Meridian of the Month | Kidney

Jan 22

The meridian lines of the body are energetic highways that provide a path for Qi and other substances to flow. This year, we will learn details about one of the meridians each month as they coordinate with the time of year / season that we are currently in. Up first, the kidney channels!

But first, check out the meridian art series!

The Journey of the Kidney Lines

This meridian line begins under the small toe circling the inside of the heel and rises up along the medial (closest to the midline) side of the lower leg and thigh. It then enters the body into the tailbone and the lower back. It moves up and then wraps back downward toward the pubic bone.

From there, it lifts over the abdomen and splits into two branches. The first branch penetrates the Kidneys, as the other continues to ascend within the spine before entering the cerebral cortex.

From the Kidney organs, two additional pairs of channel emerge internally. One pair goes down along the ureters before spirally wrapping the Urinary Bladder. The other set goes up into the Liver, Diaphragm, and the Lungs. The line then spirals around the Heart and travels up through the throat, stopping at the root of the tongue.

The Kidney Meridian | The Root of Life

The Kidney meridians specifically help with the transport of prenatal energy, called "Jing". This is the most essential energy that we have only a limited supply of in our lifetime. We are born with it and it naturally declines as we grow older. If our kidneys are depleted, our stores of this life force energy are quickly drained as well. Think of your Jing as your back up generator to your body's more primary energy source (our personal electricity) called Qi. Whenever we are not eating well or dealing with intense stress our Qi runs on low supply and our energy body naturally utilizes the Jing to keep us going. So it's absolutely critical that we care for our kidneys and Kidney meridians through diet, acupressure and lifestyle.

The kidneys themselves help to filter waste metabolites from blood and send them to the bladder for excretion. They help to balance the bodily fluids, regulate pH by releasing or taking in minerals. Other organs that the kidney function impacts include the adrenal glands and sexual organs. You can tell if kidney function is optimal through the condition of the head and body hair as well as the aperture and health of the ears. The Kidney in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is believed to govern additional bodily fluid like tears, saliva, sweat and synovial fluid. The Kidney's health directly impacts the health of all other organs and tissues.

There are 27 points along this meridian line and the element of the kidney channel is water. Every meridian has a yin or yang counterpart or complimentary meridian. The kidney lines are yin and the urinary bladder is the yang counterpart that also shares the water element. The active season for the kidney meridian is winter and the time of day the meridian is most active is between 5 and 7pm. This channel is most supported through rest, repair and reflection. The status of our Kidney will directly impact how we transition through life's various stages.

IMBALANCE	BALANCE (never 100%)
Fear / Anxiety	Faith / Trust / Courage
Procrastination	Takes Action
Indecision	Decisive
Overwhelm / Paranoia	Clarity / Willpower