Of all three, the Jing energy or Kidney essence, is our primordial energy that is passed down at conception. It helps make up our constitution, closely like our DNA or genetic makeup, and essential to our development and growth. If one is born from healthy parents who had a full term pregnancy, usually their kidney energy is strong. However, when the parents are a bit older or have had many off-springs, their own kidney energy may not have been strong themselves and therefore they pass on a weak kidney energy to their children. No matter the way you were born, it is somewhat possible to enhance that energy with proper diet and lifestyle. But if you notice yourself, continuing on a lifestyle of drugs, alcohol binge, poor diet, overwork, too much sex or too many pregnancies, chronic illness and stress you can be assured that your kidney energy is draining...and FAST!
I'm here to tell you some tips and advice to help strengthen your kidney energy, to reduce the speed of aging, and regain power and vitality to your life.
The kidneys primary function is storing and controlling essence. Once a child is born the acquired jing is responsible to replenish the body through independent jing cycles, every seven years in girls and eight years in boys. These cycles control growth and development (our bones, central nervous system, brain, and flow of cerebral spinal fluid) and brings a new transformation from being a child to adulthood. The stages of jing can look like losing your first teeth, adolescence and reproductive organ growth, completion of physical growth, and eventually as our jing declines we become more exhausted, we go through menopause or lose our reproductive ability and inevitably our death- with the complete loss of our jing.
The kidneys' peak time is between 5pm and 7pm in which this energetic force is the most available. (Each specific organ has a clock time in which the energy is at its optimum force.) It is the best time to take a break from the stimulation of media: newspapers, radio, tv, movies, to help you go deeper inside to restore the essence. Though winter is a particularly beneficial time for this, it can be done anytime.
Schedule a day for contemplation and renewal at least a couple of times a week!
Some activities that replenish the essence are Qi Gong (Chinese health care system that integrates physical postures, breathing techniques and focused intention) or standing meditations focusing on the sole of the feet and grounding yourself to the earth. The kidney meridian in acupuncture is the only organ that starts on the sole of your feet. So even massaging the point between your second and third toe right where the color changes can help move the kidney energetic. Also, specific foods help nourish the essence and revitalize strength of the kidney meridian.Try this STANDING MEDITATION:
( You can go outside or do this indoors -barefoot preferably to feel the earth beneath you and get more grounded)
1. Stand comfortably with your feet shoulder width apart.
2. Make sure your toes are pointed straight ahead.
3. There is a gentle, relaxed bend to the knees and they tend to push lightly outwards as opposed to collapsing inwards.
4. The pelvis is tucked slightly forward so the lower spine is straight.
5. The shoulders are loose and relaxed, not raised up, hands hang loosely at the sides.
6. The head is held up as if suspended by a string.
7. Breathing is done through the nose and is slow, soft, and deep.
8. Eyes are either closed, or are slightly parted but not focused on anything.
Beginning the meditation
1.Follow your breath with your mind, feeling where it goes inside of you.
2. Slowly scan your body from head to feet looking for any tension or discomfort. If any is found, use
the mind to gently guide the breath there and as you exhale, imagine the tension flowing down and
releasing into the Earth, dispersing.
Focusing to activate specific energy center:
- Become aware of your feet and their connection to the Earth. Imagine that you are inhaling strong, clean energy from the Earth into the Bubbling Well points of your feet, and exhaling used, turbid energy back into the Earth. Do this for 8 to 36 breaths.
- Next let the energy from the Earth travel up the legs and into the lower dan tien located beneath the navel. This is our center of inner strength and power. Imagine that you are inhaling pure, healing energy into your dan tien, letting it fill your entire lower abdomen. Exhale, purging any unclean energy from this center. Do this for 8 to 36 breaths.
- Change the focus of your mind to the heart center located in the middle of the chest. This is our center of love and compassion. Imagine that you are inhaling purified energy into the heart center. Exhale, cleansing the heart and surrounding yourself with the feeling of compassion. Do this for 8 to 36 breaths.
- Change the focus of your mind to the 3rd eye center located between the eyebrows in the middle of the forehead. This is our center of higher consciousness. Imagine that you are inhaling clear and focused energy into the 3rd eye center. Exhale, cleansing the mind and connecting with the consciousness of the Universe. Do this for 8 to 36 breaths.
- Now bring the focus of your mind back to the lower dan tien, below the navel. Imagine a warm flow of energy filling this center. As you both inhale and exhale, imagine a channel of energy extending upwards from the dan tien to the heart center, and continuing up to the 3rd eye center. This connects our body, spirit, and mind. Maintain this connection for 8 to 36 breaths.
- Change the focus of your mind to the palms of your hands. Imagine breathing into the Lao Gong point at the center of your palms and also exhaling from this point. Feel your hands filling and becoming surrounded in warm qi. Do this for 8 to 36 breaths.
- Finally, simply stand and follow your breath. Allow yourself to feel the energy flowing in and around your body. Do this until you feel finished.
FOODS THAT HELP STRENGTHEN YOUR ESSENCE
- Salty foods: miso, sea salt, tamari, salted raw sauerkraut or kimchee
- Beans: black beans, kidney beans, most beans
- Blue and black foods: Blueberries, blackberries, mulberry, black beans
- Seafood: fish, shrimp, seaweeds
- Nuts & Seeds: Walnuts, Chestnuts, seeds, flax, pumpkins, sunflower, black sesame
- Bone-Marrow Broths & Soups
- Asparagus, Deep green leafy vegetables
- Spirulina, kelp, chlorella, wheatgrass
- Mineral rich herbs: Nettles, Oatstraw
- Moistening herbs: Marshmallow, slippery elm, comfrey, aloe vera gel
In his book, Healing with Whole Foods, Paul Pitchford says, “ Perhaps the most important factors for increasing vitality in old age are those practices which deepen spiritual awareness, along with an attitude that applies them consistently in daily life”.
Always remember to take care of your health!
You can find a lot more information about the Kidney meridian from this wonderful article by Anasuya Batliner http://mybodywisdom.net/pdf/Nutrition_for_Kidney_Yin.pdf
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