Touch of Radiance

In Chinese medicine, the flow of Qi must be balanced for an individual to be healthy. Qi flows like water through channels called meridians to carry out its functions throughout the body. The major meridians are named after internal organs, and are typically related to the functions that those organs perform. For example, the Liver meridian is related to the liver and its role in detoxification, and the Heart meridian affects the blood vessels and circulation. There are some exceptions to this – the Spleen meridian is most closely associated with the pancreas and digestive function. And the triple heater – where is that?

There are twelve major meridians in the body, and they are organized into pairs within the Five Elements. (Future articles will address Chinese Five Element Theory.) Points along the meridians may be needled in acupuncture or pressed with thumbs and fingertips in acupressure and shiatsu. Pointwork affects the flow of Qi in the meridian, or its relationship to another meridian or area of the body. This is why working on a person’s feet and ankles can help ease lower back pain.

Over the next few months, I will be posting an article about one of the meridians each week. Please check in regularly to learn about them all.

Qi (pronounced “chee”) is a Chinese concept that loosely translates to “life force” or “energy”. It is what powers our movements, thoughts, and emotions. Qi is responsible for conception, digestion, circulation, and the immune system. Qi moves through our bodies in channels called meridians, and Chinese medicine uses these meridians in treatment. The goal is to balance the flow of Qi, so that the body can function properly. When Qi flows smoothly, we are healthy and strong.

Qi is everywhere – in our bodies, in the plants and animals around us, in the earth, and in the air. Our Qi interacts with the Qi in our environment all the time, and we are influenced by what surrounds us. The Qi in our bodies comes from three sources: our parents at the time of conception, food, and air.

We cannot change what Qi we inherited from Mom and Dad, so to maintain and improve our health we must look to the other two sources. The quality of what we eat, what we drink, and the air that we breathe (the environment that we live in) has great impact on our health throughout life. If we eat well and have clean air to breathe, we will live longer and healthier.

For more information, a great book that explains Chinese medicine in Western terms is The Web That Has No Weaver by Ted J. Kaptchuk, O.M.D.

The concept of Yin and Yang is utilized heavily in Chinese medicine and various forms of Asian bodywork. It is essentially a way of viewing something (body part, aspect of nature, time of day, etc.) in relation to something else. We can say that the night is more yin than the day, but we cannot say that night is simply yin. Yin does not exist without yang, and vice versa. They create each other, control each other, and transform into each other.

Yin is known as “the shaded side of the slope” and is considered feminine. Aspects of Yin include: cool, dark, calm, passive, inward, and receptive. Yang is exactly the opposite, “the sunny side of the slope” and more masculine. Yang aspects are hot, light, active, outward, and moving. We all have aspects of both Yin and Yang, and ideally they are fairly balanced within us, though our nature is to lean more toward one than the other.

Understanding Yin and Yang can help us to choose foods and activities that help us stay in balance. A very Yin person would benefit from spicy foods and dance classes, while a very Yang person could use more fruits and meditation. Which type of person are you?