FHN Complementary Medicine Monthly Newsletter February 2009
The Vital Energy Kidney
This is the 5th (and last, don’t jump for joy!!) of the series of articles on Chinese physiology. This month we will talk about the Kidney.
The kidney’s have a similar function in both eastern and western medicine, that is filtering water and waste. In Chinese thought qi flows like water and the kidneys are where the vital energy (qi) stems from. This keeps us going from the day we are born until the day we die. It affects all aspects of life from sleeping, to sexual function and reproduction to stamina and mental clarity. In Chinese medicine often we must support the kidney’s before any other treatment will work.
So how do you strengthen the kidney’s? First is to keep the kidney’s hydrated with fresh, clean water. The emotion of the kidney is fear ( when you are afraid you urinate more!). So doing things to create hope, like reading uplifting materials, praying etc. Movement will unparallize you, the fear, and the kidney, so do some gentle movement, like tai chi, chi gong, or yoga.
Herbs like salvia root and cordyceps will help tonify the kidney. Foods that tonify include peaches, nectarines, black beans, olive oil, and Chinese cabbage. (These are just a few)
As we get moving into spring spend some time and get your vital energy flowing.
Sincerely
Drs. Glenn and Julie Smith
Complementary Medicine
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