Meridians: Your Energy Highway – Don’t Let Congestion Build Up
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Meridians: Your Energy Highway
When was the last time you drove on a congested or blocked highway and had a good time? Exactly. This brings us to meridians.
Meridians, which are determined while we are in utero, are set pathways on which energy flows. Energy highways, meridians nourish, maintain, and restore our body’s systems as they move.
Like any road, when our healing pathways become congested, blocked, or flow the wrong way, they can create havoc and affect our wellbeing. Typically, a disrupted meridian flow is caused by stress, injury, trauma, or bad habits. Luckily acupuncture, acupressure, and energy exercises can help.
To understand how these therapies can restore our health, it helps to understand the body’s meridian system.
Our Meridian System
There are 14 main energy channels. Of these, 12 are paired meridians and two are single meridians.
Our meridian pairs complement each other in Yin and Yang pairings. The Yin represents energy that flows up, while the Yang represents energy that flows down.
Here are the 12 primary paired meridians, as well the elements they represent. (Understanding the Five Elements is key to maintaining physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional balance in our lives. You can read more about them here.)
Stomach meridian (Yang) and Spleen meridian (Yin)
Heart meridian (Yin) and Small Intestine meridian (Yang)
Pericardium meridian (Yin) and Triple Warmer meridian (Yang)
Bladder meridian (Yang) and Kidney meridian (Yin)
Gallbladder meridian (Yang) and Liver meridian (Yin)
Lung meridian (Yin) and Large Intestine meridian (Yang)
There are also two single meridians:
Central and Governing , which create the microcosmic orbit..
The Importance of Source Points
Along our meridians are around 500 skin surface or source points, or individual acupoints, that can be stimulated to balance and restore energy flow. These were documented thousands of years ago in China. Whether you use tiny needles or hand and finger pressure to stimulate the source points, doing so can restore the vital energy needed to feel healthy. Both tracing and holding source points help balance meridians in different ways.
Exercises to Keep Meridians Healthy
Holding Source Points
Like rest stops on our energy highway, our source points, when held for about a minute, can rid an over-stimulated meridian of its energy or fill an under-energized one up. You can also use source points to directly target organs in need of assistance. Learn more in this source points video.
Tracing Our Meridians
To keep meridians in balance before they become congested, we can simply use our hands, which are electromagnetic, as magnets to trace our meridians. Doing so helps the energy move along, breaking up any disruptions in flow before they inhibit our wellbeing.
Jet lag can also be eased by tracing our meridians. Because each meridian has a two-hour block where it is working at peak performance, ideally you’ll want to trace that particular area for the current time zone you’re in. If you memorize the meridian wheel, this will help you align your tracing activity for optimal results. You can order a chart here.
Stomach – 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.
Spleen – 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Heart – 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Small Intestine – 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Bladder – 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Kidney – 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Pericardium – 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Triple Warmer – 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Gallbladder – 11 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Liver – 1 a.m. to 3 a.m.
Lung – 3 a.m. to 5 a.m.
Large Intestine – 5 a.m. to 7 a.m.
Emotions and Meridians
In addition to an optimal performance window, every meridian also has an emotion associated with it. Feeling panic? You might want to trace your heart meridian between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to help you calm down. Need courage? Try tracing your kidney meridian between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Here’s a meridian list that also adds the emotional element that is associated with it.
Stomach – 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Worry/Trust
Spleen – 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Overly compassionate/Self-compassion
Heart – 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Panic/Joy
Small Intestine – 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Indecisiveness/Discernment
Bladder – 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Futility/Hope
Kidney – 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Fear/Courage
Pericardium – 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Commitment issues/Protectiveness
Triple Warmer – 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. Anxiety/Safety
Gallbladder – 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. Frustration/Tolerance
Liver – 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. Anger/Kindness
Lung – 3 a.m. to 5 a.m. Grief/Inspiration
Large Intestine – 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. Holding on/Letting Go
Go With the Flow
Understanding meridians helps us keep our energy flowing and our feeling of well-being elevated.
