How to manage side effects of retention while having weak kidneys?

[Edward M]

Hey Bums,

 

Hoping I could get a little advice/tips from some of the experienced practitioners on this board.

 

So, the issue I have is that it is necessary for me to retain ideally for a month at a time in order to build up kidney yin and overall kidney/energy system strength. But because of this i'm told it's not a great idea for me to run the mco in case kidneys can't take it.

I'm getting side effects from retaining that include restlessness, agitation and over active mind.

The good effects i'm getting include stronger legs and it taking much less time to get into one pointedness when I sit.

 

I guess my question is will just sitting watching the breath (which feels great at the moment, probably only time that I feel complete apart from a small shamanic practice I do) help to move some of this energy/ circulate it?

 

Anything else you could recommend? i'm under care of a good tcm doctor who's prescriptions help a great deal, but go through periods like now when i need something more to help.

 

My feeling is it is building up at the solar plexus somewhat which is probably blocked to some degree.

 

I'm not looking to fiddle with individual chakra's, I don't believe it is good practice unless instructed properly.

 

Also, please don't recommend taiji or other ima, i'm done with that..long story!

 

Thanks in advance!

[Marks of Glory]

There is the possibility of grounding the excess qi to the ground, which would not drain the energy vessels from your legs (ejaculating would).

 

To get past your solar plexus you should know how to relax your diagragm and abdominal muscles. Try the Following.

 

- Lay down on your back in Shavasana (savasana).

 

Slowly relax you whole body, arms, then legs, the back, then head, then abdominal muscles, etc. one at each time.

 

After you are considerably relaxed.. focus primarily you abdominal muscles... try to relax them to the point that they will sink toward the ground with the gravity pull.

 

Now go on to you diafragm.. it is a little tricky to feel the diafragm, just concentrate on the area of you solar plexus - stomach. And bring you consciousness some inches inside your body... Now, relaxxxxxxx.. especially when breathing out.

 

After you practice a while, you will manage to relax your diafragm together with you abdominal muscles... You will know that you are managing to relax them deeply because your diafragm will spontaneosly move upward (toward your heart), your rib cage will naturally expand laterally, and you abdomen will suck in, causing a vacuum effect on your digestive cavity, due to the upward pull of the relaxed diafragm. All those movements will happen at the same time, maybe a little violently and for a short period of time initially... if you manage, you will certainly know that you managed it.. it is beautiful. This is the True UDDIYANA BANDHA.

 

A picture:

 

It is not only wrong, but also harmfull to practice uddiyana bandha by contracting the abdominal muscles inward... IT WILL BLOCK THE ENERGY FURTHER STILL.

 

After you managed it laying down.. try to do it sitting down, and whilst doing jalandhara bandha, in the following sequence:

 

1)breathe in 2)breathe out 3)Hold your breath out 4)chin lock 5)relax abdominal muscles and diafragm (spontaneous uddiyana bandha) 6) stop uddiyana bandha 7)relsease chin lock 8) breath in

 

don't harmyour self... youi MUST be relaxed during the practice.. remember it is an advfanced practice. I recomend doing it olny after you mastered breath retention inward and outward, which takes some years.

 

Notice that, when practiced properly.. the throat pit will be sucked in spontaneously also... the chin lock (jaladhara bandha) will help maintaining the air tight in your lungs...

 

If you want to do this practice.. you must manage to do it in a very relaxed state.... and with the correnct inhalation:retention:exhalation:retention ratio.

 

The upper sucktion and relaxation of this practice will make the energy get past the solar plexus easily, but be ware... it will go straight to your head, you must know what you are doing, and where/how to direct this energy if it get's stuck any where up there....

 

All this information is because you asked for it... please be careful... Any problems you may PM me

 

It is not only wrong, but also harmfull to practice uddiyana bandha by contracting the abdominal muscles inward... IT WILL BLOCK THE ENERGY FURTHER STILL.

 

Please... very careful... dealing with energy is a delicate art... you must be cautious... I recomend you practice nadi shodhana pranayama some years before attemting it...this will increase your breath retention period and adapt your body for the pranic load.

 

Hope this helps..

 

Marks

Edited September 3, 2012 by Marks of Glory

[Edward M]

MarksOfGlory,

 

Thanks so much!! that is exactly the kind of thing I was looking for!

 

I wont be trying the advanced sitting practice you mentioned to be cautious with, i'm not qualified plus i've had problems with energy in the head anyway.

 

Okay, gonna write this down and practice within the hour.

 

This is very interesting because i've had pain in the diaphram lately and a sickly feeling that stinks of unprocessed fears etc..

 

For grounding, do you have any specific recommendations? i'm doing a lot of gardening work at the moment which i find helps in that respect..

 

Once again, thanks so much!