Meridians form a network of overlapping pathways of Qi throughout the body. They are "how" and "where" it moves to perform it’s functions mentioned in the previous article.
12 Main Meridians
We classify these channels in different ways, the first being, to which of the twelve primary organs they are connected. These twelve also travel down either the arms, or legs, connecting the surface of the body, to the internal organs. The channels also connect distal to proximal, as they run from the tips of the fingers and toes, to the bodies trunk, and head.
The Meridian time clock
The qi runs through these channels in a circuit, with certain times of day that each channel is most active. That time frame is two hours, and it runs in a certain order. For example, 3-5 am is when the lung channel is most active. That’s followed by the Large Intestine, from 5-7 am, (it’s yin/yang pair).
This is helpful for treatment and diagnosis. If you find yourself constantly waking, or getting symptoms at a certain time of day, it may be a clue that the meridian for that time is out of balance.
Extraordinary Channels
There are a few other channels that are not associated with organs, but help tie the body together. For example, the Du channel, which runs up the spine and over the top of the head. Or the Dai channel which wraps around the waist like a belt.
When we do acupuncture or Qi Gong, we’re encouraging the flow through the channels.
Points
On the main channels, there are specific points that can influence the flow of qi to parts of the bodies, organs, and tissues. While there are hundreds of points on the body, in practice we use some more than others. Especially useful are distal points. Points close to the surface of the body on the arms and legs. These points are very responsive to acupuncture. They go by two names. One that is descriptive; and one that is the name of the channel, and the number of that point on the channel. So the point Large Intestine 4, is the 4th point on that channel. It’s also called “Hegu”, meaning “Joining Valley.”
Through these points, we can influence the flow of qi. We can treat issues that occur along the channel. For example, the Large Intestine 4 point on the hand, is good for treating shoulder pain, as the channel runs up the arm and to the shoulder.
We can also treat problems of that organ function. So again, the Large Intestine 4 point for problems of the Large Intestine. It’s the acupuncturist’s job to figure out the location and nature of the imbalance, then come up with a point prescription to rectify the flow of qi.
Thank you,
Michael Savalli LAc
If you’d like to learn more, and how acupuncture can benefit you specifically, email at:
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