Therapies... - Acupressure - Meridians ...

There are fifty-nine meridians in the body, with twelve "main" meridians dominating the others. Qi flows from one meridian to another in a specific order, delivering energy to every part of the body. In addition, there are eight "extraordinary", twelve "muscle", and fifteen "connecting" meridians. These branches of the twelve main meridians facilitate the distribution of qi to areas not covered by the main meridians.

The entire network creates a fine, intricate grid with a seemingly limitless combination of pathways. The goal of the acupressure/acupuncture practitioner or experienced individual is to determine the most likely and frequent patterns of flow emanating from and to the organs and apply their healing approach accordingly.

Each of the twelve dominating meridians represents a biological energy system centered on one of the twelve vital organs, which includes the pericardium and triple-burner/tri-heater (part of a broader TCM conceptual framework of the body). Six flow primarily up the front of the body, for the kidneys (KI), large intestine (LI), liver (LIV), lungs (LU), pericardium (P/PC), spleen (SP), and stomach (ST), while the remaining six run primarily down the back of the body, for the bladder (BL), gallbladder (GB), heart (HT), small intestine (SI), and "Tri-heater" (TH). Stimulating an acupressure point on one of the main meridians affects the connected organ and has a general effect on the entire system.

Another set of medians, referred to as the eight extraordinary channels, course through the body on routes not directly related to the major organs. Two of these meridians are used in acupressure: the conception vessel and the governor vessel. The conception vessel flows from the head to the perineum (the space between the anus and the genitals) along the front of the body and is linked with the digestive and reproductive systems. The governor vessel flows from the tailbone at the base of the spine, along the back of the body, and over the top of the head to the centre of the upper lip and is linked with the brain, spinal column, and nervous system.