Meridians

The invisible channels of energy flow in the body according to Asian medical systems. Meridians are stimulated through acupressure therapy or myofascial release work.

Over 5,000 years ago, the ancient Chinese discovered a subtle energy in the body that can't be seen, felt or found with the senses. Energy disturbances in the subtle bodies precede the manifestation of abnormal patterns of cellular organisation and growth. Matter and energy are two different manifestations of the same primary energetic substance of which everything in the universe is composed, including our physical and subtle bodies. Matter, which vibrates at a very slow frequency, is referred to as physical matter. That which vibrates at speeds exceeding light velocity is known as subtle matter. Subtle matter is as real as dense matter; its vibratory rate is simply faster. It is believed that two opposite ends of the spectrum - yin, the energy of earth and yang, and the energy of heaven - combined with humans to create this vital force.

The Chinese discovered and identified twelve acupuncture meridians along which this energy travels in the human body. Acupuncture meridians are like copper traces on an electronic circuit board, running throughout the body. They were named by the life function associated with them. To the majority of Western scientists, acupuncture meridians seem like imaginary structures because there are no published anatomical studies of the meridians in orthodox medical journals to substantiate their existence. They prefer to believe that nerve pathways constitute the true mechanism of acupuncture therapy. Meridians are the pathways of the positive and negative energy power, which carries on some of the communication between the various parts of human beings.

Meridians connect specific teeth, organs, tissues, in fact, everything in the body. These have been measured and mapped by modern technological methods; electronically, thermatically and radioactively. Normal skin resistance over a healthy point is 100,000 Ohms. With practice and awareness they can be felt. Through these meridians passes an invisible nutritive energy known to the Chinese as Ch'i. The Ch'i energy enters the body through specific acupuncture points and flows to deeper organ structures, bringing life-giving nourishment of a subtle energetic nature.

Acupuncture points have unique electrical characteristics, which distinguish them from surrounding skin. These acupuncture points exist along the meridians. These points are electro-magnetic in character and consist of small palpable spots, which can be located by hand, with micro-electrical voltage metres and with muscle testing, when they are abnormally functioning.

These 500 points, mapped and used for centuries to optimise human performance, are connections between the positive and negative meridians and functions of the body, including internal organs and muscles. These points are useful not only in treatment but also in diagnosis of disease states. Subtle magnetic Ch'i currents flowing through the acupuncture meridians are not electrical in nature, but they are able to induce secondary electrical fields that create measurable changes at the physical cellular level through the induction of secondary electrical fields.

These induced electrical fields are translated into DC-current interactions from the higher energy meridians into the physical body and affect primary bioelectronic processes, which provide and maintain coherence within the physical-cellular structure. When the flow of life energy to a particular organ is deficient or unbalanced, patterns of cellular disruption occur.

Imbalances in the meridians can be detected by feeling the pulses, but this can take up to 20 years to develop proficiently. Whereas manual muscle testing will detect these same imbalances utilising the body's intelligence to non-invasively let us know what is going on inside with relatively little practice.

The Meridian Cycle

Meridians are classified yin or yang on the basis of the direction in which they flow on the surface of the body. Meridians interconnect deep within the torso, but we will work with the part that is on the surface and is accessible to touch techniques. Yang energy flows from the sun, and yang meridians run from the fingers to the face or from the face to the feet. Yin energy, from the earth, flows from the feet to the torso, and from the torso along the inside (yinside) of the arms to the fingertips. Since the meridian flow is actually one continuous, unbroken flow, the energy flows in one definite direction, and from one meridian to another in a well determined order. Since there is no beginning or end to this flow, the order can be represented as a wheel. The flow around the wheel follows the meridian lines on the body in this order:

• from torso to fingertip (along inside of arm--yin)
• from fingertip to face (along outside/back of arm--yang)
• from face to feet (along outside of leg--yang)
• from feet to torso (along inside of the leg--yin)

Three times through this four-step process covers the twelve major meridians.