Body Wisdom: The Kidneys – Keepers of Our Deep Reserves

In Western medicine, the kidneys are seen as two bean-shaped filters in the lower back. They regulate fluids, balance electrolytes, filter waste from the blood, and produce hormones to manage blood pressure and red blood cell production. When they fail, the focus turns to medication, dialysis, or transplant.

In Chinese medicine, the Kidneys are far more than filters. They are the foundation of life itself — storing our essence (jīng), governing growth, reproduction, and aging, and acting as the root of both yin and yang in the body. The strength of the Kidneys determines vitality, fertility, and resilience across a lifetime.

The Kidneys’ role

The Kidneys store essence in two forms: congenital (inherited at birth) and acquired (nourished through food, air, and lifestyle). This essence fuels our growth as children, fertility in adulthood, and longevity in later years. When depleted, symptoms like fatigue, weak bones, infertility, poor memory, early greying, or hearing loss may arise.

Emotionally, the Kidneys govern willpower (zhì) and are linked with fear. When strong, we feel determined and steady. When weak, fear and discouragement surface easily. The Kidneys also support the lower back, knees, bones, and hearing — the structure and strength of the body itself.

Their partner is the Bladder, and together they regulate water and elimination, linking to the Water element and the season of winter — the time of rest, depth, and conservation.

Qigong and the Kidneys

In Qigong, the Kidney meridian begins on the sole of the foot and rises up the inner legs into the torso. In Qigong, grounding practices like rooted standing, slow weight-shifting, and gentle spirals through the waist awaken this meridian, drawing strength from the ground and replenishing inner reserves.

'The Health Official' - The Integrated Qigong Deep Front Meridian from the book Move Life Better by Deniz Paradot. All rights reserved. ©

Students often describe a deeper stillness after Kidney-focused practice — as if their centre has dropped, the mind has quieted, and a quiet determination has returned. Qigong gives us a way to conserve and restore Kidney energy, rather than spend it recklessly.

Caring for the Kidneys all year

The Kidneys are strongest in winter, but because they store our deepest reserves, they benefit from support in every season. Think of them as your “battery” — easy to run down, but slower to recharge.

Ways to support the Kidneys:

• Stay warm – Protect your lower back and feet, especially in cold or windy weather.

• Rest deeply – Balance activity with restorative sleep and quiet reflection.

• Eat nourishing foods – Black sesame, walnuts, seaweed, bone broth, and kidney beans are traditional Kidney tonics.

• Conserve energy – Avoid habits that drain essence, like chronic overwork or excess strain.

• Practise grounding – Breath-led Qigong, slow walking, and rooted standing strengthen willpower and restore balance.

The Kidneys in balance

When the Kidneys are strong, we feel steady, vital, and resilient. They give us the will to endure, the depth to rest, and the strength to rise again. More than filters, the Kidneys are the keepers of our deepest reserves — protecting the life force that carries us through every season of living.

This post is part of my “Body Wisdom: Living in Balance” series — exploring each organ through both Western and Chinese views, and showing how Qigong helps us embody these insights in practice.

Heart | Pericardium | Small Intestine | Lungs | Large Intestine | Liver | Gallbladder | Spleen | Stomach | Kidneys | Bladder | Triple Warmer | Qigong as Movement Medicine