How to protect the kidneys in winter: the Taoist system of the “five elements”

According to Taoist medicine, winter, which is not far away, is the time of active work of the kidneys. This means that during this period it is possible to improve the functioning of this organ, but the risk of diseases is also higher. What the kidneys are responsible for, we all know: they remove fluid from the body. But speaking of any of the organs, Taoist doctors have in mind not only the physical, but also its energy component. And energetically, the kidneys are responsible for storing the prenatal Jing energy: the life force that is given to us at birth.

Different types of energy

There are different types of energy in our body. Qi is a life force that can be replenished. We get this energy through food, sleep, breathing. And, accordingly, we spend it on what we need: from heating the body to social activities. And there is Ging – the energy that is given to us at the beginning of life, and it cannot be replenished. How intelligently we use this type of energy depends on our life expectancy. The kidneys are responsible for the preservation of Jing and its proper use.

Element and emotion of the season

Each season in the Taoist tradition is associated not only with an organ, but also with an emotion “attached” to this organ. And also with an element symbolizing the season. The winter element is water, and the following emotions are associated with water:

• The yang of water is a sense of security. Water is not as friendly and safe to us as land or wind. If a person is healthy, he meets the winter balanced and calm, the water provides him with a sense of security. If this filter of perception of reality is adjusted correctly, then we feel the danger when it really is, and we do not worry about trifles. The negative emotion of water is fear that arises for no reason, in response to any stimuli.
• The yin of water is a feeling of one’s own strength, contact with it. It helps you move forward with confidence. The reverse situation is a feeling of fragility. It is expressed in the fact that a person knows in advance that most of his initiatives are unrealizable: “All this is impossible, I can’t cope.”

winter balance

How to find a balance in the winter: feel your strength, confidently move forward, not succumb to fears?

• Sleep. Rest is the most important factor in recovery. In winter, we want to sleep more, and we definitely need to allow ourselves to get enough sleep. You need to adjust your sleep pattern even before the onset of winter: teach your body to fall asleep early, refuse contact with devices before going to bed, because they reduce its quality.
• Food. Nutrition should be varied and balanced. As for the specific foods that nourish the kidneys, these are various seeds – from sunflower seeds to exotic chia seeds. Including germinated cereal seeds. Plus, various seafood in shells, not in shells. That is, shrimp are not suitable, but mussels and oysters are what you need.
• Heat. Keep your feet warm to protect your kidneys. The easiest way to chill not only the pelvic region, but also the kidneys is to run to the subway in pantyhose. Or walking in wet shoes.
• Exercises and self-massage. Active points on the legs – kidney channels – are very easy to find and massage. Plus, exercises that relax, open the lower back, allow it to breathe. For example, in Qigong for the spine Sing Shen Juang there are several exercises that affect different parts of the lower back, in particular, activate the projection of the kidneys and increase the flow of energy in this area.

Yun Chuan point – the first point of the kidney channel

To understand how self-massage is done by points, consider one of the most important active points of the body – Yun Chuan. She is on the foot. To find it, take off your shoes and find where the ball of your thumb ends. Behind this line, the rise of the foot begins, and on this very line – exactly in the center – is the Yun Chuan point.

If you press it, it will hurt a little. Massage the point six times in one direction, six times in the other. You can alternate the intensity of pressing: two sets of rotations are slightly stronger, two sets are weaker. Massage the point like this for a while and compare the sensations: is the foot warm. If you massage the point regularly, at least once a day, over time you will notice that the heat seems to rise up, spread through the legs – this is how the kidney channels are activated, and the organ receives additional nutrition.