SPIRIT IN TCM

Along with Qi (energy), Blood, and Essence (like genetics), our Spirit or Shen is considered a
vital substance in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as it completes the fabric of our
physiological makeup and human life. Rather than being linked to religion or used to convey
how “spiritual” a person is (or isn’t), in this medicine, Spirit takes on a secular meaning. 

Fundamentally, Spirit is the unique animation humans possess which allows a person to:
express their authenticity, dedicate themselves to a hobby or vocation, feel connected to
mundane everyday wonders, and to be the conscious co-creator of their destiny. It is that
intangible yet empirical inner spark that activates our imagination, ambition, intention, and
awe.

Together with our psyche and body, Spirit is what orients us within our reality and experience
of the world around us. Its health and vibrancy is essential for developing relationships as
well as the virtues unique to the human condition (compassion, accountability, wisdom,
morality, courage, etc.) 

Put simply, Spirit determines how we show up in the world, connect with others, and navigate
all the experiences that life has to offer.

A unique feature of Acupuncture and TCM is how discussions of health integrate how one’s
physical, mental-emotional, and spiritual health mirror one another. Just like how each of the
body’s organ systems has its own Acupuncture meridian (the Lung channel, The Large
Intestine channel, for example) there are associations between the organs and specific
emotions, as well as the organs and the spirit. 

These connections reveal how, in TCM, energy is considered on a spectrum from the material
to the ethereal. 

On the Material end you have the most tangible and visible of substances: the body, blood,
fluids etc would land here. Towards the middle of the spectrum is energy whose presence is
apparent in how the body functions even if it cannot be measured or fully grasped, aka Qi. A
person’s Qi can be sensed in their pulse or heartbeat and heard in the voice. Can you think of
a time that you walked into a room full of people and could tell whether the energy was tense
or cheerful? That’s Qi - which also makes itself known through emotional states. 

On the far end of this spectrum, you get Spirit. 

The Spirit is the most ethereal expression of energy and an extension of an organ’s Qi-aspect.
It can be seen in something as simple as whether someone’s eyes sparkle or light up when
they talk to you about something they’re passionate about, versus if they have a dull gaze, and
perhaps appear depressed. 

You still with us? Good, because deeper down the rabbit hole we go...

THE FIVE “FACETS”

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If you have thought of your spirit or soul as being stored in your heart, that’s actually not far
off! In TCM, there are five types of “spirit-minds” that branch-off from someone’s central
Spirit. Each is stored within one of the 5 Yin organs: 

The Heart  beholds The Shen 

The Lungs contain The Po

The Liver commands The Hun 

The Spleen grounds The Yi 

The Kidneys are keepers of The Zhi

Each embodies your capacity to show up in the world as the best version of yourself. You can
think of them like five facets to your personality: they each have unique roles and
characteristics that assert themselves when content or disturbed. 

When we sit and listen to our patients, we tune into the presence of these characteristics too.
Assessing the state of their Spirit is always included in our observation & diagnostic process
since the spirit is vital to one’s overall well-being. 

Usually when we see spirit disharmonies they are paired with physical symptoms. Other times
they aren’t, but patients will share behaviors - deep seated emotions - and mental tendencies
they know are holding them back from the things they want in life—or the way they want to
feel. This is because when one spirit is affected it can impact the others, leading you to feel
“off,” “stuck,” “lost,” or not yourself anymore. Sometimes it can even feel as if you are not in
your body. 

Our guess is that you’ll likely be able to relate to at least one or some of the following spirit-
mind tendencies. However as you read along, please keep in mind: the expressions of these
spirit-minds is a dynamic dance within us. Like our bodies and state of health, they are not
stuck in a state of imbalance unless something changes—and sometimes that change starts
within...

Here’s what we will be sharing :

 What each spirit is + its paired organ

 Each spirit’s responsibilities 
 Qualities of that spirit when it is tethered and balanced 
 Shadow tendencies that manifest when the spirit is disconnected and imbalanced

So, here they are…

THE FIVE SPIRITS

THE SHEN ~ THE MIND

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The Shen is the spirit of “The Mind” and represents our consciousness. It is the basis for our
humanity and source from which all other spirits emerge from. The Shen is in charge of our
identity and capacity for self-awareness, but also, how we view and interact with others: how
we orient ourselves in the world around us. The Shen is essential for integrating our psychic
and emotional life since it governs perception, insight, ideas, the ability to extend beyond the
Self (form relationships), determine our values, morality, and wisdom. The Mind is what
bridges our intuition and inspiration: it allows one to recognize their truth and callings so they
can show up in the world as their most authentic self. 

In the body, the Shen is ruled by the Heart which, in Chinese Medicine, is the “the origin of
mental life,” and therefore the “monarch” of all other organs: the only one capable of
recognizing, assessing, and truly feeling the spectrum of one’s emotional experiences.
Although different emotions (anger, joy, sadness, fear, guilt, etc.) will affect the body’s
organs in unique ways, those organs do not “feel” the emotion and, instead, reflect the impact
of that emotion as perceived by the Heart in the form of physical symptoms. In that sense, the
Shen is referred to as the Heart-Mind, giving the old adage the heart has a mind of its own, a
ring of truth. 

Given the Shen’s role in processing interactions with others and external stimuli, all senses
(eyesight, hearing, smell, taste, touch) depend on it for meaning just like how the brain is
relied on in Western Medicine.

For this reason, the Shen is said to be the “most visible” of all the spirits, evident in how one
carries themselves both in public and in conversation: the sparkle (or dullness) in one’s eyes,
the capacity to maintain eye contact, as well as the use of clear/logical speech (since the Heart
is the root of the tongue in TCM). It is the Shen that calculates appropriate behavior in order
to “click” with others and foster mutual understanding: a Heart (Shen) to Heart (Shen). 

When the Shen is vibrant, there is:

Clear thinking & consciousness, sharp insight, good intellect, self-awareness, a strong sense-
of self, sound sleep (since the Shen retreats back into the Heart to be housed at night), a
balanced emotional reality, good judgement expressed through wise action, flowing ideas,
inspiration, alertness in the eyes, eye contact during conversation, clear speech + confident
self-expression, compassion, and empathy. 

When the Shen is disturbed and the Heart is affected, a person will have:

Cloudy consciousness, poor insight, inappropriate/erratic behavior or speech tendencies,

socially awkward interactions, low self-esteem, difficulty expressing one’s self,
hypervigilance and paranoia, poor self-awareness, a hard time relating to others (including
little-to-no eye contact in conversation), little capacity for compassion/empathy, irrational
thoughts and phobias, an imbalanced emotional reality (fixated on one emotion), panic,
disturbed sleep etc. 

THE PO ~ THE CORPOREAL OR ANIMAL SOUL

The po is the spirit-mind stored by the Lungs. It integrates with us at our first breath, and
disintegrates at the end of life when breathing ceases. 

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When you think of the Po, consider your moment-to-moment experiences - your instincts,
impulses, and knee-jerk reactions. 

When balanced, the Po supports our ability to stay connected to the present moment through
our breath. When strong, it is associated with assertiveness and fairness. We would expect
someone with a well balanced Po to speak with a clear strong voice, to breathe well, and to
act with the virtue of justice. 

When there is weakness of the Po, we might see lingering or unresolved grief, lifeless voice,
lethargy, depression, or constant feelings of loss or incompleteness. In this case, a person
might be stuck in a moment that is far in the past, keeping them from being present or moving
forward. We might also notice the presence of chronic respiratory issues like frequent colds,
long standing cough, or asthma associated with this aura of sorrow. 

When the Po is supported and reintegrated with the present moment, we see the ability to
process grief in a healthy way. Impulsive reactivity is exchanged for responsiveness and
trustworthy instincts. We see the shroud of sadness and heaviness lift, giving way to the
ability to appreciate the beauty and fullness of the present moment, to experience awe and
wonderment, and to grasp a flash of inspiration. 

THE YI ~ THOUGHT
The Yi is the spirit-mind stored by the Spleen. It has to do with thought, intellect, and
comprehension, as well as intention and creativity. 

The Spleen organ in TCM is a major organ of digestion, separating and transforming useful
nutrients from waste products. On a physical level, a weak Spleen can result in poor digestion
of food. On a spirit level, a weak Spleen, and a weak Yi as a result, can cause poor digestion
of thoughts. This means there may be trouble effectively deliberating, and instead a person
may find themselves overthinking or ruminating on their worries. They may lack clear
intention, and therefore they may feel “foggy brained,” or bored and unmotivated.

There is a saying, “the Yi guides the Li which guides the Qi” - meaning your intention guides
the ritual which guides your energy. Have you ever noticed the difference between having a
vague desire to achieve a broad goal such as “get in shape one day” or “learn a new language”
doesn’t tend to pan out unless you set up a structure (or ritual) for yourself? My mother gave
me the sage advice that “a dream without tangible goals is just a wish.” Having a strong and
clear intention (Yi) helps us to create smart, structured plans and goals, which takes our
energy there (aka manifests that reality!). 

A strong Yi also promotes the virtues of faithfulness and loyalty. If the Yi is suffering, these
virtues can become skewed to the point of “‘stifling’ loyalty, exaggerated sympathy, and even
self-destructive generosity” (Kaptchuk, 60).

Supporting the spleen and its spirit-mind the Yi, can help you to cultivate clear intention,
insight, creativity, motivation, and appropriate faithfulness (to your goals and to other
people). 

THE HUN ~ THE ETHEREAL SOUL

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Of all the spirits in Chinese Medicine, the Hun or Ethereal Soul broadly shares the most
similarities with the Western concept of the soul: it is tethered at birth, has a will of its own,
yet at death it survives the body, preserving its physical appearance to wander the earth, the
spirit realm, or return to the source of all life. This wandering quality is essential to
understanding the Hun’s purpose and nature.

To start, the Hun is its own level of consciousness whose vitality depends on its ability to
connect and disengage with the Mind—to “come and go” as it pleases. Whereas the Mind is
more rational and in charge of processing/integrating information perceived from the external
world, the Ethereal Soul is in charge of bringing one’s inner world and dreams into awareness
and fruition. It alerts the Shen to our intuition, ideas, life goals, creativity, and artistic
inspiration so they can be pursued rather than merely reflected on. Inherently Yang in nature,
the Ethereal Soul provides the psyche with movement in several ways:

 out-of-body during sleep and dreaming

 beyond one’s everyday life/circumstances through the pursuit of life goals
 through the planning of projects and paths needed to accomplish them
 beyond the self towards others in fostering/maintaining relationships 

Knowing the Hun requires movement to engage and detach from the Mind, it is no
coincidence that it resides in the Liver: the organ responsible for ensuring smooth circulation
throughout the body. Physically, the free flow of Liver Qi and Blood is the medium by which
the Ethereal Soul “comes and goes.” In TCM, the Liver acts as the chief delegator to the
monarch (The Heart). In that sense, the healthy personality of the Liver—and balanced
animation of the Ethereal Soul—can be seen in those who excel at self-leadership,
management, structure, and routine. 

When the Liver is healthy, the Liver Blood is abundant, and circulation of Liver Qi is smooth,
the Hun is content—it can come and go freely: there will be a healthy flow of ideas and
creativity for the Mind to receive and integrate. A person will be connected to their intuition,
able to envision a goal, and feel like they have a direction for their life. They can plan the
steps necessary to actualize their dreams. In essence, a rooted Hun provides the courage to
pursue one’s potential and regulate emotional ups/downs. With a balanced Hun, roadblocks
can be faced with flexibility and frustrations met with resolve.

When the Hun’s movement becomes stifled due to a weakened Liver (such as Liver Qi
stagnation or a Liver Blood/Yin deficiency) the Mind will lack stimulation, making a person
apathetic and depressed. They will feel a lack of direction or purpose. They can lose touch
with their emotions or internalize to the point of endlessly stewing causing resentment.
Because of the Liver’s connection to the eyes and physic “sight,” there can be a lack of vision
for life-dreams, dream-disturbed sleep, and a disconnection from one’s intuition. This can
cause discouragement and a lack of desire to move beyond one’s “stuckness” and
circumstances in life. If the Mind is overly-controlling or not receptive to the Ethereal Soul’s
input/desires, they might be fully aware of what changes they need to make to pursue their
potential, but unable to “get the ball rolling” in the direction they seek. 

If the Liver is overburdened due to an excess pathogen (usually Liver-Heat Rising or Liver-
Fire) the Hun will travel excessively and inundate the Mind. For example, someone can be
full of ideas and inspiration, but because the Hun is so flighty, a person will not be able to

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bring them to fruition. With this kind of Hun-disturbance, there will be agitation, anger, rage,
an inability to regulate one’s emotional overwhelm, and manic tendencies.

Overall, a disembodied Hun is implicated in involuntary dissociation (such as in PTSD),

conscious escapism (excessive daydreaming, procrastination, substance use, etc.) and
nightmares.

THE ZHI ~ THE WILL

The Zhi is our willpower. This spirit-mind is stored in the Kidneys, which, in TCM, are
associated with our deepest “essence,” our inherited traits, our reproductive potential, and our
deepest stores of energy. The Kidneys are said to house the “life gate fire” which is yang in
nature, yet they are also associated with the water element which is yin. This duality is
mirrored in how there is a yin and yang aspect to the Zhi. 

The emotion of the Kidneys is fear, while the virtue of their spirit-mind is wisdom. When you
look back on your life - do you recall experiences where fear of the unknown transformed into
experience-based wisdom? It’s something that develops over a lifetime. The Yin Will is
related to our destiny or fate - our relationship with and journey into the unknown of the
future - it involves trust and faith. The Yang Will is more immediate than that - it has to do
with the conscious efforts and fundamental decisions that allow your will for certain desires
and outcomes to come to fruition. 

An imbalance between the Zhi may look like restlessness, a desire to run away from your life,
a vague or existential fear; patients might share a desire for things to be different than where
they are regarding their life cycle, like a fear of aging, for example. When the Kidney Qi is
weakened, there can be a lack of willpower and drive which is an important aspect of chronic
depression. On the other hand, the Zhi can also become destructive, resulting in recklessness
and excessive risk-taking. These symptoms can coincide with premature aging (looking older
than you are), low back/knee pain, bladder issues, burnout, chronic exhaustion, recurrent or
lingering illness, ear ringing, thyroid imbalances, memory loss, edema. 

Have you ever wanted something, set out on the path to complete it, and come to find that
after enough time, conviction in your ability to achieve it, and consistent effort—you have it? 
A job (or career change)...a degree...to become skillful at a hobby...to birth a passion project? 

You can think of the Will like The Wizard of Oz...it works tirelessly behind the curtain—the
scenes of your conscious awareness—until you reach your destination. Once you arrive, it
comes out to greet and congratulate you on the journey as if to say: “Well, look who it is...you
did it! I knew you could make it here. Welcome to (your “dream” aka manifested reality),
you are right on time.” 

In that sense, the Yang Will gives you the perseverance to set out on the journey whereas the
Yin Zhi is that part of you that becomes apparent once the goal is reached. A healthy Zhi
invites us to faithfully wade into the unknown, take the reins of destiny, and realize you’ve
had the power to be the co-creator of your life all along. It’s like that saying, choose your
hard. Healing and embarking on the journey to change your life is hard. Yet, staying in the
same place and living with regret is hard. The Zhi asks:

What will it be…will you stay or will you go?

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YOUR SPIRITS AWAIT…
Oftentimes people think of seeking out Acupuncture for a physical ailment or, just as
commonly, to support their mental health in cases of anxiety, depression, and trauma-
recovery. However treating the spirit can be just as helpful to encourage someone’s healing. 

In many cases, it’s actually the key.

As you just read, cultivating clear and intact spirit-minds helps us to adopt and express the
virtues of wisdom, justice, loyalty/faithfulness, propriety, and human kindness, rather than be
consumed by fear, anger, reactivity/impulsiveness, complacency/boredom, or
disconnectedness. They allow us to have authority over our thoughts, actions, and life path.
Together, they guide us to hone our individuality but also foster connections that make life
meaningful.

While offering acupuncture, we are intentionally selecting points that, yes, mobilize your
body’s natural healing process—but also points that nourish these spirits to tether them to
their associated organ systems so you feel more grounded, clear, safe, and fully integrated in
your body. That is how Acupuncture, as a blend of physical and energy medicine, clears the
blockages while creating the space for you to fully inhabit and express most vibrant and
authentic self. If that is something you seek for yourself, we would be grateful to support you.

Your spirits await…

The Five Shen are the spirits associated with each of the body’s five yin organ systems (Heart,
Kidney, Spleen, Liver, and Lungs). The origin of the Five-Shen system is found within the
Shangqing lineage of Taoist practice. Each of these spirits has a connection not only with a
yin organ and its associated element, but also with the energy of a planet and a direction. To
“wake up” the Shen of the organs is similar to “calling in the spirits” for a shamanic ritual.
The Five Shen, when in balance, vibrate with a resonant beauty similar to the planets’
“Harmony of the Spheres.” Ultimately, within the context of our neidan (Inner Alchemy)
practice, the Five Shen are returned to the unified Mind of Tao.

Shen: Emperor of the Heart

Within the Five Shen system we find something like a spiritual hierarchy: Shen–the spirit of
the Heart–is the Emperor, with aspects of its power–like Ministers–residing as the spirits of
the other organs. When these secondary spirits function as faithful emissaries of the Heart’s
Shen, communication between our organs is balanced and harmonious resulting in a happy
well-functioning “Body Politic.”

The element associated with the Heart’s Shen is fire. Its direction is south, and the planetary
energy that it embodies is that of Mars. As the emperor of the Five Shen, it is associated with
the overall quality of our awareness, which can be perceived in the energy flowing through
our eyes. Clear, sparkling, responsive eyes are one indication of healthy Shen—awareness
that is vibrant, fluid, and intelligent.

Zhi: the Kidney’s Will to Act

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The Shen of the kidney system is Zhi or will. Zhi is associated with the element of water, and
it carries the energy of the direction north and the planet Mercury. Zhi is the minister in
charge of the intention and effort required to accomplish things. This includes the effort and
perseverance needed to succeed in our spiritual practice. According to Taoism, the highest use
of personal will is to align ourselves with the “will of Heaven,” i.e. with the Tao. The spirit-
infused action arising from such a choice has the quality of wuwei: non-volitional and
spontaneously skillful or "right" action.

Yi: Intellect of the Spleen

The spirit of the Spleen System is Yi or intellect. Yi is associated with the earth element. Its
direction is center and its planetary energy is Saturn. Yi includes our capacity to use our
conceptual mind to exercise discernment and to form intentions. An unbalanced Yi can
manifest as discursiveness or unconscious internal chatter—a kind of over-thinking or
“pensiveness” that damages the Spleen. A healthy Yi manifests as spirit-infused intelligence
and understanding.

Po: the Corporeal Soul of the Lungs

The Po or corporeal soul is associated with the lungs and is the aspect of consciousness that
dissolves with the elements of the body at the time of death. The Po belongs to the metal
element, the direction west, and the planet Venus. Since the Po exists only within the context
of a single lifetime, it tends to be associated with our immediate or more dense desires as
opposed to the Hun, which expresses more long-range commitments.

Hun: the Ethereal Soul of the Liver

The Hun or ethereal soul is associated with the liver system and is the aspect of consciousness
that continues to exist in more subtle realms even after the death of the body. The Hun is
associated with the wood element, its direction is east, and its planetary energy is that of
Jupiter. As our spiritual practice deepens, more and more of the Po–or physical–aspects of
consciousness are transmuted or used as support for the Hun– or more ethereal–aspects. As
this process unfolds, we are, within our very bodies, manifesting “Heaven on Earth.”