Keep Your Kidneys Warm in Winter!

During the Winter, the most Yin time of year, it is the Kidneys which most need looking after. This is particularly true of the Kidney Yang, which is the Hot energy of the body – as the weather gets colder it’s good to make sure you protect the Yang by keeping as warm as possible.

This concept of following the energy of the seasons is a part of the Taoist belief in aligning yourself with natural changes, which is one of the 4 Pillars Of Radiant Health (more about that in my free audio series, here)

If you are naturally a Cold person, have bad circulation, feel tired and low on energy, or suffer from SAD, this is especially useful.

This means being prepared with wearing plenty of warm clothes, and not letting yourself get too cold. It’s especially important to keep warm around your lower back, where the Kidneys are.

You can make sure that you tuck in at least one layer of clothing, to prevent a breeze from getting to this area. Even better, think about investing in a Haramaki, which is a sort of custom-made ‘kidney warming’  scarf that you wear round your waist. They feel great, and you can get them in some cool designs (see for example, these searches on Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com) All of these will help to keep the Kidney Yang strong and secure during the colder months.

You can also do some very simple self massage by briskly rubbing all round your mid and lower back until it gets warm. This is an easy qi gong technique for strengthening the Yang energy of the Kidneys. You can perform this rubbing technique every day during the Winter months.

It’s also good to eat mainly warm nourishing and cooked food – soups, stews and casseroles are ideal. Not too much salad or raw fruit, which are too cooling to the body.

Finally, the Kidney channel runs up the legs from the feet, so it is also good to make sure you keep your feet warm. Invest in some thick socks and slippers for Winter, and keep the Kidney yang strong!