Here in the West our biggest fears are connected to coping; coping with money, relationships, careers, family etc. and usually all at once. Some of us have stronger coping mechanisms, or willpower, than others. And others are struggling just to get through the day.

A diminished or broken willpower can impair our ability to cope in life. Excessive stress, emotional trauma, low self-esteem and exhaustion can all diminish our willpower. The end result is that our fears start to overpower us and keep us small and held down. We can become so inhibited that we literally become paralyzed from taking necessary action.

The body-mind is naturally designed to try to achieve health and balance at all times. This process is called homeostasis. To counterbalance any disproportion of power between willpower and fears, the mind will take a rigid, inflexible stance to try to reclaim control. Consciously or unconsciously one may create a firm mind set to counterbalance the feeling of being out of control.

The problem with this pattern is that it prevents the mind from being open to new ideas, perspectives or experiences which can put the fear-willpower pendulum back in balance. An encaged mind blocks itself from the energy of expansion moving us farther away from conquering our fears. The end result is that the pattern is reinforced and the fears ultimately gain even more power.

The kidneys are responsible for keeping our willpower and fear energies in balance. They are housed in the low back and are analogous to a furnace and keep us warm. They also provide us with vital life force energy and are part of the excretory system. The kidney meridian runs from the kidneys up through the core of the body and ends in the inner ear. A division also runs from the kidneys down the leg, wraps around the knee and ends in the foot. When the fear energies running through the kidneys become imbalanced we may experience low back pain, exhaustion, internal coldness, inner ear problems, and/or knee problems.

A classic example of this relationship between willpower and fears can be seen in a small child. A child who is learning how to assert their own power may lock their knees in defiance when being asked to do something. In this scenario, the child is learning to assert their power in the only way they know how. And since the kidney meridian wraps around the knees, it is no coincidence that the knees are the joints involved during willpower versus fear expression.

Willpower and fears co-exist and when they are in balance our mind can remain relaxed, flexible and pliable. But when they get out of balance the very opposite will occur; the mind blocks itself from finding solutions. But our willpower can be strengthened and renewed by remaining present to our thoughts and feelings of the moment. The past and  future hold no power when we remain present. A present mind holds little space for fears. And every time we overcome a fear instead of giving in to it, we build more willpower. The end result is more courage and a more flexible, balanced body-mind.

~ Exerpt from “You Can Heal Your Chakras” by Angela Strank