ABOUT YOUR KIDNEYS:

The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs, each about the size of a fi st. They sit just below the rib cage, one on either side of your spine.

Your kidneys remove waste and extra fl uid from your blood, fi ltering around half a cup of blood every minute if they are healthy. This removed waste is combined with water and other substances to make urine, which is sent down two tubes, the ureters, to your bladder.

The kidneys also remove acid produced by your body and maintain a healthy balance of water, salts, and minerals in your blood.

Finally, your kidneys produce a hormone called erythropoietin (EPO) to help control your blood pressure and produce red blood cells in your bone marrow.

THE CHINESE VIEWPOINT:

In addition to physical (visible) symptoms, in Chinese medicine we also consider what is happening with the body at an energetic (invisible) level. Qi is the energy that runs through all of us. Even when you sit completely still, there will be some movement happening inside you. Your heart beating, fl uids moving – every cell is constantly in motion. All these diff erent types of energy combined with your breath is what makes up your qi.

Qi isn’t the same as the circulation, but it is linked. When you stimulate your blood fl ow or move your lymphatic fl uid, your qi is also stimulated. Everything fl ows together.

The channels in which qi fl ows are called meridians. According to Chinese medicine, the quality and movement of qi through the body determines your health. The ideal state is one of smooth fl ow with no imbalances or blockages, which are called stagnation or stagnant qi. If you have stagnation, whether physical, emotional or spiritual, this will eventually manifest as disease.

In Chinese culture, the kidneys are often called the ‘Root of Life’, and people are careful to look after them.

Kidney - Water

The kidneys have many functions in Chinese medicine over and above processing urine, such as responsibility for the overall ageing process. They are also responsible for fertility, libido, hearing, the strength of your hair, willpower and wisdom. The kidney is known as the ‘Minister of Power’ and is regarded as the body’s most important reservoir of essential energy, or jing. They are attributed with a role of managing your ‘constitutional health’ - what keeps you going when you skipped breakfast or had a dreadful night’s sleep. When the energy of the kidneys is depleted, this will eventually reflect in health problems (see below).

In Chinese wisdom, looking after your kidneys is key for good health. They are depleted by the cold – low slung trousers, not wearing a vest and particularly cold weather, for example. Too much sexual activity or multiple pregnancies can also impact their health.

PHYSICAL SIGNS OF KIDNEY IMBALANCE:

Thinning hair, sagging skin around the jaw and chin, dizziness, tinnitus, vertigo, memory loss, deafness, night sweats, back pain, urinary issues, sexual dysfunction.

EMOTIONAL SIGNS OF KIDNEY IMBALANCE:

In Chinese medicine, we recognise that each of our emotions are connected to a specific organ, and in the case of the Kidneys this emotion is fear.

You can’t see emotions. But you do feel them and then physically express them. Emotional signs that you have an imbalance in your heart energy include a lack of joy, anxiety or being easily startled.

The notion that our emotions are connected with our organs is not new to us. Across the world, the heart is equated with love. We talk about being ‘green with envy’, being ‘worried sick’, ‘frozen with fear’ or ‘choked up with grief’.

Kidney imbalance does not mean kidney disease, it is a subtle signal that your body is not in balance and the strain of that is impacting your kidney energy, which may eventually lead to an issue over time. In the first instance, it could manifest as:

We look for the low level signs to stop things getting a foothold in the body and causing a greater problem further down the line.

KIDNEY YIN AND KIDNEY YANG :

The Kidney holds two types of essence, Kidney yang and Kidney yin. A lack of either can cause imbalance, which will eventually reflect in health problems. Kidney yang is in charge of energy, whilst Kidney yin is in charge of body fluid. Imagine the human body as a car. Kidney yang is the engine, and Kidney yin is the petrol and motor oil. If you lack Kidney yang it’s like your engine isn’t working properly, so the car doesn’t move very quickly. Lack of Kidney yin is like there’s not enough petrol and motor oil, which cause wear and tear of the machinery.

SIGNS OF KIDNEY YANG DEFICIENCY:

Cold body - cold limbs, cold abdomen, poor circulation, irregular menstruation, pale complexion.

Soreness and pain - mostly waist and knees, lower back soreness or weakness.

Lack of energy – easily fatigued, often tired, out of sorts, weak digestion.

Frequent urination, especially at night, urine in greater amounts than usual, pale urine, edema on lower limbs, loose stools.

SIGNS OF KIDNEY YIN DEFICIENCY:

Hot body - hot hands and feet, burning feeling in the chest.

Frequent feelings of anger or irritability.

Thirsty, dry mouth, scanty dark urine, dry stools, constipation.

Quick to sweat, night sweats.

High blood pressure.

HOW TO HELP YOUR KIDNEYS:

Our advice takes the form of both simple little adjustments and longer term practices, so we’ve divided them into simple switches you can make immediately and deeper things to think about.

QUICK FIXES:

• To build your kidney energy back up, learn to do nothing. Try to find time just to be still, to rest. Rather than trying to do loads, and think loads and move loads, try to just be – and this will help conserve and build up your kidney energy.

• Get enough sleep & rest, maybe have short naps in the afternoon.

• Meditation is the single best thing you can to do support your kidneys other than good sleep. Start with something simple like the Rescue Breath. https://hayoumethod.com/the-rituals/rescue-breath-ritual/

• Rest more in the winter.

• Have early nights whenever you can, especially in the winter.

• Establish quiet alone time, take a bath or read a book, enjoy the silence!

• Incorporate some miso soup, seaweed and bone broth into your diet, 2-3 times a week.

• Practice the general Hayo’u Method, especially the swimming dragon and pushing the sky exercises.

• Practice the healing sound for your kidneys. This is Chui (chooeeeeeee).

• Do smiling breaths into your kidneys.

• Spend time near water. This could be a lake, the sea, even a water feature!

• Clean the house.

• Bathe.

• Swim.

• Wear jewellery in shades of black.

• If you like gemstones, try to find one in black: Black Sapphire, Black Onyx, Black Pearl or Black Tourmaline, for example. A curved shape is ideal.

• Have a fish tank at home.

• Set your screensaver to an image of water.

• Listen to inspirational talks.

DEEPER SHIFTS:

• Face your fears & put them in perspective.

• Spend time with people you admire.

• Learn philosophy.

• Work on transcending your emotions.

What does this mean? Firstly, it’s recognising that you feel a negative emotion. Then you work to replace it with a positive emotion. So, cultivating a feeling of compassion is good when you’re feeling angry. Having gratitude can counteract feelings of grief.

It sounds strange, and it takes a while to master. It’s likely you’ll yo-yo with this – nobody can be perfect, and you don’t need to be perfect! It’s called spiritual practice for a reason…

Harmful emotions for the Kidneys: fear, nervousness.

Healing emotions for the Kidneys: wisdom, allowing.

There’s a whole chapter on this in my book, Yang Sheng: the Chinese art of self-healing.

FOODS TO SUPPORT YOUR KIDNEYS:

• Ensure adequate water intake. Make sure you are drinking high quality, filtered water.

• Avoid excess salt in your diet.

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• Try and include plenty of black vegetables and fruits in your diet.

IF YOU HAVE KIDNEY YANG DEFICIENCY:

Nuts: walnut, chestnuts, cashew nut, pine nut, pecan, hazelnut

Fruit: goji berry, raspberries

Meat/dairy/egg: chicken, beef, beef marrow, beef bones, lamb, lamb bones, bone broth, venison, goose egg.

Fish: eel

Beans and Pulses: adzuki

Condiments and Seasonings: cinnamon, fennel

(Limit cold food and food with a cold nature, such as mung bean, raw leaves, melon, grapefruit, mint etc.)

IF YOU HAVE KIDNEY YIN DEFICIENCY:

Fruit: mulberry, grapes, pear, chamomile, blueberries, purple and black grapes, black fungus, umeboshi

Vegetables: celery, beets

Meat/dairy/eggs: milk, pork, duck, boiled egg

Fish: blue fi sh, seabass, prawn, caviar, scallops, oysters, clams and mussels

Grain: black rice, barley, buckwheat, black lentils

Beans and Pulses: black sesame, black bean

Sea Vegetables: arame, dulse, Irish moss, kelp, hijiki, nori, wakame, kombu, spirulina

Condiments and Seasonings: tamari, shoyu, miso, tekka

(Limit greasy food where at all possible)

This is just the tip of the iceberg. If you have found this information useful, there is much more to be found in my book, Yang Sheng: the Chinese art of Self-Healing. I also post regular videos and virtual clinics on Instagram - @katie_brindle