THE ORIENTAL FUNCTIONS OF THE ORGANS

KIDNEYS AND BLADDER (WATER ENERGY)

1) KIDNEYS
Visual Diagnoses
Skin Colour: Blackish or dark hue: Coffee has the biggest impact on kidneys, it depletes its energy out of the body rather than reserving it inside. Can be pale too, which is a Yin condition, associated with coolness in the back. It results from consumption of cooling/frozen food like ice cream, raw food and black tea (which is not as most people think of as a warming drink). Facial Area: The skin around the eyes, especially beneath it: Puffy: due to consumption of Yin food Cut inwards: due to consumption of Yang and dry food Posture: Collapsed lower bak, slumped spine, defensive behaviour of the back, like sitting in corner or against a wall; for both Kidneys and Bladder imbalances, the body language is characterised by protective gestures, it tends to be nervous when surrounded by either open space or by individuals. People with weak Kidneys prefer to literally have their backs to the wall. They like to see everything that is going

on so there will be no surprise. Look also at the back of the person, some areas in the back can be perceived as hollow or semi-empty, which signifies weakness.

Organ Functions Questioning Diagnoses

The Kidneys form the foundation of the body's health, storing the Essence derived from one's parents, and supporting the functioning of the whole body during a lifetime. 1. Storing Essence The kidneys store Essence, responsible for growth, development and reproduction, and which gives rise to movement, action and activity of physiological processes. Can be partially replenished by Ki from food and air, and conserved by a moderate and balanced life style. Decline with age, finally leading to natural death. 2. Control bones and teeth The Kidneys give strength to the bones, skeleton and teeth. 3. Production Marrow In Chinese medicine, the kidneys produce 'marrow', which includes bone marrow, the spinal cord and the brain. Therefore the Kidney's are responsible for creating good memory, concentration, alertness and clarity. 4. Anchoring Ki The kidneys anchor or hold down the Ki taken in from air, and as a result we feel grounded. When the kidneys are weak, breathing can become shallow, the chest congested and insomnia results. When we don't breath deeply energy goes to our brain instead of our bodies and we face difficulty in getting into sleep. 5. Controlling water The kidneys control the water balance of the body through the production of urine. 6. Nourishes head an hair Strong kidneys give thick, glossy and healthy looking hair, while weak ones will cause hair to fall, especially in the front area of the head (in men in particular) due to over consumption of liquids and Yin foods and drinks including all beverages, fruits, juices, soft drinks, sugars, sweets, stimulants, chemicals, drugs, medications, raw vegetables, tomatoes, egg-plant and other vegetables of tropical origin. 7. Open into the ears They are linked to the ears. In Oriental medicine well developed ears denote strong kidneys. The Kidneys nourish the ears, including the pinna (auricle) and outer ear, middle ear and the cochlea and organ of Corti giving balance in the inner ear. Ears that are too red indicates poor functioning of the Kidneys. Weak Kidneys cause hearing difficulty and people tend to tilt their heads one way or the other, favouring their better ear. 8. Control the lower orifices these are two in men, the anus and the urethra, and three in women with addition of the vagina. Problems in the urethra, vagina, anus and surrounding area can be due to imbalance in the kidneys

9. House will power The kidneys hold our will, giving us strong motivation, will power, endurance and clear aims or goals. People with strong kidneys are self-motivated whereas those with kidney troubles live in a world of dreams. 10. Emotionally the kidneys give courage, motivation and impetus. If it is weak then emotionally we tend to feel fearful, nervous or anxious, paranoid and we may lack self-confidence. We feel the environment is full of threats, that we feel vulnerable and exposed. On the other side, exterior fear can damage the Kidneys. A person's hair can turn white overnight if they were experienced great fear which overwhelms the kidneys. It is also the house of security, safety, reassurance and love. Being surrounded by loving ones from family and friends can support the health of our Kidneys and our total health in general.

Signs and Symptoms of Imbalances

Weak constitution which could show in delicate health, frequent illness, a lack of strength and stamina or retarded growth; premature ageing, greying or loss of hair, senility, lack of sexual drive or ability to procreate. Weak bones, osteoporosis, weak teeth or excessive tooth decay, mentally slow and poor memory and alertness, kidney infection, urination at night, frequent pale urine or scanty deafness, poor balance, vertigo, deep cold in the body. Stooped posture, back aches and problems especially in lumbar and sacral areas (where bladder meridian crosses over kidneys), sciatica, weak ankles (Bladder and Kidney meridians move to either sides of Achilles tendon), tendency to twist ankles, puffy skin or swollen veins in instep of feet. Kidneys and Bladder are associated with sexuality, anxiety is often present in dealing with the opposite sex, in which case the body language can be very pronounced. There is a characteristic protection of the genital area, either tucking the pelvis back, sitting or standing with one leg crossed in front of the other, and hand gestures which cross over in front of the genital area. Voice quality changes with Kidney's condition. People with imbalances become hoarse very easily, especially after over indulging in drink and above all in anything alcoholic. The tone of voice is often characterized by a watery quality which sounds not unlike those that a child makes to speak after having been crying. People with weak Kidneys find it hard to be in the body, they usually have a feeling of ungroundedness or lack of anchor.

2) BLADDER
Organ Functions
The bladder creates urine, as well as supporting the back and spine and having some influence on the uterus. 1. Transforms fluids into urine: The bladder transforms fluids into urine 2. Supports the back: Like Kidneys, the Bladder influences the bones, and the meridians run beside the whole length of the spine. Therefore the Bladder has a big influence on the health of the back.

Signs and symptoms of Imbalances

Irregularities in urine production e.g. copious clear urine, difficult urination; painful menstruation or infertility; back pain especially in sacrum area (kidneys affect the sides of the back), sciatica, stooped posture, distorted spine e.g. kyphosis, scoliosis.

What weakens the kidneys and Bladder?

Anything that drains the deep energy reserves of the body, such as long-term overwork, prolonged stress, cold, lack of sleep (when the kidney energy replenishes) bearing many children (as well as looking after them!) A lot o strong Yin food (expansive food) like sugar, honey and chocolate, tropical fruits like bananas and kiwi, spices and oily food. A lot of Yang (contractive food) food like animal protein (except fish), eggs, crisps (chips), biscuits and other hard baked flower. It is necessary to drain the kidneys, but an excessive intake of liquids especially Yin drinks such as stimulants like coffee and tea, alcohol, and recreational drugs will tier them and drain their energy too. A lack of minerals and healthy yang qualities in food will weaken them too. Emotional experiences which create a lot of fear and insecurity, such as parents shouting, a lot of anger around as a child, parents breaking up, deep shock and trauma which frightens a child or adult 'out of their body', or creates deep held fear. When a lot of fear is held in the boy it can feel cold, and have a freezing effect on the body.

What helps the Kidneys and Bladder?

Sleep at least 8 hours a night if this is possible, but should always get to sleep before midnight; the body has a biological clock that follows the movement of sun and moon and changes according to seasons, hence we tend to naturally sleep more in winter times. Just look at animals and learn from them, they are more connected to their instincts, with that in mind we should not work hard in winter time when all nature goes into hibernation, because in winter energy goes inwards and it is the most vulnerable time for kidneys. With our modern life we tend to get depressed at winter time because we fight to get the energy out of our body with overworking while it is trying to go inwards . So we should not start any big projects or make big moves, that can be done at spring when energy starts moving outwards. Other things that can help is an afternoon siesta, reducing stress and demands in life, less work and more rest. Not too much sex especially for men, or at least try not to ejaculate to keep the energy within the body rather than releasing it out. Quiet time, meditation when energy can go inside instead of getting used up by going outside. Also exercise, which may need to be quite gentle if a person's Kidneys energy is very depleted such as DOIN, Chi Gong or Tai Chi, or breathing exercises. Breathing has a great impact on improving health condition. Breathing deeply in also helps in releasing trapped energy which stress the Kidneys. Try the following breathing exercise:

Put both hands on the sides of your spine on the position where the kidneys are located. Breathe deeply into your hara (maintain a breathing pattern that is slower, deeper and longer, rather than a faster, shallower and shorter) and follow the breath from your mouth, down through the centre of the body, reaching to the navel area and then going sideways to settle inside the kidneys filling them with the Ki you get from the air. Hold it there as much as you can then breath out. Continue for as long as you can, and after a while you may start feeling some warmth in the back area where your hands are touching. If it is hard to imagine breathing into the kidneys, breathe into the abdominal area. Best times to do this immediately after you wake up or before you go to sleep.

Keep the Kidneys warm at all times and avoid exposing them to cold weather. A hot bath with some sea salt in it (to keep the minerals within the body) can also warm and relax the Kidneys and improve their condition. Healthy yang foods such as miso soup, fish and shellfish, whole grains, especially buckwheat, and beans (Aduki beans are the best for this, especially their boiling water which can be drunk once or twice a day), sea vegetables (mostly Kombu) and condiments like Shoyo. Root vegetables are recommended too. Emotional healing of fear and other emotions keeping a person from really occupying their body, and being in his or her lower two chakras. In other words, resolve deeply held fear or anything blocking your life energy. Those who are givers and put others first need to back up a bit as this exhausts their Kidney's energy. Different organs work at their peak at different times. For Bladders it is the time between 3:00 pm 5:00pm, while for kidneys it is between 5:00pm 7:00 pm (STRICTLY avoid eating after this time).