TCM meets somatic healing & art.
Water is a fundamental substance for creating and maintaining life. Our earth is 70% covered in water and our body is mostly made of the water and body fluids. This fluid substance is one of the main sources for human evolution.
We want to learn more about fluid intelligence of the water and how to live up to this wisdom in our contemporary body through healing & creativity.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the human body is a miniature of nature, made out of five elements: earth, water, fire, air and space. These elements are always living within us, to regenerate and nourish us in order to maintain life.
5 elements theory intertwines with the internal organ system. Including both the physiological functions of our organs as well as the metaphysical aspects of emotion, wisdom and spiritual meaning of these organs in our human body.
Water Element -The Kidneys
In TCM, water belongs to the kidneys. The kidneys are often referred to as the root of life. The kidneys have Yin (receptive energy) & Yang (active energy) aspect. Kidney-yin is a fundamental substance (essence) for birth, growth & reproductions while Kidney yang is the motive force for all physiological process.
Kidney essence is a base of our body constitution that is inherited by our parents and ancestors. We share our water body and pass it onto next generation.
Kidney energy resides in the sacrum and lower belly, resonates though the spine and to the brain, open in the ears. Hearing is a relevant sensory organ. In ancient rituals and healings, creating sound and voice chanting are the important elements to excess to the water consciousness.
Kidneys host will power. Invincibility is the spirit of the kidneys. Fear is a relevant emotion. Balancing the polarities (desire & fear, light & shadow, the conscious & the unconscious) is a spiritual work in life.
Symptoms & disorders
In TCM Kidneys are connected to the bladder as yin & yang organ partners for water regulation and emotional responses. When there is imbalance of Kidney energy, such symptoms can be shown ;
-Physical symptoms: urination problems, back pain, fluid retention, cold feet, night sweat, tinnitus, chronic fatigue, hair loss, autoimmune diseases, congenital problems, developmental disabilities, kidney and bladder problems in general.
-Mind symptoms: trauma, anxiety, panic attack, burn-out, fibromyalgia, phobia, psychosis.
-Medicine: transforming generational pain and fear, feeling and letting-go process.
Practice 1 – Somatic healing
In order to work with the Kidney symptoms, you need to connect to feelings and intuition. Invite yourself to feel and experience the water qualities such as tranquil, caring, transformative, intuitive, reflective and creative nature.
Come into a resting position with your knees up, focus on the acupuncture points REN4 & KID1, visualise the inner triangle from the lower belly to the sole of the feet. Breath calmly. Feel your body state as calm water through your breathing. Pay attention to the sound of the space.
Ren 4 Guanyuan 관원(Gate of origin)
Ren 4 is one of the most importnat acupuncture points to strengthen and nourish the kidneys ( Qi, Yin and Yang), noursishes essence, benefits original Qi, calms the Shen( spirit), benefits menstruation and the uterus.
Kidney 1 Yongquan 용천 (Gushing spring)
Kid 1 is an excellent point to subdue excessive energy manifesting in the upper body (such as headache, dizziness, pain of the neck, anger and maniac psychosis etc.), and rebalance energy and revive consciousness.
Practice 2- Creation: Drawing a symbol is a practice of direct creation and direct perception. Symbols represent a meaning in shapes. Take some moment to draw a symbol from the experience of the somatic healing practice. Connect to your symbol to receive energy and look through what is beyond the shape and colour.
*Reference: The foundation of Chinese medicine(Giovanni Maciocia), A manuel of acupuncture(Peter Deadman), The book of symbols(ARAS)) and the sessions in Medicine body studio, Amsterdam.
Jihae Ko is a registered acupuncturist, somatic therapist, dance artist & researcher based in Amsterdam. Her work explores health of body, mind, emotion and spirit by integrating knowledges of Traditional Chinese Medicine, somatic healing and art expression. Ko helps her clients to feel at rest and assist healing process where clients can connect to their own self- healing capacity.
She grew up with Traditional Korean Medicine; her father is a life long Korean medicine practitioner in South Korea. Initially she worked as a professional dancer and choreographer. She brings years of body knowledge in her practice.
She is a co-owner of Medicine Body Studio in Amsterdam.