Affirmations and TCM

Affirmations are intentional statements we speak to influence our mindset and actions. When said with sincerity and conviction, they clarify what we want, reinforce our values, and help us move toward our goals.

Spoken affirmations are clear, specific statements—not wishful thinking. Repeating them daily helps embed them in the subconscious; over time, we start living as if they are true, and our actions follow.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) also supports the use of affirmations. Practices like meditation and qigong combine breath and intention through affirmation to help move qi through the meridians, the body’s energy pathways.

Another approach, sometimes called “acu-affirmations,” pairs acupressure with affirmations: you apply gentle pressure to specific meridian points while speaking an affirmation. For example, massaging ST36 (Stomach 36)—a point below the kneecap on the outer lower leg—is commonly used in TCM to support energy, immune function, and digestion. While pressing the point, you might say, “I am energized,” or “I am healthy,” as part of a wellness routine.

How do we create affirmations? Choose statements that are specific and say them as if they are already true. For example, instead of “I exercise so I can be stronger,” say, “I am strong.” Instead of “I am getting healthier,” say with conviction, “I am healthy.”

Knowledge of the Five Elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water) along with affirmations can greatly benefit our health. Each element is linked to particular organs and emotions. Our organs’ health depends on what we eat and how we feel.

For example, our kidneys hold the emotion of fear. We can rub our kidneys, or move our hands over the kidney meridian, or even sit in meditation and visualize the energy flowing through the kidney meridian and saying, “I am secure and safe.”  Or, or a healthy kidney, we say, “My kidneys are healthy,” and visualize and “see” strong healthy kidneys.

Our liver holds the anger emotion, so we can place our hand on our liver to rub it gently, or move our hands following the liver meridian, or meditate and see the flow of energy moving over the meridian and heal the liver saying, “I am calm.  I am patient.”

Pairing affirmations with our TCM practice make sense. They are a powerful partnership because they reinforce positive possibilities in our conscious and subconscious minds. When we say affirmations aloud two to three times a day and trust the process—we become what we repeatedly believe and declare.

               I am strong. I am well. I am beautiful. I am healthy. I am kind and loving.