Who Owns Your Emotions?

Tibetan & Western Insights into the Body–Mind Connection.

Who really owns your emotions? Do they own you — pulling you into anger, desire, or apathy — or can you hold them, observe them, and choose your response?

Buddhist teachings remind us that emotions are not who we are. We are more than our anger, jealousy, pride, or attachment. With practice, we can learn to watch emotions instead of being consumed by them, and in this distance we find freedom.

But there’s more. Both Tibetan medicine and Western science agree that emotions don’t just live in the mind — they deeply shape the state of the body.

Desire & Attachment: The Wind (Lung) Element

In Tibetan medicine, Lung corresponds to the Wind element and is linked with movement, the nervous system, and mental clarity. When desire and attachment dominate:

• Lung becomes disturbed.
• This manifests as anxiety, restlessness, overthinking, and even neurological problems.
• Insomnia is a common symptom, as the mind cannot settle.

From a Western perspective, desire and constant attachment overstimulate the dopamine and reward system in the brain. This can lead to compulsive behaviors, difficulty focusing, and nervous system imbalance. Chronic overstimulation of the nervous system keeps the body in a state of hyper-arousal, exhausting the mind and draining energy.

Anger: The Fire (Tripa) Element

What happens when you get angry? You feel hot, your heart pounds, your blood pressure rises, and adrenaline floods your body.

Tibetan medicine explains this through the Tripa energy, linked to Fire and Bile. Excess anger overheats the system:

• It drives inflammation.
• It burdens the liver and gallbladder.
• It contributes to high blood pressure, migraines, and tension.

Modern science shows a similar picture: anger and chronic stress activate the sympathetic nervous system and stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. Long-term, this state is linked to cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and inflammatory conditions.

Confusion & Ignorance: The Earth–Water (Beken) Element

When you fall into dullness, apathy, or delusion — “I don’t care, nothing matters” — the Beken energy, linked to earth and water, grows heavy. Tibetan medicine says this leads to:

• Sluggish metabolism
• Weight gain and fluid retention
• Greater risk of diabetes and metabolic diseases

From the Western side, low motivation and depressive states are connected with reduced metabolic activity, changes in insulin sensitivity, and slower digestion. The body mirrors the heaviness of the mind.

Emotions, Energy, and the Body

Tibetan medicine always views health holistically:

• Mind/Emotions influence energy.
• Energy shapes the body.
• And by working with the body and energy, we can heal the mind.

That’s why my approach includes diet, lifestyle, herbal supplements,  as well as meditation and breathing and yogic practices that address each of the so-called “Mind Poisons.” When you align all levels — body, energy, and mind — you return to balance.

First Step: Shifting Awareness Inward

My first tip is simple — but powerful: shift awareness from the outer impulse to the inner response.

For example:

- You receive a message from your partner or boss.

- You notice tension rising — maybe your shoulders tighten, your breath becomes shallow, your jaw clenches.

- Instead of reacting right away, pause. Take a slow, deep breath. Soften.

Ask yourself:

- What is this message really telling me?

- What is my body’s reaction?

And then… do nothing. You don’t have to fix it immediately. Just be with it.

This practice of “being with whatever arises” is one of the highest teachings of Buddhism, often described in the path of the Great Perfection (Dzogchen/Atiyoga) or Mahamudra. It sounds simple, but it’s not always easy. Still, you can begin training with small pauses like this in daily life. According to Yuthok Nyingtik tradition (spiritual path of Tibetan Medicine), this approach is particularly advised for people with the predominance of ignorance, but can be universally applied to all mental states.

From Slavery to Freedom

The path doesn’t require hours of practice. Even 5 minutes a day of mindful breathing or meditation is good to begin. With time, you will notice:

• You are no longer a slave to your emotions.
• You can enjoy desire without being consumed by it.
• You can feel anger without burning yourself and others.
• You can meet heaviness with awareness instead of sinking into it.

By creating this little space of just a breath or two, you step into freedom. You become the owner of your emotions, and with that ownership comes choice — the choice if and how you will respond to any situation. This simple shift brings an immense sense of lightness into life.

I know from my own path that it’s not always easy to simply “be with” emotions. Sometimes we all need a little support, a gentle structure to lean on. You can start by slowing down your breath and noticing what is present. But it often feels easier to train step by step with some guidance.

That is why I recorded the Nine Purification Breathing practice — a short, guided session from the tradition of Tibetan Medicine. It’s a simple technique you can use anytime to reconnect with your body, calm your mind, and create more space inside yourself.

The video includes 12 minutes of explanation, and the actual practice itself takes just 3 minutes. Only a few minutes a day — but the shift it can bring is profound. If you’d like to explore it, you can access it here for a small donation. I hope it gives you the same clarity and lightness it continues to bring to me.

And if this practice speaks to you, know that it’s only the beginning — I am preparing more programs and guided meditations to help you gently explore your emotions, your body, and your inner freedom step by step. 

Yours,

Dr. Anastazie