Thriving Magazine, September 2022, Issue 15

Recharge YOur Batteries TO Improve YOur Vitality

You need to recharge your batteries through proper diet, good sleep patterns, gentle exercise and other healthy lifestyle habits. Stress can quickly deplete your energies if left unchecked. Chronic pain can also weaken your immune system and have detrimental effects on your mood, further lessening your sense of vitality. Acupuncture and Chinese herbal remedies can be greatly helpful to rectify these imbalances. Many Chinese medical texts describe practices designed to “nurture life” and promote longevity, a concept referred to as “Yang Shen.” Diet and nutrition are a primary focus as well as breathwork and meditative practices to harmonize Body-Mind-Spirit. Qigong exercises are recommended to boost Kidney Qi, and herbs are prescribed to nourish Kidney Jing. Simple exercises you can do: • Gently tap and then press into your low back muscles at the level of the kidneys, stimulating the Du4 acupoint, translated as the “gate of life.” • You could also press into the soles of your feet (the start of the Kidney Meridian) or do daily foot soaks to nourish the kidney energies.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a holistic healthcare system that works to restore balance to the organs, thereby optimizing the levels and free flow of our internal “Qi” or energy. This could be interpreted in Western terms as living in vitality. TCM considers the kidneys to be important reservoirs of our Qi. I think of the kidneys as the batteries on our back that keep us running through life.

When your energies are low, you can experience fatigue , low back or knee pain , lack of motivation and loss of zest for life . The Kidney “Jing” or “Essence” relates to the bones, brain and stages of reproductive development. When the Jing is weak, you can see signs of poor memory , infertility , early menopause or premature aging .

By paying attention to recharging activities, we can work to live as our most vital selves.

SEPTEMBER 2022 • ISSUE 15 ° ThriveVB.com ° (757) 829.7174 | 3

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