Fear. Anxiety. Phobia. Sexual insecurity. Creative insecurity. Superstition. Paranoia. Cautious. Careless. Reckless. Indecisive. Loyal.
Upper Trapezius. Kidney meridian. Fear. Anxiety. Phobia. Sexual insecurity. Creative insecurity. Superstition. Paranoia. Cautious. Careless. Reckless. Indecisive. Loyal.
Iliacus. Kidney meridian. Fear. Anxiety. Phobia. Sexual insecurity. Creative insecurity. Superstition. Paranoia. Cautious. Careless. Reckless. Indecisive. Loyal.
Circulation-Sex Meridian
Gluteus Medius. Circulation-Sex meridian. Gloomy. Hysteria. Relaxation. Stubbornness. Renounce the past. Tranquility. Responsibility. Generosity. Jealousy. Remorse. Calm.
Adductors. Circulation-Sex meridian. Gloomy. Hysteria. Relaxation. Stubbornness. Renounce the past. Tranquility. Responsibility. Generosity. Jealousy. Remorse. Calm.
Piriformis. Circulation-Sex meridian. Gloomy. Hysteria. Relaxation. Stubbornness. Renounce the past. Tranquility. Responsibility. Generosity. Jealousy. Remorse. Calm.
Gluteus Maximus. Circulation-Sex meridian. Gloomy. Hysteria. Relaxation. Stubbornness. Renounce the past. Tranquility. Responsibility. Generosity. Jealousy. Remorse. Calm.
Triple Warmer Meridian
Teres Minor. Triple warmer meridian. Elation. Despair. Despondent. Lightness. Heaviness. Loneliness. Humiliated. Hopeless. Serving. Balance. Buoyancy. Solitude.
Sartorius. Triple warmer meridian. Elation. Despair. Despondent. Lightness. Heaviness. Loneliness. Humiliated. Hopeless. Serving. Balance. Buoyancy. Solitude.
Gracilis. Triple warmer meridian. Elation. Despair. Despondent. Lightness. Heaviness. Loneliness. Humiliated. Hopeless. Serving. Balance. Buoyancy. Solitude.
Soleus. Triple warmer meridian. Elation. Despair. Despondent. Lightness. Heaviness. Loneliness. Humiliated. Hopeless. Serving. Balance. Buoyancy. Solitude.
Gastrocnemius. Triple warmer meridian. Elation. Despair. Despondent. Lightness. Heaviness. Loneliness. Humiliated. Hopeless. Serving. Balance. Buoyancy. Solitude.
Gallbladder Meridian
Anterior Deltoid. Gallbladder meridian. Love. Anger. Rage. Wrath. Self righteous indignation. Forbearance. Motivation. Assertiveness. Boredom. Helpless. Impotent. Passive. Humble. Choice making. Proud.
Popliteus. Gallbladder meridian. Love. Anger. Rage. Wrath. Self righteous indignation. Forbearance. Motivation. Assertiveness. Boredom. Helpless. Impotent. Passive. Humble. Choice making. Proud.
Liver Meridian
Pectoralis Major. Liver meridian. Anger. Rage. Wrath. Distressed. Vengefulness. Resentment. Self righteous indignation. Transformation. Responsibility. Unhappiness. Happiness. Irritability. Hostility. Content. Bitter.
Rhomboids. Liver meridian. Anger. Rage. Wrath. Distressed. Vengefulness. Resentment. Self righteous indignation. Transformation. Responsibility. Unhappiness. Happiness. Irritability. Hostility. Content. Bitter.
Lung Meridian
Serratus Anterior. Lung meridian. Cheerful. Depressed. False pride. Haughty. Humility. Modesty. Openness. Scorn. Disdain. Intolerance. Prejudice. Contempt. Regret.
Coracobrachialis. Lung meridian. Cheerful. Depressed. False pride. Haughty. Humility. Modesty. Openness. Scorn. Disdain. Intolerance. Prejudice. Contempt. Regret.
Deltoids. Lung meridian. Cheerful. Depressed. False pride. Haughty. Humility. Modesty. Openness. Scorn. Disdain. Intolerance. Prejudice. Contempt. Regret.
Diaphragm. Lung meridian. Cheerful. Depressed. False pride. Haughty. Humility. Modesty. Openness. Scorn. Disdain. Intolerance. Prejudice. Contempt. Regret.
Large Intestine Meridian
Fascia Lata. Large intestine meridian. Guilt. Grief. Regret. Release. Self worth. Depression. Letting go. Indifference. Unmerciful. Compassion. Sadness. Apathy.
Hamstrings. Large intestine meridian. Guilt. Grief. Regret. Release. Self worth. Depression. Letting go. Indifference. Unmerciful. Compassion. Sadness. Apathy.
Quadratus Lumborum. Large intestine meridian. Guilt. Grief. Regret. Release. Self worth. Depression. Letting go. Indifference. Unmerciful. Compassion. Sadness. Apathy.
The Power of Compassion
As you make the connection between the chronic muscle pain and the emotional suffering you have been experiencing, you can begin to contemplate how to unwind some of these patterns.
This may in fact be why your chiropractic adjustments, physical therapy, massage, stretching, regular exercise, steroid injections, food healing, drugs, nutritional supplements or other physical approaches alone have not been making much change in your experience.
Please have compassion for yourself and for all the people who have tried to help you along the way.
Even if you did not experience complete relief, each person who helped put their energy and intentions towards improving your well being.
Once I help you make the connection between your pain and your suffering, I then ask your body what needs to happen differently.
Do you need:
- To feel the emotions more deeply?
- Resolve the feelings?
- Move the energy that’s been stuck in your muscles?
- Something else entirely?
Your body actually has the wisdom to speak the truth of what you need once you start listening with the power of compassion.
I have a huge menu but the bottom line is once you have listened deeply you have the knowledge you need to make a difference.
Do you want to understand more about the emotions that have caused your pain and suffering?
If you have been wanting to understand the emotions behind your discomfort or learn what you can do to resolve the problem, set up an appointment today for a medical intuitive reading or healing work by calling 678-612-8816 or emailing catherine@catherinecarrigan.com. International clients please contact me via WhatsApp to avoid long distance charges.
What is healing? Healing happens when you compassionately understand your emotional anatomy.
Hi Catherine,
This is amazing stuff and I will forward it to my deep tissue masseur so she can deepen her knowledge. This will help her connect the various modalities she has studied and in turn help me and others.
What if you’ve experienced so much trauma that anger can take over as secondarily protective self and go as far to cause muscles to tear skin in order to increase strength and speed by temporarily increasing mass?
Hello, Mr. Bill, I apologize, I don’t quite understand your question. Here is my comment about trauma. When we experience trauma, the amygdalae in our brain take over. When that happens, we either go into fight, flight or freeze. Many people are living in survival mode. When you live in survival mode, your attitude towards the entire world is either fight, flight or freeze – you either fight everything and everybody, run as far away as possible literally and figuratively OR your entire being locks down, stops growing and becomes paralyzed. If you have experienced trauma in your life (and frankly I haven’t met anyone who hasn’t), the important thing is to be gentle with yourself about it. You can’t just get in there, grab the trauma and throw it away. It’s my experience in 26 years full time in natural healing that you have to almost sneak up on the trauma you are holding at your cellular level. What do I mean by that? We have to recognize that your body will only release trauma when it A feels safe and B has the resources to do so. This requires extreme gentleness, utmost kindness and massive compassion. Think of approaching a scared little animal – it’s precisely the same approach. Even someone who displays tremendous anger to try to control their world in order to feel safe will respond to gentleness, kindness and compassion. Hope that helps! Love and light, Catherine Carrigan
Hi there! Love this info. I’m actually a bit unsure of what my question is…. It seems that there are many things connected to each muscle, some good some not so good. If the muscle is functioning well it’s positive, if not then the negative?
Hi Lu, Your entire body is like one big hologram. You can read how well any aspect of your being is functioning based on corresponding muscles, acupuncture meridians, chakras, and much, much more. In general, if a muscle is functioning well then at that time you are expressing the positive aspects. If a muscle is not functioning well, you will want to ask yourself whether or not you are struggling with the negative emotions associated with it. Sometimes of course there is a much bigger picture going on that supersedes what is going on with one individual muscle. To understand this subject in greater depth, I recommend you read my eighth book, The Difference Between Pain and Suffering: https://www.amazon.com/Difference-between-Pain-Suffering/dp/0989450635/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1CYZNEH3LSDVE&keywords=the+difference+between+pain+and+suffering&qid=1559821352&s=gateway&sprefix=The+Difference+Between+Pain+and%2Caps%2C168&sr=8-1
Love and light, Catherine Carrigan
Hi there! Thank you for writing this! With each muscle there are a list of emotions, are the seemingly more positive ones what happens when the muscle is healthy and the seemingly less healthy emotions occurring when the muscle is toxic, tonic, irritated, inactive, etc?
Yes, exactly Lucianne! You can see the importance of having a positive attitude. When we will our mind, body and spirit with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness and goodness there is no room for ill health.
Thanks so much for reading.
Love and light, Catherine Carrigan
Hi Catherine,
This is AMAZING! I have been trying to compound this information, and was directed to this link. Thank you for sharing!
I am wondering if you have any insight on the SCM (sternoclavicular muscle)??
Hi Dr. Hunt, Thank you so much for reading my article. For sure, the SCM (sternoclavicular muscle) group is part of the neck flexors and on the acupuncture meridian for the stomach. It’s all about contentment (or lack thereof). As you know most people suffer from some degree of forward head posture and the SCM muscles are over facilitated – e.g. working too hard. I think on an emotional level when the SCM is out of balance people are overworking themselves to try to achieve some sort of happiness, pushing themself into the future rather than letting themselves be fully present, feeling content with who they are, what they have and all they have already accomplished. Hope that helps!
Catherine Carrigan
Hi Catherine, I have a collection from a couple decades of work on this topic. Okay to contact me if you wish to chat or get more material in this vein.
Hi Bruce, Fabulous – I would love that! Catherine Carrigan