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Kidney/bladder identity card
Surname: Kidneys
First name: Bladder
Element: Water
Season: winter
Direction: North
Taste: salty
Orifices: anus and urogenital opening
Sense: hearing, ears
Fluids: urine, saliva
Emotion: fear, phobia, lack of energy
Odour: putrid (like rubbish)
Sound: groaning
Peak hours: 5 pm–7 pm
The Su-Wen
There is a book written 2,500 years before Christ, called the Su-Wen or Soenn depending on the translation, which reveals the foundations of Chinese medicine, a medicine that is itself inseparable from a global vision of the human being and of all life.
Each organ is described in it: its role in the body and its link with the universe, with Yin/Yang.
Here is what it says about the kidneys:
“The kidneys are in charge of generating power. Skill and know-how proceed from them.”
The kidneys: power
In other words, the task of the kidneys is to generate power and to take action in an expert, skilful way.
The heart draws its strength from the kidneys. They share the same Yin quality, a powerful activity.
The kidneys and the heart are formed at the same time in the foetus, and they relate to heredity: “each leaning on the other, they strengthen one another. They lead and make life with the vigour and intelligent clarity of a lord who knows what he is doing.” (Su-Wen)
Strong kidneys, strong willpower
The essences of the kidneys produce the bones, the spinal cord and the brain.
The kidneys are the source of talent and intelligence, a sharp memory, know-how and manual dexterity; they are also the seat of willpower.
Strong kidneys, strong Ki
Ideogram: KI or vital energy
The kidneys are the reservoir of our KI, our vital energy. We are born with an energetic potential passed on by our parents, called innate Ki. But even if we received only a little ki from our parents, fortunately there is also acquired ki: the ki we produce every day through our breathing, our food and our thoughts, which is also stored in the kidneys.
They are the body’s fundamental reserve, which must be maintained and preserved. When necessary, they make up for the deficiencies of the other Organs, at the expense of our most essential vital forces. That is why it is so important to preserve and tone them.
Kidneys and diet
The essences of the food we eat every day are sent to the various organs to nourish them. The surplus is sent to the kidneys, which store it. No surplus, no reserves. We are not talking here about surplus in terms of the quantity of food, but above all its quality. Each organ is nourished by a flavour, so if one flavour is over-represented while one or more others are under-represented, an imbalance may appear after a while.
The flavour associated with the kidneys is salty. Too much salt harms the energy of the kidneys. If you are particularly drawn to salty flavours, this may also be a sign of an imbalance, but it doesn’t mean you should add salt to your food!
To find out more on this subject, read the article: Five Elements dietetics
Kidneys and sexuality
Sexual functions, libido, impotence and fertility, as well as growth from birth to adulthood, are governed by the kidneys.
Left kidney
Management of fluids, formation of urine, support for the circulation of lymph and blood. The urinary and hormonal kidney.
Right kidney
Adrenal glands, endocrine system: the “fire of the gate of life”.
Finally, it is important to know that in Chinese medicine, an organ is always paired with a hollow organ (viscus) that shares the same identity card: here, the bladder. The bladder has different functions from the kidneys, but note that if one lacks energy, there is a good chance the other does too; what’s more, the two complement each other.
The bladder is “in charge of the territories and the cities”: it stores the body fluids other than blood. The bladder purifies the water coming from the other organs and sends what is pure upwards and what is impure downwards: that is urine. The bladder meridian is essential in the body because it reflects all the other organs.
The transformation of fluids in the bladder awakens the ki and creates the warmth of the kidneys.
Bright yellow urine: the person is in great shape.
Urine that is too dark or too pale: that’s another story.
How can we support and strengthen the energy of the kidneys (and the bladder)?
In other words: how can we increase our energetic power, our willpower, our perseverance and our sexual energy, slow down ageing and strengthen our immune defences, and calm our mind and our anxieties?
If your kidney energy is deficient:
– you find it hard to stand up straight, or else you compensate by stiffening up as much as you can;
– you feel the weight of the world or of your responsibilities pressing heavily on your shoulders, and the whole lower part of your body feels weak and painful, especially your lower back and your legs;
– your urinary system lacks tone, and so does your sex life;
– you lack strength, willpower, drive and memory.
In some cases: asthma, shortness of breath, tinnitus, deafness, urinary and reproductive disorders.
Depression, anxiety, phobias…
In short, we want our kidneys to be in great shape so that we can be in great shape ourselves!!!!
What to do? Or what “not to do”?
1) Include foods in your diet that warm and strengthen your kidney energy.
All pulses, especially adzuki beans.
Grains: rice, soft wheat and spelt.
Vegetables: leeks, horseradish.
Fruit and nuts: walnuts, pistachios, chestnuts, grapes, pomegranates.
Fish and meat: carp, octopus, prawns, mussels, salmon, salted ham, smoked ham hock, mutton or lamb.
Condiments: unrefined sea salt, caraway or cumin, cloves, Sichuan pepper, star anise, fennel seeds.
Drinks:
Cut out: ice cream, salad, white wine, beer, lemonade, cola.
Find out more
2) Stretch your kidney meridian every day
Kidney/bladder meridian stretches
Kidney meridian stretch: the most important thing is to breathe. Get into the position as far as you can (it doesn’t matter if you can’t reach your feet: you can put your hands under your knees); this is not a flexibility exercise but a stretch. Without forcing, take the posture and breathe deeply: breathe in as fully as you can, then breathe out until there is no air left at all in your lungs. Take 5 breaths like this, without forcing or tensing, letting yourself relax, and you will see your body naturally become more supple.
Bladder meridian stretch: lying on your stomach, reach back and catch hold of your feet, relax, and breathe in the same way as for the kidneys.
You can also massage your lower back and rub it with Tiger Balm or a few drops of black spruce and Scots pine essential oils (two drops of each, diluted in a vegetable oil).
Always keep your feet warm, especially in winter (walking barefoot on tiled floors is strictly forbidden!!!!)
Have a shiatsu session at least once a month if you can.
3) Do an invigorating physical activity.
Walking, running, swimming, dancing, tai chi… but without wearing yourself out. It is important to do this activity joyfully and without forcing, listening to yourself and never pushing to the point of exhaustion, which would also drain your kidney energy. Listen to yourself and don’t go beyond your limits!
4) Make sure you get enough sleep, especially in winter, the season during which our Kidneys regenerate. This is the time of year when we need it most. We don’t hibernate, but we should slow down our pace of life to get in tune with nature. Go to bed and be asleep before midnight, without fail!
5) Make love, but do it well!
Sexual activity is essential for strengthening kidney energy because it is kidney energy. It should not be neglected, but it needs to be practised in a healthy way, which means only with pleasure. Indeed, a poorly lived sexuality, as well as too much sex, dangerously depletes kidney energy.
Even when you don’t have a partner, don’t hesitate to give yourself orgasms, which are a source of energy, but do it joyfully and in a good mood, otherwise the effect will be the opposite. Never have sex under pressure or without really wanting to.
6) Listen to what is happening around you. The sense linked to the kidneys is hearing, and hearing can also be kept in shape by paying attention to the sounds around you; this can only help you stay alert and present. If you tend to fixate on a small noise until it becomes an obsession, then your kidney energy is not in good shape!
7) Strengthen your kidney ki through breathing.
Here again, I refer you to my article and course: Learning to breathe
8) Most important of all: stop overthinking and have fun!
Thinking eats up more than 80% of our vital energy every day! Stay alert, don’t ruminate, come back to the present moment, don’t feed your fears and phobias, and remember to play in everything you do.
