Memories of Things Past: PART 3 of 7

The Third Emotional Centre relates to the desire to make our mark on the world, with our sense of identity and self-esteem, with how well we do our job, and how others perceive, assess and acknowledge our performance. This is at the heart of the third emotional centre. It has to do with the "me against the world" element of our lives. Memories related to these emotions are stored in the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, including the mouth, the esophagus, the stomach, the small intestines and upper colon, the liver and the gall-bladder.

The organs of the third emotional centre are more closely aligned with our emotions than the organs of almost any other area of the body. Perhaps due to the fact that the first way we interact with the world is through our digestion. It makes sense to feel things at 'a gut level'. One of the largest issues associated with ulcers and other ailments of this emotional centre is the issue of responsibility and commitment. How well we fulfill these responsibilities can set the stage of illness or health in this area.

Our emotional centres contain contrasting sets of emotions, the powers and vulnerabilities which we must balance for best health. When an imbalance occurs, our intuition knows it and it speaks to us through our bodies in illness.

Third Emotional Centre - Power: Adequacy - Skills, competence, making it work
Third Emotional Centre - Power: Responsibility - Being caught in the middle
Third Emotional Centre - Power: Aggessiveness - Threat, intimidating, territoriality
Third Emotional Centre - Power: Boundaries
Third Emotional Centre - Power: Competitiveness - Winning, gain

Third Emotional Centre - Vulnerability: Inadequacy - Inferiority, incompetence, giving up
Third Emotional Centre - Vulnerability: Irresponsibility - Addiction
Third Emotional Centre - Vulnerability: Defensiveness - Restraint, entrapment, avoidance and escape
Third Emotional Centre - Vulnerability: Limitations
Thrid Emotional Centre - Vulnerability: Noncompetitiveness - Losing and conceding, loss

Ask yourself if any of these statements ring true and see what side you tend to fall on - again, remember one isn't better than the other, but rather that we are seeking balance.

1) "I am the best at my job. No one is better than me." (Adequacy)
2) "I'll just do it tomorrow, who cares?" (Irresponsibility)
3) "I often feel intimidated by people" (Defensiveness)
4) "I always have to win" (Competitiveness)