The importance of balanced Kidneys – affecting your immune system and strenght

The Kidneys as seen in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) are so important!  They house your life energy or your Jing or your “Essence”.  This Ying is stored in your Kidneys and is the material basis for all kinds of functional activities and is responsible for your growth and your development.

It is believed you get a certain amount of energy when you are born.  That energy is stored in your Kidneys like money in a saving account. During your life, you can take out energy from this saving account, but you can not refill it.  When your essence in your kidneys is depleted, you will die.

The idea is to live as much from your current account as possible by living a healthy life. Then you don’t have to take so much energy from that saving account and do you have a healthy life.

 

The Kidneys control the growth and development of bones and nourish the marrow, which is the body’s source of red and white blood cells.

Weak Kidneys are therefore a prime cause of anemia, exhaustion, immune deficiency and lower backache.

The Kidneys and the Kidney meridian have to do with your courage, strength, being supported in life, being grounded & balanced. In the Chinese meridian system, the Kidney organ system also includes the adrenal glands which are responsible are responsible for “flight” or “fight” reactions (or moving forward in life or retreating from life).

The Kidneys are housing your fear and your wisdom. This fear can become chronic when we ignore it. Kidney issues often arise when we are dealing with fear, such as a change in life direction or unstable living conditions.

You can learn a lot about the organs and the associated meridians and their functions by studying TCM. It is so interesting. As well because if you studied Indian Philosophy that you see so much connection between the two. Interested to know more?

Come to one of our Yin Yoga Teacher Training Courses: in Spain or in the Netherlands ( Dutch) or Online

Favourite poses for working on the kidneys:

When we talk about the Kidneys, we often mean the Kidney meridian that connects the Kidney with other parts of the body. The meridians are invisible pathways or channels through which our inherent energy flows. The Kidneys are paired with the Urinary bladder meridian.

With all hip-opening poses, you will work on the Kidneys.  But as well all poses where you work on your spine are stimulating the Urinary Bladder meridian and because they work together, those poses have as well a positive effect on your Kidneys.

My favorite kidney poses:

• Butterfly Pose (forward especially bringing the feet close  in, but I love the reclined  butterfly supported with pillows!)

• Sphinx pose

• Winged Dragon pose

 

But from experience, I can say that the most important is where you put your attention.

As we always say:

Where attention goes, energy flows.

So If you want to work on your Kidneys/Urinary Bladder send your awareness there when you are in the pose.

The Kidneys you most of the time feel in the groins and lower back and the Urinary Bladder in the Spine.

It is very important to have balanced Kidneys, as the Kidneys and the Kidney meridian system are the root of our courage, willpower and overall energy, enthusiasm, and drive.

 

Interested to know more?

Visit one of our Yin Yoga Teacher Training Programs: Yin Yoga Teacher Training Courses: in Spain or in the Netherlands ( Dutch) or Online

 

Photo by Patrick Malleret on Unsplash