Zhi – the energy of our will, purpose and destiny according to TCM

In TCM, Zhi is one of the five spirits that represent the foundation of a person’s being. As the spirit of the Kidney, our Water Element, Zhi represents wisdom, purpose and perseverance. Zhi translates to "will" or "willpower" and refers to the spiritual aspect of the kidneys, representing our drive, determination, and the focused intention to achieve our goals in life. Essentially, it is the part of us that provides the ambition and persistence to manifest our desires. Additionally, Zhi is thought to be the innate power of life itself – the drive to stay alive and survive.

A person with strong Kidney strength has strong Zhi. When our Zhi is in balance, we move forward in life effortlessly, as if propelled by some invisible force – a kind of “going with the flow” that is marked by ease and grace. A healthy Zhi invites us to faithfully move toward the unknown, take the reins of our destiny, and trust that we are the co-creator of our future. Strong Zhi gives us the "will" to act, the power of intention, and the ability to set goals and pursue them.

Anything that injures the Kidney will also injure the Zhi. Trauma, ongoing stress, penetrating cold, addiction, overwork, and insufficient sleep all drain our Kidney Qi and damage our Zhi.  These symptoms can coincide with premature aging (looking older than you are), low back/knee pain, bladder issues, chronic exhaustion, recurrent or lingering illness, ear ringing, thyroid imbalances, forgetfulness and memory loss, edema and insomnia.

When Zhi is healthy and balanced, a person feels motivated, focused, and has a strong sense of purpose. Imbalances in Zhi can lead to a lack of motivation, indecisiveness, feeling overwhelmed, or a lack of direction in life. It often manifests as a desire to run away from our life and a vague or existential fear.

More specifically, imbalanced Zhi can manifest as one of two extremes – either lack of drive or overdrive (reflecting the Kidney’s dual Yin-Yang nature). On the one hand, a person may exhibit listlessness and passivity, lack of will power or drive, withdrawal and despair. From a western medicine perspective, this often manifests as chronic depression.  Alternately, a person may become easily agitated, unrelentingly active, and hyper-determined. In this case, imbalanced Zhi can become destructive, resulting in recklessness and excessive risk-taking.

Zhi and our will to act

Zhi is associated with the element of water. Zhi is also the minister in charge of the intention and effort required to accomplish things. This includes the effort and perseverance needed to succeed in life. According to Daoism, the highest use of personal will is to align ourselves with the “will of Nature” or the Dao. The spirit-infused action arising from such a choice has the quality of wu wei: effortless or "right" action.

Will reflects the determination of the mind. If what one aspires to is aligned with what is beneficial for life, the will serves the development and achievement of the being. If what one aspires to is opposed to the natural order, the will turns its power against life, exhausting vitality with the passions and debasing it with inappropriate desires.

The Zhi spirit lives in the kidneys and presides over the most inaccessible parts of the psyche, the biochemical intelligence of the endocrine system, the knowing of our bones, the instinctual responses of the sex organs. The power of the Zhi is related to the power of the life force, instinct, will, and the driving urgency of ambition. Zhi arises from the wellspring of our being and imbues us with the desire to grow, thrive, and live fully. We encounter this mystery each time a child is conceived, a seed sprouts, or a new creative impulse is engendered. The Zhi spirit is the deepest aspect of our instinctual selves. To access the power of Zhi, we must be still and face our fears.

Bladder / UB 52

In acupuncture, the point that reaches deeply and supports the Zhi is UB 52 – called the Ambition Room or Residence of the Will (Zhishi). It is located on our back, three cun lateral to DU4, level with L2 vertebra.

Most importantly, UB 52 tonifies the Kidney and nourishes the Essence, which is stored in the Kidneys. This point also treats lumbar pain, incontinence, impotence and infertility by strengthening the Kidney. Emotionally, for those who are lacking motivation, it strengthens our will power and courage, determination and perseverance. It also supports a person who is experiencing chronic fear and anxiety which are detrimental to Kidney Qi.

 

Cultivating Zhi in your daily life

There are several lifestyle modifications that can help strengthen our Zhi spirit, including: 

·      Eat nourishing foods without too much salt

·      Get sufficient rest and peaceful sleep

·      Do calming forms of exercise, such as tai chi, qi gong, walking mediation, or yoga

·      Avoid excess thinking, working and desires

·      Take time to sit in stillness to quiet the mind and attend to internal landscape

·      Spend time with water, especially in nature

·      Get foot massages and foot baths (KD meridian begins at the bottom of the foot)

Additionally, we can boost and reinforce our Zhi by challenging ourselves and resisting the urge to take the easy way out:

·      Dare to do something you’ve never done before

·      Do something for 5 minutes longer when you’d rather stop

·      Do something very slowly

·      Do something no one would expect you to do

·      Postpone an action you want to do

·      Do something now that you’d prefer to postpone