What’s The Deal With The Gallbladder?
Last week, I posted a little reel to help you stretch your gallbladder meridian.
The week before that, I shared this one for the liver.
The liver reel took off.
The gallbladder? Not so much.
It got me thinking: we have this shared, almost cultural awareness of our livers.
We apologize to it after a big night out or too many cookies.
We talk about “detoxing” or “cleansing” it.
We feel its connection to stress and overload.
But the gallbladder gets way less love.
Maybe because even the word itself isn’t exactly... cute.
Let’s take a closer look.
Your gallbladder is a vessel tucked under your liver that receives and holds the bile your liver makes. Somehow, mysteriously and intelligently, it knows just when to release a big dose of that bile to help you digest your meal.
If your gallbladder is removed, your liver still makes bile, but now that bile takes a more passive, continuous path into the intestines—no storage, no surge. This can shift how your body processes fats, hormones, and even emotional energy.
The word gall has roots in bile—that bitter yellow fluid your liver makes and your gallbladder stores.
But gall also means boldness. As in, “Can you believe they had the gall to do that?”
That linguistic sass traces all the way back to old medical theories like the Four Humors, where bile was linked to a choleric temperament—fiery, driven, decisive.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Gallbladder carries a similar charge:
Clarity. Courage. Action.
It’s the yang partner to the yin Liver, helping us make decisions, set boundaries, and move forward with confidence. Not just a bile tank, an internal compass.
Why Does It Deserve More Love?
I recently spoke with Meg Gerber, RD, LDN, IFNCP, CGN—functional dietitian, founder of Grounded Nourish, and creator of JÜJ bitters.
She reminded me that most of us ignore gallbladder health until it demands our attention—gallstones, sharp pain, late-night ER visits.
But for many (especially in mold-prone places like Austin), the issue starts earlier, in the form of sluggish, sticky bile that doesn’t move the way it should.
Before it becomes a bigger problem, there are ways we can support that flow.
Early Signs of Sluggish Bile Flow:
• Bloating or heaviness after eating (especially fats)
• Pale, floating stools
• Skin breakouts or dullness
• Mild nausea or sluggish digestion
• Hormonal imbalances (especially estrogen buildup)
• Emotional “stuckness,” irritation, or indecision
How to Support Gallbladder Health This Spring:
• Stretch along the gallbladder meridian – watch this reel
• Move daily with intention – twists, lateral stretches, spirals
• Take bitters before meals to get bile flowing – I love JÜJ bitters and you can get 10% off when you use the code KAITAMRAZEK10 at checkout
• Hydrate (bile needs water, too)
• Make room to feel your emotions—and let them move (try the meditation in your Wood Element Mini Course)
Want to go deeper?
Join our next virtual class: May 1 at 11am CT
We’ll stretch, tune in, and move with the energy of Spring—Wood, Liver, Gallbladder.
All members welcome. If you’re not a member yet, this is a perfect time to join.
And if you haven’t yet, check out the Wood Element Mini Course inside the members area—
movement, prompts, a meditation, and more.
Thank you for being here and tuning in with me.
Your gallbladder might not get much glory, but when it flows freely, you do too.
With clarity and action,
Kaita
