Nothing to do with your secondary school geography class. 😄
What is a meridian?
The 12 meridians of traditional Chinese medicine are channels through which the vital energy, chi or qi, circulates.
They are lines that distribute the flow of energy throughout the body, particularly to the organs.
The blood vessels feed the physical body, the meridians feed the energy body.
It is a common misconception that meridians are lines. In reality, we should imagine the body separated into different tunnels.
What are they for?
On each meridian, there are several acupuncture points. Their stimulation helps to unblock, circulate and balance the energy.
Example: the liver meridian has 14 surface points.
The meridians are linked to the chakras:
- The chakras are the energy pumps.
- The meridians are the pipes that carry energy. Acupuncture is the plumbing.
What are the 12 meridians?
- Lungs meridian.
- Large intestine meridian.
- Liver meridian.
- Stomach meridian.
- Spleen meridian.
- Heart meridian.
- Small intestine meridian.
- Bladder meridian.
- Kidney meridian.
- Heart protector meridian.
- Triple burner meridian.
- Gallbladder meridian.
How to optimize your meridians?
Several practices originating in China promote the circulation of energy in the meridians:
- Acupuncture.
- Acupressure.
- Qi gong.
- Tai chi.
- Tui Na.
When we are stressed, the energy tends to freeze in one particular area.
We can usually feel this. For example, when I close my eyes, I feel a tension in my head.
A blocked meridian means an energy bottleneck in the body.
The felt sense can help to identify the acupuncture point to be stimulated to release the energy.
Emotions
Behind every energy blockage, there is the memory of an emotion.
If the blockage persists, it may be useful to explore the underlying emotion.
Some emotions require conscious understanding, which is not achieved through physical stimulation.
Find out how emotional acceptance works.
Conclusion
What are meridians for?
They are energy channels in the body.
Chinese medicine practitioners know how to stimulate the acupuncture meridians to promote good health.
However, it is worth learning how to manage yourself energetically.