Do You Have Fear Around Health and Money?

author/source: Dr. Amba Dryg - Tobin

Photo Courtesy of Amelia Vu Do you have Fear ... Around health and money?

Probably most people think it's worry more than fear about our health or money concerns. However, it can be both.

In medical qigong therapy we say that fear relates to the kidneys and worry relates to the spleen. These two are a little different. As we get older, many of us tend to be fearful when we have diagnoses or that we will have a diagnosis of something a little more serious.

Financial concerns also can be the spleen worry or the kidneys fear. However- like with health concerns – it can be a combination of both. As we age we may worry about having enough to retire or leave our families. And we may fear that we won’t have enough to retire comfortably.

Why is it important to notice if it's more of a fear than a worry or vice versa? Because the spleen has a lot more energy that can be cultivated and the kidneys have some energy that can be cultivated. There is also an aspect of the kidneys that is a certain kind of energy that is limited. The kind that we are given when we are born and it's exactly that amount we have for the rest of our lives and we want to be careful not to waste it—through fear OR LONELINESS

Wait what? Yes, loneliness is also a part of the acquired emotions that relate to the kidneys
If you find yourself worrying do the healing sound for the spleen SHONGGGG. A deep breath and exhale that sounds from a high pitch to a low pitch- imagining that gray smoke is leaving the left side and spleen.

There is not a healing sound for the Kidneys- because we do not want to reduce energy in the kidneys. We can only take a deep breath and exhale without a sound- and imagine gray smoke leaving your body carrying with it all the fear and loneliness. However, you would only do this on 2 or 3 exhales. Unlike with spleen, you could do this several times.

Photo Courtesy of Mr Xerty from Unsplash What are the issues physically that can be related to the kidneys? Bone density issues, brain health- focus or brain fuzz. Hearing issues related to kidneys. Hips and knee issues are considered related to the kidneys. Sexual organs, urinary issues, incontinence. And energy levels as in – I have no energy or I have tons of energy. Sleep issues. Things also relate to the liver and heart as well. Due to the balancing system of 5 element theories in traditional Chinese medicine.

The spleen relates to so much too- but I will save that for another time. What we can do with the kidneys is ask ourselves- when was the earliest time we can remember feeling fearful and then begin journaling about it. Do some inner child work. I can talk to you about what I mean in medical qigong therapy ways of doing that work- which is different from most inner child work.

The main thing is to be mindful of what you are feeling and notice it without judgment and express it with art or journaling or sound- of singing or humming- but not as a healing sound to the organ for kidneys. Maybe sing a song of SELF-CONFIDENCE, or inner strength or wisdom.

Because of the kidneys, it is said that we are born with self-confidence, inner strength, and wisdom. Some of the virtues are energetically in the kidneys. This kind of energy can be recharged in the kidneys. With wearing more blue, black or purple sort of colors. As Kidneys are the water element. Also, we can eat blueberries, red cabbage, purple potatoes, black beans, and KIDNEY BEANS. Ever notice that the kidney bean looks like a kidney?

And if you are a meat eater- eat LAMB. That is probably the best thing you can eat for your kidneys. Of course, it helps if you like lamb. I love lamb. I don’t love the idea of any animal having to be killed however, if I do once in a while eat lamb - I ask for a blessing and gratitude for the lamb giving its life.

Photo Courtesy of Nathan Dumlao This is the 1^st fear I can remember. I remember a lamb in a painting at a church. As I stood there as a 2 or 3-year-old in a church before my mother passed me off to someone to watch me—I had fear. I do not remember what happened after it. I feel like my mother did not leave me there. For whatever reason.

I honestly do not remember ever being afraid in my youth again. Part of that is also because I think I was blessed to be in a loving family with a lot of hugs and all my needs being met. Which helps the brain pathways be wired for self-soothing. Babies and young children who are left to cry themselves to sleep as some early childhood teachers used to suggest- wires the brain to have the pathways of easy to go to fear or stress. –so if you have any young ones- be sure to soothe them ASAP- so that their brain pathways learn to self-soothe faster.

True of adults as well, if we are on the brain pathways of fear of worry- all the time- they are like a freeway—no longer a pathway. We want to have the pathway of noticing the uncomfortable feelings and expressing them in whatever way we can- medical qigong, art, breath, journaling, --so that the new pathways are over and over and over--- so it becomes a freeway—and the old uncomfortable emotions freeway gets grass growing over it and it becomes a small pathway or even barely a pathway…just a memory- of where we used to have fear.

Having tools helps. Like everything, it takes practice and consistency over time. Awareness of what we are feeling and being conscious, mindfulness to say to ourselves- I am feeling this- which tool can I use? It is best if you know which emotion goes with which organ- and if there is a healing sound- which sound?

And kidneys never have a sound. In a pinch for all the other organs, liver, lungs, spleen heart—you can use the heart sound---Haaaaaaa- high to low pitch. However, if you have a doctor diagnosed with low blood pressure- you only do 3 or 4----as it will lower your blood pressure. It is the healing sound homework I give clients with high blood pressure.

Photo Courtesy of Jordan Whitt However, with medical qigong therapy – we take into account many factors for health issues. Not just the emotions. There are a series of questions- like do you crave cold drinks or hot drinks? Do you wake up at night? What times do you stay up or go right back to sleep? Do you crave sweet foods or salty? Many questions as well as my clients- I ask questions that have to do with their spiritual faith. I never ask my clients to believe in what I believe. I ask and work with them- where they are at—and what they believe. Because with traditional Chinese medicine, we consider any spiritual faith or lack of it—as part of the balancing system.

Chinese medicine also considers art and community part of “spiritual” health. This brings us back to the Kidneys. Because the community who are supporting you – is helping you not feel lonely. Even if you are a shy person or a loner –it's good for your health to have some social support and interaction. Kidneys also is huge in brain health of not getting dementia.

Dementia is slowed down or avoided by good sleep and socialization. My father had dementia and was a very social person- and stopped being social as he got older. He would stay up all night for several days and sleep only here and there.

He also developed stage 3 kidney disease.

So please do yourself a favor. Start or continue taking care of your kidneys. And contact me for a free session in July. www.sitwellness.com/contact and we will check out your kidneys in the TCM medical qigong therapy way. TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE (TCM)

Warm Regards,