Energy Channels and Waterways

Qi flows in meridians

The best analogy for the all the communication systems in the body – meridians, circulatory, hormonal, nervous – is that of the earth’s waterways. Water flows through oceans, rivers, swamps, brooks, and tiny temporary channels the same way biological information flows through the meridians, nervous system, digestive system etc. The acupuncture meridians, also known as channels, are the most subtle of all the body’s waterways, comparable to vernal streams that only appear when full. Filling or draining these channels as necessary is the aim of the acupuncturist.

Like all waterways our bodies are under the guidance of the moon and susceptible to other natural phenomena. For this reason your acupuncturist may, particularly for menopausal women, time your treatment with the phases of the moon, or question you closely about how you feel during particular seasons.