Winter is the season of conservation of energy in Nature, when some animals go into hibernation. The colour is dark blue or black. The element for Winter is Water, and the associated organs are the Kidney and Bladder.  If our Water energy is low, we may feel tired, with aching in the lower back or the abdomen feeling bloated perhaps.  Emotionally we may feel fear or despair. Winter is a time to nourish ourselves and keep warm, and expend as little energy as possible .

Important! Perform this exercise in a slow and relaxed manner.

Kidney and Bladder Meridian Stretch

• Sit on the floor with your legs stretched straight out.
• Keep your knees straight and try to keep your legs in contact with the floor as much as possible.
• On the out breath, link your thumbs together and reach up with your arms above your head.
• Bend your upper body forward and bring your arms down and stretch them out towards your toes. Unlink your thumbs and invert your palms to face outwards to the arches so that the thumbs are turned down towards the heels.
• Breathe in deeply and feel the stretch in your arms and legs.
• Exhale slowly and you will find that you can stretch a little further.  Do not force it.
• Repeat this breathing and stretching several times.