The Floating and Collateral Vessels in Traditional Chinese Medicine

The Floating and Collateral Vessels in Traditional Chinese Medicine

The meridians and collaterals of the human body are analogous to the lines of longitude and latitude on Earth, with the meridians distributed longitudinally like the Earth’s longitude lines, while the collaterals connect the meridians transversely like latitude lines. The collaterals are small branches that diverge from the meridians and spread throughout the body. The … Read more

The Application of Collaterals in Clinical Orthopedics

The Application of Collaterals in Clinical Orthopedics

This post is a compilation of my lecture in the QQ group of the World Manual Medicine Federation (Group Number: 327133248). In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the method of diagnosing and treating diseases often employs analogy and symbolism, such as categorizing the human body according to the Five Elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. … Read more

The Application of Collaterals in Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment

The Application of Collaterals in Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment

1. What are Collaterals? Collaterals are small branches that diverge from the meridians, forming a vast network system throughout the body. The term first appeared in the Huangdi Neijing, where it is mentioned in Ling Shu: Mai Du: “The meridians are internal, while those that branch out and run horizontally are collaterals; the branches of … Read more

The Fifteen Collaterals

The Fifteen Collaterals

Click the green button above to listen The Meridian System:According to the “Lingshu” (Spiritual Pivot) in the section on pulse measurement, “The meridians are internal, while the collaterals that branch out are external, and the branches of the collaterals are called ‘sun’ (孙).” This categorizes the pulses based on size and depth into “meridians,” “collaterals,” … Read more

The Fifteen Luo Vessels: Understanding Their Significance and Pathways

The Fifteen Luo Vessels: Understanding Their Significance and Pathways

(1) Meaning of Luo Vessels The Luo vessels are branches that diverge from the main meridians, also known as “bie luo”. There are primarily fifteen Luo vessels, which consist of the branches from the twelve primary meridians and the Ren (Conception) and Du (Governing) vessels, as well as the major Luo of the Spleen. The … Read more

Introduction to Collaterals in Traditional Chinese Medicine

Introduction to Collaterals in Traditional Chinese Medicine

In the concept of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), luò mài (collaterals) are branches of the jīng mài (meridians), connecting the interior and exterior meridians or organs. There are three types of collaterals: bié luò (branch collaterals), fú luò (floating collaterals), and sūn luò (small collaterals). The twelve primary meridians and the rèn mài (Ren Meridian) … Read more

The Chong Mai: The Hub of Life Energy in the Eight Extraordinary Meridians

The Chong Mai: The Hub of Life Energy in the Eight Extraordinary Meridians

The Chong Mai (冲脉), as a key component of the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) meridian system, is one of the Eight Extraordinary Meridians and is renowned as the “sea of the twelve meridians” and the “repository of blood.” It is one of the main pathways for the circulation of Qi and blood within the body. … Read more

Understanding the Eight Extraordinary Meridians: Chong, Dai, Ren, and Du

Understanding the Eight Extraordinary Meridians: Chong, Dai, Ren, and Du

Section Eight: The Eight Extraordinary Meridians (Chong, Dai, Ren, Du) Let’s take a look at this chart: “The primordial qi” descends from the universe and enters the fertilized egg, forming the Chong Mai (Chong Meridian). This primordial qi cannot directly form a physical body, so it undergoes a transformation. This transformation is completed within the … Read more

Understanding the Eight Extraordinary Meridians: The Wei and Qiao Meridians

Understanding the Eight Extraordinary Meridians: The Wei and Qiao Meridians

Section Nine: The Eight Extraordinary Meridians (Wei Meridian, Qiao Meridian)​ In the previous section, we discussed how the Chong Mai (Penetrating Vessel) gives rise to the Ren Mai (Conception Vessel), Du Mai (Governing Vessel), and Dai Mai (Belt Vessel). These three brothers form the boundaries of the human microcosm, which is essentially a cage that … Read more

The Twelve Meridians and Eight Extraordinary Meridians: Diagnosing and Balancing Health

The Twelve Meridians and Eight Extraordinary Meridians: Diagnosing and Balancing Health

The meridians can diagnose a hundred diseases. For example, the Stomach Meridian (Wei Jing) runs through the face, connecting to the Yingxiang (迎香) points on both sides and the bridge of the nose, as well as various manifestations in areas such as in front of the ears, Shangguan (上关), around the lips, hairline, and forehead. … Read more