Water up and Fire down: Kidneys (Water) and Heart (Fire) harmonization
Good for (against!) insomnia and hot flashes!!
This exercise is very simple but very efficient. First, we bring water up to the top of the chest (the Heart) to cool down (make more Yin) the top of the body. And second, we bring the excess of heat in the Heart (Pericardium) down towards the kidneys, the back, the legs and out of the feet.
Because this exercise brings the heat (Yang energy) from the head down to the bottom of the body, it calms down and gives a sensation of inner balance that will make you fall asleep. Your can do this exercise anytime and as many times as you want, mainly when you feel agitated and unable to sleep. This exercise is particularly recommended for women having hot flashes.
Don’t be surprised if you yawn. It is normal. If you stop yawning after a while, it means you have done the exercise enough.
1) Lie on your back with your arms along your body. Your chin is slightly tucked and your feet are about 25 cm apart.
2) Let’s start with 2 full breathing. Take a big inhale through the nose: your belly expands. Exhale and let your belly contract. Do not force. Another time.
3) Now get ready. Flex your feet so that your heels don’t touch the ground any more. Make tight fists with your middle finger pressing strongly in the center of your palms. Stick your lumbars on the ground and tuck your chin in your chest.
4) Inhale VERY SLOWLY and VERY DEEPLY from the soles of your feet (Kidney 1) up to your collar bones (Kidney 27). Let the breath move up in the inside of your legs and on your torso. Feel your upper ribs expand and a cool sensation move up to the top of your lungs. Inhale until you can no longer inhale. Be relax and open.
5) Let go of your hands and your feet, exhaling with the HHHAAAW sound. This exhalation starts at the heart, moves down to the kidneys, the back, the belly, the legs and the feet. Your will maybe feel like a warm vapor cloud coming out of your feet.
6) Again, we do 2 full breathing. Inhale, belly expands. Exhale, belly contracts. Another time.
7) And we repeat the exercise as often as we feel we need to do it. Yawning will be an indication if you need to go on or not. When you feel you don’t need to yawn anymore, it means you have done enough.
8) When you are finished, breathe normally, relax and observe for a few minutes.
(See other meditations on my Medical and Energizing Chi Kung DVD, and on my TAO CD.)