The Reiki Cafe 

Hi Bruce,

I notice a couple of times that you have mentioned working on the kidney areas in relation to different things going on in the body. Can I ask whether it is worth concentrating on the kidney area for someone who is both depressed and anxious? I was drawn to the kidneys and liver whilst sending Reiki to them today,but this may also be due to an alcohol dependency problem and hence detoxing needed in these areas anyway. I can't seem to find the post but I seem to recall you mentioning that the kidneys being linked to vitality. I just wondered...hope you don't mind me asking :)

Gentle Blessings
Helen

Hello, Helen,

In the correspondences of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the kidneys (and bladder) process fear. The kidneys are also thought to store the body's "original" energy, which is inherited from the parents.

For depression -- the lungs and large intestine process grief.

For anxiety -- the "spleen" (primarily pancreas) and stomach process worry.

Other correspondences from TCM:
Liver and gallbladder process anger.
Heart and small intestine process restlessness.

I hope this helps. Don't hesitate to ask further if follow-up is needed.

Bruce

rainbow said on

>Hi Bruce,
>
>I notice a couple of times that you have mentioned working on the kidney areas in relation to different things going on in the body. Can I ask whether it is worth concentrating on the kidney area for someone who is both depressed and anxious? I was drawn to the kidneys and liver whilst sending Reiki to them today,but this may also be due to an alcohol dependency problem and hence detoxing needed in these areas anyway. I can't seem to find the post but I seem to recall you mentioning that the kidneys being linked to vitality. I just wondered...hope you don't mind me asking :)
>
>Gentle Blessings
>Helen

Hi Bruce,

Many thanks for your reply, it is very helpful and much appreciated.

As I understand it depression is often caused by repressed anger turned inwards, so this may also explain the pull towards treating the liver in this particular case.

Thanks again.

Gentle Blessings
Helen

Helen,

Hi,

Anger turned inwards is one posited 'factor' in some depressions (but I am not sure I would say most). And it is important to distinguish between the acute, reactive depressions which often are relatively short-lived and the chroinic depressions. But anger turned inward really begs the question of the source of the anger. Thus, as one might expect, some will suggest that there is some bio-chemically related depression first from which anger grows which then exacerbates the depression making the person more angry, then more depressed ........so, almost a chicken-or-egg issue as some see it.

For myself? I tend to follow the line that most clinically depressed people were not angry first; that there were other more significant factors at some point early on. I have also noticed over the years that anger can be used to defend against depression; and that anger can be directed outwardly in one way or another.

For some it is easier to be ornery or grumpy than be depressed.

Cheers,

RC

Hi RC,

Yes I can certainly see your point :)

I have never even considered the fact that anger could actually be a defence against depression in certain cases, although I have to say that the more I think about it the more sense it makes. I guess that certain life 'events' make some retreat from life for self preservation and some come out fighting it for all their worth.

Gentle Blessings
Helen

Helen,

In the creative cycle of the 5 elements, kidney energy nourishes the liver (water creates wood). If I work on a condition in which the liver is low on energy, I'm likely to work on the kidneys too in order to support the liver indirectly.

Bruce

Hi Bruce,

Many thanks, I'll work on the kidneys too.

Gentle Blessings
Helen

Hi Bruce,
I hope you don't mind but I was reading your reply and remembered that my acupunturist had told me that my asthma was due more to my kidneys being blocked than with allergies. I was also suffering from some depression so what you say about kidneys definitely rang true for me.
Tracey

Tracey,

When an organ has congested energy, one way to alleviate the condition is to help send energy from that organ to the next one in the creative cycle of the "five elements" of TCM.

Asthma is congested energy of the lungs. Lung energy nourishes kidney energy. I've thought that if the kidneys don't draw enough energy, then there could be a backup of too much energy in the lungs, but hadn't gotten confirmation of that until your message. Thanks for writing it.

Bruce

dakota said on

>Hi Bruce,
>I hope you don't mind but I was reading your reply and remembered that my acupunturist had told me that my asthma was due more to my kidneys being blocked than with allergies. I was also suffering from some depression so what you say about kidneys definitely rang true for me.
>Tracey