Channels
The Three Circuits
| Circuit | Channel flow | Yin-Yang |
|---|---|---|
| Earth 地 | LU → LI → ST → SP | Taiyin / Yangming |
| Heaven 天 | HT → SI → UB → KI | Shaoyin / Taiyang |
| Human 人 | PC → SJ → GB → LIV | Jueyin / Shaoyang |
Yangming has abundant Qi and abundant Blood; Jueyin and Taiyang have more Blood and less Qi; Taiyin, Shaoyin and Shaoyang have more Qi and less Blood.
The 12 Regular Channels
- Lung (LU)
- Large Intestine (LI)
- Stomach (ST)
- Spleen (SP)
- Heart (HT)
- Small Intestine (SI)
- Urinary Bladder (UB)
- Kidney (KI)
- Pericardium (PC)
- San Jiao (SJ)
- Gallbladder (GB)
- Liver (LIV)
The 8 Extraordinary Vessels
- Chong Mai – Penetrating Vessel (SP-4)
- Ren Mai – Conception Vessel (LU-7)
- Du Mai – Governing Vessel (SI-3)
- Dai Mai – Girdling Vessel (GB-41)
- Yang Qiao Mai – Yang Motility Vessel (UB-62)
- Yin Qiao Mai – Yin Motility Vessel (KI-6)
- Yang Wei Mai – Yang Linking Vessel (SJ-5)
- Yin Wei Mai – Yin Linking Vessel (PC-6)
Other Luo Collaterals
Where the Channels Reach
| Area | Channels |
|---|---|
| Vertex | LIV, UB |
| Eye | LIV, HT (from the eye to the brain) |
| Both canthi | SI |
| Ear | SI, SJ, GB |
| Upper gum | ST |
| Lower gum | LI |
| Supraclavicular fossa | All Yang channels except UB |
| Crossing the diaphragm | All channels except UB |
| Connects with many organs | KI: KI, UB, LIV, LU, HT |
| Passes many Front-Mu points | SP: REN-3, REN-4, GB-24, LIV-14, LU-1 |
| Important exit points | LU-7, ST-42, KI-22, PC-8, SJ-22, GB-41 |
| Origin | LU: Middle Jiao (REN-12); ST: LI-20; HT: Heart; KI: beneath the little toe; PC: chest |
| Genitals | LIV |
| Tailbone | KI |
| Sacral foramina | UB, GB |
| Heel | KI |
| Tibial branch of ST | Ends at the lateral side of the middle toe |
Extraordinary Vessels: Symptoms
- REN: Leukorrhea, irregular menstruation, infertility in women and men, hernia, nocturnal emission, enuresis, urinary retention, pain in the epigastrium and lower abdomen, and pain in the genital region.
- DU: Stiffness and pain of the spinal column, opisthotonus, headache and epilepsy.
- Chong: Spasm and pain in the abdomen, irregular menstruation, infertility in women and men, and asthmatic breathing.
- Dai: Abdominal distension and fullness, weak lumbar region, leukorrhea, uterine prolapse, muscular atrophy, and weakness and impaired movement of the lower limbs.
- Yang Qiao: Epilepsy, insomnia, red and painful inner canthus, pain in the back and lumbar region, eversion of the foot and spasm of the lower limbs.
- Yin Qiao: Epilepsy, lethargy, lower abdominal pain, pain in the lumbar and hip regions referring to the pubic region, spasm of the lower limbs and inversion of the foot.
- Yin Wei: Interior syndromes such as chest pain, cardiac pain and stomachache.
- Yang Wei: Exterior syndromes such as chills and fever.