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SomeGeneralConsiderations
Fig.A
Fig.B
Becauseofthedifficultytopenetratethroughthedensearmorformedbythespine
andribsontheback,allthemeridiansotherthanTaiyangoflegtendtoflowoverthe
frontofthebody.Similarly,thebackoftheheadisenclosedwhilethefaceandtemporal
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regions are open through the sensory organs. Therefore, allmeridians also tend to
connectwiththefaceratherthanthebackofthehead.
Fig.C
IntheFig.C,onesideofbodyisillustratedshowingtwelvemeridiansdistributedof
theleftarmandleftleg.Noticethatthehorizontalcenterlineindicatesthebodytrunk
and the organs,while the vertical center line indicates spine.The vertical line at the
centerofthecirclesindicatesthebonesofthearmandleg.Inthisdiagram,theenergy
circulation follows thenumberingsystem.Note thatmeridianswhich initiate fromthehorizontallinestarttheircoursesfromthecorrespodingorgans(1,5,9,and3,11,7).The
others initiate from the tips of the limbs and eventually connect with their
correspondingorgans.Thetwelvemeridiansarenumberedonthediagramasfollows:
1:TaiyinofArm
2:YangmingofArm
3:YangmingofLeg
4:TaiyinofLeg
5:ShaoyinofArm
6:
Taiyang
of
Arm
7:TaiyangofLeg
8:ShaoyinofLeg
9:JueyinofArm
10:ShaoyangofArm
11:ShaoyangofLeg
12:JueyinofLeg
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Heavenisthesourceoftheyangmeridians;earthisthesourceoftheyinmeridians.
These energies flowbetween heaven and earth,merely passing through the human
body.
TheRenmai andDumaimeridians are created as a resultof symetricalpairs of
threeyinonthefrontandthreeyangontheback.AsmuchasRenmai/Dumaicircutis
themostvitalmeridiancirculationofthehumanbody,itistheresultoftheinteractionbetween the six qi circulation thru thebody and thebodys five elemental response.SinceRenmaiandDumaiarecreatedbytheuniversalsixqiinthehumanbody,thesetwoare theonlymeridians that trulybelong toan individual.This is thereasonwhy
RenmaiandDumaiarethemostimportantchannelsofcirculationforhumanexistance
(health,life,death).
Fig.D
Thekidneymeridian is themeridian thatmost closely follows and contributes to
Renmaiwhile also creating important channels likeChongmai.Together these three
meridianscontributethemostimportantqiflowincreatinganewlife(reproduction).
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The lungdealswiththemostyangqi,andthekidneythemostyinqi.Becausethey dealwith such opposite qualities of qi in a physical unit, theybecome a pair.Naturally,thereareconnectionsbetweenkidneychannelandlungchannelinternally.
ThelungchannelreachesdowntotheTantienandthekidneys,whilekidneychannelextends up to the lungs andbranchial tubes.While their two essences (qi andjingrespectively) mix between these two organs, the many variables of the internalenvironment arouse tremendous variety in the way that qi and jing manisfest insyndromes. In themicrocosm ofhumanbody, lungdrawsuniversalyang qi into themicrocosmic unit, and the kidney, through the action of the spleen and stomach,
suppliesyinenergyorjingqi.Thisishowmicrocosmsimulatesthemacrocosmicflowasshown in the Fig.C and Fig.D. Reducing this scheme to the smaller scale of an
individual,wecanconsidertheflowoftheexternalchannelsatthesurfaceofthebody
to be themacrocosm of the universe, and the internal flow of the channels as the
microcosmofhumanbody.Amore indepth synopsisofuniversal stemsandearthly
brancheswillbediscussedinmycommentariesoftheYoonchisectionoftheNeiching.
TheKidneyMeridianHere,wewillnotdiscussthekidneyorganpersenoremphasizethe importanceof
thekidneysbut, instead,summarize thecourseof thismeridian.Thekidneymeridian
initiatesfromthelastpointofthebladdermeridianlocatedonthefifthtoe.FromU.B.67
(Zhiyin),yangbecomesyin.TheTaiyangqiofwaterelementtransformsintoShaoyinofwater element by entering into the deepest center of the foot at Kd.1 (Yongquan).
Naturally,Kd.1 (Yongquan)point is in the foot,notsimplyon thebottomskinof foot.
The course of themeridian follows the interior aspect of the foot,moving upward
aroundthe
interior
malleolus
and
then
backward
and
down.
When
it
reaches
the
bottom
of the interiormalleolus, the qi entersdeeper into thejointand formsKd.6 (Zhaohai).Starting from Kd.6 (Zhaohai), the kidneymeridianbecomesmore involvedwith the
internalorgansandothermeridians.
KidneymeridiansLuopoint isKd.4 (Dazhong) and itdirectly communicatewith
BladdermeridianthroughU.B.58(Feiyang),theLuopointoftheBladdermeridian.This
pairofpointsactivelyexchange qi throughyin/yang transformation.AsKd.2 (Rangu)receivesandspringsouttheFireelementofShaoyin,YangmingqiinfluencefromSt.12(Quepen) throughYinqiaoMai causes the flowbetweenKd.2 (Rangu) andTaixi tobemuchmorevigorous.Thismakes theKd.3(Taixi)aneffectivepointforcontrolling the
flow(stream)ofkidneyqi.Kd.3(Taixi)formsapairwithU.B.60(Kunlun).TaixiisearthofyinandKunlunisfireofyang.Thesetwopointscontroleachotherandcontributeto
thebalancingoftwowater(BladderandKidney)meridians.
Thepairingofthesepointsnotonlycontributestobalancingofthesetwomeridians,
but alsohelps focusneedling effect to avery small areawhich isoftennecessary for
treating localizeddisorders likebrokenbones, cysts,obstructionsofurethra,etc.Kd.6
(Zhaohai)andU.B.62(Shenmai)alsoformapair.
***
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Kidney meridian has very complex relation with many other meridians. Kd.1
(Yongquan)isinpolaritywithheartmeridianHt.8(Shaofu).Kd.2(Rangu),Taixi,Zhaohai
andjiaoxin connects to Stomachmeridian throughQuepen (St12). BetweenSanjiaoxin
andYingu,Sanyinjiao (Sp6)connects thekidneymeridian to twootheryinmeridians
(Jueyin, Taiyin) while it branches into Yinqiao mai following closely the kidney
meridianuptoYingu.AtYingu,kidneymeridianconnectstoYinlingquan(Sp9,waterofTaiyin) and thewater elemental qualitybecomesmore clear and the combination of
spleen andkidney qi allowsYingu to influence the reproductive qimorepowerfully.Zhubin(K9)connectstospleenmeridianatFushethroughYinweimai,andextendsto
livermeridianatqimen,andfurtherextendstoRenmaiatTiantu.AfterYingu,kidneymeridianmovesupward towardChangqiang connectingdirectly toDumai andRen
mai . From Changqiang, one branch of kidney meridian follows the Du mai upto
Mingmenandentersintothebothadrenalglands(Huangmen,UB51)andthanintothe
kidneys.Fromthekidneys,twolinesofqientertheTantien.FromChangqiang,theotherbranchrisesfowardRenmaiformingChongmai,andatQugu(Ren2)itdividesintotwo
lines(.5
cun
lateral
to
Ren
mai
)to
reach
Huangshu
(K16)
at
the
level
of
umblicus.
Duringthiscourse,atHuiyin,additionalqi(downwardyangqi)fromtheTantienentersthe Renmai forming Chongmai, Renmai and kidneymeridian together. Renmai
connectswiththekidneymeridian,spleenmeridianandlivermeridianconnectingDahe
(K12), Fushe (Sp13),Jimai (Liv12) and Zhongji (Ren3), and through Zhongji, kidney
meridian contacts thebladder.Thekidneymeridianbranch through theDumai and
kidneyswhichenters thebladderalsojoins thekidneymeridianatGuanyuan (Ren4),
andconnectsbacktothekidneymeridianatqixue(K13)tocontinueupwardflowoftheShaoyinqi.FromHuangshu(K16),kidneymeridianmixesagainintoRenmaiandtravelsdown
internally to enter urinarybladder. From the kidneys, anotherbranch of kidney qimovesdirectly to liver,diaphragmand lung.Abranch from the lungentersheartand
connects to pericardium. The otherbranch from the lung follows thebranchial tube
laterally and reaches the root of the tongue. Between Yingu and Henggu, kidney
meridian communicateswith liver and spleenmeridian through connectionsbetween
Chongmai,Yinweimai,Yinqiaomai,livermeridianandspleenmeridian.AtChongmen
(Sp12), spleenmeridian conncectswith livermeridian and togetherwith the kidney
meridian,threeyinmeridiansmeetintheRenmaithroughQugu(Ren2).
DetailsoftheKidneyMeridianKd.1(Yongquan),awoodelementShaoyin(yinfire)ofwaterpointofleg(yin,lower
burner),hasadirectcontactwithHt.8(Shaofu)whichhasfireelementofShaoyin(yin
fire)ofhand (yang,upperburner).These twopointsare likenorthand southpoleof
magnet.The functionofKd.1(Yongquan) isbasicallytoregulatefire(heat)distribution
fromthewaterelementalviewpointwhileHt.8(Shaofu)controlsfirefromthesideofthe
fire (fire elemental viewpoint). Both points have interesting connectionwith G.V.20
(Baihui) and C.V.1 (Huiyin). The reason why these four points are all connected is
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becauseofthepolarityoftheqi.Intheacupunctureanatomicalpositionwithbothhandsupabove theheadstandingup,therearetwo layersofcircles;one isRenmaiandDu
maicircle,theotheristwelvemeridiancircle.G.V.20(Baihui)belongsyin(cold)fire,and
C.V.1(Huiyin)belongsyang(hot)water.Thefollowingthreechartsareincludedtoaid
theunderstadingofthispolarrelationofthefourpoints.
In this figure, the core is yin and the surface is yang.G.V.20 (Baihui) andC.V.1(Huiyin)areyin,Ht.8(Shaofu)andKd.1 (Yongquan)areyangfromthepointofviewofsurfaceandcore.
This chart implies the combination of two concepts of yin/yang differentiation;
lower/upper and in/out.Thismight look somewhat contradictory to the conventional
wayofmakingachartwithoneconceptofyin/yangdifferentiation.Please,trytoseethe
chartasathreedimentionalballshape,notaflatcircle.)
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As illustrated in the Figures , four points form an important symmetry: Yang
yang/yinyang/ yinyin /yangyin, twolayer circles of qi.Natually, these four pointssharesimilaritiesincontrollingcoldhotSanjiaoenergydistribution.Ht.8(Shaofu)hasagreat effect slowingheart ratedownby lowering theyang (heat) type tension in the
upper
burner
which
also
increases
the
yin
nature
of
lung
of
upper
burner
resulting
more
yang qi induction (deeperbreathing).Ht.8 (Shaofu), in comparison toG.V.20 (Baihui),dealswithhotter,butweaker,yangenergythatrisestothehighestlevelofthebody(the
Sanjiaoheatdistribution).G.V.20 (Baihui)alsocontrolsheatasa sedationpoint,and it
dealswithlessviolentbutmorepotentheatoftheSanjiaowhichrisesthroughbothRen
maiandDumaimeridiansandaccumulatesintheheadandshoulderaroundandabove
G.B.21 (Jianjing)Naturally,G.B.21 (Jianjing) isdirectly involved in the distribution of
heat in the entirebody trunk as apumpingpoint of activated qi.Yang qi that spinsupwardfromTantienafteractivationprocessthroughSanjiaoandMingmenpointsonthelowerbackwhilejingisconvertedintoqifromthekidneyandadrenalgland.The similarity of these two points on the yang pole is that they control heatby
sedating from the top. These points can easily control excessive heat surge into theupperportionofthebody(upperSanjiao)by loweringyangenergylevelandallowing
yinleveltoriseintheupperSanjiao.Inthecasesoftonificationofthesetwopoints,like
in the case of lacking qi support in the heart orbrain,we can applymoxibustion toachieve thecontactwith theheat in the lower level. In the techniquesofneedling,we
can tonify cold qiwith a silverneedlewitha slow, curvymotionat theneedle tip toachievethecontactwithcoldqiofthelowerSanjiaowhichasaresultwillsedatetheheat
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of theupperSanjiao.However,unlikeKd.1 (Yongquan)orC.V.1 (Huiyin)whichcanbe
treatedwithmoxibustion topullheatdownbyconnectingtheexcessiveheatofupper
SanjiaowiththecoldqioflowerSanjiao.Applying cold energy techniques to G.V.20 (Baihui) or Ht.8 (Shaofu) are not so
effective.This isbecause it ismuchharder topullcold qiupward than topullhot qidownward.Hotenergy,which isyang, isverymobile,butcoldenergywhich isyin isnotsomobile.IndealingwithKd.1(Yongquan)asaheatlevelcontroller,therearebasic
four ways to look at the yin/yang balancing.We can tonify or sedate with either
acupunctureormoxibustion.
Moreprecisely,we caneither tonifyor sedate cold qiorhot qiwith acupuncture.Withmoxibustion,wecanalsosedatecoldqiatanyleveloftheSanjiao,hookdownhotqi fromupperormiddleSanjiao, tonifyhot qiof lowerSanjiao,orconnecthot qi frombottomtotop.WhenweareusingKd.1(Yongquan)towarmupthecold lowerpartof
theSanjiao, it shouldbe tonifiedwithmoxibustion.Whenwewant tobringexcessive
heatdown fromupperSanjiao,we canpulldownheatbyusinga sedation technique
withsharp
moxibustion
heat.
If
we
want
to
simply
neutralize
the
upper
Sanjiao
heat
withKd.1 (Yongquan),we can sedate thatheatby strong sedationneedling technique
aftercontactingtheupperSanjiaoheatatthepoint.Ifwewanttoreinforcethefunctionof
Kd.1(Yongquan),thatistoexpellheavytoxicqiout,wecansimplysedatethecongestedheatattheKd.1(Yongquan)point.
Strangely enough, if we want to contact the upper Sanjiao heat at the Kd.1
(Yongquan) point,we should insert the needle deep, andwe should startdoingbird
pecking(actuallypickingout,notpeckingin)techniqueuntilheatissensedattheneedle
tip.Sucha technique iscalledbyourschool,fishingorhooking. In thiscase, it is
customarythinkingthatheatshouldbeonthesuperficiallevelisinappropriate.Thisis
becausewhenthereisnobloodflow,thereisnoclearqiflow.And,thereismoreheatinthedeeper levelof thecold feet thanon thesuperficial level.Ofcourse,whenweare
coolingahotfoot,weshouldinserttheneedleshallow.
C.V.1 (Huiyin) point has the very same function as Kd.1 (Yongquan). But, C.V.1
(Huiyin)has a special characteristics of theyin qi that ismore crystaline, contracting,accumulative,andimmobile.SincetheC.V.1(Huiyin)isconnectingRenmaiandDumai
which are thevitalmeridiansofhumanbody,many falsedeath casesare revivedby
triggeringtheextremeyinqiandcrystalizedyangqiatthepointtoactivateanddispersesuch qi upward through Tantien.Another name forC.V.1 (Huiyin) is Xiachimeaningextreme of the lower Sanjiao characteristics.However, do not disregard the other
yin/yangaspectofC.V.1 (Huiyin)which is fireofwater.This fireelement isdue to its
position,the
bottom
gate
of
Tantien.
Naturally,
the
fire
action
of
C.V.1
(Huiyin)
can
be
vigorous,but, it is a very superficial one.The fire action isvery easily lostbybeing
crystalized intoyinat thisposition.The fact thatC.V.1 (Huiyin)beingyinofyin,and
Kd.1 (Yongquan) being yangof yin is through different aspects of yin/yang
differentiantionthansimplytheaspectsofcoldandhot.Inthethreecharts,Fig.1,2,3,the
inward/outwardconceptisasimportantasthecold/hotconcept,andthesetwoconcepts
areoverlappedinthecharts.
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Kd.1 (Yongquan)hasan important fuction to root the qidownwardexpelling coldheavy toxic qi. Therefore the feet shouldbe relatively colder to achieve this action.However, if feet arekept too cold, thedownwardmovement ofyang qi of thebody(mobility is yang, and the qi goingdown in thebody is yang qi) stops and qigoingupward also stops. That is to say, Taiyang/Shaoyin transformation between U.B.67
(Zhiyin)andKd.1(Yongquan)becomeshinderedand thekidneymeridiancannotcarrymuchqitosupportkidneyaction.Ifthere isnotenoughhotyangqiintheSanjiao,thedecreasedlevelofqiflowandthesluggishmovementofthebladderandkidneyqicancause cold feet indicating low vital energy.Kd.1 (Yongquan),while this is a coldyin
point,canbeactivatedusuallybyheattonificationtechniqueswithmoxibustion,andit
isaveryeffectivepointformanyurgentconditionslikeunconsciousnessduetostroke,
cardiacarrest,sunstroke,etc.
In general, Kd.1 (Yongquan) is effective to heat up the lowerSanjiao (urogenital
system,lowergastrointestinaltract),toreinforcethekidneyliverqitransformation(fiveelementallythiswoodelementaljingwellpointisagateoftonificationfromkidneyto
livertonification
cycle)
which
many
times
concerns
nerve
stress
and
insomnia
due
to
hyperactivity of nerves and endocrinal glands, to lower the heat level of the upper
Sanjiao(especiallyofthehead,heart,lung)and/ortostoptheheatrisingintotheupper
Sanjiao,andtofreeupfrozenqiforemergencies.Kd.1(Yongquan)isasonpoint(wood,thesonofwater)andisusedtosedatekidney
meridian qi flow. But, because of the strong heat/cold polarity action of the point,sedatingkidneywaterelemementthroughthispointisnoteasilydone.
The second point of the kidneymeridian,Kd.2 (Rangu), is also the first point of
Yinqiaomai.Yinqiaomai(RongmaiorDragonChannel)springshere,soitsnicknameis
Rongquan(dragonspring).Kd.2(Rangu)isafireofwaterelementpointresonatingwith
root of tongue andwater of fire element of heartHt.3 (Shouhai) and fire element of
Sanjiao,T.W.2(Yemen).Allthreepointsareveryeffectivepointsforcrackedtongueand
manyothertongue,heartconditionsandbleedingcondtions(especiallywaterelemental
organs,likehemorrhageofuterus,kidney,bladder,etc.).Tobespecificandtoillustrate
thedifferencebetweenKd.2(Rangu)andT.W.2(Yemen)forthedrycrackingtongue,one
shouldtonifyatT.W.2(Yemen)becauseitisthewateroffireofShaoyang;andsedateat
Kd.2 (Rangu)because it isthe fireofwaterofShaoyin.In thiscaseofsedationatKd.2
(Rangu),needlingshouldbedoneatashallowlevelsoasnottodamagetheYinqiaoand
Kidneymeridianswhichfeedthefundamentalwaterelement.Asweallknowfromthe
primary needling techniques, for each acupuncture point there are basically five
needlingdepths:
lung,
heart,
spleen,
liver
and
kidney.
Yinqiaomai starts at Kd.2 (Rangu),but it is not the representative point for the
Yinqiaomai,instead,Kd.6(Zhaohai)representstheYinqiaomai.Kd.3(Taixi)isintheoppsitepositionofU.B.60(Kunlun).AsaYuanpointofShaoyin
meridian, it communicateswithHt.7 (Shenmen) ofHeartmeridian (polarity);both ofthesepointsareShustreamearthelementofShaoyin.Kd.3 (Taixi) isearthofwaterof
Shaoyin,Ht.7(Shenmen)isearthoffireofShaoyin.Oneinterestingindicationforbothofthesepoints isconstipation.Thewaythesepointsactivatethecolon isthroughsplenic
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actiongoingdowntoTantien.U.B.60(Kunlun)isafireofwaterelementofTaiyang,and
itisexactlyoppsitesideoftheKd.3(Taixi)anditcanbespeciallyeffectivefordiarrhea
inthemorning(ShaoyindiarrheaatthetimeofMao,imperialfire,yinwood).
TheLuopointof thekidneymeridian,Kd.4 (Dazhong),communicateswithU.B.58
(Feiyang).Bothof thesepointsare involved inurinationactivityof thekidneyand the
bladder.Asmuch as the entire kidneymeridian is also called asDazhongmai, theconnectionwith theBladdermeridianofTaiyangat thispoint isveryoftennoted.A
goodexampleofapplyingthisLuopointistotonifyatthispointforbackacheduetothe
deficiencyofkidneyandbladder.Anothergooduseof thisLuopoint is tostrengthen
entirenervous systemandbrainactivity,becauseDazhongenables the tonificationof
bothjing(endocrinal)propertiesofthekidneymeridianandqi(nervous)qualityofthebladdermeridian.
There are three Xi points in the kidneymeridian:Kd.5 (Shuiquan), Xi ofKidneymeridian;Kd.8 (Jiaoxin),Xi ofYinqia; andKd.9 (Zhubin),Xi ofYinwei.Whenwe areusingXipoints to release the overflowing qi of themeridian (e.g.,overthrusting andforming
wind
element
in
the
flow),
it
is
important
not
to
over
release
to
cause
weakness
ofanyotherbenignareas.ToillustratetheexamplesofthedifferentuseofthesethreeXi
points, in wind sedation: Shuiquan is very effective forbladder, uterus and kidney
contraction,Jiaoxin is very effective for contraction of vagina, testicle, urinary tract,heart, diaphragm, tongue, eosphagus (following Yinqiao mai); and Zhubin is very
effectiveforcontractionoflargeintestine(illiocecalvalve),gallbladder,pancreas,vocal
cord,etc.
Kd.6(Zhaohai)hasanotherfamousname,Yinqiao.Thisisthepointwheresomuchishappening. Zhaohai is a confluent point of Yinqiao mai, and is the practical valve
betweenkidneymeridianandYinqiaochannel.TogetherwithJiaxin, it isacoalescent
pointforYinqiaomai.TogetherwithU.B.62(Shenmai),theconfluentpointofYangqiao,
itbalancesShaoyin qiofkidney andTaiyangofbladdermeridians. It is alsoyin andyangbetweenYinqiaoandYangqiao.Becauseofthesuchyinandyangbalancingeffect
of Zhaohai and Shenmai, they are very effective forbalancingjing (organic function,emotion) and shen (mental andnerve function).Of course, Shenmai andZhaohaiare apolaritypair.And,YinqiaoandYangqiaoareapolaritymeridianpair.
AsarepresentingpointoftheYinqiaomai,ZhaohaidoesalmosteverythingYinqiao
maiwoulddojustas if ithas the fullcontrolof theYinqiaomai. Inmanyoldtextsof
acupuncture,Zhaohaihasbeendescribedasoneof the twomost importantpoints for
gynecological conditions. The other point is Sp.6 (Sanyinjiao).One reason is that the
connectionsofthemeridiansofkidney,liver,gallbladderhappenatthesameplacesas
whereYinqiao,
Yinwei,
Chong
and
Dai
mai
communicate,
which
is
thru
Ren
mai
points
on the lowerabdomen (Guanyuan,Qugu,Zhongji,Shenque).Shenquealsoconnectswith
G.B.26 (Daimai), and thru Shenque, Zhaohai connects toG.B.26 (Daimai) on theGall
Bladdermeridian,forminganotherpolaritypointspair.AnotherreasonisthatZhaohaiis
in polaritywithRenmai thru Lu.7 (Lieque). Lieque is in supporting relationwith the
ChongmaithruSp.4(Gongsun).
AnotherimportantfactofZhaohaiisthatZhaohaicanreleaseoverflowofqijustlikeXipoint.Simplybecause it isbranchingkidneymeridianout intoYinqiaomai.Taking
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advantage of all these facts of the Zhaohai, a good example of indications is
appendicitis.Thewayithelpstheappendicitisissoeffective(usuallyusedwithShanqiu
(Sp5),you candecide against thediagnosiswhenZhaohaididnot eliminate thepain
around the appendix, almost immediately.Another famous point for appendicitis is
Kunlun, in the sameway.But, themechanisms of these twopointsworking against
appendicitisarenot the same.Zhaohai reachesJingming (UB1) throughShenmaiandYangqiaomai,andmeetskidneymeridian,stomachmeridianandbladdermeridianat
thepoint.SinceZhubinreaches thesamepoint,but thrudifferentcourse,Zhubinand
Zhaohaiareoftenusedtogethertocontrolcomplexhotandcoldsituationofkidneyand
bladder,likebladderinfectionbybacteriaandyeastatthesametime(or,yeastinfection
overlappedbybacterialinfection).
Traditionally, Fuliu is the only point on the kidney meridian to be used with
moxibustiontotonifykidneyqi.ThemostinterestingfactindoingmoxibustiononFuliuisthatweareapplyingfiretoadjustthemetalthatisthemotherofwaterelementofthe
kidneymeridian.
In
general,
the
kidney
meridian
contains
lesser
blood
and
greater
qi
(Shao XueDuo qi),whichmeans that Shaoyin quality of imperial fire is itsmain qicharacteristics.This can leadmany scholars intomiscomprehension. It sounds fine to
tonifyshoyintostrengthenthekidneymeridianwithmoxibustion,but,inpractice,itis
verydifficultnot toweakenJing (blood factorofkidneymeridian, lesserblood in the
kidneyalready)byamplifyingqi(greaterqiinthekidneymeridianalready)withfireinmoxibustion.This isnotanabsoluterule forFuliubeing theonlypoint tobehandled
withmoxibustion in themeridian,but Fuliu is a good reminder of such fact of the
kidneymeridian. It isvery important tounderstand the simple fiveelemental rule in
this example that can later lead intomuchmore complicate involvements.Another
important concept in ShaoXueDuo qi inkidneymeridian is that themeridian caneasily lack qibecause it needs to keep high content of qi than xue. Itdoes not havesurplusofqitogiveaway.The locationsofFuliuandSanjiaoxinhavebeencontrovercial forages;according to
one school, Fuliu is located in front ofSanjiaoxin, and according to the other school
(most),SanjiaoxinislocatedinfrontofFuliu.Regardingwhichisthecorrectlocations,we
shouldunderstandthecharacteristicsofSanjiaoxinmoreprecisely.SanjiaoxinistheXiof
Yinqiao, and also, the coalescentpoint ofYinqiao.Sanjiaoxin is thepoint thatdirectly
connectstotheStomachmeridianthruYinqiaomai.SanjiaoxinandQuepen(St12)arein
thedirectcontact.Sanjiaoxincontrolstheflowofthethreeyinmeridiansoflegsbyletting
themopen
to
the
three
yang
meridians
of
legs.
In
order
to
balance
the
Yangming
of
stomachmeridian,Sanjiaoxinshould locateonamoresymetricposition to thestomach
meridian.Becarefulinthesymetricityofyin/yanghere.Itisnotthe180degreeopposite
sideofthecircle,instead,itisthemirrorview.LetslookattheFig.a,andfoldalongthe
horizontallinethatdividesyinandyang.Yangmingoflegmeridianflowsveryclosely
totheanteriorcrestofthetibia.Anteriorcrestofthetibiaislikeaborderlinebetween
yangmingandtaiyinoftheleg.Theentireposteriorviewofthelegisdominatedbythe
Taiyangmeridian (Taiyangmeridiandominates thebackportion of thehumanbody
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13
because other yangmeridians tend to curve to the front. And, for this reason, the
Taiyangmeridianof legdoubleor triple the flow toprotect theback.)TheTaiyinand
Jueyinofthelegbecomepushedtothemedialsurfaceofthetibia.TheKidneymeridian
ispushed close to themedialmarginof the tibia.Naturally,apoint connecting these
two, yangming and shaoyinmeridians shouldbe close to theborder, the tibia, tobe
more symetrically located, especiallybecause yangmingmeridian locates close to theborder.ItiscorrecttolocateSanjiaoxin1/2cuninfrontofFuliu,insteadoflocatingFuliu
in front ofSanjiaoxin.When you locateSanjiaoxin correctly, you shouldbe able to feel
strongsensationreachingQuepenofStomachmeridian.Thisway,Sanjiaoxincompresses
the3yinlegmeridiansandconnectstotheyangmingoftheleg.Also,thiscompressing
movement of the kidney meridian toward the other two yinmeridians causes the
Sanyinjiao(threeyinconnection,SP6)toopenuponthespleenmeridian.AtSanyinjiao,
manyunusaualactivitieshappenasthethreetypesofyinqiarepulledatthe correctpositionoftheTaiyin,once,andthen,escapebacktodisorderlypositioningagain.The
anatomicaltwistofthetibiaandfibulaalsocontributestothisdisorderlydistributionof
the3yin
leg
meridians
on
the
calf.
We
should
discuss
the
seemingly
reversed
distributionoftheJueyinandTaiyinunder theSanyinjiao levelat the timewediscuss
thespleenmeridianorlivermeridian.However,themostimportantfactisthatbecause
of these disorderlymanners of theJueyin and Taiyin of leg, the special point like
Sanyinjiao iscreatedon thespleenmeridian.AtSanyinjiao, the torqueof3combining
yinqithrowstheJueyinmeridianverydeepintothebonelevel,andpushestheTaiyinmore superficial.And, since theJueyin of legbecomes verydeep, actual flow of the
meridian isnot so reversedwith theTaiyin, even though the anatomical twistof the
anklejointmisrepresents theJueyin flowof the leg.Theactualdistributionof the two
meridians canbe looked at the angle of the footmatching the angle of the handby
medialrotationofthefoot.Atsuchangle,visualizetheJueyinmeridianinthemiddleof
the metatarsal bone, and the Taiyin on the surface. This will give a correct visual
allocationof themeridiansof foot.AtSanyinjiao,wecancontact livermeridian in the
verydeeplevel(bonelevel),thespleenmeridianinthesuperficiallevel,andthekidney
meridian in themiddle.Locatingkidneyqiat the shallower level than liver qi level isveryunusual,however,thatiswhatweactuallyencounteratSanyinjiao.Gettingbackto
theFuliuandSanjiaoxin,supprisingly,oneof the important textsofacupuncture,Chin
KiuDaCheng,illustratesthewronglocationsforthesetwopoints.
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Fig.X:Apracticalguidetothedivisionofmeridianenergyintheleftleg.
The course of the kidneymeridian should not skip the Sanyinjiao of the spleen
meridian. BetweenSanjiaoxin and Zhubin, Sanyinjiao pulls the kidney meridian
anteriorlybeforeitreleasesbacktotheitsoriginalcourse.
Aswehavealreadydiscussedbefore,Zhubin isa remarkablepointof thekidney
meridian. This is where the kidney meridian and spleen meridian (Fushe, Sp13)
combinesthruYinweimai.Further,itprovidesthecontactwiththelivermeridianthruqimen (Liv14), and also, the contact with the Ren mai thru Tiantu (Ren22). Fushe
connects toGuanyuanandZhongjiofRenmai tomove to thenextpointFujie (Sp14).
Thismeans that Zhubin has almost direct contactwithGuanyuan of Ren, reaching
Zhongji.Thisisthereasonwhythispointissoeffectiveforlowerabdominalconditions,
and problems of testiclesby evoking the actions ofboth kidney and Ren. Basically,
ZhubinisapointthatbelongsmoreintheYinweimaithaninthekidneymeridian.Itisa
natural Xi point for the Yinwei releasing its overflow very easily to the Yinqiaoby
kidneymeridian flow (atSanjiaoxin),whichmeans that Zhubin obtains extrabenefits
from Renying (St9), and even from the bladder meridian thru Jingming (UB1). At
Jingming,
Yangqiao
is
met,
and
Zhubin
is
resonated
by
Zhaohai
thru
Shenmai.
Some
ancient texts considerZhubinas accumulationpointofYinqiaomai ,andconsider it
belongbothtoYinqiaoandYinwei.ItsstrongXipointqualityhasbeentakenadvantage
bybeingusedas adetoxificationpoint.AsZhubin leaks theYinweimai flow, italso
leaksthepericardiummeridianthrutheconnectionwiththeconfluentpointofYinwei,
Neiguan (P6).Neiguan ispairedbyWaiguan (TB5),whichmeansZhubin is involved
withtheSanjiaomeridianactivitiesthoughYangweimai.
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Yinguissuchanimportantpointforsomanykidneyinvolvements.Itishardnotto
mention its WATER elemental quality in the WATER of SHAOYIN of LOWER
extremeties.Itisveryworthwhilethinkingaboutthisoverandoveragain.Theutmost
crystallinewaterelementalqicanbecontactedthruonlythispointthroughouttheentirebody.Youcantonifythiselementsoeasilythruthispoint,andyoucanevenaffectthe
liverthruYinqiaomai,becauseYinguconnectsdirectlytolivermeridianbyconnectingQuquan (Liv8).One thing to remember is that,becauseof such fiveelmental relation
betweenYingu andQuquan (water ofwater,water ofwood,waterbeingmother of
wood in themeridian level,and in therelationbetweenelementof thepointand the
elementofmeridian),tonificationofYinguautomaticallytonifiesthelivermeridian,as
well as the kidneymeridian. Sedation is rarely recommended on thispoint,just like
Guanyuan.SedationofsuchelementcanbeachievedatSanyinjiaoatmidlevelofdepth
withoutdamagingJingofkidney.Yingu,also,connectsdowntothecenterofheel.For
thisreason,Yinguhasoftenbeenselectedasanextrapointfor treatingsharpburning
painoftheheels. WeallknowhowfamousYangchi(SJ4)isforprovidingimmediately
usableinstant
Sanjiao
vital
energy.
Yingu
is
the
pairing
point
for
Yangchi.
While
Yangchi
provides true shaoyangminister fire typeofvigour to thebody,Yingu cultivates the
true core of Jing. This is amust point for all types of kidney difficiency. Another
important factof thispoint is thatwe shouldbeextracareful locating itbetween two
tendonsatthemedialborderofpoplitealfossa.Makesurethatitislocatedexactly,and
theneedletipshouldbeintheproperdepthandangle(midkidneylevel,veryshallow
angleofopproximately15degreeupward).Otherwise,wedonotfullybenefitfromthis
miraculouspoint.Avery interestingmeridianconnectionhappensatthispoint.Yingu
directly contactsChangqiang ofDu.Aswe have already described, throughDumai,
YingureachesMingmenandbothkidneys.FromMingmen,YinguextendstoSanjiaoof
Bladdermeridian. Through Changqiang, Yingu contacts Renmai, thanGuanyuan. In
other words, Yingu enters the Tantien in two ways simultaneously thru two very
important part of the body, kidneys and Guanyuan (its nick name is XiaTantien,
meaninglowerTantienpoint;upperTantien,orShangTantienisRentang,middleTantien,
orZhongTantien isShanzhong).FromChangqiang,Yingualsoconnects toChongmai
thruHenggu(K11)andC.V.1(Huiyin).ChongsourcesoutfromTantien.Now,wecan
clearlyseehowYinguissendingwaterelementYinqiupwardinthreecompleteroutestoward thecoreof theTantien.The connectionbetweenYinguandYinlingquan (Sp9)
providesthestronginfluenceofYingutothethreevitalorgansinvolvedinreproduction
(liver,spleen,kidney).
AtHenggu, there aremanymeridians crossing.Chongmai,Ren, Spleen, Stomach
meridiansare
all
communicating
with
kidney
meridian
at
this
point
(along
the
superior
border of symphysis pubis). The most strong connection here , of course, thru
Chongmai,isRenmaimeridianatC.V.1(Huiyin)andQugu.ThismakestheHengguto
connect toDu,also.According to a classic,Jiukonglun,Chongmai rises from qichong(St30) and connects toHenggu, instead of rising from C.V.1 (Huiyin) of Ren. Even
thoughthisisnotaproperallocationofChongmaipath,suchconnectionstillsupports
the strong communicationbetweenHenggu and Stomachmeridian through qichong.Chongmen (Sp12) communicateswith theHenggu to connectwith Spleenmeridian.
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Chongmai,fromChongmen,flowsthroughspleenmeridianandreachesGongsun(Sp4),
confluentpoint ofChong.BecauseChong, atYoumen, fades into the chest entering
heartandlung,Hengguisselectedtotreat falsefire typeofyindifficiencysyndroms
involving upperSanjiao heat, including the disorders of reproductive system and
urogenitalorgans.
Dahe is not a such popular point in the kidneymeridian, however, there aremany
unusual activitiesgoing on atDahe.Due to twoneighboringpoints of themeridian,
Hengguandqixue, theselectionofDahe isnotsooftenmade.Anotherreason fornotbeing often selected is thatDahe locates very deep, and it is very hard to reach the
effective levelofdepth.Dahe also supportsZhongjiofRen.Avery stronghorizontal
resonancebetweenRen,Kidney, Stomach and Spleenmeridians occurs at this point.
FusheofspleenmeridianandYinweimaievenmorestronglyrelatetoDahe.Dahehas
oftenbeen considered as a part ofYinwei (the nick name ofDahe isYinwei).Dahe
contactsdirectlywithFushe(Sp13),Jimai(Lv12),Zhongji(Ren3)andGuanyuan(Ren4),
andenters
into
the
urinary
bladder.
Dahe
is
usually
selected
as
ahealth
point,
not
a
medicalone.ItisbecauseDaheaffectskidneyanditsrelatedurogenitalorgansthrough
splenic activity and Yinwei connection rather than through powerful Chongmai,
YinqiaomaiandRenmaiactions.Due to strong involvementofTantienandkidneysat
this level, kidneymeridian at this point gets extremely deep upto the organic level
(bladder), and getsmergedback out into Renmaibetween Zhongji and Guanyuan.
Than,with the help of strongChongmai action at the qixue, it appearsback on thecorrectpositionandlevelofdepthofshaoyinmeridiancontinuingitspathupward.
Leftqixueiscalled Baomenmeaning GateofWomb.Rightqixueiscalled Tzehumeaning Home of Fetus. qixue connects Renmai and Chong.While Guanyuan isproperpointtotonifyTantienqi,qixueprovidesChongqiandRenmaiqitotheuterus.And, of couse, kidney qi. qixue hasbeen themost popular selection for all types ofinfertilityforthisreason.Bianque,alegendaryphysician,stronglysuggestedtheuseofqixueforinfertilitywithmoxibustiontonifyingtechniques.qixueisalsoveryfamousforChongqicontrol,andselectedfordysmenorrhea,especiallytocontroltheflowofblood,eitherpositivleyornegatively.Baomenismorerelatedtoperiodcontrolforwomen,and
Zuhu ismorerelated toovulationand fertility.TherearemanypointsconnectingRen
maiandChong.But,qixueisthemostpowerfulRen/Chongconnectingpoint,thereforeitcanevenbecalledLuoofChong.
Zhongzhu is also a strongChong/Renmai connecting point thru Yinjiao of Ren.
Zhongzhucanbeselectedforthesameactionsasqixueswithoutstrongimpactpossibleat qixueoratYinjiaoofRen.SinceYinjiao isaaccumulationpointofRen,ZhongzhunaturallybleedsintoYinjiao,andintoRen.Forthisreason,Zhongzhususeinbreakingtheblocksbetweenmiddleand lowerSanjiaos isveryeffective.CommonlyShenqueof
Renmai(umblicus) isthe landmarkofdividingbetweenmiddleandlowerSanjiao,but
Yinjiao,Huangshu,TianshuofStomachmeridianareactually forming theborder line
betweenthetwoSanjiaos.Naturally,Huangshuhasagreaterinfluencetotheactivityof
YinjiaothanZhongzhu.
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BeforeZhongzhu,SimanisonthesamehorizontallevelasShimenofRen.Shimenis
so well known for disconnecting Ren mai qi that feeds into the uterus. Siman is
communicatingwithRenmaithruShimenanditsactioninRen/Chongconnectionisto
stopChong qi flow into theRenmai anduterus.This activity is taken advantage inselecting Siman to control the flow ofmenstrationwithout damaging the ability of
getting pregnant in femalebody. Siman is energetically resonatingwith Xuanzhong(GB39), the influentialpoint formarrow, and Siman is called marrowhouse. In the
samewayXuanzhongpairswithSanyinjiao,Simanretainsmorehorizontalconnection
withspleenand livermeridians.Water is in thecoreof theextreme fire.When fireqireachesitsextreme,itstartscrystalizingintowaterqi.Jingisyinextremewater(withfireinitscore),andmarrowisyinextremeofJing.IfwecallYinguthepointofJing,Siman
is thepointofmarrow that is themostextremeyinnatureofhumanbody.Naturally,
SimancannotbesubstitutedforYingu,norviceversa.However,ifadiseaseisrelated
tothecourseofJingandmarrowtransformation,SimanandYinguhavetobeartificially
resonated by proper acupuncture techniques to contact the two extreme yin
manifestationsof
yin
category
versus
yang.
Jing
is
an
end
product,
and
so
is
marrow.
However,marrow is not the final goal of yin qi.Jing ismore of a goal for yin qitransformationinthebody.MarrowistheproductofJing,however,it,inturn,controls
theJingdevelopment.Thisisjustlikethebraincontrolingnervoussystem,eventhough
nervous system bears the brain. Another example is in the relation between 12
meridiansandRen/Du;12meridiansbeartheRen/Du,butRen/Dumaicontrolsover12
meridians.This is the reasonwhyYingu andSimanare sodifferent fromeachother,
whilebotharedealingwithyinofyin.
Lookingat themeridiandistributionon theabdomenandchest,stomachmeridian
ofYangming isclosertoshaoyinkidneymeridianthantheothertwoyinmeridiansof
liver ofJueyin and spleen of Taiyin. The Yangming stomachmeridian, like Taiyang
bladdermeridianontheback,dominatesthefrontofthebodyanditbecomesthemajor
Weiqi(protectiveqi)flowofthefront.SincetheYangmingweiqiratherfloatsovertheskin surface, stomachmeridian flowsvery superficially,whilekidneymeridian flows
quitedeepintheflesh.Inotherwords,thestomachmeridiandoesnotreallytakeover
thespacebetweenspleenandkidneymeridianonthesameanterioryinlevelsurfaceof
body.Itisoverthelayerof3yinmeridiansontheyinsurface(abdominalsurface),and
for thisreason, thestomachmeridiandoesnotreadilycommunicatehorizontallywith
other3yinmeridiansofthelegontheabdominalandchestarea.
AtHuangshu,kidneymeridianentersdirectlyintothekidneys(adrenalglands)thru
bladder.WhichmeansthatChongmaientersintokidneysdirectlythruthispoint.And,
Huangshufurther
connects
to
Shenshu
(UB23),
Zhishi
(UB52),
Huangmen
(UB51),
Sanjiaoshu (UB22) andMingmen (Du4). BecauseHuangshu and Shenshu,Huangshu
andHuangmen form twopairsofpolaritypoints for thekidneys, theusageof these
pairsinregardstokidneyconditionsisverydiverse.Huangshu,astheconnectingpoint
betweenDumaiandChong,thruMingmen,presentsaveryuniqueaction.TheChong
syndroms(conditionscausedbyChongmaiflow)duetonervoussystem,likeasudden
periodduetonervestress,arewellcontrolledatthispoint.Therefore,infertilityduetoqi,notXue,canbeaidedthruthispoint.Ofcourse,allotherChongconditionsduetoDu
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mai conditions are applicable (conditions of heart, lung, diaphragm, kidney, uterus,
ovary,genital,andetc.thatareduetomentalstress).Theletter Huang usuallymeans
tip of sternum or diaphragm , however, in the two points like Huangshu and
Huangmen, it indicates the tip of the kidneys (adrenal glands). It is very proper for
Chongmai tobe connectedwithDumai atHuangshu,becauseHuangshu is directly
dealingwithadrenal,insteadofdirectdealingwithkidneys.ThekidneysandadrenalsbothdealwithJing,buttheyare inyin/yangrealation.Theadrenalsdealmorewithqi(especially weiqi) , while kidneys deal more with Xue (and, yingqi). The adrenals
respond toDumai (and nerves) following the six qi rule,while kidneys respond toorganicbalancefollwingfiveelementalrule.Huangshuisalsoadividingpointbetween
lowerandmiddleSanjiaoinconnectionwithYinjiaoofRen.
Shangqu is the pointwhere Chongmai knots and amplifies its flow to add the
strength by induction of Yingqi of Ren mai . In Renmai, through the actions of
Shangwan,Zhongwan,Xiawan,threeRenmaipoints,Yangmingqiofstomachmeridianentering into stomachorgan transforms intoYingqiofRen.And, thisYingqijoins the
Chongstream
at
Shangqu
which
belongs
in
both
Shaoyin
and
Chong.
Therefore,
Shangqu is a transformationpointofYingqi toXueqiofChong.At this level,kidney
meridianismorerelatedtoRenmaiactivitiesthanitspertainingorgan,kidney.Sincethe
StomachYangming qiprevails theentireupperabdominalarea,apoint likeShangqucannotpenetratedeepintoorgansorotheryinmeridians.ThestreamofYingqijoinning
Chong(fromRenmaitoShaoyin)ismuchmorepowerful,anditishardforthepointto
root out into organs.Other than the contactwith livermeridian thru Zhangmen, at
Shangqu,notmuch connection ismadewithurogenital organs.Zhangmen (Liv13) is
alsoaspleenmupoint,andthisamplifiesthespleeninfluenceoverstomachdepending
uponliverresponse.SedationatShangquforstomachcrampsisthroughZhangmenand
liver organ, not thru resonance with yangming stomach meridian. It is also thru
releasing condensation (cold)of stomach qi thruChongmaiwhich isacceptingYingqifromZhongwan ofRen.For another instance, the application of Shangqu foruterine
cramps is notdonebydirectly following theChong or kidneymeridianpaths (even
thoughYinDumaiandTongguareresonatedbyZhangmen,Shangqudoesnotdirectly
resonateYinDumaiorTonggu).Inthiscase,Shangqucontrolsovertherejectedspleenqiby liver (which is already liver qi), and inturn, sent to the uterus.Here, Shangquaffects liver through Zhangmen instead ofChong andRenmai directly, and it only
resonatesChongmaiandRenmaiatthelowerSanjiao,notatthehorizontallevel.
ShiguanandYinDumaihaveverysimilaractionsasShangqu,includingthesubtle
contactwith stomach, liver and spleen. The affect towards the entire Chongmai is
almostthe
same
as
what
we
saw
in
the
relationship
of
Shangqu
with
Chongmai.
But,
verydifferentlyfromShangqu,Shiguanhasanabrupt,hardandthinflowofqiwhichisdue to thenormalizingactionofChongmaiafterthestrongsurgeofextraChongqiatShangqu.For thisreason,workingwithShiguanrequiresextraattention,especially in
the cases of pregnant females. It is very easy to disconnect Chong qi at this point.Remindinganotherimportantbasicfacts,Chongqiisalwayscontactedbyneedleatthedeeper level than kidney shaoyin qi, and it isbecause Chongmai (its nick name isXuehai,meaningoceanofXue)hasmoreXuethanqi(DuoXueShaoqi).Theletter Shi
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meansstone.Inchinese,stonemeanssterile.Theletter Shi inShimenofRenmaiisthe
samecharacterasinShiguan.
Yindu,beingat the levelofandcontactwithZhongwanwhich isconnnectedwith
lung,isthefirstdirectinvolvementofkidneymeridianwithlungthruthemeridianpath
thru Zhongwan. The only effective use of this point as a Chong point is to treat
infertility that is due to spleeen and stomach related Yingqi deficiency. Yindu, likeShangqu,isoneofthestrongtransformationpointbetweenYingqiandXue.Zhongwan
isapointwhereyinyangorgans(ZhangandFu)arefedwithtransformingYingqi,and
where all meridians pass through. Yindu, also, has the quality of feeding kidney
meridianasZhongwansendsitsYingqi.Thekidneyqithatpassesthruliverandechoesat Zhangmen (Liv13), also, resonates at YinDumai thru Zhongwan. Zhongwan and
Zhangmen form a polarity pair. To connectZhangmen (liver and spleen activity) to
Chongmai,or to feedYingqiofZhongwan toChongmai,butwithout involvingother
meridians,andwithoutdangeringthenormalfunctionofShangquandShiguan,YinDu
mai isaveryproper selection.To leadnourishing (Ying) qiof stomachearthelementtype
kidney
Jing
into
the
liver
or
spleen,
YinDu
mai
is
very
often
selected.
Tonggu has a good energetical relation with lung and liver. It is not a direct
connection with Zhangmen of Liver meridian like YinDu mai (Tonggu has some
resonancewith Zhangmen),but the indirect involvementwith lung and liverbetter
serves toresonate liverand lungmeridianswithDu.ThissituationofTonggu isoften
taken advantage to treat emotional instability, especially fear turning into angerwith
disharmonybetweenheart and lung.Also,Tonggu canbe resonated in the courseof
liver to lung qi transmission. This characteristics ofTonggu is applied to control thespasticconditions intherespiratorysystem.ThehorizontalconnectionwithShangwan
ofRenmailetsthiskidneypointtoinvolvewithepigastricconditions,ofcoursewiththe
spasticandcontractingliverqiinvolvement.YoumenisthelastpointoftheChongmai,andfromhereChongdispersesintochest
cavity to contact lung,pericardium andheart.Youmen is thegate of qi entering intoearthelemental (center) stomach.Thedirect connectionbetweenYoumenandcardiac
orfice of stomcah lets this point to have a good control over keeping or releasing
(rejecting) food.Theenergeticalsimilaritybetween theactionof thispointreceivingqi(Yingqi),andkeepingit,orloosingit,andtheactionofmemorycausesapolaritypairin
onelocationinthispoint.Inotherwords,toreservememories,Youmenmustbeinthe
receptivemode.The involvement of stomach action andheart action atYoumen can
showvomitifheartshaoyinrushesintokidneyshaoyinthruYoumenleadinginto.Such
conditionsareseenoftenintheemotionalcrisis,likefearoflosing,fearofdetachment.
Insuch
case
Ht.8
(Shaofu)
and
Youmen
can
be
used
as
releasing
points,
and
these
two
pointscanslowtheheartratebygivingfullmovementtoheartbyfreeingtheheartqitolung andpericardium, andmakes thebreathingdeeper.Connection ofHt.8 (Shaofu)
withG.V.20 (Baihui)alsoallows thereleaseofnerve tension,and theconnectionwith
C.V.1 (Huiyin) allows storing qi, and the connection with Kd.1 (Yongquan) allowstransformationofliveranxietyintousefulkidneyvitalqi.Bulang is the firstkidneypointon thechestmovingaway fromRen.Thecauseof
this distance from Renmai is the sternum in the center.And, naturally, shaoyin qi
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20
positionswhereitcanobtaintheproperdepth.Asaresult,theresonanceofRenmaito
kidneymeridianbecomes lesseffective.From thispointon,kidneymeridian involves
more to local organs in the chest, especially, lung, because of the strong yin/yang
polarity relationbetweenkidneyand lung.Due to suchkidney/lungpolarity, internal
flowoflungmeridianandtheshaoyinkidneymeridianflowthroughthesamechannel
fromGuanyuanlevelmovingupwarduptoTiantuofRen,(atTiantu,lungandkidneyqiseparate);kidneymeridian isunder the lungchannel,andChongmai isunderkidney
meridian.ThesixpointshereonarehorizontalyconnectedwithRenmaiandYangming
of stomachmeridian.Theundercurrent ofupper stomachmeridian from qishe (St11)contributestokidneymeridiandownwardtoBulang,andupwardtotherootoftongue.
Shufuconnectstobothqihuandqisheofstomachmeridian,andShufureachesQuepen(St12).Quepen connectsdirectlywith lungmeridian thruZhongfuand connectswith
largeintestinemeridians,also.QuepenextendstoJiquan(H1).Aswehavenotedbefore,
QuepenandSanjiaoxinareindirectcontact.Thesixpointsonthechest,therefore,retain
stronger influenceby stomachmeridian on the chest (St11 to St 18). Ifwe select one
stomachpoint
that
influence
and
resonate
the
strongest
on
these
six
points,
it
is,
of
course,Quepen.Quepenofstomachmeridianwillbecarefullydiscussed inthe future
for these complex involvementwithmany othermeridians.Bulang is a pointwhere
kidneymeridianseparates fromRenmaiandChong,also.Bulanghelps thekidneyqiexitfromyintoyang(moreyangthantheprevious11points).Theelevenpointsfrom
Henggu toYoumen are in the correctposition as shaoyin legmeridian.Theseeleven
points are formingChongmai to supportXue activityofkidneymeridian.Becauseof
RenmaisupportingChong, theactualkidneymeridian is liftedaboveChongmaiflow
transforming intomoreyang typekidney qi.As a result,Chong is flowing indeeperlevel, while kidneymeridian surfaceswithmore heat. Dahe, aswe have discussed
already,howeverpenetratesverydeepuptothebladder.Preciselyspeaking,theeleven
points of kidneymeridian, not of Chongmai, are involvedwith heat in the kidney
shaoyinwater category. This fact is often applied in treating infectious condition of
urogenitalsystem,ear,eye,etc.
Shenfeng is a placewhere Shen of heart is sealed in. The heart qi extending toShenfengreleases intokidneymeridian,whileYoumen tends toreleasekidneyqi intoheart.QuepenandJiquanareresonatedonthispoint,and it is importantnottoshock
this quiet merge of two shaoyin qi (yin and yang, kidney and heart). Shenfeng,Shencang, Shendao (Du11), Shenmen (Ht7), Shentang (Bl44) are all related to heart
(Shen,spirit),andtheyallpullqioutoflungandinjectitintoheart.Allthesepointsarevitalpoints selected in Dimmak attack in internal kungfu to cause cardiac arrest at
exhalation.
YuzhongandShufuhavegoodcontactswithlung,heart,noseandtongue.Yuzhong,
beingmoreyin,itinvolveswithyinwateroftheseorgansmorecloselythanShufudoes.
Yuzhong is connected tomucusglands (yin),whileShufu is connected to the surface
temperature (yang). For example, Yuzhong can be used to slow down excessive
salivation,andShufucanbeusedtotreatcrackedtongueordrynose.
Shufuisthelastpointofkidneymeridianconnectingtopericardiumandheart.The
direct connectionwith qihu, qishe,Quepen, Zhongfu andJiquan hasbeen discussed
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21
already.Shufu,asitextendstoheart,providesapolaritywithShanzhong(Ren17)which
isaMupointofpericardium.Shufuis,therefore,incontactmorewithheartthanlung.
Since it has a direct contactwithQuepen, Shufu is useful releasing hearttokidney
shaoyinqithruQuepen.The relationship between Quepen, Jianjing (GB21), Jugu (LI16), Renying (St9),
Dazhui(Du14),Naohu(Du17)shouldbefurtherdiscussedinthefuture.Aroundkidneymeridian,Shufu, qihu, qishe,Quepen,Sanjiaoxin,Zhubin,Shenmai,
Zhaohai, Jiquan, Zhongfu, Renying, Dahe, Zhongwan, Shanzhong, Gongsun, Kd.1
(Yongquan),Ht.8(Shaofu),G.V.20(Baihui),C.V.1(Huiyin)andmanyothermajorpoints
areallcommunicatingwitheachotherrelatingtheactivitiesoflung,kidney,heart,liver,
spleenofyinorgansandstomachandallotheryangorgansdirectly thruqipath,andindirectly thrupolarityand resonance.Ren,Chong,Yinqiao,Yinwei,Du,Yangqiaoof
extrachannelsarealsodirectlyconnectedtokidneymerdianandallothermeridiansare
closelycommunicatingwithkidneymeridian.
Kidneymeridian extends itsMu point, through resonance of Zhangmen, in the
Shaoyangleg
meridian
at
Jingmen
(GB25).
Jingmen
forms
apolartiy
pair
with
Shenshu
(UB23).Jingmenisatransformationpointwhereshaoyincanbeturnedintoshaoyang.
One of the profound and unique acupuncture techniques is in converting a type of
perverse qi intomoremanageable qi, or exchanging thedepth ofperverse qi,usuallyfromdeeper level tomoresuperficial level.Jingmen,asakidney transformationpoint
into shaoyang qi, isveryusefulpointconvertingand superficializing fatalperverse qiaction of kidneys, like terminal kidney cancer. To achieve such converting action at
Jingmen,Shenshu is selected as apair, and Shenshu isused to injectpurevital qiofkidneytoreplaceandfillinthevacuum.Guanyuan,Yingu,Yangchi,etc.arenotcapable
offillinginthegapcreatedbytheconvertingactionofJingmen.Energetically,theonly
oppositepolarenergyofShenmenbalancestheJingmen.Allcancerousdiseasesseverely
involvingbonemarrow,likeHodgekinsdisease,canbehelpedbyresonanceofJingmen
toZhangmen,thantoDashu,Xuehai,Xuanzhong,Siman,andGeshu,etc.However,one
shouldnot tryconvertion techniqueunlesshe is sureof themethod,because itcould
disperseperverseqiintohealthyyangorgansinstantly.
PolarityPointsTo organize some important polarity pointsmentioned in this kidneymeridian
study, the following polarity relationshipsbetween a set of points and channels are
addedfor
better
understanding.
ZhaohaiisinpolaritywithLieque,andviceversa.LiequeisinpolaritywithHouxi,
andviceversa.HouxiisinpolaritywithShenmai,andviceversa.Shenmaiisinpolarity
withZhaohai,andviceversa.
Neiquan is inpolaritywithGongsun,andviceversa.Gongsun is inpolaritywith
Linqi (Zulinqi), and vice versa. Linqi is in polarity withWeiguan, and vice versa.
WeiguanisinpolaritywithNeiguan,andviceversa.
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22
ZhaohairepresentsYinqiaomai.LiequerepresentsRenmai.HouxirepresentsDumai.
ShenmairepresentsYangqiaomai.
Neiguan represents Yinweimai. Gongsun represents Chongmai. Linqi represents
Daimai.WeiguanrepresentsYangweimai.
Yinqiaomai is inpolaritywithRenmai, andviceversa.Renmai is inpolaritywith
Dumai, and vice versa. Dumai is in polarity with Yangqiaomai, and vice versa.YangqiaomaiisinpolaritywithYinqiaomai,andviceversa.
Yinweimai is inpolaritywithChongmai, andviceversa.Chongmai is inpolarity
withDaimai, andviceversa.Daimai is inpolaritywithYangweimai, andviceversa.
YangmweimaiisinpolaritywithYinweimai,andviceversa.
YinqiaomaiandYinweimaisupporteachother.RenmaiandChongmaisupporteach
other.Dumai andDaimai support eachother.YangqiaomaiandYangweimai support
eachother.
ZhaohaiandNeiguansupporteachother.LiequeandGongsunsupporteachother.
HouxiandLinqisupporteachother.ShenmaiandWeiguansupporteachother.
Whenone
of
these
eight
points
is
manipulated,
all
other
seven
points
are
simultaneously,anddirectly,aswesee in theFig.5,activated insevendifferentways.
Combininganyoftheseeightpointsrequiresthepropertechniquesofneedling,andone
shouldbeabletopredicttheoutcomeofthebalancebetweentheeightspecialchannels
anditsphysiologicalmanifestationimmediatelyaftertreatment.
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23
YINWEI
YANGWEI
CHONG
DAI
YINQIAO REN
YANGQIAODU
Lieque
Linqi
Gongsun
Zhaohai
Shenmai
Neiguan
Weiguan
Houxi
POLARITY OF J IJ INGBAMAI ( 8 EXTRA CHANNELS)
Simplified J IMENBAFACHINFA
fIG.5fIG6
Theseeightspecialchannelsandtheirpoints,alsoknownaseightconfluentpoints,
are the core of the JIMENBAFA , an acupuncture systembased on Bagua , eight
trigrams, and eight extra channels. Jimenbafa system is one of the old taoistic
acupuncture systems which is not commonly understood or taught in the more
traditional schools of acupuncture. However, the discusssion in this article should
inhencetheunderstandingofsuchinterestingrelationshipsbetweenthesemajorpoints
andmeridians.And, themoreproperuseof thesepointsshouldbeencouraged.After
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thecompleteunderstandingofentiretwentychannels,weshouldsomedaydiscusssuch
intriguing and interesting taoistic systems like Jimenbafa (8), Taichichinfa (2),
Sishangchinfa (4),Wuxingchinfa (5),Baguachinfa (8),Jiukongchinfa (9),Chixingchinfa
(7), Liuqichinfa (6), Tzewuchinfa (12), etc.As amatter of fact, any point formula in
acupuncture has been based on one or more of these Iching systems, not from
experiencesorcollectionsof Ashi points.Naturally,anyalteringofformulasshouldbedonewithoutcontradictingthesystemsimplied.
Thekidneymeridianstudyhereisnotaperfectone,butweshouldstoplookingat
onemeridianthrusuchanarrowanglefromitsownmeridian.Butit,hopefully,should
encourage certain scholars to review some basic studies again to sophisticate their
expertiseevenfurther.Asweallareaware,itisimpossibletoknowonethingperfectly
without knowing the surroungding others, and evenmore impossible to describe it
perfectly.Most of all,we should understand thewholepicture, thanwe get to each
component,thanbacktothewholematter,backandforthattatchingthemissinglinks.
Thisway,wecandeepentheunderstanding.Attheend,thetrueunderstandingwillbe
there,but,
only
in
our
minds.
Sometime,
we
should
have
another
chance
to
discuss
kidneymeridianoveragaintodeepentheunderstandingwehavenow.