Kidneys and Urinary Bladder Meridian Pair

     Today, I hope to shed some light on the meridain pair of  the kidneys and urinary bladder.  The above photo is from Sarah Power's book Insight Yoga.  I highly recommend this book, it is one of my favorites.  She does a great job explaining an amazingly complex topic.  While I describe the meridian pathways, imagine the lines in your own body or actually trace them with a finger, it helps with understanding.  The kidney meridian starts at the little toe, goes through the sole of the foot, through the arch, running up the inside of the legs, entering the torso near the tailbone, moving parallel to the lower spine, then deeper to connect with the bladder, kidneys, liver, diaphragm and lungs, as well as flowing closer to the surface of the abdomen and chest, going through the throat and ending at the root of the tongue. The dotted lines indicate where the lines go deeper into the body and the solid lines indicate where the lines are on the surface.  The urinary bladder begins at the inside of the eyes, up the forehead, across the top of the head and enters the brain, then it runs parallel to the spine down the back, the deeper line enters near the lumbar spine, connecting with the urinary bladder and kidneys, the surface lines run down the backs of the legs and ends at the little toes(the longest meridian!).
     Your kidneys are located behind the lower ribs and they filter and purify fifteen gallons of blood per hour(pretty impressive, right?).  The kidneys open up to the bladder so the impurities in the blood can be eliminated by the bladder(you can see how they work as a pair).  The bladder can hold a little or a lot; it is flexible like our minds.  This correlates to our mental capacity; remember the urinary bladder meridian flows through the brain.  The kidneys are said to house our essence energy.  This essence energy is known as known as jing.  Energetically, the kidneys rule the health of the the lower regions of the body(lower back, reproductive organs, urinary system, intestines and all fluids of the body).  If you have low back issues, it is likely that you have kidney issues.  In the five element theory, the element for the kidneys is water.  If you have a lot of heat in the in your body, this will weaken the kidneys(heat evaporates water).  The kidneys cool the body.  Take a look at the food(spicy?) and activity(hot yoga or more intense/stressful?) you participate in and notice if the heat condition is aggravated.  Balance is the key, in every situation.  Activate the kidney chi by sitting on the floor in a straddle position with the torso leaning forward to stretch the inner thighs and do a gentle backbend on your belly using your arm strength lifting the torso(arms can be fully extended or weight can rest on the forearms) to create an arc in the back to diminish the heat.
     Sounds like a simple solution, right?  There is more to add into our equation.  Mental qualities of this meridian pair are related to willpower, short-term memory and ambition.  When out of balance we can have trouble coping with change, controlling sleep cycles, libido issues, lack of personal power, negative thinking and depression.  When we surrender to this practice, honoring whatever comes up we can check in with our inner atmosphere, notice what is there and know that it will pass.  It is when the mind gets caught up in negative patterns it can convince us that we can not change our situation.  This is simply not true. We choose the path of our lives.  We can see things negatively if we choose.  This is not to say that some have suffered in situations beyond their control and that it is not traumatic.  It is how we choose to go on that is our choice. Inner practices, like yin yoga can help us get through difficult times.
     Let us move on to the emotional aspects.  When you come into your straddle(dragonfly position in yin yoga, not other styles!) or your gentle backbend(sphinx position, described above) you should aim to stay in this position for a few minutes.  Never before has a few minutes had the potential to seem like an eternity of discomfort.  Yin is yielding so you surrender to your chosen position.  Be warned that your mind or emotions could go rogue on you.  Instead of interrupting your healthful practice to yield to the mind or emotions plea to stop, be an observer of your body(of course, if you experience sharp injurious pain, gently come to a neutral position).  Take a few breaths into the areas that feel uncomfortable or tight and see if in time the sensations lessen.  The same holds for emotions that may arise.  When fear or anger arises hold space for it, without judging it(as it is part of wonderful you).  You will notice that the emotion lessens or subsides.  Some days you will feel more peaceful and some days you will feel more restless.  This is life.  The greatest gift of this practice is that you can see how moods and sensations come and go.  This can help you in other aspects of life by helping you be open to challenges that come your way.
     Please stay tuned for more meridian pairs and some video to show how to practice yin yoga!