Day 36: The Du and the Chong Meridians
The Du Meridian, or Governing Vessel, begins inside the pelvic cavity with a branch going to the Kidney, and another emerging out of the tip of the tailbone, D1. It runs up the spine and the points are located in between the vertebrae. It runs through the neck and over the top of the head, ending at the inside of the upper gum, D28.
To sum up its purpose, it is known as “the sea of the Yang meridians” and governs all the Yang meridians in the body. It is one of the eight Extraordinary Meridians/Vessels, and has it’s own points. Reasons to use this meridian in acupuncture are any problems with the spinal cord, to relieve pain and tension along the pathway, and to move the active energy of the Yang meridians as a whole. It is said that this meridian becomes stronger in an infant when you see the baby begin to lift its head.
There are a few popular points that are used more often. D16 which is right below the skull and where the soft part of the neck is and is good for relieving neck pain, and headaches. D20 is at the highest point on the top of the head and I use it for headaches, clears the senses and calms spirit. D28 can help with mental disorders and pain and swelling of the gums.
The Ren Meridian, or Conception Vessel is also one of the eight Extraordinary Meridians with its own set of points. It is more connected to Yin Meridians and runs in the front of the body. It, too, begins in the pelvic cavity emerging at the perineum, R1, and runs upward across the pubic region and ascends along the midline of the abdomen and into the chest and throat, encircles the lips and sends an internal branch to the eyes, but the palpable last point is R24, in the depression in the center of the mentolabial groove (lower lip area).
This is an important meridian for both men and women’s fertility. This channel is used to help create and sustain a pregnancy, and is a gathering of the body’s nourishment and for what matters the deepest to us. It helps with issues of the genitals, pain and inflammation, problems in the womb, libido, bladder, abdominal masses from stagnant Qi, to name a few things.
Popular points are R17 for asthma (located in the chest),pain in the chest, insufficient lactation, R23 above the Adam’s apple is great for difficulty swallowing (a term plum pit throat is used when you feel there is something stuck in your throat but you can neither expel it or swallow it — it is probably stuck Qi), sudden hoarseness, stiffness of tongue. R12 is good for stomachaches, abdominal distention, indigestion. R4 for nocturnal emission, as is R6 which is also good for impotence.
Next writing will be an the other six Extraordinary Vessels. These vessels play a very important role. They other six don’t have their own points, but rather use the ones on the 12 regular meridians to affect changes.
