Emma Newlyn Yoga

As we move into Winter, this is the season to focus on nourishing the energy of the kidneys, which to be honest is probably where a lot of us need to be focusing most of the time! 

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the kidneys store our ‘Jing’ or ‘essence’, also known in Ayurveda as ‘Ojas’. This is the energy of your resilience, immunity, fertility, strength, longevity, your juiciness and protection. It’s also directly linked to our adrenal health. 

Jing / Ojas is depleted through excess stress, over-working, under-eating, too little sleep and too much rushing around. It’s also depleted through illness and has a direct impact on whether our adrenals are balanced or depleted too. 

By focusing on nourishing Jing & kidney energy this Winter, we give ourselves a strong foundation from which to ‘spring’ from in the next season of Spring.

Finding Pressure Point K1
Acupressure point K1 or ‘bubbling spring’ helps pull excessive over-thinking and busy-ness from the head, improves sleep, reduces dizziness and anxiety, provides a greater sense of groundedness & helps reduce fear. From an Ayurvedic standpoint, this is also known as the ‘Talahridaya Marma Point’ on the foot. It’s one of the most popular & effective points for helping calm your adrenals, restore your Jing & Ojas, and rebalance your energy. 

To locate K1, find a little ‘dip’ in the centre point on the soles of your feet. If you scrunch up your toes, you’ll notice a natural indentation about a 3rd of the way down, roughly in line with the space between your big toe and second toe. Use your thumbs to massage the points for a few minutes, or until you feel a shift in your own energy – maybe a sigh or yawn. Even better – use some warm oil to massage the point, especially if you tend to get cold feet in Winter.

Practice daily this season.