Winter is the season of rest and hibernation, we feel it deep within our bones and we observe it within the natural world. Even though we can acknowledge the need to slow down modern life has its own ideas. As winter approaches and the end of the year comes to a close somehow we find life gets faster, Christmas and new year celebrations can put such pressure on us to run around and not take any time out at all. Has anyone noticed that when it's time to take a 'holiday' at any point of the year (especially the busy ones) that you get really ill? This is because your body has a chance to let go, to release and its a firm signal that you're out of balance.
As a little foundation of TCM, the Chinese revolve their lives around 5 seasons: Summer, Late Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring. These are represented by the 5 elements; fire, earth, metal, water and wood. Each element has a corresponding yin organ (vital) and a yang organ. Each element is represented by a colour, taste, sound, emotion, muscle and food.
Yoga and its wonderful philosophies allow us to return back home into ourselves. Over the past few months I've been sharing lots of interesting TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) practices & techniques to help gain a deeper connection to support our wellbeing, especially in Winter when your motivation may not be at its peak and you're generally feeling a little down in the dumps.
Winter brings hibernation, stillness, quiet time, Yin, the need to retract and nurture from within. We might feel as though we cant do any of those things, and if you're a person that finds it difficult to switch off, you need to find balance more than anyone else. Yang & Yin are balance, we cannot have one without the other. If we don't know how to rest or slow down the nervous system cannot regulate, which can compromise immunity, mental health and can get the body and mind into a vicious cycle of flight and fight mode. On the other hand, if we can't get ourselves going, lack motivation, purpose, sleep to much, find ourselves down, depressed or overwhelmed we can create the same outcome. Yoga helps us become more aware of how we feel, appreciate where we're at and approach self care and self development with a sense of acceptance, patience and kindness.
Within this blog you will learn about the corresponding organ(s) and meridian line connected to Winter, how to support it, the emotional response it manifests within the body and what happens when its out of balance.
THE KIDNEY MERIDIAN LINE -
The kidney meridian starts at the ball of the foot and runs along the inner edge before looping around the ankle. It ascends the inner leg and runs up the central torso before ending at the inner collarbone. There are 27 meridian points along this 'line', you could think of this as an inner stream, a thread or an energetic river. If we have stagnation or a blockage within the body it can manifest as a physical or emotional symptom, think of traffic lights being on a red light, inhibiting movement of energy throughout the whole body. It's interesting to gain awareness of the points along the meridian lines, as by pressing, stretching, compressing, rubbing or having acupuncture can help unblock, improve energy flow and alleviate symptoms.
EMOTION
The Kidneys emotion is fear, a resistance to change. Im sure we all naturally notice those moments in life where when we feel fear or discomfort in anyway, we close and harden. When we feel comfortable and things are easy we are open and things feel as though they flow.
ENERGY
Each primary organ is associated with a meridian, or energetic channel, through which Qi is believed to flow. This Qi nourishes and maintains the body's relative balance. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the Kidneys are thought to store the foundation of Life, known as 'Jing'. This Kidney essence is considered vital for reproduction, growth, and development. Unfortunately, aging, stress, and a hectic lifestyle can deplete Jing. While we cannot control what we inherit, we can positively impact it by eating well, managing stress, getting enough sleep, and exploring practices that can support our bodies and minds when we are not feeling at our best.
UNBALANCED
When our Kidney Qi is out of balance we feel the emotion of fear, we can't think straight, the simplest task might feel overwhelming, we have less enthusiasm and energy. It also compromises that feeling of 'self', so we might feel very disconnected from ourselves and the world around us. Blockages affecting the kidney meridian can appear as emotional challenges, chronic fatigue, exhaustion, disorientation, memory issues, poor concentration, lack of motivation, and a loss of interest in life.
BALANCED
When our Kidney energy (Qi) is in balanced we are able to access our gentleness, openness and inherent wisdom. The kidneys are associated with our willpower, ambition and level of energy. The kidney Meridian regulates the balance between yin and yang energies in the body so bringing more awareness to this meridian line can promote harmony and equilibrium within the body & mind.
Winter time could be a good time to look at what makes us fearful. I’m not suggesting we try to get rid of fear, we need it, it’s useful, it gives us information and flags things that we could address. But maybe we can listen to our fears - invite them to the table and listen (hearing is the sense of the kidney meridian), when we’re in balance with our fears we are open - we are soft and flowing - fear comes with a closing and a hardening.
An overview:
Element: Water
Direction: North
Season: Winter
Climate: Cold
Cultivation: Hibernate
Sense Organ: Ears
Sense: Hearing
Tissue: Bones
Positive Emotion: Gentleness
Negative Emotion: Fear
Flavor: Salty
Color: Black
Sound: Groaning
Smell: Putrid
Time: 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Yin/Yang: Yin
Origin/Ending: Foot to Chest
Number of Acupoints: 27
PRACTICES:
Kidney 1 (YongQuan):
This point calms the spirit. It descends energy and is very grounding.
LOCATION: The location of this point can be found on the sole of the foot in the centre of the ball of the foot.
Massaging this can be helpful, being barefoot within summer months as often as you can helps the body gain contact to the natural world (grass & dirt please!). This grounds the body and relaxes the nervous system. One thing you do want to do ALL YEAR (summer we can get away with it) is WEAR SOCKS! Wearing socks keeps the feet warm and this Kidney 1 nourished, as it is the first point of contact the body has with the floor it can flood the internal organs with the cold. Ever wondered why you get cold to the bones? This may be one of the reasons why! Socks all year, wool ones, slippers, anything that can keep your feet warm will keep you internally warm and the Kidney meridian happy.
YOGA POSTURES
During your yoga practice some poses may compress these points and others will release the compression. You can also place gentle pressure on these points before, during, or after practice.
Toe stretch - Tucked toes open the ball of the foot.
Cat & Cow - Open and close the belly and back, one after the other.
Child's pose - Stretches and opens the lower back.
Spinx pose - Compresses the kidneys.
Butterfly, - Opens the inner seams of the legs, its also a good place to massage your feet!
Reclined twist - A lovely pose that opens the outer thighs, lower back and waist.
Legs up the wall - Relax the nervous system with the feet suspended up the wall. (Perfect for stress and sleepless nights)
NOURISH
Eating the right foods anytime of year can be supportive for the body and mind. Each season through the year brings different fruit and veggies and we should eat the whole foods that come within the season as often as we can. Autumn & winter hopefully help us to enjoy warm foods, soup, broths, curries and roasted veg, with the cold weather think about how you can support the digestive system with warming simple foods that are easy to digest.
Warm water any time of year is very good too!
Beans: Kidney-shaped beans are known to nourish the kidneys. Black beans, kidney beans, and cooked kidney beans are all advantageous.
Warm water, move away from cold food and drinks.
Cauliflower: Rich in vitamins C, K, and B, cauliflower is a good source of fiber.
Berries: Blueberries, blackberries, and mulberries are beneficial for kidney health.
Nuts and seeds: Black sesame seeds, walnuts, flax, pumpkin, and sunflower seeds are all advantageous.
Seaweeds: Seaweeds can impart a salty flavor to soups, grains, and beans.
Dark leafy greens: Dark leafy greens are beneficial for the kidneys.
Bone broths: Bone broths support kidney health.
Grapes, leeks, and strawberries: These fruits promote kidney health.
Soups are an easy way of getting your daily vitamins and minerals.
Herbal teas: are perfect to keep warm and balance the body and mind.
Full fat coconut milk: add to curries for healthy fats which we crave in winter.
SLOW DOWN
One very important reminder that you will hear me talk about so often is REST, and if you can't rest (I don't want to hear your excuses!) you can at least slow down. Our lives are so busy and with modern life pressures, deadlines and responsibilities it can feel like a never ending cycle that seems to get faster and faster. You can slow down, take each day as it comes, listen closely to conversations, take a day off when you are ill, turn off notifications, cook a nice meal, go for a walk, enjoy a film.
Life starts when you begin to fall in alignment with yourself, not when you are caught up in the demands of life.
I hope this post inspires you to take more care of yourself, you really do deserve it.
Allow the essence of winter to guide you to connect with the Kidney meridian energy. Embrace the seasonal changes, focus on your breath, and let this period of hibernation be a place that supports your well-being and inner calm.
All my love,
V x
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