(1) Meaning of the Meridians
The term “meridians” refers to the twelve meridians, which are the system through which the qi (vital energy) of the twelve meridians nourishes the muscles, bones, and joints. This system is a fascial network associated with the twelve meridians, providing an alternative pathway for the flow of qi throughout the limbs and skeletal muscles. Because it runs along the surface of the body, it is referred to as the meridians. The meridians are also divided into three yin and three yang for both hands and feet, with their number corresponding to that of the meridians, and their pathways often connecting with those of the meridians.
(2) Pathways of the Meridians
The orientation and distribution of the twelve meridians generally align with the pathways of the twelve meridians. However, the twelve meridians may have different directions, while the meridian pathways all originate between the fingers and toes, converging at the ankles, wrists, knees, hips, elbows, armpits, and neck, terminating at the head and face, running along the surface of the body without entering the internal organs, and connecting with other meridians.
1. **Hand Taiyin Meridian**
The Hand Taiyin meridian begins at the base of the thumb, ascends along the thumb, converges at the thenar eminence, runs along the outer side of the wrist, ascends along the forearm, converges at the elbow, continues upward along the inner side of the upper arm, enters the armpit, exits at the supraclavicular fossa, converging at the front of the shoulder, and above it converges at the supraclavicular fossa, descending from the armpit to the chest, dispersing in the diaphragm, and meeting with the Hand Jueyin meridian below the diaphragm, converging at the lateral costal region.
2. **Hand Yangming Meridian**
The Hand Yangming meridian begins at the radial side of the second finger, converges at the back of the wrist, ascends along the forearm, converges at the outer side of the elbow, and continues along the outer side of the upper arm, converging at the shoulder joint. Branches encircle the scapula, and the straight meridian runs from the shoulder joint up the neck, with branches running towards the cheek, converging at the area beside the nose and zygomatic region, while the straight pathway runs along the Hand Taiyang meridian, converging at the left side of the forehead, connecting at the head, descending to the right side of the jaw.
3. **Foot Yangming Meridian**
The Foot Yangming meridian begins at the second, third, and fourth toes, converging at the dorsum of the foot, obliquely running outward and attaching to the fibula, ascending along the outer side of the tibia, converging at the hip joint, and continuing upward along the lateral side of the abdomen, belonging to the spine. The straight pathway ascends along the tibia, converging at the knee, with branches converging at the outer fibula, connecting with the Foot Shaoyang meridian, while the straight pathway ascends along the popliteal fossa, converging at the thigh, gathering at the genital area, and further distributing to the abdomen, converging at the supraclavicular fossa, and then upward to the neck, flanking the mouth, converging at the area beside the nose, and subsequently descending to the nose, connecting with the Foot Taiyang meridian. The Taiyang meridian disperses above the eyes, forming the upper eye line, while the Yangming meridian disperses below the eyes, forming the lower eye line. Another branch converges from the cheek to the area in front of the ear.
4. **Foot Taiyin Meridian**
The Foot Taiyin meridian begins at the inner side of the big toe, ascends to converge at the inner ankle, runs straight upward to converge at the inner condyle of the knee (medial condyle of the tibia), continues upward along the inner side of the thigh, converging at the front of the thigh, gathering at the genital area, ascending to the abdomen, converging at the navel, running along the abdomen, converging at the ribs, and dispersing in the chest, with the internal meridians attaching to the side of the spine.
5. **Hand Shaoyin Meridian**
The Hand Shaoyin meridian begins at the inner side of the little finger, converging at the back of the wrist at the pisiform bone, ascending to converge at the inner side of the elbow, entering the armpit, intersecting with the Hand Taiyin meridian, running along the inner side of the breast, and converging at the chest, descending along the diaphragm to connect with the navel.
6. **Hand Taiyang Meridian**
The Hand Taiyang meridian begins at the top of the little finger, converging at the back of the wrist, ascending along the inner side of the forearm, converging at the posterior aspect of the medial epicondyle of the humerus, and entering the armpit. Its branches run along the posterior side of the elbow, ascend around the scapula, run along the side of the neck, and converge at the area behind the ear, with branches entering the ear, and the straight pathway exiting above the ear, descending to the jaw, with the upper connection belonging to the outer corner of the eye.
7. **Foot Taiyang Meridian**
The Foot Taiyang meridian begins at the little toe, ascending to converge at the ankle, obliquely ascending to the knee, running along the outer side of the foot to converge at the heel, and ascending along the Achilles tendon to converge at the hip joint. Its branches converge at the calf (lateral side), ascending to the inner side of the abdomen, running parallel to the spine, converging at the hip, ascending along the back of the neck, with branches converging at the root of the tongue, while the straight pathway converges at the occiput, ascending to the head, descending from the front of the head to the face, converging at the nose, with branches forming the “upper eye line,” and the lower part converging at the area beside the nose. The back branches converge from the outer side of the armpit, converging at the shoulder joint, with one branch entering the armpit, ascending to exit at the supraclavicular fossa, converging at the area behind the ear (mastoid), with another branch exiting from the supraclavicular fossa, obliquely ascending to the area beside the nose.
8. **Foot Shaoyin Meridian**
The Foot Shaoyin meridian begins beneath the little toe, at the sole of the foot, running obliquely beneath the inner ankle, converging at the heel, and connecting with the Foot Taiyang meridian, ascending to converge at the medial condyle of the tibia, and together with the Foot Taiyin meridian, ascending along the inner side of the thigh, converging at the genital area, running along the muscles beside the spine, ascending to the back of the neck, converging at the occiput, and connecting with the Foot Taiyang meridian.
9. **Hand Jueyin Meridian**
The Hand Jueyin meridian begins at the middle finger, running parallel to the Hand Taiyin meridian, converging at the inner side of the elbow, ascending along the inner side of the upper arm, converging at the armpit. Its branches enter the armpit, dispersing in the chest, converging at the diaphragm.
10. **Hand Shaoyang Meridian**
The Hand Shaoyang meridian begins at the tip of the fourth finger, converging at the back of the wrist, running along the outer side of the arm, converging at the tip of the elbow, ascending around the outer side of the upper arm, running to the shoulder, converging at the neck with the Hand Taiyang meridian. Its branches enter at the angle of the jaw, connecting with the root of the tongue, with one branch running along the anterior side of the ear, belonging to the outer canthus of the eye, ascending to the temporal region, converging at the corner of the forehead.
11. **Foot Shaoyang Meridian**
The Foot Shaoyang meridian begins at the fourth toe, converging at the outer ankle, ascending along the outer side of the tibia to converge at the outer side of the knee. Its branches originate from the fibula, ascending along the outer side of the thigh, converging at the quadriceps (anterior thigh), while the posterior branches converge at the sacral region. The straight pathway runs along the lateral abdomen, ascending along the front of the armpit, connecting with the chest and breast, converging at the supraclavicular fossa, while the straight pathway ascends from the armpit, passing through the supraclavicular fossa, running towards the front of the Foot Taiyang meridian, ascending around the outer corner of the forehead, converging at the top of the head, descending towards the jaw, converging at the area beside the nose, with branches converging at the outer canthus, forming the outer boundary of the eye.
12. **Foot Jueyin Meridian**
The Foot Jueyin meridian begins at the upper side of the big toe, ascending to converge at the front of the inner ankle, running upward along the inner side of the tibia, converging beneath the medial condyle of the tibia, and continuing upward along the inner side of the thigh, converging at the genital area, connecting with various meridians.
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