Yes, there is an optimal energy state—one in which your body is filled with pure energy that circulates freely. In the body’s system of energy points, channels and centers, there is an ideal circuit of energy flow known as
Water Up, Fire Down.
Water Up
The water energy in your body originates in your kidneys. Physically, the kidneys are responsible for keeping the blood clean and chemically balanced; they make urine from water and waste in the blood. Energetically, however, the kidneys are responsible for cooling the fire energy that comes from the heart and turning it into water energy. Water energy from the kidneys travels up the back along the Governing Vessel Meridian to the energy center in the head, which is associated with your
sixth and
seventh chakras. The water energy cools the head before sinking down the front of the body along the Conception Vessel Meridian and returning to the heart to continue the cycle.
Fire Down
The heart, in addition to pumping blood to circulate it throughout the body, is associated with fire and passion. In the body’s energy system, the heart energy center in the chest, which is associated with your
fourth chakra, generates hot fire energy that flows down along the Conception Vessel Meridian to the energy center in the lower abdomen.
Your lower abdomen—the area enclosed by your hips—serves as an energy-collecting bucket. The energy center there, which is associated with your
first and
second chakras, acts as a furnace. It generates power for the body and mind with the energy collected. In doing so, it also creates enough force to shoot fire energy up the lower back to the kidneys and beyond (after the energy is cooled by the kidneys).
As a result of this cycle, you are able to keep a cool head for making good decisions and a warm belly for digesting food well and having the power to act on your decisions.
The condition of the energy centers in your head, chest, and abdomen greatly affects the Water Up, Fire Down energy circuit. If the energy in your chest becomes stuck because of tension, stress, and worry, fire energy remains there and backs up into your head, increasing the number of uncontrollable thoughts and emotions you have, especially negative ones. Even if the energy center in your chest is open, if the energy center in your abdomen is weak or blocked, it cannot hold as much energy as you need and cannot send enough energy to your kidneys. In this situation, you may feel lethargic and your thoughts and actions may become disconnected.
Mind-body practices based on this system of energy are designed to produce and maintain Water Up, Fire Down energy flow. They open up your energy channels, centers, and points so that energy does not get stuck in any one place. They also fill your energy system with fresh energy, strengthening it in the process. You can find many of these practices in the videos, articles, and courses available on
ChangeYourEnergy.com.
So if you feel tired or unmotivated, if you have a headache or anxiety, or even if you’re just having trouble focusing, it means your energy state is not optimal. Luckily, it also means that with simple exercises you can reverse these conditions by making your energy flow in a Water Up, Fire Down circuit. If you practice them every day, you can keep your mind, body, and energy working at their best.
For more information on the Water Up, Fire Down energy cycle and how to apply it to every part of your life, check out Ilchi Lee's book, Water Up Fire Down: An Energy Principle for Creating Calmness, Clarity, and a Lifetime of Health.