We will have our third “Qi Gong challenge” this January. And, yes, as much as possible we will do it outside and do like the Chinese do: wear warm clothes, hats and gloves. Some mornings in October were already cool and we sure had to get our Qi moving at 7:00 in the park! Yet, our hearty Patagonians asked for more and wanted me to organize another challenge in winter…so, here it is: one more in January!

So, come join us! if it really is too cold, we will meet at the Community Center.

What Kidney and Bladder mean in Chinese medicine - beyond the organs

Relationships according to the Wheel of 5 energies:

• Kidney/Bladder: Water energy
• Season: winter
• Color: Deep blue or black
• Movement: descending, horizontal, inward, quiet
• Taste: salty
• Sensory organ and sense: ears and hearing
• Controls: bones, teeth, spine and marrow, brain
• Manifests into: hair
• Functions: regulates sexuality, reproductive and hormonal functions
• Secretion: urine
• Positive aspects: humidity, moisture and freshness, body fluids, resilience, fluidity and flexibility, renewal, purification, energy reserve
• Negative aspects: water retention, inundation, edema, deformation, lack of water, dryness, brittleness, stagnation, decomposition
• Positive emotions: calm will, intuition, self-confidence, spiritual and ancestral memory, courage and determination
• Negative emotions: fear, doubt, self-doubt, jealousy, frustration Spirit: the “Zhi” (will to live)

The winter season in Oriental medicine is associated to Kidney and Bladder, also designated by “Water energy.”. The image is that of deep water, like the deep water tables of the earth replenished by snow and rains or the ocean.

Our body is made of 70% or more of water. Ancient Oriental medicine therefore considers the kidneys to be the source of our vital energy, the secret of our youth and vitality. Aging is foremost a process of dehydration and drying up of our body fluids, skin and organs.

Here are some of the signs that our Kidneys need attention

• Fatigue and what our modern medicine calls “adrenal exhaustion”
• Uneven energy
• Propensity to feeling cold
• Overall signs of dryness (skin, hair, eyes) or lack of lubrication of our sexual organs and articulations
• Chronic diseases such as allergies or diabetes
• Auto-immune diseases
• Sexual, menstrual or reproductive disorders such as impotence, infertility or low libido
• Lower body pain: lower back, hips, knees, ankles or feet
• Water retention, swelling of feet or ankles, edema
• Lack of mental focus or grounding
• Poor balance, vertigo, dizziness

The tools of Chinese Medicine

Acupuncture and acupressure

These are the Chinese medicine meridians Kidney and Bladder meridians with the points that are stimulated during acupuncture or acupressure. Qi Gong also works with the direction of the meridians so Qi Gong for Kidney obviously focuses on those two meridians, on the back, the spine, the knees, feet and ankles in particular. In acupuncture we especially focus on the points around the ankles.

Quiz about the bladder meridian

Notice how important and how long the bladder meridian is. It is the longest meridian and it has 67 points, the highest number of all meridians. All the organs branch out from it on the back, along its two lines. The inner line on the back features all the organ “plugs” (Bladder 13 for example is the point for the Lung, 18 for the Liver, 23 for the Kidney etc…while the outer line corresponds to all the emotional aspects of those same organs.)

A question for you all: Why is the bladder meridian so long and so important? In comparison, the Heart meridian along the arm for example features only 9 points. Write your answer below in the comments section. Come to Qi Gong to explore the answer if you cannot figure it out!

Qi gong: “we grow old through the legs”

Qi Gong is a great therapeutic method to replenish our Kidney energy, We work on balancing the overly curved back by “packing” warmth an energy in our Kidney, we unblock bladder and kidney meridian and reconnect our breath to its deep Kidney source. A saying in Chinese medicine goes: “We grow old through the legs”. Qi Gong therefore pays great attention to strengthening our roots, legs and lower body, which is dependent first of all on the strength of our Kidneys.

However, even though the goal of Qi Gong is strengthening, it always remains soft, gentle, recommending unfolding the breath like a long silk thread used to draw water from the deep well of our Kidneys, bring it up and send it to all of our organs and skin. And, Qi Gong masters say, never forget the inner smile to bring warmth to your heart, body and friends!

Food therapy: the importance of salt for Kidney health

The taste associated to Kidney is “salty.”

The main and best investment to take care of our Kidneys is a good quality salt, such as Himalayan salt or good celtic salt. Unfortunately, what we find in most restaurants or in processed foods is not salt but sodium. A good salt is composed of at least 70% minerals, which makes it alkaline and a great ally for our bones. Sodium, on the other hand, is acidic and detrimental to our bones.

Of course, you do not want to overdo even good salt. The taste of salt should never be detectable. It should just serve to enhance the taste of our food and make it more easily digestible. When we taste salt and when we feel thirsty after a meal, it is a sign of too much salt. Another sign is a feeling of irritability, feeling argumentative and in a bad mood, especially early morning as excess salt is contracting, tightening and dehydrating.

If you would like more to know more self-diagnosis tools for your Kidney health, learn more about food and every day remedies for their care, please check my video on Jing and Kidney Health.

To strengthen your Kidney, if you live in Patagonia, come to the clinic for “winterizing” and Kidney strengthening and come join our Qi Gong class.

If you do not live in Patagonia, check in your area for a Chinese Medicine practitioner you trust and for local Qi Gong classes. Acupuncture, acupressure and Qi Gong are truly fantastic tools to keep young and healthy!