The Kidney's Relationship With The Liver
The liver stores blood and the kidneys store essence. The liver promotes flowing and spreading actions, while the kidney promotes storing and sealing up actions. Both organs are situated in the lower burner (part of the triple burner), which is said to be from the same origin. They coordinate with each other both in physiology and pathology.Water can nourish wood
The liver not only promotes flowing and spreading actions; it also stores blood and regulates its supply, ensuring proper blood circulation and bodily adjustment. According to the five elements theory, the liver belongs to wood element and kidneys belong to water element. The water element (kidneys) generates the wood element (liver), this is sometimes referred to as a mother-child relationship, because the nurturing nature just like a baby mother bonding. Based on this relationship, the kidneys support and control the liver functioning. A sample for this is about kidney yin and liver yin. Kidney yin nourishes liver yin so it makes the liver yang unlikely to be hyperactive, and therefore, creates unrestrained conditions for flowing and spreading actions of the body. On the other hand, the liver yin contributes to the regeneration of kidney yin, and among them, kidney-yin plays a dominant role in the relationship. Abundance in kidney yin is crucial in retaining the dynamic balance between them. If kidney yin is deficient, then the water element fails to nourish the wood element and leads to yin deficiency in both liver and the kidneys and also hyperactivity of liver yang. Then, excessive fire evils accumulate inside the body, symptoms like headaches and pain on the rib sides will occur.Essence and blood transform each other mutually
Acquired essence and blood come from the same source; they are transformed from the nutrient essence that produced by the stomach and spleen. The blood is then stored in the liver and the essence is stored in the kidneys. Normally, blood stored in the liver relies on kidney's essence for enrichment; while essence stored in the kidneys relies on liver's blood for constant replenishment. The two mutually transform and nourish each other.Both organs possess ministerial fire
The ministerial fire is originated from the vital gate, which is then housed in the liver and kidneys. The ministerial fire works with the monarch fire (heart fire) to promote healthy functioning of the whole body. A coordinated working manner of two organs is crucial.Their functions are opposite but complementary
The liver promotes flowing and spreading actions; while the kidneys promote storing and sealing up actions. The actions of them are opposite but complementary in nature. Proper control on flowing and spreading by the liver ensures that the kidneys work within its normal capacity so it does not become hyperactive. On the other hand, proper control on storing and sealing up by the kidneys restrict the liver so it does not hyper or under function. This special relationship is illustrated when looking at male ejaculation or female menstruation. If the liver fails to play flowing and spreading actions, the kidneys cannot store essence, that result in hyperactive liver-yang, vital gate fire exposure, and kidney essence leaking, then it will give rise to nocturnal emission, and menstrual disorders.
