I have a lot of unprocessed shock and grief that I am slowly starting to work through – testing different strategies and sharing those that work well, like today’s post.
I have been diligently working on processing the shock of learning of Max’s death – and realized that almost 4 years later, I still haven’t fully integrated the shock of that day.
As I shared in my recent talk, after a police officer called to alert me to the car accident, it took hours to confirm that Max was the child who passed at the scene of the accident.
This sent my whole system into shock, a common defense mechanism in response to the overwhelming emotions that accompany trauma. When you are unable to fully process or respond to the traumatic event, your mind and body freeze or dissociate as a protective mechanism.
This freeze response was helpful in the early stages of grief, but over time, the unprocessed emotions have started to trigger other problems. l have been working with an Emotion Code practitioner to unpack my grief and my shock, which helps to release emotions trapped in different organs.
In case you don’t know, Emotions Code helps explain how certain emotions correspond to physical ailments. “For example, people whose lives were ruled by anger seemed to suffer from liver and gall bladder trouble. People who spent their lives feeling grief would often suffer from lung or colon trouble. Fearful people seemed to have kidney and bladder problems.” Emotions Code author Bradley Nelson notes that “if you are feeling the emotion of fear, your kidneys or bladder are creating that particular energy or vibration.”
As I focused in on clearing this early but ongoing shock, the focus shifted to my kidneys. Supporting my kidneys with Kidney Support oil helped to calm and shift the shock.
Symptoms of Shock
Shock – and the freeze response – can present as emotional and cognitive symptoms like:
- Brain fog
- Social or Emotional Withdrawal
- Anxiety and Panic Attacks
- Numbness, Disconnection or Disassociation
- Inability to concentrate
- Difficulty coping with emotions and memories
- Denial and Confusion
I definitely experienced all of these emotions over the course of the last three years, but in order to move forward and heal, it felt like it was time to do the heavy lifting and begin chipping away at the iceberg of my shock and grief.
It turns out that the kidneys were an important missing piece of the grief puzzle.
How Kidneys Support Shock
The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs that sit on top of your adrenals glands that filter blood, remove waste and excess fluid to make urine. The kidneys also regulate the balance of fluids in the body, blood pressure (by maintaining the salt and water balance) and the body’s acid-alkaline balance (pH) by selectively filtering out or retaining various minerals and electrolytes. In relation to shock, your kidneys constantly react to hormones that the brain sends them – like fear signals.
In Traditional Chinese medicine (TMC), the kidneys are known as the organ of fear and shock – which means that unprocessed fear (i.e. fear or shock that is not expressed) will be stored in the kidneys.
The kidneys control the volume, composition and pressure of fluids in all the cells. Blood flows through the kidneys at its highest pressure, filtering out toxins and directing nourishing materials to where they are needed. Water is symbolic of the unconscious, our emotion and of that which we do not understand and that which we fear.
Feelings of fear and paranoia can be held in the kidneys impairing function. Fear residing in the kidneys can be expressed as feelings of chronic fear, anxiety, insecurity, feeling isolated or aloof.
Symptoms of Kidney Imbalance
Emotions stored in the kidneys can contribute to health issues like:
- Fatigue
- Poor kidney filtration
- Frequent urination, urinary tract infections or urinary incontinence
- Night sweats
- Dry mouth
- Poor short-term memory
- Low back pain
- Ringing in the ears, hearing loss, other ear conditions
- Adrenal Fatigue
- Rashes, Edema, Bags around the eyes
- Anxiety, General uneasiness and fear of change. This may prompt you to seek security in food, old patterns, people and situations.
- Melancholy, lack of interest in once-loved activities, and/or reduced participation in social interactions.
Of the sensory organs, the ears have a special relationship with the kidneys, so any kidney issues, including emotional kidney-related issues, can present as ear-related issues, including chronic ear infections, tinnitus, or poor hearing.
Essential Oils for Kidneys
Topically applied essential oils for kidneys can be a powerful tool to help strengthen kidney function. For example, several essential oils possess natural diuretic and anti-inflammatory properties and may help enhance your body’s efforts to maintain proper fluid balance, support bladder function and aid overall urinary health. In fact, research demonstrates that essential oils can significantly relieve symptoms of kidney disease.
Essential oils can increase the flow of bodily fluids, such as urine, to help flush excess water and toxins from the body. This is especially helpful if you suffer from edema or swelling due to excess water accumulation. Essential oils for kidneys also possess antiseptic qualities that are helpful in preventing kidney inflammation and relieving urinary tract infections.
READ THIS NEXT: Essential Oils for the Kidneys
Kidney Support™
Kidney Support™ is designed to help you strengthen your kidneys, cleanse your urinary tract system and feelings of safety, dispel fear and bring about a balance of emotions.
Vibrant Blue Oils Emotion Balance Kidney Support™ blend contains a proprietary formulation of organic and/or wild crafted essential oils of
Cedarwood (Cedrus deodora): has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, which make it beneficial for kidney health. Cedarwood essential oil has natural kidney supporting diuretic properties meaning that it helps support kidney health and eliminate toxins naturally.
Cedarwood can also calm fear and shock. The constituent cedrol in cedarwood oil has been found to have a soothing effect on mood, making it beneficial for anxiety, fear and shock, according to an animal study reported in Physiology and BehaviorTrusted Source
Fir Needle (Abies alba) contains active compounds that support detoxification, including cleansing properties, free radical scavenging and bacteria destroying abilities that help you rid your body of toxins.
Research on the “Radical Scavenging Activity of the Essential Oil of Silver Fir” confirmed the found that fir oil constituents of Limonene, β-pinene and α-pinene exerted antioxidant capacity and free radical scavenging capability.
Frankincense (Boswellia carterii): boosts powerful anti-inflammatory properties that helps reduce inflammation in the kidneys to improve kidney health. It may also prevent the formation of kidney stones. Frankincense is also antibacterial and antiseptic which helps prevent the excess of harmful bacteria in the kidneys.
Finally, Frankincense helps relieve nervous tension and stress related conditions. The constituent sesquiterpene, which enables it to go beyond the blood brain barrier to assist in increasing oxygen around the pituitary gland which helps support your energy and your mood.
Pine (Pinus nigra): Due to its stimulating nature, it helps relieve fatigue, nervous exhaustion and other stress related conditions. Pine essential oil is also touted as having anti-inflammatory effects, which helps ease kidney inflammation.
Spruce (Tsuga canadensis): assists in calming and relaxation due to the presence of monoterpenes that has positive effect on mood. Spruce essential oil also treats wounds and speeds up the healing process. It prevents the infection of wounds and also provide relief from muscular pain. As with most deep-rooting trees, spruce oil is very grounding and balancing to the root chakra and the kidneys which can help calm fear and shock.
Ylang Ylang (Cananga odorata genuina): Soothes the nervous system, calms the mind, which helps calm shock and relieve mental fatigue, anxiety, tension headaches, depression, and insomnia. It has strong antidepressant properties and it helps to bring the emotions into proper balance.
Research back this up – A small study found that ylang ylang reduced anxiety and boosted self-esteem when topically applied and inhaled. Another study found that inhalation of ylang ylang had a sedative effect, by significantly reducing systolic and diastolic blood pressure rates as well as heart rate.
Ylang ylang contains linalool, a compound which has been shown to have antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties.
Apply Kidney Support™ over the kidneys (lower back, size of a fist starting at bottom rib), over the forehead or around the outside of earlobes ( as there is a connection between the kidneys and the ears) can help support the kidney’s optimal function. You can massage the heels and soles of your feet as well, which are on the same meridian as the kidneys and bladder.
The yongquan pressure point, found right in the middle of the foot, has a direct connection to the kidneys. For Aromatic Usage, hold the bottle under nose for 3 or 4 breaths.
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References:
- https://home.hccnet.nl/pbl.smit/Bradley_Nelson_-_The_Emotion_Code.pdf
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_pressure
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrolyte
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3203284/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29326032/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25076278/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5435909/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2675024/
