Johnny is always the tallest kid in his class. He usually runs the fastest and he never loses in arm wrestling. Most kids are jealous how Johnny is built and want to be just like him. In the mean time, Ricky is always the shortest kid in his class. He never wins any arm wrestling and his asthma always stops him from completing any race. Ricky is just that little below average kid nobody really noticed. We’ve all heard stories like this or maybe you are that Johnny or Ricky. I am not the Ricky in this story but I was never the Johnny either. I’ve always wondered why can’t I have the build and talent like Johnny in real life. In Chinese medicine, the kidney organ is the one that determines whether you will be Johnny or Ricky.
The kidney in Chinese medicine is considered one of the most important organs. People even refer to the kidney as the “root of life.” Kidneys are two bean-shaped organs located on both sides of your mid-back. The start of life of a plant or tree usually comes from a bean or seed. Kidneys are shaped just like beans and it is also the start of a human’s life. The kidney stores “Jing” or essence, which is derived from each parents and is established at conception. Essence determines our basic constitution, vitality, and strength. This is like when you eat an apple, you will find many seeds in it. Some may be bigger and some might look dry and small. Usually the bigger fuller one will sprout easier under the same environmental circumstances. If the parent are in their top health condition during the conception and pregnancy, this leads to a stronger essence in the kidneys with their child. The child will be like that bigger and fuller seed, it will sprout easier and lead to a bigger and better tree. Now if the tree encounters bad weather like the drought we have in California, this is like your spleen; unable to transform food to continue to nourish the essence in the kidneys. The tree even with the potential to grow big will become a small tree and unable to produce as many fruits. Kidneys are what you are born with. Despite how good your essence is from the start, you can still continue to nourish it by taking good care of your spleen.
So, if you are like the Johnny in the story, take good care of your body by not damaging your kidney. If you are like the Ricky in the story, you will need to nourish your spleen in order for the spleen to help strengthen your kidney. Even if you are dealt with a bad hand, you can still turn around and do good or win this game. You will just need to know how to take care of your body the way it needs to be. Now that you know the kidney is responsible for what you are and will be made of prenatally. The rest of the function of the kidney will be discussed in the second part.
If you are interested in learning more about how eastern medicine can help your pain or ability to thrive, email us at [email protected]. Feel free to comment and ask any questions as we try to help you make sense of all the medical jargon out there. ONE LOVE!