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| Four Great Classics | Traditional Chinese Medicine Moxibustion | Pediatric Tuina | Disease Inquiry |
The Extraordinary Eight Meridians refer to the Du Mai (Governing Vessel), Ren Mai (Conception Vessel), Chong Mai (Penetrating Vessel), Da Mai (Belt Vessel), Yin Wei Mai (Yin Linking Vessel), Yang Wei Mai (Yang Linking Vessel), Yin Qiao Mai (Yin Heel Vessel), and Yang Qiao Mai (Yang Heel Vessel). Unlike the twelve regular meridians, they do not directly connect to the organs and do not have a paired relationship, hence they are called “extraordinary meridians.”
In addition to the twelve regular meridians, the human body has a more important balance system, which is the Extraordinary Eight Meridians. These meridians are our lifeline; as long as you massage the major acupoints on these meridians daily, you will feel as if a clear Yang energy has entered your body.
The Extraordinary Eight Meridians regulate the accumulation and infusion of Qi and blood in the twelve meridians. There are eight representative acupoints in the Eight Meridians: Gong Sun (Gong Sun), Nei Guan (Nei Guan), Lin Qi (Lin Qi), Wai Guan (Wai Guan), Shen Mai (Shen Mai), Hou Xi (Hou Xi), Lie Que (Lie Que), and Zhao Hai (Zhao Hai).
Each acupoint is like a “nuclear reactor”; treating one can benefit a large area.
Nei Guan: Nourishing Beauty and Heart
Many women between the ages of 40 and 50 often experience discomfort such as palpitations, shortness of breath, and night sweats. Hospitals may not find any specific illness, only vaguely diagnosing it as menopausal syndrome or sub-health.
According to ancient wisdom, when women reach this age, their bodies are generally in a state of decline, with aging starting from the Yang Ming meridian, gradually leading to a decline in the Qi and blood of the three Yang meridians. As the head is the meeting point of all Yang, if Qi and blood cannot reach the face, wrinkles and spots will appear.
Beauty is closely related to Qi and blood. The heart governs the spirit, and its radiance is reflected on the face. The spirit of the heart relies on Qi and blood for nourishment; when Qi and blood are sufficient, it naturally reflects on the face. Therefore, women should first nourish the heart to enhance beauty.
The Nei Guan acupoint belongs to the Pericardium Meridian, connects with the Ren Mai, and is one of the meeting points of the Eight Meridians. The true efficacy of the Nei Guan acupoint lies in its ability to open the body’s internal mechanisms, benefiting Qi and blood, calming the spirit, and enhancing beauty.
The Nei Guan acupoint is easy to locate; it is on the inner side of the arm, two inches above the wrist crease. When locating the acupoint, make a loose fist and place it palm-up; use the index, middle, and ring fingers of the other hand to align with the wrist crease, and the point where the index finger touches is the Nei Guan acupoint. The benefit of this acupoint for health is that it can be pressed anytime and anywhere, with a slight feeling of soreness being ideal.
Wai Guan: The Acupoint for Hearing
Traditional Taoist medicine believes that temporary hearing problems are a manifestation of insufficient Yang energy in the body. So what role does the Wai Guan acupoint play in this situation?Massaging the Wai Guan acupoint can enrich the original Yang energy of the San Jiao (Triple Burner) and guide the original Qi to circulate throughout the body.When this acupoint is blocked, it can cause the eardrum to become slack and unable to return to its normal state.
Clinically, the Wai Guan acupoint can also be used to treat acute lumbar sprains. A patient around 40 years old once bent down to pick something up and suddenly could not move his waist; any slight movement caused unbearable pain. After treatment with acupuncture and tuina, needling both Wai Guan acupoints while having him perform twisting movements of the waist, the pain completely disappeared within minutes, and he could move normally.
The Wai Guan acupoint is a connecting point of the San Jiao Meridian, located two inches above the wrist crease, between the radius and ulna, opposite the Nei Guan acupoint. It connects with the Yang Wei acupoint, has the effects of dispelling exterior pathogens, relieving wind, and activating circulation to alleviate pain. It is not only effective for acute lumbar sprains but also has good effects on arthritis and cervical spondylosis.
Lie Que: Special Treatment for Stiff Neck and Migraine
Stiff neck is something almost everyone has experienced, causing great discomfort. It is also an early signal of cervical spine issues. If those who frequently experience stiff neck do not adjust and prevent it in time, it often leads to cervical spondylosis. The Lie Que acupoint has unique effects in preventing cervical spondylosis. On the human body, the Lie Que acupoint is a tool for repairing head-related ailments.
The Huang Di Nei Jing (Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon) records that the Lie Que acupoint primarily treats migraines, headaches, and stiff neck. In the Great Compendium of Acupuncture, there is a famous verse: “For neck and above ailments, seek Lie Que,” indicating that this acupoint can be used to treat and regulate all diseases above the neck.
The Lie Que acupoint is easy to locate; it is 1.5 inches above the wrist crease, on the radial styloid process. To locate it, cross the thumbs of both hands, and the depression where the fingertips touch is the acupoint. The technique for using the Lie Que acupoint mainly involves flicking.
Hou Xi: Treatment for Cervical and Lumbar Diseases
How to find the Hou Xi acupoint? Make a fist, and it is located at the distal transverse crease of the fifth finger joint, at the red-white flesh junction (i.e., the end of the transverse crease behind the fist).
If you are sitting in front of a computer, you can place the Hou Xi acupoint on the edge of the table, using the wrist to roll your hands back and forth to achieve a stimulating effect.
During the rolling, there will be a slight soreness. Just take three to five minutes daily to move it, and if you persist, it will have very good effects on the cervical and lumbar spine.
Zhao Hai: Treatment for Throat Pain
For throat pain, massaging the Zhao Hai acupoint will have excellent effects, as it belongs to the Yin Qiao Mai and intersects with the Kidney Meridian, being one of the key meeting points of the Eight Meridians. It has the functions of nourishing the kidneys, clearing heat, and regulating the San Jiao, providing both nourishment and heat-clearing effects.
Sun Simiao in the Qian Jin Yao Fang (Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold) referred to this acupoint as “Luo Yin,” indicating that if there is an issue with this acupoint, the body’s kidney water decreases, leading to kidney Yin deficiency and causing the rising of empty fire. Therefore, whenever we feel discomfort in the chest, dry throat, hoarseness, or even chronic pharyngitis, we can press this acupoint, which not only nourishes the kidneys and clears heat but also smooths the functions of the San Jiao.
To locate the acupoint, align the soles of both feet, and there is a small depression below the inner ankle, which is where the acupoint is located. When massaging this acupoint, keep your mouth closed and do not speak; when you feel saliva in your mouth, swallow it down. Generally, after pressing for 3 to 5 minutes, you will feel saliva in your throat, and the pain will immediately alleviate.
Keeping your mouth closed is to facilitate the upward movement of the saliva to moisten the throat, which is what the ancients referred to as the “swallowing saliva method.” Massaging the Zhao Hai acupoint stimulates the essence Qi in the kidneys, guiding the fluids upward to moisten the throat, and the empty fire is nourished by the kidney water, thus alleviating throat pain naturally.
Shen Mai: The Pure Yang Remedy for Cold Bodies
“Lower back pain and leg pain” is a clear sign of the bladder meridian being affected by cold evil. Since the Yang Qiao connects to the bladder meridian, and Shen Mai is an important acupoint of the bladder meridian, it is a pure Yang point. Using this acupoint can dispel internal cold evil and allow Yang energy to reach the top, balancing the body and enabling agile movement.
When combined with Xiao Qing Long Tang (Minor Blue Dragon Decoction), it can achieve a synergistic effect of resolving both exterior and interior issues, expelling cold evil from the body quickly while restoring one’s Yang energy, making it a miraculous acupoint for dispelling cold and reviving Yang.
The Shen Mai acupoint is an important intersection of the Yang Qiao and the Tai Yang bladder meridian, and it is also easy to locate, found in the depression just below the outer ankle bone. When the body is affected by cold evil, it tends to curl up and shiver, which in TCM is called “contraction and pulling back.” The Shen Mai acupoint has the effect of stretching the meridians, quickly mobilizing the body’s Yang energy; when Yang energy is sufficient, the cold evil will disperse.
Gong Sun: Alleviating Dysmenorrhea and Spleen-Stomach Disorders
The Gong Sun acupoint is a connecting point of the spleen meridian, associated with the spleen and linked to the stomach, and it directly connects with the Chong Mai located in the chest and abdomen, thus it has the effect of treating various disorders of the spleen, stomach, and abdominal area.
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the treatment of all gynecological diseases should start with the spleen and stomach, especially for menstrual irregularities, where the stomach should be adjusted first. The spleen governs blood and is responsible for transformation. If the spleen and stomach are deficient and cold, they cannot transform and transport fluids, leading to dysmenorrhea, which may also be accompanied by symptoms such as vomiting, nausea, and headaches.
Women with dysmenorrhea can frequently massage the Gong Sun acupoint. The Gong Sun acupoint is located on the inner edge of the foot; I generally consider it as a region, located behind the big toe, along a large metatarsal bone on the inner side of the foot. Pressing along this bone until you find the most tender or sore point is your own Gong Sun acupoint.
Lin Qi: Elevating the Body’s Shao Yang Qi
The Lin Qi acupoint is one of the main acupoints on the Gallbladder Meridian, connecting with the Chong Mai, and it is a wonderful acupoint that regulates two meridians with one point. The Chong Mai runs around the body at the navel, like a jade belt tying the body together, enhancing the connection of Qi and blood flow between the meridians, making it a very important health meridian.
When using this acupoint, you can sit in a curled position; it is located on the outer side of the foot, in the gap between the fourth and fifth metatarsal bones. The Lin Qi acupoint primarily elevates the body’s Shao Yang Qi, dispersing the stagnant Qi of the liver and gallbladder. Regular pressing can be more effective than professional foot therapy.
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