Meridians

The Lung Meridian

Lung is a good place to begin our study of the twelve major meridians because its main function is the intake of Qi (vital energy). Over the next year, we’ll look at each of the meridians, in the order in which energy flows from one to the next. As we breathe in fresh, clean air, our Lung meridian extracts Air Qi to descend and disperse it throughout the body. Lung symbolically represents structure and vitality. As part of the Metal Element, the Lung is paired with the Large Intestine.

The Lung pathway begins just below the lateral end of the clavicle. (That’s the outside end of your collarbone.) It travels down the arm to the thumb, and there are a total of 11 acupressure points on the Lung meridian.

Large Intestine Meridian

Large Intestine Meridian Large Intestine represents the ability to release. On the physical level, this means that when our Large Intestine meridian is out of balance we may have problems with constipation or diarrhea.

This meridian also plays a role in childbirth. We can experience mental or emotional "constipation" when we are obsessing about something. And we have all experienced times of grief when we didn’t want to let go of someone dear to us. The Large Intestine is the yang meridian associated with the Metal Element, and is paired with the Lung.

The Large Intestine pathway begins on the index finger and travels along the arm, over the shoulder to end on the face just to the outside of the nose. There are a total of 20 points on the Large Intestine meridian.

Stomach Meridian

Stomach is in charge of "rotting and ripening," that is, preparing the food we eat for the Qi (energy) to be extracted and used by our body. It is the first step in our digestive process, and if Stomach meridian is out of balance we may experience nausea, low or excessive appetite, or other digestive disorders. In addition to taking in food, the Stomach is also related to accepting new information. Stomach is the yang meridian associated with the Earth element, and its partner is Spleen.

The pathway for Stomach begins on the face, just below the eyes, and travels down the front of the body to the front of the legs, ending on the second toe. There are a total of 45 points on the Stomach meridian.

Spleen Meridian

One of the main functions of the Spleen meridian is to extract Qi (energy) from the food we eat, and if the Spleen is out of balance our digestion may be sluggish. Spleen is also said to house thought, which means that if we are spending too much time thinking, the Spleen meridian may suffer.

As part of the Earth element, Spleen is related to stability, the home, and nurturing—of ourselves and others. Spleen is sometimes referred to as Spleen/Pancreas, as it represents some of the functions of both of these physical organs. Spleen is a yin meridian, and its partner is Stomach.

The pathway for Spleen begins on the big toe, travels along the arch of the foot and continues up the inside of the leg to the torso. There are a total of 21 points on the Spleen meridian.

Heart Meridian

The Heart is known as the emperor, or as the home of the Shen (spirit). When Heart meridian is out of balance, our spirit can't settle in for the night and we have trouble sleeping. Other signs of Heart imbalance can be mental disorders, addictions, epilepsy, and speech problems.

As part of the Fire element, Heart is related to communication and creativity. We can help balance the Heart meridian by doing something artistic, watching a funny movie, or having some heart-to-heart conversation with a close friend. Heart is a yin meridian, and its partner is Small Intestine.

The pathway for Heart begins in the armpit, travels along the inside of the arm and ends on the little finger. There are a total of 9 points on the Heart meridian.

Small Intestine

Assimilation is the key word for the Small Intestine meridian. The physical organ is involved with absorbing nutrients from our food, so this meridian plays a role in digestion. In Eastern medicine, this is considered “separating the pure from the impure.” Just as we assimilate nutrition from the food we eat, so do we assimilate information from our experiences. Therefore, the Small Intestine meridian can become imbalanced during times of emotional overload or shock, resulting in nervousness and anxiety.

The pathway for Small Intestine meridian begins on the outside tip of the pinky finger, and runs along the back of the arm, across the shoulder blade and onto the face, ending in front of the ear. There are 19 points on the Small Intestine meridian.