Meridian Channels
The meridian system:
the ‘motherboard’ of our bio-computer.
Each meridian pathway appears to attend to a specific part of the body, to maintain health and homeostasis, and move Qi and/or blood. If this Qi does not flow smoothly, it will cause physical and/or emotional disease.
Problems can arise in the meridians:
- when there is a lack of energy flow (Qi deficiency),
- when there are blockages in the flow of this energy (Stagnation of Qi),
- when the quality of the energy is imbalanced (too much or too little Yin or Yang energy),
- when the flow of the energy is inharmonious (ascending when it should be descending or v.v.), and
- when there is Stasis of Blood. The purpose of Chinese medicine is to maintain the movement of qi, so as to invigorate life. Acupoints treat them.
The meridians flow from one to another in a specific time frame and sequence. The flow begins at the Lung at 3-5am and ends at the Liver from 1-3am:
Click chart for larger image
Main Meridians:
Lung (Fei): Hand Tai Yin. 3-5am.
- governs qi and respiration, responsible for Wei qi (protective qi), regulates water passages/pores/sweat
- manifests on the skin and body hair; opens to the nose
- emotion is grief, sadness
- taste is pungent
- spirit is the Po (corporeal soul- the soul that goes on after death): deals with reception of life
- stores phelgm
Large Intestine (Da Chang): Hand Yang Ming. 5-7am.
- accepts impure food and water, reabsorbs water, makes impure food/water into stool
- deals with evacuation of life
Stomach (Wei): Foot Yang Ming 7-9am.
- accepts and contains food and water
- rots and ripens food/water. Transfers it to small intestine
- controls descending of Qi
- origin of body fluids
Spleen (Pi): Foot Tai Yin. 9-11am.
- governs post-natal qi, creates blood from food, controls blood and keeps it in vessels, controls muscles and limbs, raises qi
- manifests on the lips; opens to mouth (taste/appetite)
- emotion is worry/ over-thinking
- taste is sweet
- spirit is Yi: thought, capacity to think, memory
- creates phelgm
Heart (Xin): Heart Shaoyin. 11-1pm.
- governs blood, blood vessels, and circulation
- manifests on face/complexion; opens to tongue (speech, talking, laughing)
- emotion is joy (overjoy/mania)
- taste is bitter
- spirit is shen: mind, emotions, consciousness, long-term memory, sleep
Small Intestine (Xiao Chang): Hand Tai Yang. 1-3pm.
- receives/transforms food; separates clean from dirty
- responsible for mental clarity and discernment (physical and emotional)
Bladder (Pangguang): Foot Tai Yang. 3-5pm.
- contains body fluids, excretes urine
Kidney (Shen): Foot Shaoyin. 5-7pm.
- governs birth, development, reproduction, death
- ming men life gate regulates fire for all internal organ, functions, and willpower
- produces marrow, fills up brain, controls bones; responsible for memory, concentration, thinking, physical and mental strength
- manifests on head hair; opens to ears
- emotion is fear
- spirit is Zhi: will power
- root of original qi
Pericardium: Hand Jueyin. 7-9pm.
- governs blood
- houses shen and protects heart
- influences mental and emotional states, helps influence relationship with others
- ambassador of/creator of joy and happiness
Triple Warmer (San Jiao): Hand Shaoyang. 9-11pm.
- governs irrigation of upper, middle, and lower jiaos (breath, digestion, excretion)
- similar to the lymphatic system
Gallbladder (Dan): Foot Shaoyang. 11-1am.
- stores and excretes bile for digestion
- controls sinews; provides qi for movement
- gives courage and strength to make decisions
- controls quality of sleep (good sleep vs nightmares)
Liver (Gan): Foot Jueyin. 1-3am.
- stores and regulates blood; regulates menses
- maintains free flow of qi
- controls sinews and tendons: provides blood for movement
- manifests on nails; opens to eyes
- emotion is anger
- spirit: Hun: influences capacity of life planning; if not rooted will have floating feeling or fear before sleep
The external trajectories
of the Basic Meridians
either begin or end on the hands, or feet.
The meridians themselves do not begin or end on the outside of the body, but originate deep within the organs and vital energetic centers (Chakras) of the body. So, by modifying the energy of a point just beneath the surface of the skin, we are modifying the energy deep within the body.
Our acupuncture points are somewhat like amplifiers along a telephone line (primo-vascular system of meridians) which interact with energy inside as well as outside the body.
As an open energy system, these points act like portals that bring information of the external surroundings to the internal system for it to adapt to the external environment.
These portals can be manipulated through the use of acupuncture needles with endings that are shaped like vortices to better send & receive light (energy + information). This also affects the energy flows inside the body’s organs and surrounding fascia.
The body uses these portals also to “look” outside. Every organ sends some of its energy+info flow to the peripheral portal system to get information about what is happening outside and then adapt to it.
Some portals can be connected to several meridians and are also major connection points for numerous pathways of energy where energy sinks into and flows out from the body.
A point itself is like a tiny electrochemical ‘organ’ which serves as a gateway and storage house for all types of mind-energy, constantly “working” for homeostasis.
Most known acupuncture points have been detected with modern GSR devices and radioactive isotopic tracing and proven valid.
About 700 vital energetic ‘holes’ have been found. Many more are physically apparent (skin pores, hair follicles, sweat glands, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, anus, urethra).
Pain release can be achieved by using acupuncture needles and/or moxibustion.
Acupuncture helps the cells of the nervous system to release endorphins.
