In Traditional Chinese Medicine, health is achieved by living in balance with nature and the seasons. Winter, the season of the Water Element, is the season for slowing down, reflecting, and conserving our resources. We all feel this tendency, but we don’t always listen to our bodies. In Western culture, being active is rewarded and expected. We feel compelled to keep up the hectic pace that is typical in our daily lives.
This season is associated with
the kidneys, bladder, and adrenal glands and the time of year when these organs
are most active, accessible, and even vulnerable. They are more receptive to
being restored, nurtured, and energized. At the same time, it is also when they
can become easily depleted.
According to Chinese medicine,
our kidneys receive a specific amount of energy at the time of our conception
that will carry each of us through our lives, called Jing Qi. Imagine for a minute that our kidneys are
like batteries. Batteries that have come from the shop with a limited amount of
charge. These unfortunately are not the rechargeable types of batteries. Jing
Qi is the energy stored in our kidney batteries. Our body and mind pull from
this reserve in times of change, healing, and stress. Every action we take
draws on this power supply.
Some people can easily deplete
their Jing Qi due to poor lifestyle choices and extreme stress. Others preserve it by nurturing it with the
right foods and behaviors. Jing Qi is finite. The more we use it, the less we
will have for necessary body functioning. Every day our kidneys filter blood
and other body fluids, remove toxins from the liver, and our bladder collects,
processes and excretes these liquids through the urine.
There are ways we can preserve
our Jing Qi. In addition to Jing Qi, we operate on renewable sources of energy.
The spleen makes Qi (vital life force) for us out of the food we eat, and the
lungs bring us Qi from the air. We will
have less need to draw on our Jing Qi and be healthier and more energetic as we
eat, rest and breathe better and do Qi Gong to replenish our renewable sources
of energy.
Keep in mind, stimulants such as
caffeine deplete the kidneys, and rob us of our ability to know how we really
feel. If our body is in need of rest and
sleep, caffeine consumption will make us unaware of this fact, thus causing us
to ignore our body’s needs. This can
then contribute to the unnecessary depletion of our Jing Qi.
In order to maintain and
cultivate health, it is important to nurture and nourish our kidney energy. Now
is the perfect time to recharge your internal kidney batteries. Acupuncture,
yoga, Tai Chi, quiet reflection, meditation, simple walks, and herbs are
wonderful ways to recharge and energize!
Dr. Bishara Wilson, DACM, L.Ac.
New York Sport Acupuncture
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