1. The Meridians 經絡, jīngluò

Normal skin resistance over a healthy point is 100,000 Ohms. With practice and awareness they can be felt. Through these meridians passes an invisible nutritive energy known to the Chinese as Qi. The Qi energy enters the body through specific acupuncture points and flows to deeper organ structures, bringing life-giving nourishment of a subtle energetic nature.

The 500 Energy

Acupuncture points have unique electrical characteristics, which distinguish them from surrounding skin. These acupuncture points exist along the meridians. These points are electro-magnetic in character and consist of small palpable spots, which can be located by hand, with micro-electrical voltage meters and with muscle testing, when they are abnormally functioning.

These 500 points, mapped and used for centuries to optimize human performance, are connections between the positive and negative meridians and functions of the body, including internal organs and muscles. These points are useful not only in treatment but also in diagnosis of disease states. Subtle magnetic Qi currents flowing through the acupuncture meridians are not electrical in nature, but they are able to induce secondary electrical fields that create measurable changes at the physical cellular level through the induction of secondary electrical fields. These induced electrical fields are translated into DC-current interactions from the higher energy meridians into the physical body and affect primary bioelectronic processes, which provide and maintain coherence within the physical-cellular structure. When the flow of life energy to a particular organ is deficient or unbalanced, patterns of cellular disruption occur. Imbalances in the meridians can be detected by feeling the pulses, but this can take up to 20 years to develop profficiently. Whereas, manual muscle testing will detect these same imbalances, utilizing the body's intelligence to non-invasively let us know what is going on inside with relatively little practice.

The Meridian Cycle

Meridians are classified yin or yang on the basis of the direction in which they flow on the surface of the body. Meridians interconnect deep within the torso, but we will work with the part that is on the surface and is accessible to touch techniques. Yang energy flows from the sun, and yang meridians run from the fingers to the face or from the face to the feet. Yin energy, from the earth, flows from the feet to the torso, and from the torso along the inside (yin side) of the arms to the fingertips. Since the meridian flow is actually one continuous, unbroken flow, the energy flows in one definite direction, and from one meridian to another in a well-determined order. Since there is no beginning or end to this flow, the order can be represented as a wheel. The flow around the wheel follows the meridian lines on the body in this order:

from torso to fingertip (along inside of arm--yin)

from fingertip to face (along outside/back of arm--yang)

from face to feet (along outside of leg--yang)

from feet to torso (along inside of the leg--yin)

Three times through this four-step process covers the twelve major meridians.

Every organ and every part of your body is directly linked to a specific tooth or area of the mouth via these meridians, or energy highways. This connection is so strong that a biological dentist can often accurately "guess" your dental history simply by reviewing your physical symptoms. Root canals create disturbing energetic roadblocks in the body which short-circuit essential pathways leading to the breakdown of proper organ function. If a person has a weak organ, a root canal performed on the associated meridian tooth will make it more problematic. Balancing and strengthening the organ can allow a person to handle it temporarily.

According to Chinese theory, the cycles of Qi energy moving through the organs follow a daily clock-like pattern. The flow of energy is said to follow oscillating energy cycles with respect to time of day. Each of the main meridians has two, two-hour periods, during which, energy flow is first at a maximum and then later at a minimum intensity of circulation. The time at which energy flow is the greatest through a particular meridian may define the time of day at which it is best to treat a disease in the associated organ system. This internal timepiece which governs many bodily functions, including cyclic enzymatic activity within the brain, also seems to have an effect on the expression of drug toxicity. These subtle-energy rhythms are in resonant synchrony with the cosmic cycles of the universe. It is well known that many biological events seem to follow the maximum and minimum of solar activity. The meridian system may be the energetic mechanism by which changes in solar activity are translated into cellular and physiological effects.