PC-4 Ximen - Gate of Qi Reserve

Among the most powerful mental points for bringing serenity and peace to a troubled heart, mind and soul. It fortifies, stabilizes, nourishes and calms; it is a reserve for people who have had enough. It strengthens the mind and gives courage to it, and when spirit Qi falls short, this point brings back your smile. It works on the spirit of the Heart itself. The gate may be too wide open, letting Qi scatter, or closed too tight, so the person cannot receive the flow of Qi. It brings energy to the struggle, steadying and warming the mind and then returning that warmth to the Heart. As the 'Accumulation Gate', it is a small crack that gives access to the vitality of the meridian's Qi, a cave of beneficial influences. It supports the energy of the elite guards who protect the king with their special training and way of life; a deficiency here can lead to breakdown. It calls up reinforcements, like the Three Musketeers.

A huge reservoir of energy, the Gate of Chi Reserve strategically opens the way to the unconditional love that is always present within us. Through it we can love and be loved, forgive others and ourselves, and speak with compassion and heartfelt understanding.

Location: On the front of the forearm, 5 ACI above PC-7, between the flexor carpi radialis and palmaris longus tendons.
Needle depth: 4 fen
Moxa: 5 cones

• For the person whose Fire is running low and who is having trouble finding reserves
• For people who say 'I have no reserve left'
• If the person is quite jolly and joyful, it makes the joy come from a deeper, more centered place, with less emptiness, so they are less vulnerable
• When the mind is troubled and they are expressing that in any way
• When spirit Qi falls short, for a Fire Causative Factor (CF)
• For imbalances of the psyche: joy, fear, depression
• When a lack of mental energy is leading to breakdown
• For fear of people
• For the effects of shock, recent or long term
• When there are no reserves left on any level, mental, spiritual or physical: nothing left, and the person just cannot take one more step
• When a person feels insubstantial, without enough energy, and the Official needs protection
• To prevent a nervous breakdown, or after one
• When fear of surroundings and people has incapacitated the patient
• When the person is depleted, cold, inert and joyless; it is tremendously replenishing
• When past betrayal is blocking the Heart Protector's gate from opening and closing naturally

• PC-6 Inner Frontier Gate with PC-4: can be used together, with PC-4 working at a deeper level

• Accumulation (Xi Cleft) point: stores energy for the meridian and is used for acute situations
• Very useful in cases of acute illness
• An alternative source point, for when energy and reserve are gone
• It gets superficial joy more grounded, coming from a deeper place inside, like comparing the superficial joy of the Riddler in Batman with the deep joy of Santa Claus
• A chief point for harmonizing the diaphragm and clearing its stagnation