I Was Feeling Insecure When…
As we are coming to the end of the winter water element, I was struck by how essential water is to make life habitable in a very personal way.
We just arrived in Costa Rica a few days before our yoga retreat starts, and our Airbnb didn’t have water! Not a drop.
No bathing, no cooking, completely relying on drinking water from what we brought. Ayiiiii! Needless to say, we had to quickly re-locate.
Now, I’ve done a lot of camping and stayed in cabins where I’ve hauled my own water, and that was fine as long as I had a source of water to get to. But there wasn’t a source here to draw water from, and it suddenly felt uninhabitable.
No matter how nice the surroundings and the aesthetics were, it doesn’t work without water.
Water is life.
The water element is associated directly with our kidney qi (energy); our kidneys are our bio-batteries. Without their energy and function, we can’t survive. They are the source of energy for all of our other organs.
I was struck by how insecure I felt in this situation. When our kidney qi is low or depleted, the emotions of fear and insecurity rise.
When kidney qi is balanced, we naturally feel a strong sense of endurance and willpower, which is needed for spring and summer growth and fruition.
With the growth of the spring coming and the wood element’s energy sprouting, water is key. To have strong growth, we need a strong source of water, especially when the roots are establishing themselves.
The spring’s wood element is associated with our liver and gallbladder energy. This energy moves upward, like sprouts rising with an inspiration to grow and become!
Without water, the roots are weak and shallow. Strong, deep roots are essential to withstand the storms and challenges of growth.
This spouting energy rising within us is likened to our inspirations and ideas that want to come forth. This requires the water element (our kidneys) to be strong and consistent.
How do we do this?
In our yoga and qigong practices, we tend to the kidney/bladder meridians, the energy pathways that feed the organs with qi. The organs are like the lakes of energy; the meridians are the rivers that feed the lakes.
The meridians need an even and balanced energy flow for the organs to operate optimally. When they do, we feel the emotional virtues of the organ's energy, like the strong endurance and calm, tranquil mind from the kidneys.
With this tranquil mind and endurance to sustain, we can clearly see what wants to grow within us. This is the winter water energy feeding the spring wood energy.
When the spring wood energy is fed well by the water, our ideas can manifest with the strong foundation of our well-watered roots. The water feeds the wood energy of the liver with upward-rising inspiration, kindness, generosity, and an easy-going disposition -- the ultimate spring expression. The liver is responsible for an even flow of qi throughout our entire being.
When the water energy is weak, the wood energy becomes frustrated and angry that it can’t reach its potential.
Knowing spring is on its way; it’s imperative to consistently tend to our kidney qi, allowing a smooth flow of water energy to nourish the inspiration rising.
We can do this by meditating daily using the breathwork from the metal energy connected to our lungs, as deep abdominal breathing feeds and supports the water energy, creating a clear and tranquil mind.
Breathwork clears the mind.
With this clarity comes the discerning mind.
Discernment guides us to focus on the inspirations and ideas that would be most beneficial.
And what we focus on grows.
Blessings,
Maggie