In Western medicine, organs are understood mostly in terms of anatomy and physiology—what they look like, what they do physically, how they fit into the body’s machinery. In Daoist and Chinese medicine, the picture is much broader. Organs are seen as living networks that connect body, mind, emotions, and spirit. They are physical, yes, but they are also energetic and symbolic. They carry functions that link digestion, breath, circulation, emotions, memory, and even our sense of purpose.

Understanding this way of seeing the body gives trauma survivors a new lens. Instead of only looking at symptoms—anxiety, exhaustion, digestive problems, chronic stress—you can begin to see how deeper imbalances ripple through different organ systems. It provides a map of how trauma embeds itself in the body, and how balance can be restored.

Yin and Yang Organs

Daoist medicine divides the primary organ systems into pairs—one yin organ and one yang organ. Yin organs store vital substances like qi, blood, and essence. They are considered “full but never empty.” Yang organs are more active, constantly transforming food, drink, and experience into usable energy. They are “empty but never full.”

Each yin–yang pair reflects a relationship of balance, and each has links to emotions, tissues, senses, and spiritual aspects.

• Liver (yin) – Gallbladder (yang)
• Heart (yin) – Small Intestine (yang)
• Spleen (yin) – Stomach (yang)
• Lungs (yin) – Large Intestine (yang)
• Kidneys (yin) – Urinary Bladder (yang)
• Pericardium (yin) – Triple Burner (yang)

Together, these twelve primary organs form the core of Daoist medicine.

The Five Yin Organs: Functions Beyond the Physical

Each yin organ has a role that extends beyond physiology. Here’s a brief orientation:

• Liver: Governs the smooth flow of qi. Connected to the eyes, tendons, and the emotion of anger. Trauma often shows up here as frustration, stuckness, or explosive emotion.
• Heart: Houses the shen (spirit). Connected to blood circulation, the tongue, and the emotion of joy. Trauma can scatter the Heart, leading to anxiety, restlessness, or disconnection from meaning.
• Spleen: Governs digestion and transformation of food into qi and blood. Linked to the muscles, mouth, and the emotion of worry. Trauma often weakens the Spleen, causing fatigue, poor concentration, or digestive issues.
• Lungs: Govern breath and boundary. Connected to the skin, nose, and the emotion of grief. Trauma can close the Lungs, showing up as chronic sadness, shallow breathing, or immune weakness.
• Kidneys: Store jing (essence), the deep vitality we’re born with. Connected to bones, ears, reproduction, and the emotion of fear. Trauma depletes Kidney energy, leading to exhaustion, fear, or a loss of rootedness.

These organs are not just physical units—they are constellations of meaning. Each one links the body to emotions, to nature, and to the deeper currents of life.

Emotions and Organs

One of the most striking aspects of Daoist organ theory is the way it weaves emotions directly into physiology.

• Anger isn’t just a mood—it’s tied to Liver function.
• Joy isn’t just happiness—it’s tied to the Heart.
• Worry is tied to the Spleen.
• Grief is tied to the Lungs.
• Fear is tied to the Kidneys.

This doesn’t mean emotions are “bad” for organs, or that feeling sad damages your lungs. It means emotions move through the organ systems, and when trauma forces emotions to be suppressed, distorted, or overwhelming, the flow is disrupted. Over time, that disruption can manifest in both emotional instability and physical symptoms.

The Organ–Spirit Connection

Each organ also has a spiritual aspect—a way it connects to consciousness and meaning.

• The Liver houses the Hun, the aspect of spirit linked to vision, planning, and dreams.
• The Heart houses the Shen, our awareness and presence.
• The Spleen houses the Yi, connected to thought and intention.
• The Lungs house the Po, linked to instinct and the body’s primal rhythms.
• The Kidneys house the Zhi, the will and deep purpose.

Trauma can scatter or weaken these aspects. For example, chronic fear can scatter the Zhi, leaving someone without a sense of direction. Shame or disconnection can cloud the Shen, leaving someone restless or ungrounded. Understanding these spiritual aspects helps survivors see that trauma doesn’t just wound the body—it touches identity, purpose, and soul.

How Trauma Shows Up in the Organs

Survivors of complex trauma often see patterns that match these organ systems:

• Liver qi stagnation: irritability, headaches, digestive tension.
• Heart fire: anxiety, insomnia, scattered thoughts.
• Spleen qi deficiency: fatigue, brain fog, digestive weakness.
• Lung qi deficiency: grief, low immunity, shallow breath.
• Kidney yin/yang imbalance: exhaustion, fear, loss of vitality.

These aren’t labels to diagnose yourself. They’re ways of mapping how trauma lives in the body, showing how emotional wounds leave physical echoes.

Daoist Healing Approaches

The organ systems are not fixed in dysfunction. Daoist healing arts offer many ways to restore harmony:

• Contemplative practices calm the Heart and settle shen.
• Movement practices free Liver qi, strengthen Spleen qi, and ground Kidney energy.
• Nutrition practices support digestion, rebuild blood, and stabilize energy.
• Cyclical practices align the organs with their natural rhythms (for example, the Liver’s strongest time is 1–3 a.m., when many trauma survivors wake restless).

Each discipline offers ways to support organ systems back into balance.

What This Section Covers

This part of the site introduces each of the major organ systems in more detail. We’ll look at the Heart, Kidneys, Liver, Spleen, and Lungs one by one, exploring how they function, how trauma affects them, and which Daoist practices support their healing.

The goal isn’t to make you an expert in Chinese medicine. It’s to give you a map—a way of seeing yourself that includes body, mind, and spirit as one whole.

Why This Matters for Trauma Recovery

Western trauma science helps us see the nervous system, attachment, and coping strategies. Daoist organ theory adds another layer. It shows how trauma ripples into digestion, sleep, breath, energy, and spirit. It provides metaphors and frameworks that help survivors see their struggles not as random, but as part of patterns that can shift.

Recovery isn’t just about “fixing symptoms.” It’s about restoring flow, balance, and connection. The organ systems are a profound lens for that work.