Kidney 3 is such a fantastic point and it’s easy to find. Look for the depression or “great ravine” on your inner ankle. Technically it’s located between the medial malleolus and the achilles tendon. Start at the top point of your inner ankle bone and move your finger towards the back of your ankle. When your finger falls into a dip you’ve found it.
It is a source point and a shu-stream point. Source points are great for treating diseases of the internal organs, for eliminating pathogenic factors and for reinforcing antipathogenic factors. Shu-stream points aid in alleviating heaviness and pain in the joints.
Massaging this point tonifies kidney yin and yang. However it is important for all kidney deficiencies, not just those. These could show themselves as difficulty sleeping, lethargy, little to no energy, fearfulness and anxiety, and an ovceractive flight/ fight response.
The kidneys house the energy that gives us drive and purpose. They also hold that which was passed down from our ancestors. If you’re feeling a little disconnected and lost, KI3 is a great point for you.
Kidney 3 is located on the reflex area for the organs of reproductive function and fertility. For this reason it can help with low libido, fertility issues, irregular menstruation and pms symptoms.
On a more structural level Kidney 3 can help with lumbar, knee and ankle pain. It can also help to strengthen the low back.
With the kidneys sense organ being the ears you could also see symptoms like loss of hearing, deafness and low tone tinnitus.
The kidneys can also play a role in frequent urination, extreme weight loss or gain, headaches in the back of the head, dizziness, cough and asthma and toothaches.
Press on kidney 3 while inhaling and release while exhaling. Do this for 3 minutes on each ankle a few times a week to feel the full benefits. This point also responds well to soaking up to your ankles in a foot bath.
Aysha Nuttall, RAc, INHC