YOGA + FITNESS / Movement
A Three Pose Sequence for Kidney Health Invigoration, Purification + Detoxification INVIGORATE: Sphinx Pose (5 to 7 minutes) I call this the fountain of youth pose because it compresses the sacro-lumbar region of the spine where it’s said 80% of Americans find most stagnation in the low back, and where the kidney meridian tends to get most congested.
by Kali Basman
+ Tops of feet on the floor, lengthen front of ankle joint and release through soles of feet.
+ Upper inner thighs engage, slight pull in the inseam will stabilize base of spine.
+ Pubic bone as the anchor point, press
pubis into mat to create an anchor from which the spine lifts.
+ Navel lifts up and glides in toward the
spine to engage the corset of the middle abdomen and protect lower back.
+ Sternum lifts and spreads, widening
KIDNEY CHI:
The Yin Organ of Vitality
T
he Ancients called the kidneys “the great purifier” or “the engine of Chi.” Located below the lowest ribs on the back body, these bean shaped organs are like the reservoir of our Prana body: responsible for filtration of blood, lubrication of the tendons, ligaments and fascia, and the removal of water-soluble toxins. The kidneys hold the potential for greater immune response, maintenance of general vitality, youthfulness, creativity and sexuality. In Chinese Medicine, kidney energy controls the Chi, or essence, and thus gives stamina and vigor to the entire body and mind. The kidney meridian is the channel in which Chi nourishes the organ itself. It begins at the sole of the foot and curls
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around the inner ankle before ascending up the inseam of the back of the leg. As it reaches through the inner groin and pierces the perineum, it branches up either side of the spine and chest to end just beneath the collarbones. The kidneys are our internal reservoir — this inherent resource we possess for vigor and vitality. Kidneys need deep rest to revitalize the system and to provide the luster and lusciousness we can possess: glistening eye doors, juicy joints, succulent skin, buoyancy of breath. Practice this sequence of floor poses which organizes the skeleton in specific ways to awaken and enliven the connective tissue where the kidney pathway runs.
through the distal ends of the collarbones.
+ Base of skull pulls back and wide to
prevent jutting forward of the chin and to protect the neck.
+ Crown of head lifts to refine your relationship to the upper realms.
Prana Pattern (Breath Activity): Inhale, pull the tissue behind the navel back towards the sacral plate; exhale, keep it pulled in and widen across the kidney band beneath the lowest ribs.
“Let this be enough.”
YOGALIFELIVE.COM
