Anger is the emotion associated with the Liver according to Chinese medicine, and with the wood element. It is a rising, powerful and explosive energy.

Anger becomes pathological when it is expressed in an excessive, prolonged or repeated manner. In excess, anger causes a rise in energy called “liver fire” in TCM which can generate headaches, among other things.

Suppressed anger, or frustration, will also unbalance the energy of the Liver by creating a “stagnation of Liver qi”. This imbalance, which is very common, can lead to many disorders, from premenstrual syndromes to depression.

So learning to express anger while avoiding excesses can help to take care of the health of the liver.