onlyindreams Posted February 16, 2011 (edited) As many of you may have read and experientially intuited, the kidneys are the batteries of our bio-electrical/chemical/magnetic physical beings they are the source and generators of our physical vitality and sexual energy. Now modern society, with all its toxins, stressors and lack of serenity, its drift from the natural rhythms of the universe and consequently a profound and chronic lack of uninterrupted sleep (as well as our own karmic burdens) may have impaired our kidney function to the point where it is less than optimal for our beings at this instant in each of our lives. To my limited knowledge, I understand that there are ways to remedy this. There are several foods, tonic herbs, 'superfoods', teas, supplements, several acupressure/puncture points, specific physical and breathing exercises (including ways to urinate), even some sound syllables that i've heard may 'help' the kidney organ system to regenerate and ultimately, thrive. I'd like to know what has truly worked for you, the reader? Putting aside as much esoteric jargon and second hand knowledge, what practices, dietary additions / subtractions, and lifestyle changes have tangibly benefited your kidney health? (which I would say is intimately linked to one's libido and felt sense of sexual potency) Edited February 16, 2011 by onlyindreams Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red Pheonix Posted February 16, 2011 As many of you may have read and experientially intuited, the kidneys are the batteries of our bio-electrical/chemical/magnetic physical beings they are the source and generators of our physical vitality and sexual energy. Now modern society, with all its toxins, stressors and lack of serenity, its drift from the natural rhythms of the universe and consequently a profound and chronic lack of uninterrupted sleep (as well as our own karmic burdens) may have impaired our kidney function to the point where it is less than optimal for our beings at this instant in each of our lives. To my limited knowledge, I understand that there are ways to remedy this. There are several foods, tonic herbs, 'superfoods', teas, supplements, several acupressure/puncture points, specific physical and breathing exercises (including ways to urinate), even some sound syllables that i've heard may 'help' the kidney organ system to regenerate and ultimately, thrive. I'd like to know what has truly worked for you, the reader? Putting aside as much esoteric jargon and passed on knowledge, what practices, dietary additions / subtractions, and lifestyle changes have tangibly benefited your kidney health? (which I would say is intimately linked to one's libido and felt sense of sexual potency) One approach would be to use 5 Elements practice to direct energy to your kidneys. There are literally hundreds of ways to do this, pretty much all Taoist Kung Fu lineages have this sort of practice incorporated in it. Personally I'll use Bagua or Maoshan 5E to do this. I practice Bagua a lot so that helps in a more general sense; the Maoshan 5E really hammers it home though. If I practice that too often my kidneys will become overactive and I'll be peeing every 15 mins. It's the last of the 5 Elements in the order that I practice them, by the time I get to the kidneys the force is immense; it's like wearing a massive magnetic belt. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bamboo Posted February 16, 2011 (edited) Hey, I have known for years about the two hour blocks each related to an internal organ and meridian channel. For instance 3-5am is the lung channel, and 5-7pm is the kidney channel. But never realized how to use it. So then i read on jenny lamb's website, that training at a particular time will strengthen that organ system. So i figured i'd try it out. The results were HUGE. I normally train qigong between 3-5am (Lung), then again at 1-3pm (small intestine), but i wanted to see what would happen if i trained at the kidney time. So i had dinner a little earlier, around 4pm, then trained from 5:30-6:30pm and the results blew me away. The whole body became really BLISSFUL and WARM. Totally felt like i was being renewed, far beyond the realms of acupressure and chinese herbs. I have tried a few chinese kidney tonic herbs, about the best result i had was with cordyceps, which is kidney yang tonic. Felt like a radiator had been plumbed into my kidneys. But kidney yang tonics should only be taken for short periods, or you may imbalance the organ network. Hope this is of some interest. Edited February 16, 2011 by bamboo 6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bamboo Posted February 16, 2011 (edited) double Edited February 16, 2011 by bamboo Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Immortal4life Posted February 16, 2011 Your Kidneys are everything, they are your Life. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sifusufi Posted February 16, 2011 Most OTC products like deer antler or tribus are throwing money away. More problems than solutions I believe. ( In my experience) I heard about Sanyinjao from a Yang Jwing Ming (schwing) video. You will know when you find it cause it will hurt! http://homepage.mac....ticle/13-12.pdf http://www.tcmadviso...7815151345.html When I was being treated for hip arthritis she used to hit points surrounding my umbilicus in a cross type formation (schwing) I will have to go back and ask the points unless some of our TCM family has the answer to that. So TCM... "works if you work it" Thanks for the serious subject, Robert Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Upfromtheashes Posted February 16, 2011 My experience is still very limited and still trying to determine cause and effect however I have had good results with cordyceps as well and have overdone it with it as well - All of this seems to work much better if the liver is not overburdened so some type of detoxification which may be simple like eating lighter and simpler for a few meals every now and then - IMO fasts may be detrimental if you are very light or vata type - But You know I am still playing - I think a lot of this is finding what works for your body type - I like the ideas of having tools and rhythms which we can adapt to daily life as opposed to some type of crazy practice that isnt practical- For me this is about integrating - Secret Smile and rooting - and well number one for me would be a woman who has very soothing energy - Oh and ejaculation - I Believe it can be very balancing sometimes - Not having a hoarding attitude - Developing an attitude of self love and a postive self image Hormonal balance in general helped by eating quality foods - Having some quality fat and protein in your diet especially - Doing what one is passionate about - Hanging around people who make you feel good - Deep Belly Breathing - Activating the nerves in the feet or getting in touch with them as recomended by Glenn Morris I never thought about the Times of day to exercise - in the past I would exercise at 5-7 PM -sometimes 7-9 What organ is 7-9 ? Very interesting 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bamboo Posted February 16, 2011 (edited) What organ is 7-9 ? 7-9pm is the pericardium Edited February 16, 2011 by bamboo Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
onlyindreams Posted February 17, 2011 My experience is still very limited and still trying to determine cause and effect however I have had good results with cordyceps as well and have overdone it with it as well - Deep Belly Breathing - Activating the nerves in the feet or getting in touch with them as recomended by Glenn Morris Can you share more about these two details? What were your experiences / experiments with cordyceps? and what does Glenn Morris specifically recommend? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LBDaoist Posted February 17, 2011 even some sound syllables that i've heard may 'help' the kidney organ system to regenerate and ultimately, thrive. I'd like to know what has truly worked for you, the reader? Healing sounds are no joke. They work. I do lung, heart, kidney, liver, spleen and triple warmer. When you get the tone right, you can really feel the particular organ that you focus on. There are motions that go with the sounds to help channel the qi more efficiently. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Maddie Posted February 17, 2011 I went to my acupuncturist a couple years ago, and he told me that my kidney yin was low. He used acupuncture and herbs to get me started. After that doing a regular qigong routine has helped a lot too. The 8 brocades that I do have several movements that strengthen the kidneys. I also do the inner smile and healing sounds which include the kidneys and that has done quite a bit to help as well. I also noticed that doing retention/sublimation with practices like the cool draw helped them too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
King Kabalabhati Posted February 17, 2011 I build on SFQ, tonic herbs like ashwagandha, sexual kungfu (regulated emission) and sufficient sleep. Some things that probably drain me somewhat are irregular routines, stress, caffeine and occasional lack of sleep because of my work. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gerard Posted February 17, 2011 I don't want to sound patronising or arrogant, so please don't feel that way. IMO you can't isolate an organ and expect a miracle. It's the balance of the whole what we need to look at. If you throw one organ out of balance that will have a direct effect on the whole and ultimately the heart, seat of the spirit, the emperor; if you are trying to restore an organ's vitality you need to consider its pairing: We know that fire generates earth (spleen), because fire (mind & heart) is the resulting element of wood (liver). If, for instance, and using diet as a correlating example, too much energy accumulates in the Liver, it can attack the Spleen. The term for this is Liver Invading the Spleen (because the Liver is too strong - the Liver also can Invade the Spleen because the Spleen is too weak). In any event, Liver Invading the Spleen wrecks havoc with the digestion and can be painful. If a person with a weak Spleen eats something sour (which has an affinity with the Liver) it's energizing the Liver and weakening the Spleen still more because of this inverse, Victor-Vanquished relationship between the Liver and the Spleen. (Note: Sometimes the Element which normally is the Vanquished will turn the tables on the Element which normally is the Victor in these relationships. When this happens it's referred to as "Insulting". In this case Earth (Spleen) Insulting Wood (Liver).) Therefore and using the Buddhist principle of Dependent Origination the health of our internal organs (hence the normal flow of Qi and ultimately the state of our higher self (shen)) should be approached as a whole. This page gives a basic overview of what I just said: Functions of Internal Organs (Zang Fu) Blessings and good health for all. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
onlyindreams Posted February 17, 2011 Healing sounds are no joke. They work. I do lung, heart, kidney, liver, spleen and triple warmer. When you get the tone right, you can really feel the particular organ that you focus on. There are motions that go with the sounds to help channel the qi more efficiently. LBDaoist, can you provide us with knowledge on the healing sounds that will benefit the kidney / bladder organ system? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
onlyindreams Posted February 17, 2011 I went to my acupuncturist a couple years ago, and he told me that my kidney yin was low. He used acupuncture and herbs to get me started. After that doing a regular qigong routine has helped a lot too. The 8 brocades that I do have several movements that strengthen the kidneys. I also do the inner smile and healing sounds which include the kidneys and that has done quite a bit to help as well. I also noticed that doing retention/sublimation with practices like the cool draw helped them too. What did your acupuncturist say was the cause of your kidney yin being 'low'? What physical symptoms were you experiencing at the time that made you seek a diagnosis? (if you'd like to share privately, you can pm me) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
onlyindreams Posted February 17, 2011 I don't want to sound patronising or arrogant, so please don't feel that way. IMO you can't isolate an organ and expect a miracle. It's the balance of the whole what we need to look at. If you throw one organ out of balance that will have a direct effect on the whole and ultimately the heart, seat of the spirit, the emperor; if you are trying to restore an organ's vitality you need to consider its pairing: We know that fire generates earth (spleen), because fire (mind & heart) is the resulting element of wood (liver). If, for instance, and using diet as a correlating example, too much energy accumulates in the Liver, it can attack the Spleen. The term for this is Liver Invading the Spleen (because the Liver is too strong - the Liver also can Invade the Spleen because the Spleen is too weak). In any event, Liver Invading the Spleen wrecks havoc with the digestion and can be painful. If a person with a weak Spleen eats something sour (which has an affinity with the Liver) it's energizing the Liver and weakening the Spleen still more because of this inverse, Victor-Vanquished relationship between the Liver and the Spleen. (Note: Sometimes the Element which normally is the Vanquished will turn the tables on the Element which normally is the Victor in these relationships. When this happens it's referred to as "Insulting". In this case Earth (Spleen) Insulting Wood (Liver).) Therefore and using the Buddhist principle of Dependent Origination the health of our internal organs (hence the normal flow of Qi and ultimately the state of our higher self (shen)) should be approached as a whole. This page gives a basic overview of what I just said: Functions of Internal Organs (Zang Fu) Blessings and good health for all. Didn't detect a single bit of patronizing. What you say is truly important. But based on what you know, how can one uplift and optimize the his/her kidneys and its nerve energetics and cellular structure? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Upfromtheashes Posted February 17, 2011 (edited) Can you share more about these two details? What were your experiences / experiments with cordyceps? and what does Glenn Morris specifically recommend? Glenn Talks basically about becoming closer friends with your feet - Paying attention to them while you walk - Subtle changes in form - well some not so subtle - he talks about different types of walks that ninja do with different form - talks about all the nerves in the feet etc -His books in general are loaded with what works - real world observations - no bullshit -I cant do his work justice by describing it as a lot of the benefit from reading his books comes from his spirit and other subtleties - But it is really both - the spirit and great practical information - In regards to deep belly breathing he describes how to do it in his books as well - and IME this can be very calming and balancing - He Talks about breathing from your feet and this is something I naturally tend to do when energy get very high in the head and the body becomes unbalanced There is a thread here on TaoBums that describes his secret smile technique http://www.thetaobums.com/index.php?/topic/9719-dr-morriss-secret-smile-breathing-basic-kap-1-giri-for-the-tao-bumbs/page__hl__giri%20 This technique is powerful and teaches a lot things - I repeat this technique is Powerful http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_37?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=pathnotes+of+an+american+ninja+master&sprefix=pathnotes+of+an+american+ninja+master http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_45?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=shadow+strategies+of+an+american+ninja+master&sprefix=shadow+strategies+of+an+american+ninja+master My experience with cordyceps are harder to pindown - I was using it in conjunction with a diet very high in meat and fat - in fact raw meat and raw fats and eggs and milk in very high quantities - I was taking a form that acually felt very nutritive like I was eating a food - Truthfully I do not know how much of an extremely increased libido and sexual pleasure was attibutable to the cordyceps and how much to my regimen of diet and exercise and meditation - I do believe I overdid it however - a combination of holding semen too long and not circulating energy and maybe overdoing it a bit on the meat and not knowing how to balance my emotions - and well you can see how there are a lot of factors - Overall however I have tried different herbs and my gut tells me it is a powerful unique substance - It is acually a fungus as opposed to many adaptogens- most of which are plants as far as I know - One thing to keep in mind and that I have found out lately is that a lot of this depends on your individual constitution and attitude counts for a lot as well - Quality is SO IMPORTANT both with food and herbs in my experience - One can get incredible affects simply by eating very High Quality foods and in my experience this definitely includes animal Products Edited February 17, 2011 by Upfromtheashes Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manitou Posted February 17, 2011 Healing sounds are no joke. They work. I do lung, heart, kidney, liver, spleen and triple warmer. When you get the tone right, you can really feel the particular organ that you focus on. There are motions that go with the sounds to help channel the qi more efficiently. Can you recommend a good overall book on healing sounds? I would love to merge healing sounds into shamanic ceremony, as I'm a musician. It would make imminent sense. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
solxyz Posted February 17, 2011 Putting aside as much esoteric jargon and second hand knowledge, what practices, dietary additions / subtractions, and lifestyle changes have tangibly benefited your kidney health? (which I would say is intimately linked to one's libido and felt sense of sexual potency) #1 activity to directly benefit the KDs: go to bed earlier. Also, to benefit the KDs indirectly, through the Earth phase: remove from your diet as much sugar and carbohydrates as possible. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Upfromtheashes Posted February 17, 2011 Also, to benefit the KDs indirectly, through the Earth phase: remove from your diet as much sugar and carbohydrates as possible. Could you elaborate a bit on this? Thanks Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sifusufi Posted February 17, 2011 Can you recommend a good overall book on healing sounds? I would love to merge healing sounds into shamanic ceremony, as I'm a musician. It would make imminent sense. Taoist Yoga Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Maddie Posted February 17, 2011 What did your acupuncturist say was the cause of your kidney yin being 'low'? What physical symptoms were you experiencing at the time that made you seek a diagnosis? (if you'd like to share privately, you can pm me) He didn't really say why other than it was a genetic pre-disposition. I was having empty heat signs, insomnia, aggitation, ect.. A good source for learning the healing sounds and inner smile is Mantak Chia's method which is why I have used with great results. The kidney's healing sound ala Chia is "chooooo". Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manitou Posted February 18, 2011 Thank you - nice video. I will use the lung/cat exercise for my own purposes - it's exactly what I need right now. The Mantak Chia book may be what I'm looking for. Thanks. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LBDaoist Posted February 18, 2011 LBDaoist, can you provide us with knowledge on the healing sounds that will benefit the kidney / bladder organ system? I wish I could. Like so much of Taoism, it is one of those things that has to be experienced. I could try to record myself doing the sound, but even that would be practically worthless because you wouldn't be able to sense the tone and pitch as if you were there. A suggestion that I can offer is that if you do come across someone who knows the sound(s), make sure that you do them with a rising tone. Start low and get louder/higher as you make the sound. Two sounds that are easy to convey are the lung sound. You say it like sea (the ocean) or si (yes in Spanish). The other is the heart sound. It is an Ohh sound. With the emphasis on O. The kidney sound is hard to write. It's like chwee... ch... weeeee. I wish I could help you more, but it's probably best that you only practice the easy ones... heart and lung. Six repetitions each. Lung first. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites