Jing (the essence) and Kidney Qigong

The essence of life is one of the Taoist three treasures, the other two being chi (vital energy/life force) and shen (spirit). Note that Buddhism doesn't follow this system as it is mainly preoccupied with the mind (more Yang) as opposed to Taoism which centres its entire system around the concept of subtle energies (more Yin). Hence, we can say that Buddhism (developed in India, South) is a "fire" system as opposed to Taoism (developed in China, North) which is "water" in essence.

Jing manifests in humans and animals in three different forms:

1. Blood. It includes all the vital elements carried in the bloodstream, including white and red cells and nutrients absorbed during digestion.

2. Hormones. These can be further divided into the hormones themselves which are segregated by various glands throughout the endocrine system, and the human reproductive cells or gametes (sperm-masculine and ova or eggs-femenine).

3. Different fluids produced by the human body: lymphatic, synovial, tears, perspiration and urine.

Jing is what it makes you as a human being since it is produced by the combination of your parents' jing during the sexual act. After you are born you start to absorb the jing of food and air, converting them into the vital energy, chi, which supplies your body's energetic needs.

In Qigong (Chi Kung) training, knowing how to conserve the original jing (the one carried over from the parents) is very important since it will enable to live a longer and healthier life. Activities such as emotional ups and downs and sexual overindulgence will deplete your original jing faster than other people and as a result your body will degenerate faster as well. These explains why men on average have a shorter lifespan than women because of excessive seminal discharged (females ovulate on average once a month).

On the other hand, kidneys are considered in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) the residence of original jing. So nourishing the kidneys is an excellent way of keeping the original jing strong. There is an specific Qigong exercise which targets this area.


KIDNEY GIGONG

This gong can be divided in three different sections which must be all completed in one single session:


1. Elevating the kidneys

This technique will cure inflammation of the urinary bladder; kidney stones, urine containing blood, womb bleeding, frequent urination, and nocturnal emission.

1.1 Sit straight with your feet touching the floor about a shoulder width apart. Sit with only one-third of your hips on the chair. Don't lean back on the chair with your back. Place your hands naturally on top of your knees. Alternatively, you may stand with your feet shoulder width apart and with your hands overlapping on your xia tantien (point located just below your navel and above the pubic region).

1.2 Place your mind at your huiyin area (middle point located between your anus and your genitals). Exhale slowly, draw in and hold up your huiyin area slightly. Inhale slowly and release the huiying area as you push your stomach out.

Note: don't do more than 20 repetitions at a time.


2. Strengthening the kidneys

2.1 Sit straight with your feet touching the floor about a shoulder width apart. Sit with only 1/3 of your hips on the chair. Don't lean back on the chair. Place your hands naturally on top of your knees.

2.2 Breathe naturally until your tantien is full with chi. Exhale slowly, draw your abdomen and hold up the huiyin area slightly. At the same time, lead the chi from your tantien to your coccyx and up to the mingmen point (located right the opposite side the lower tantien in the lower area of your back, in the depression below the spine), then separate into two paths around your waist and meet at your navel.

Inhale slowly and release the huiyin area as you push your stomach out. At the same time, lead the chi from your navel to the xia tantien.

Note: don't do more than 20 repetitions at a time.


3. Chui sound to ensure kidney health

3.1 Use the following diagram as a reference:



(Diagram of the kidney channel)
....................................................................................

Stand or sit with your feet shoulder width apart, and arms to your sides. Inhale, begin rising your hands up towards your lower back with the back of your hands facing your body. As your hands reach kidney level, bring both hands forward towards your belly button with your finger pointing down. As you raise your hands, lead the chi up from your yongquan points (see the diagram that follows) on the bottom of your feet, up along the Kidney Channel on the inside of your legs, into the tailbone, up along the lower part of your spine, and into your kidneys.

Continue the arm movements and bring your arms up in front of your chest (along the Kidney Channel) until they are right below your collar bone and turn your palms to face each other.




3.2 Exhale, make the Chui sound (pronounced as "chway"; that is, as in "way" with a "ch" in front; lips slightly pursed on the initial "ch", then relaxed and open on the final "way") and make sure you open your mouth slightly with your tongue drawn in, and the corner of your mouth pulled slightly to the sides. At the same time, squeeze in with your hands as though you ere holding a ball, and squat down. Keep your upper body as straight as you can, hold up your huiyin area, and pull your abdomen in. As you exhale and make the chui sound, use your mind to lead all the impurities from your kidney channel and kidneys out of your mouth.

Note: After completing section 1, stand up slowly and repeat sections 1 and 2 for a total of 6 times. Purifying and strengthening the kidney is a very slow process as we are dealing with energy and possible emotional blockages which are tedious to dissolve.



Additional Recommended Reading:

1. Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming, The Root of Chinese Qigong. Secrets for Health, Longevity & Enlightenment, YMAA Publication Centre, Washington, MA, USA, 1997.

2. Master Shou-Yu Liang & Wen-Ching Wu, Qigong Empowerment. A Guide to Medical, Taoist, Buddhist, and Wushu Energy Cultivation, The Way of the Dragon Publishing, Rhode Island, USA, 1997.