Kidney Chi: The Yin Organ of Vitality
Kali Durga Yoga
The Ancients called the Kidneys “the great purifier” or “the engine of Chi”.
Located below the lowest ribs on the back body, these bean shaped organs are like the reservoir of our Prana body: responsible for filtration of blood, lubrication of the tendons ligaments and faschia, and the removal of water-soluble toxins. The kidneys hold the potential for greater immune response, maintenance of general vitality, youthfulness, creativity, and sexuality.
In Chinese Medicine, Kidney energy controls the Chi, or essence, and thus gives stamina and vigor to the entire bodymind.
The Kidney meridian is the channel in which Chi nourishes the organ itself, and begins at the sole of the foot and curls around the inner ankle before ascending up the inseam of the back of the leg. As it reaches through the inner groin and pierces perineum, it branches up either side of the spine and chest to end just beneath the collarbones.
The Kidneys are our internal reservoir – this inherent resource we possess for vigor & vitality. Kidneys need deep rest to revitalize the system, lending us for this ephemeral presence the lustre and lusciousness we can possess: glistening eye doors, juicy joints, succulent skin, buoyancy of breath.
Practice this sequence of floor poses which organizes the skeleton in specific ways to awaken and enliven the connective tissue where the kidney pathway runs.
Energetic alignment cues for
A 3 Pose Sequence for Kidney Health
-Invigoration, Purification, Detoxification-
Invigorate:
Sphinx Pose (5-7mn)
I call this the fountain of youth pose, because it compresses the sacro-lumbar region of the spine where its said 80% of Americans find most stagnation in the low back, and where the Kidney meridian tends to get most congested.
Tops of feet on the floor: lengthen front of ankle joint and release through soles of feet
Upper inner thighs engage: slight pull in of the inseam will stabilize base of spine
Pubic bone as the anchor point: press pubis into mat to create an anchor the spine lifts from
Navel lifts up & glides in toward the spine: to engage the corset of the middle abdomen and protect lower back
Sternum lifts & spreads widening through the distal ends of the collarbones
Base of skull pulls back and wide to prevent forward jutting forward of chin & protect the neck
Crown of head lifts to refine your relationship to the upper realms
Prana Pattern (Breath Activity): inhale pull the tissue behind the navel back towards the sacral plate, exhale keep it pulled in and widen across the kidney band beneath the lowest ribs
Purify:
Floor Frog (5mn)
Flushing the inner leg line will lubricate the fascial planes where the kidney channel runs, eradicating obstructions, clearing the cobwebs, and free undesirable mental objects from the mindstream.
Equalize weight through the femur heads as you externally rotate the thighs
Tilt the pelvis forward to lift sacrum & settle on to palms or forearms
Slight lift of kneecaps to engage the quadriceps & lengthen hamstrings
Press through base of big toe- the “bubbling spring” of the kidney channel
Prana Pattern (Breath Activity): inhale into the root of pelvic floor to gather, exhale to distribute the chi force swimming in and through the legs
Detoxify:
Supine Twist (5mn each side)
Spinal rotations are the most effective activity I know of to reset imbalances along the vertebrae. Additionally, because its suggested healthy Chi moves in spirals, this spiraling of the spine promotes vitality of the Prana vessel. It filters, it rinses, and it resets. The antidote to regularized turbulence of our day!
As the low body rolls to one direction, let the upper body roll to the opposite
Pivot from the base of the ribcage and pull collarbones out of sternum
Back of ribcage, base of skull, root of tongue: all go wide & settle down to plug in to the ground.
Prana Pattern (Breath Activity): inhale to left the root (the perineum; the mula) up towards the belly basin, exhale spin from kidneys.
To close: a new mantra I’m working with- I invite you to try it on for size:
“Let this be enough”
May you stay warm
And welcoming
To the golden inner, vital altar