Fortify Your Kidneys To Age Gracefully

Dec 6

Winter is rolling in fast in the northeast!

Now that the cold, shorter days are here, it's time to focus on our kidney chi (energy).

I've heard from several students about lower back pain, and this is the time of year to address it — especially when shoveling snow!

The kidneys are energetically running the strongest in the winter, which makes it the easiest time to repair any imbalances and strengthen kidney chi.

Because I come from years of debilitating lower back pain, which indicates weak kidney chi, I've had to strengthen the muscles in my back to support my degenerative discs and scoliosis. This also builds kidney chi, as blood and chi are inseparable.

Back-strengthening poses like Shalambasana (locust pose) and Warrior 3 have been staples in my practice.

Walking backward (retro walking) also strengthens the back, glute, and knee muscles. Ancient Chinese healers taught retro walking as a longevity practice because it builds kidney chi.

I walk backward around my neighborhood daily - and have gotten used to strange looks.

Retro walking can also be done on a treadmill. To intensify it, try walking uphill backward, which will fire up your lower back muscles and increase kidney chi!

Retro walking is also good for the brain and has prevented knee surgery.

With ample kidney chi, we age slower and more gracefully.

Because we are responsible for our own healing energetically, I've had to focus my meditations on sending healing energy from my heart (the ultimate energetic healer) to my lower back. It's believed that the kidneys hold our ancestral cellular memory, which means that the dis-ease could be older than us!

In Chinese medicine, the kidneys are part of the water element, corresponding to the bones, brain, and entire endocrine system. When kidney chi runs efficiently, we naturally benefit from gentle wisdom.

Increasing kidney chi can fortify bone marrow production and reverse osteopenia and osteoporosis, which is important as we age.

When kidney chi is weak, we suffer from fatigue, achy lower back and knees, poor memory, loss of head hair and hearing, and are plagued with fear and insecurity, which makes us age quicker.

Our upcoming Winter Wellness Weekend on December 14-15 will focus on the Meridian Flow and Kundalini practices that the ancients knew to increase longevity.

These seasonal weekends amplify your energy according to the seasons and create a smooth, balanced flow. You'll feel a calm and centered confidence with a deep understanding of living with nature rather than resisting it.

Throughout these cold days, take a break by releasing into a forward bend (knees bent if hamstrings are tight) or legs up the wall to clear congestion and improve your immune system. These soothe the nervous system and stimulate the kidney and bladder meridians.

Try breathing through the meridians in an ancient chi gong technique called Yi Chi Li to calm the mind. This technique guides energy with consciousness, leading to a serene and meditative state.