Zhi, The Will that can’t be willed
The spirit of the Kidneys is the Zhi. It has been translated as will or motivation and the character shows something that is able to stand firm and upright. Zhi describes our ability to stand in our own presence, remember what we stand for and is that secret ingredient that is required to remain focused on the important tasks of our own life.
Zhi gives us the drive that enables us to remain motivated and the strength to take a firm hand to achieve our deeper purpose in life. In the Lingshu, the definition of Zhi is described as a steadiness of intention like a tension that keeps us taut facing in a certain direction.
Nourishing the kidneys
Take time to reflect and journal on where you are now. Is there anything you are bringing forward from the past into the present? If so, can you return to that which is always open, your heart?
Looking again into your heart now you have lived some life, are you able to accept what you can not change and can we close the chapter?
As life progresses the strength of the kidneys declines and overall vigour and stamina diminish. If you are burning the candle at both ends, factor rest into your week much like the Autumn and Winter phases of the season cycle.
Nourish the kidneys with not only water and sleep but blue-black foods such as black beans, kidney beans, blueberries and if you eat meat, kidney, lean protein. Limi sodium, phosphorus, and potassium.
Explore bringing Yin Yoga into your weekly routine to recover, uncover and nourish your inner world so you may meet your whole life with grace, presence and resilience.
Set up the conditions for good sleep with Meditation and breathing practices to hold a space open for yourself, listening in openness to settle into sleep.
The Kidneys are said to hold that which pushes the organism into actualising its fullest potential. Despite the changes and obstacle we all will face in our lives, this drive, is regarded as the most powerful drive in people. At the most fundamental level, the Zhi gives people the drive to survive.
This intent and purpose stored internally, acts like a fountain head like a well spring so long as the well spring is not dried up because of exhaustion. Only then can we remain faced in the direction our life is to take and it is the will of the kidneys that holds this tension.
This describes the passage to returning to something greater because it is our origin and it is through this movement that we discover the anchorage of the axis of our life. Through this deep inner alignment we bring nature to the heart. Understanding why we are here, the purpose of our presence is Dharma. Dharma is to not only understand the purpose of our lives but what life really is about.
