What are meridians you ask? Great question!
There are many different ways to consider meridians. To help people visualise them a little better I will often liken them to the blood vessels or lymphatic system of the body. However, they are better understood as specific and complex ‘pathways’ in which the Qi (very loosely translated as energy) of the body flows.
There are 12 main meridians in the body alongside a further 8 meridians which we know as the ‘extra meridians. Acupuncture points are specific points located along these meridians. People are often surprised by the length distribution of these meridians, for example the urinary bladder meridian starts at the upper-inner corner of the eyes and ends at the outer corner of the little toe.
When Qi is not flowing well within a meridian, I like to think of this as a river which has been blocked by fallen trees or logs. It can often lead to an ’excess’ upstream, where the river is blocked and flooding, and a ‘deficiency’ downstream where the river has dried out and no water is following.
The free flowing of Qi can be influenced by many factors; traumatic injuries, lack of exercise, poor diet or nutrition and emotions (such as prolonged stress) are all important considerations.