by B. Stone

Created on: May 16, 2009

Meridians are the invisible energetic pathways circulating throughout the entire body, carrying qi (pronounced chi). They connect everything, from the organs deep within the body, to the teeth. According to Chinese medicine, these channels are a part of subtle matter. Unlike physical matter, which vibrates very slowly, subtle matter vibrates faster than the speed of light, and is therefore unseen. The meridians are detectable by the energy fields they give off, which can be perceived by hand by a highly skilled and aware acupuncturist, or just as accurately with manual muscle testing or a micro-electrical voltage meter.

Qi is the life force flowing within all of us. It is both positive and negative energy, traveling continuously from one meridian to the next, with no end and no beginning. When qi is able to flow freely, the body is healthy; the mind is balanced and in harmony. When qi is blocked however, the body becomes unhealthy and vulnerable to disease. An imbalance can be caused by a poor mental state, such as anger, fear, or self-pity; by the environment, a poor diet, stress, or over-exertion. Once the energy flow within the meridians is disturbed, so too is activity at the cellular level. By working with meridians, an acupuncturist can correct the problem, allowing the body to return to a state of optimum health.

There are more than 500 points (xue) along the meridians where the qi rises very close to the surface. It is at these points that external qi energy interchanges with internal qi energy. What an acupuncturist does is stimulate the specific points, usually with a needle. This resets the energy flow within the meridians.

There are 12 major meridians within the body, as well as a network of minor ones. The 12 are known as principle meridians. They are named for the organ that they are associated with, although two meridians, the pericardium, and sanjiao, or the triple burner, are considered to be functional units in Chinese medicine. The meridians are categorized as either yin (energy of the earth) or yang (energy of heaven). For every yin meridian, there is a corresponding yang pathway. The meridians are also divided as either arm or leg channels.

Those that are yin, travel from the earth - from the feet to the body, along the arms, to the fingertips. Yin meridians are considered interior, and the organs they are associated with are thought to have a more interior function. These meridians are all located on the interior side

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>