When we talk about the mind in relationship to the body-mind-spirit framework, we are not talking about the kind of mind people take to therapists. To have a comprehensive discussion of the mind, we have to understand that the mind is energy. The emotions it generates are energy.

TCM has great untaught wisdom, but it does not have an organized discipline for separating the mind from the body the way we do in the West. TCM only talks about the mind in terms of its actions. These actions are not just the thoughts you think or the feelings you have. There are so many issues connected to the different aspects of the mind that impact the body, health and healing. They encompass the visible and invisible aspects of being, including consciousness, thinking, emotions, feelings, wishes, desires, intentions, imagination—even dreaming and psychic ability.

The mind is fascinating. It is a transitional space between the physical and spiritual aspects of being. The mind is a powerful energetic frequency with the capability of operating on two levels. Whether we show it or not, we continually experience the motion of our mind.

If you want to stay well or overcome illness, you have to use a different framework to understand the mind. The mind has a serious impact on the body’s organ systems and what prompts its functioning. Physical problems can arise directly from consciousness and the mental processing of the mind. The kind of mind we are exploring is tricky. It moves between the visible and the invisible. It can look internally as well as externally. Like a jealous sibling, it doesn’t want you to pay attention to its intuitive capabilities. But the value of the intuitive mind is priceless. If you do not open your mind to your innate intuition, you’ll miss a huge part of the healing gifts you were born with.

The Mind and a Cell Phone: Alike in Many Ways

To illustrate the concept of the mind, we’ll follow the analogy of a cell phone. For the phone to work properly, several functions have to work in sync perfectly. To start, the hardware has to be in good working order and the phone has to be charged. Inside, the phone’s software has to work as well. If any one part is not in working order, the phone will not function as intended. Just like your cell phone, you have many unique features. These features allow you to receive information and knowledge, as well as power and energy, from different sources. Your body is like the phone’s hardware. In many ways, your mind is the software. It functions as the body’s operating system. The mind’s smooth function depends on who uses the software and how wisely they operate its many features.

A cell phone can be used for more than simply placing a phone call. It has varied features that allow the user to snap pictures, create videos, record conversations, and allow face-to-face chats. Many features are built into the phone’s software, but if you don’t know they are there or how to use them, you are missing out on all of its benefits. You are not making full use of the phone.

Hardware Vs. Software

It is the same way with the mind. Often, when someone has an illness, they will have their body (its hardware) tested. The tests often show nothing. That is because the problem is  related to unbalanced Qi or vital energy. It’s still at the software level. This doesn’t mean the problem is nonexistent. It means that the problem exists at the invisible or Qi level and is being fed by the emotions it creates, which are strong energetic frequencies.

As you think of the mind as software, ask yourself, “How well does my software operate? What frequency does it operate on? How much information can it receive? Which information do I choose to receive and allow into my mind? Do I believe that information can only come from what I experience with my five senses? Are there other sources?

Ultimately, your mind is based on your beliefs. These beliefs are definitely true for you, though, they may not be ultimately true. Beliefs generate thoughts; thoughts in turn generate emotions. These emotional energies, especially if they are chaotic or excessive, impact the organs and vice versa. Your mind moves your body; it is not the other way around. Your mind is the body’s operating system. Its “software” acts as the guidance system that operates the autonomic and conscious functions we perform all day and all night.

Beliefs, thoughts and emotions are powerful energetic frequencies that impact the body and its organ functions.

Excerpted from Digesting the Universe: A Revolutionary Framework for Healthy Metabolism Function written by Nan Lu, OMD with Ellen Schaplowsky.