The brain may be in charge of managing operations in the body, but the heart is widely regarded as the source of life.

It is strategically located in the very center of the torso, where it ensures circulation of blood and nutrients to every organ, tissue, and cell from the earliest stages of life until the moment of death. 

Though science might insist that emotions are created in the brain, language doesn’t reflect that. The heart is deeply intertwined with emotion, as evidenced by the words and phrases people use to describe their feelings: 

•     From the bottom of my heart 
•     Tugs at my heartstrings 
•     Heartbroken 
•     Heartache 
•     Have a heart 
•     Follow your heart 
•     Get to the heart of the matter
•     Learn by heart 
•     Lose heart 
•     Pour your heart out 
•     Take it to heart 
•     With a heavy heart 

Perhaps the modern perception of the heart as the source of life dates back to ancient Chinese medicine.

For thousands of years, practitioners have treated the heart with reverence for its role in circulating qi, the vital energy and life force that connects all things. 

What is Heart Qi?

The heart is responsible for moving qi throughout the body, ensuring overall health and well-being.

That sacred responsibility offers insight into why the heart is given special meaning in discussions of emotion. 

One centuries-old Chinese medical text says: 

The heart is the master of the body and the emperor of the organ networks. There is the structural heart made from blood and flesh: it has the shape of a closed lotus flower and is situated underneath the lung and above the liver. 

And there is the luminous heart of spirit-shen-which generates qi and blood and thus is the root of life. It is the source of all our bodily parts and functions, yet it does not manifest in obvious signs and colors. Just when you want to define it and say ‘here it is,’ it is gone; whenever you forget about it, however, it comes closer to you than ever. This is why it is called the ‘vacuous spirit.’ 

Despite its elusive nature, shen commands our body’s every action and every part. Material form and luminous shen must therefore be looked upon as an interdependent pair, and we have to understand that diseases of the structural heart are always caused by unbalanced emotions such as depression, anxiety, obsession, or sadness, which open up a pathway through which noxious pathogens can enter.

~ Li Ting, A Primer of Medicine (Yixue Rumen), 1575

In other words, the heart forms a foundation upon which full-body wellness is built. It generates the vital life force that makes other functions possible, so maintaining a strong heart is critical to enjoying the health benefits of balanced, free-flowing qi. 

What is a Heart Qi Deficiency?

The vital energy that keeps your body in peak condition isn’t infallible. Your environment, habits, and lifestyle choices can deplete qi, cause it to become stagnant, or block its smooth flow through the body.

Heart qi deficiency, stagnation, and blockages lead to a variety of physical symptoms, and when left untreated, more serious diseases may result.

What are the Symptoms of Low Heart Qi?

When your heart qi is deficient, stagnant, or blocked, you will experience a range of signs and symptoms throughout your body.

Because heart qi is critical to the healthy function of all organs, systems, and cells, it can be difficult to pinpoint the root cause right away.

However, some symptoms of low heart qi are particularly telling. These include: 

•     Nightmares, restless sleep, and/or insomnia
•     Confusion and disorientation
•     Unusually frequent need to void bowels or bladder 
•     Excess perspiration that is not due to exertion or environment
•     Sores on the mouth or tongue
•     Heart palpitations, or a feeling that your heart is beating too fast, too hard, irregularly, or lacking power (fluttering) 
•     Anxiety, mood swings, and/or an on-going sense of fear or dread
•     Restlessness
•     Persistent blushing 

Keep in mind that all of your body’s organs, systems, and tissues are intricately connected, and symptoms of low heart qi won’t end with this list.

When left untreated, the symptoms will spread to other areas of your body, interfering with a wide variety of functions critical to your health and wellbeing.

What are the Best Foods to Increase Heart Qi?

Supporting and caring for heart qi begins with the foods you eat. Smart choices about nutrition are the first line of defense against the outside intruders that attempt to gain entry to your body.

The right nutrients can strengthen heart qi and improve its ability to flow smoothly, which ensures the health of mind, body, and spirit. 

Some of the foods that are most effective in increasing heart qi include the following: 

•     Grains – cooked rice, cooked barley, cooked oats
•     Fruits and Vegetables – cherries, mulberries, peas, leeks, turnips, grapes, sweet potatoes, garlic, mushrooms, figs, squash, onions, carrots, dates, yams, corn, parsnips, lychee fruit
•     Protein – fava beans, black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, chicken, eggs, goose, tuna, perch
•     Spices – ginger, black pepper, molasses, cinnamon, fennel, nutmeg

Generally, if you are focused on improving heart qi, cold foods and ice are best set aside. Instead, choose roasted or baked vegetables and proteins for maximum impact. 

How Do You Nourish Your Heart Qi?

You can nourish and care for your heart qi through healthy lifestyle decisions. Paying attention to the foods you eat, participating in gentle movement, choosing rest over stress, and working through feelings and emotions are the more effective steps you can take to ensure the strength, quantity, and smooth flow of heart qi. 

Certain foods are particularly helpful when your goal is to increase heart qi. Equally important are the foods you choose not to eat.

Processed items are at the top of the list when it comes to foods you should avoid.

Those with excessive amounts of unhealthy fat, salt, and refined sugar, such as fried foods and sweets, are a close second.

Practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine and modern physicians agree that what you eat – and what you don’t eat – can make a big difference in your heart health.

Busy schedules and balancing work and homelife leave little time for rest. Keeping up often requires late nights and early mornings, with no self-care in-between.

The stress generated from constant activity and endless pressure to produce is a major cause of heart qi depletion.

Consider cutting out some of the hustle and bustle in favor of relaxing alone or with family and friends. Make sleep a priority, and say no to new responsibilities that might cut into your rest. 

Working out, whether at home or at a gym, can build strength and increase cardio-vascular health. However, these activities – which many find unappealing – aren’t the only options for healthy movement.

Ancient Chinese disciplines such as Tai Chi and Qigong offer more than just a way to stretch and bend. They focus on posture, breathing, and mindfulness – in other words, the connection between mind, body, and spirit. 

What Emotions are Stored in the Heart?

Historical Chinese medical texts offer in-depth information about the emotions stored in the heart, because those struggling with sadness, grief, and despair often find their heart qi is negatively impacted. If the issue becomes chronic, other organs may also feel the effects. 

Negative emotions tend to settle in the heart when they aren’t properly managed. For example, people that prefer to suppress or hide their feelings, rather than recognizing and expressing them, do their hearts a disservice.

The emotions don’t vanish. Instead, they eat away at the organs in which they are stored, wreaking havoc on the body’s systems by stifling or blocking the flow of qi. 

Instead of ignoring or quashing emotions, those who put their health first choose alternatives. They practice assertiveness, and they name, embrace, and express their feelings.

Ideally, emotions are shared with friends and loved ones in a constructive, healthy manner, but that’s not always possible – particularly for those who are out of practice or never learned how to do this. In such cases, alternatives like talk therapy and journaling can be highly effective. 

The good news is that joy, love, and happiness are also stored in the heart, and when those are experienced in abundance, heart qi tends to be strong and fluid. Increasing moments of joy by designing your life around the people, places, and activities that you love is the best way to protect and support your heart qi. 

How is Heart Qi Stagnation Treated?

If the issues with heart qi imbalance, stagnation, or blockage are already serious, targeted treatments may be necessary in addition to lifestyle changes. One of the most effective is acupuncture.

Practitioners use tiny, painless needles to stimulate pressure points along the paths critical to the flow of qi.

Blockages open, and qi is encouraged to resume free flow throughout the body. Sometimes, acupressure is used instead of acupuncture to accomplish similar goals. 

In some cases, customized herbal therapies are added as a component of comprehensive treatment plans. While the specific blend depends on your unique needs, some of the herbs you might encounter in the treatment of heart qi concerns include Ren Shen  (Radix Ginseng), Dang Shen (Codonopsis pilosula), and Tai Zi Shen (Pseudostellaria heterophylla).

The heart is central to the health of your entire body, and caring for it is critical to your well-being. If you are experiencing symptoms of heart qi deficiency, there are a variety of steps you can take to bring it back to full strength.

Start with making wise decisions about what you eat, then add gentle movement. Manage stress, prioritize rest, and develop the skills needed to recognize, name, and release your emotions, so they don’t collect in your heart.