Traditional Chinese Medicine holds that “by the age of forty, yang qi is deficient,” which gives rise to the saying, “If you don’t tonify yang by forty, you’ll suffer in your fifties.” As we grow older, it becomes increasingly difficult for yang qi to flourish; it gradually diminishes, leading to a rising incidence of illness. So how can we replenish yang qi?

Kidney yang is the very foundation of yang energy in the body, so there’s no better place to start replenishing it than the kidneys. Today, Little Doctor will teach you a few super-simple methods!

In our daily diet, we can gently nourish yang by drawing out the essence of food.

For example, the “Five Blacks”—black rice, black beans, black sesame seeds, black jujubes, and black wood ear mushrooms—should definitely be eaten more often. In addition, yam, Euryale seeds, walnut kernels, ginkgo nuts, lotus seeds, pig kidneys, pig stomach, Chinese chives, mulberries, lychees, kelp, laver, black-bone chicken, shiitake mushrooms, fermented soybeans, goji berries, chestnuts, and loaches are all excellent foods for tonifying the kidneys.

Preparation: 6 grams of American ginseng, 3 grams each of Ligustrum fruit, Eclipta prostrata, Salvia miltiorrhiza, Rubus idaeus, and dried tangerine peel; decoct daily and consume as soup.

Ingredients: 500 grams of black beans, plus 6 grams each of Shanyuanzi, Bai Zili, Changpu, stir-fried Duzhong, Bu Gu Zhi, Dahui Xiang, and walnut kernels.

Method:

1. Combine star anise with the preceding five herbs, add enough water to fully submerge them, bring to a boil, and simmer for 30 minutes; then strain out the solids and retain the herbal decoction.

2. Soak the black beans in the medicinal solution for 4 hours, allowing them to fully absorb the medicinal potency.

3. Cook the beans, adding the walnut kernels and a pinch of salt at this stage (preferably coarse sea salt; if unavailable, table salt is fine). Continue cooking until the beans are tender throughout and have a glossy, dark sheen.

Ingredients: black beans (1 small handful), coix seeds (3 handfuls), rice (2 handfuls), black sesame seeds (1 small handful), walnuts (2).

Method:

1. Soak all ingredients for one hour;

2. Place the ingredients in an earthenware pot and cook into a porridge; once cooked, add brown sugar.

Ingredients: 5–10 grams of goji berries and 5–10 grams of poria, plus 6 grams of black tea.

Preparation: Grind goji berries and poria together into a fine powder. Take 5–10 grams each time, add 6 grams of black tea, and steep in boiling water for 10 minutes. Drink twice daily as a tea substitute.

The kidneys govern the storage of essence and open to the ears; therefore, regular ear exercises can strengthen the kidneys and waist, nourish the body, and promote longevity.

Place the index fingers of both hands on the inner side of the ear tragus, then use the index fingers and thumbs to gently lift and pull the tragus and earlobe from the inside outward, gradually increasing the pressure from light to moderate—stop when you feel no pain. Perform this motion for 3 to 5 minutes each time, and whenever your hands are free, you can massage your ears while watching TV.

Soaking your feet not only keeps you warm but also promotes circulation of qi and blood throughout the body, while stimulating acupoints on the feet to help balance yin and yang and regulate the body’s qi and blood.

Soaking your feet at 9 p.m. is the best time for kidney health. The reason this time is chosen for kidney tonification is that it corresponds to a period when the qi and blood of the Kidney Meridian are relatively weak. During this time, soaking your feet raises body temperature, causing the blood vessels to dilate, which helps invigorate the blood and thereby promotes circulation throughout the body.

04 Walking on Tiptoes

When walking on tiptoes, the medial aspect of the forefoot and the big toe bear the primary load, and the Kidney Meridian of the Foot-Shaoyin, the Liver Meridian of the Foot-Jueyin, and the Spleen Meridian of the Foot-Taiyin all pass through this area.

This technique massages the Three Yin Channels of the Foot and, via the Shaoyin Kidney Meridian, warms and tonifies kidney yang. Every day, rise onto your toes and walk for about 10 minutes, pausing occasionally as needed to rest when you feel tired—simply aim to stimulate the acupoints in this way.

Shenyu, Mingmen, Guanyuan, and Taixi are acupoints that nourish and protect the kidneys; they are suitable for both men and women. Massage each point for five minutes daily, and with consistent practice over one month, you will noticeably feel a surge of kidney energy.

Location: The Shenyu acupoint is level with the Mingmen acupoint, located 1.5 cun lateral to the spinous process of the second lumbar vertebra, with one on each side.

Benefits: The Shenyu acupoint is a key point on the Kidney Meridian. Regularly pressing it can strengthen kidney qi and enhance kidney function, particularly providing significant relief for menstrual irregularities and low sexual desire.

Location: On the body’s midline, measure down four finger-widths from the navel to locate the Guanyuan acupoint.

Effects: The Guanyuan acupoint functions like a valve for the body, sealing in the vital essence and preventing its leakage. It is the reservoir where men store their Jing and women accumulate their Blood, serving as the site of accumulation for the body’s fundamental Yin and Yang.

Location: In the depression between the medial malleolus and the Achilles tendon. Bilaterally symmetrical.

Effects: Taixi is the Yuan point of the Kidney Meridian, where the original qi of the meridian passes through and lingers. For this reason, ancient practitioners referred to Taixi as one of the “Nine Points for Restoring Yang,” believing it to possess a potent ability to restore yang and reverse critical conditions.

Location: The Mingmen acupoint is located between the spinous processes of the second and third lumbar vertebrae. Simply put, it lies in the midline of the lower back, directly opposite the navel.

Benefits: For men, it is a powerful acupoint for enhancing sexual vitality; for women, it is a beauty point that helps maintain youthful appearance. It is indispensable for tonifying the kidneys and strengthening yang, as well as for warming the uterus and preparing for pregnancy.